Bits and Pieces

We started out today handing out some tracts and looking for someone to witness to. There is normally many people walking about by themselves or in couples. Today most people were in groups of three or more. It took a little while before the fish started to bite, but as the temp warmed up so did the fishing. John S and Josh joined us for a while today.

Denise witnessed to a young couple waiting for a concert to start. The young man wasn't to sure about things, but the girl was rock solid. Maybe this will give her an opportunity to witness to him later.

Josh had a good conversation with this group. One was a Southern Baptist and one was Church of Christ. The others didn't say much and took off as soon as the Law came out.

The two Christians jousted a little with Josh and didn't seem to be convicted in any way. The woman that stuck around looked like the Law was doing its work very well. Josh did a thorough job of explaining the plan of salvation.

On the way back to the car we scattered a few parking ticket tracts around the area. There will be a few hearts beating fast over these. It might even get someone's attention enough to consider the message on the back.

We had many good conversations today. Many times while talking to someone, someone else would walk up and listen too. Most people we spoke with today had never really heard the whole story about what Jesus came to do. They understood bits and pieces but never had it explained to them where it made sense.

It is sad that someone can live in America with a church building on every corner and never hear the Gospel. Christian can you explain the plan of salvation? Can you tell someone the whole story and not just bits and pieces? The time for Jesus to return is coming quickly. Do you know anyone who is lost? Do you care? This is the hard question. Do you care enough to do something about it?? Preach the Word and tell the story before it's to late.

Smoke On The Water.

The first event in the USA Barbeque Championship was held today at the Clinton Presidential Center. There were many people there, some from as far away as Canada. We had a great opportunity today to spread the Word. We were very blessed to have the whole evangelism team present today. John S and Josh from another local team also joined with us today to preach the Gospel. The rain clouds overhead looked menacing, but we serve a God that can say "Peace be still", so off we went.


We split up and mingled through the crowd, ambushing unsuspecting folks with millions of dollars in bailout money. Our favorite tract is the Million Dollar Bill from LivingWaters.com. Several people wanted more than one to give to their friends. We use Gospel tracts as ice breakers to start up a spiritual conversation with people. This tract has the million dollar question on the back, "Will you go to Heaven when you die?" It allows us to bring up the things of God without being offensive.


Most of the people that were there early were the contestants themselves and were very busy. A lot of folks that weren't busy were huddled under tents to avoid the light rain that was falling. John S managed to witnessed to one of the contestants as he was waiting on his meat to cook.


Josh got to witness to two young men when the stepped under the tent to stay dry.


Larry and Denise had the pleasure to witness to Tom. Tom said that he was a Cherokee, a Christian, and that he believed that most other religions would lead to God. He carries a staff "like Moses" with crystals and other thing mounted on it. He had a booth set up with healing crystals and the like. They had an interesting conversation with him. Please pray.


John S and Josh talked with Jose and his friends about their eternal destiny. They listened to them share the things of God very intently. Jose, with the blue hat on, was very open to the Gospel.


This is a picture I took to remind me of Sara. She is a waitress in one of the restaurants downtown. When I asked her if she would go to heaven when she died she said that she hoped she would, because she was a "good person". I shared with her what the Bible's standard for good was and she saw that compared to that standard she wasn't. I was able to share part of the Good News with her but, she "had to go now." It is frustrating when you only get to share part of the message with someone. God is sovereign though. He can arrange it so that Sara can her the rest of the Good News.


As I was speaking to Sara, Larry started up a conversation with Michael and Dennis. As usual Larry used a tract to break the ice with them. When Dennis asked what it was and Larry told him, he said "I'm an agnostic", gave it back to Larry and left the scene. Michael stayed and heard the Law and the Gospel. Later Denise ran into Dennis and got to witness to him.


We wrapped up the day with a group picture (Larry, Denise, John, Jimmy). We said good bye to Josh & John S and headed for the cars passing out a few more tracts along the way. Most of the time we don't see any fruit from our labor but, sometimes the Lord allows you to see something to build up your faith. We were in the car about to leave and He let us see something awesome.


We were sitting in the car discussing the day and saw a family walking down the sidewalk. The father bent down and picked up something off the ground. It was a million dollar bill tract that "somehow" found its way into their path. He showed it to his family and as they walked down the street he was reading it out loud. What an awesome God we serve.

We passed out quite a few tracts and had several one to one witnessing opportunities. Most everyone we talked to today thought that they were going to Heaven because they were a good person. The Bible is very clear that "there is none good except for God." 2 Corinthians 7:10 says "For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death". Until someone recognizes that they are not a good person working their way to Heaven, but a sinner condemned to hell in need of a Savior, they will never throw themselves at the foot of the Cross in repentance and cry out "Lord forgive me!" Get trained how to share your faith, and seek the lost while we still have time.

SEC Tournament fills the pond.

Today we headed down to the River Market. The SEC womens basketball tournament was going on at Alltel Arena so the crowd was fairly large. Denise took off like she was on a mission, followed closely by our minivangelist Sara.

We split up and went to work. I took Meagen the camera daughter with me. We quickly handed out several million dollar bill tracts to the basketball fans. Some were given to celebrate their teams victory and some as a consolation prize for a loss. Most folks were glad to get one and many asked for more.

I met Ryan at one of the tables at the market. He was quick to inform me that he was saved and that salvation came by repentance, baptism in Jesus name only, and getting the Holy Ghost. We had a good little conversation.

I met up with Bridgette and her two daughters walking down by the river. She said that she was a Christian. When someone professes to be a believer I always try to ask them how to become one myself. I'll ask them "If I were to come to you and say, I know I'm not right with God what can I do to go to Heaven when I die?" It took a few more questions, but she was able to tell me.

She said that she just tries to "live the life" as a witness to her unsaved friends. I asked her what would happen while she was "living the life" and her friend died before she told them the Gospel. The look on her face says it all.

We had a long talk about how to share her faith with the unsaved. During the conversation her two daughters heard the Law and the Gospel very clearly. Perhaps that seed will take root.

Vincent was full of, of..... Well he was just full. He knew that salvation was through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He also told me that he believed some people could be saved and not even know it. Hmm, we had a good little talk too.

I spotted Denise talking with Mike. He was sitting way off by himself. Denise just couldn't resist. Bullseye! Mike is going through some things right now that she could minister to. She seems to be drawn to those who are hurting. Please pray for Mike.

Anthony was in town to see Auburn play, just minding his own business when some crazy guy hands his wife and friends million dollar bills. She read the back of the tract out loud. He then turned and chased me down. GULP! It turns out that he is a Sunday school teacher. He said that he liked the tract and what we were out doing. I gave him a CD of Hell's Best Kept Secret and pointed him to some other evangelism resources.

I talked with Symara for a little while. She is the daughter of a minister and wanted another tract to take back to her father. She was interested in how I shared the Gospel because she had never heard it put that way. Perhaps another seed got planted today.

Denise gave Willy a tract and started to witness to him. He said he wasn't interested in hearing that stuff. She left the tract and started to walk. Amazing things happen when God is involved. He read the back of the tract and called Denise back to talk. Thirty minutes later he shook her hand and thanked her.

We had good day, passing out a lot tracts, witnessing to several people, just enjoying the work for the Lord. One thing bothers me though. Almost everyone I spoke with who claimed to be a Christian couldn't tell me how to become one. If I asked a plumber what I had to do to become a plumber, I would think that if he really is a plumber he should be able to tell me. Christian, can you tell someone how to become a Christian? If not how can you be sure that you are one.

Paul says to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith. Examine yourself, get trained how to share your faith, and seek the lost while we still have time. When the trumpet sounds we're done!

Amazing...

A few minutes after posting the update on our Hot Springs trip I came across another blog about evangelism. This guy was from Fayetteville, AR, just a few hours up the road from me. I sent him a quick email and got an even quicker reply. Tim the evangelist was full of encouragement and it was a delight to find another team fairly close. We thought that we could work together from time to time to share the Gospel. I thought this was pretty cool...then the cool thing happened. Tim sent another email to me saying that he just saw that we were in Hot Springs witnessing and that he was in Hot Springs witnessing the day before. He planted the seed with Stoney that Denise got to water. Wow! Praise God! Only God could arrange such events. I look forward to see what He will do next.

2009 Prayer List

The following list are names of people that we have shared the Law and the Gospel with during one-to-one witnessing or small group conversations. Please pray for these folks. I will update this post regularly and you will find a permanent link for this post in the right column of this blog. (Thanks Tony for the idea.)

02-21-09 -- Richo (River Market)
02-21-09 -- Nate (River Market)
02-21-09 -- Lavelle (River Market)
02-21-09 -- Cheyanne (River Market)
02-21-09 -- Roland (River Market)
02-21-09 -- Dale (River Market)
02-28-09 -- Stoney (Hot Springs)
03-07-09 -- Ryan (River Market)
03-07-09 -- Bridgette (River Market)
03-07-09 -- Vincent (River Market)
03-07-09 -- Mike (River Market)
03-07-09 -- Anthony (River Market)
03-07-09 -- Symara (River Market)
03-07-09 -- Willy (River Market)
03-07-09 -- David (River Market)
03-07-09 -- Isaac (River Market)
03-07-09 -- Brittany (River Market)
03-14-09 -- Jose (BBQ Contest)
03-14-09 -- Scott (BBQ Contest)
03-14-09 -- Danielle (BBQ Contest)
03-14-09 -- Tom The Wizard (River Market)
03-14-09 -- Michael (River Market)
03-14-09 -- Dennis (River Market)
03-14-09 -- Sara (River Market)
03-14-09 -- Tony (River Market)
03-14-09 -- Barry (River Market)
03-28-09 -- Damian (River Market)
03-30-09 -- Kieth (Wing Stop)
04-04-09 -- Brian (Eureka Springs)
04-04-09 -- Mike (Eureka Springs)
04-09-09 -- Ebony (Gas Pump)
04-30-09 -- Averial (and her husband Ron) (Wal Mart)
05-02-09 -- Kenny (Rivermarket)
05-02-09 -- Commadore (Rivermarket)
09-25-09 -- Cody (Faulkner County Fair)
09-25-09 -- Nathan(Faulkner County Fair)
09-25-09 -- Steve(Faulkner County Fair)
09-25-09 -- David(Faulkner County Fair)

Hot Springs was freezing....

As the title implys...it was COLD!
We got out to Central Ave around 1:00. While we were parking Larry and I both saw this bumper sticker at the same time. We looked at each other and had a big grin, then we got out of the car. The temp was around 37 degrees and the wind felt like it was blowing at 100mph. Then it started to snow. Wow, he sure provided.

We took a stroll down the avenue pretty much by ourselves. Not many folks were out enjoying the afternoon sunshine. Most people we talked with were in a hurry to get inside. We did manage to pass out several Gospel tracts and Ten Commandment coins, the kids love these. Denise got a chance to share the Gospel with Stoney. He said he had already heard all of this from some young people that "come around like this". So I guess she was just watering the seed. Please pray for him.

All in all God did provide. He gave us the time, the ability, and the place to go "seek and save that which was lost". God is good and will continue to provide.