Today on the way back from our evangelism trip from Virginia Beach, my wife and I stopped in to a restaurant for some lunch. As we were finishing up an older man who looked well dressed in a worn suit approached through the patio entrance and asked if someone there could give him some money to purchase a couple sub sandwiches for him and his wife to eat tonight because they didn't have any money until the first of the month. I was hesitant and he asked again, I was waiting to hear what another table adjacent from us would respond. They kept silent. I reached into my pocket and pulled out an American Hero gospel tract and said to Alston, here you go it's a gospel tract. He looked at it and inserted it into his pocket. I told him that I didn't have any cash to give him but I would by him some food. Go on in and look at the menu and get whatever you want, I said. His look was one of gratitude. A few minutes later I went in and checked on him. I walked over to where he was at the counter and paid for his food and chit chatted with the man for a few minutes. The lady at the register looked shocked that I was purchasing the food for the man. And then I walked away.

Back in the car, we continued our journey home and discussed briefly why I felt the Spirit's leading to purchase this man's food and did not feel led to give money to another guy we saw near Elizabeth City who was holding up a sign. Alston, asked for food and I had the resources to help him out. The man outside a Walmart near Elizabeth City was not asking for food or money but for work. If I lived in the area and had a business I would have given him some tasks to do for some money. 

I thought about how it would have looked to, if the table across from us were unbelievers and I had only given Alston a gospel tract, and he then asked the unbelievers again and they bought him some food. Would my faith be without works? Would the unbelievers who saw and heard me give him a gospel tract think that my faith in Jesus was just words and no deeds?

I then was reminded about an incident that took place a week and a half or so ago. On the way home from work I saw an older, rough, looking man pushing his moped down the road. I passed by and God prompted my heart to turn around and offer to put his moped in the back of my truck and give him a lift to where he was going. I turned around and pulled up next to him and asked if he wanted a ride. The man never acknowledged me and just kept heading to his destination. I said to myself, okay Jesus, I did what you asked me to do and headed on home.

It dawned on me what God was trying to show me through these divine appointments. It's not about helping people, it's about the glory of Jesus. Jesus deserves to receive the reward of his suffering. Jesus wants me to be obedient to the Spirits leading, not for the purpose of helping people, but for the purpose of Glorifying the name of Jesus. It's true that people are helped when Christians follow the Spirit, but helping people for the sake of helping people is not the ideal behind being a follower of Christ. It's all about Jesus!

Paris Reidhead's sermon titled Ten Shekels and a Shirt resonates in my mind [1]. He went to Africa to preach to the heathen in hopes that they would not suffer in hell after suffering so much in this life. When he got there, he discovered "they weren't poor, ignorant, little heathen running around in the woods looking for someone to tell them how to go to heaven. That they were MONSTERS OF INIQUITY!!! THEY WERE LIVING IN UTTER AND TOTAL DEFIANCE OF FAR MORE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THEN I EVER DREAMED THEY HAD! " 

Reidhead was angry at God and struggled with why God had sent him there and it was then that God spoke to his heart, "I didn't send you to Africa for the sake of the heathen, I sent you to Africa for My sake. They deserved Hell! But I LOVE THEM!!! AND I ENDURED THE AGONIES OF HELL FOR THEM!!! I DIDN'T SEND YOU OUT THERE FOR THEM!!! I SENT YOU OUT THERE FOR ME! DO I NOT DESERVE THE REWARD OF MY SUFFERING? DON'T I DESERVE THOSE FOR WHOM I DIED?"

I encourage you to listen or read the Ten Shekels and a Shirt sermon. It is a good reminder that we should avoid pragmatic humanism in our evangelism. We should be faithful to the gospel and serve Jesus despite how ineffective our outreach seems to be. Remember, it's about God's glory, not about how many people repent and put their faith in Christ.  

[1] http://www.parisreidheadbibleteachingministries.org/tenshekels.shtml

Christmas in Herman Park 2011

This is a brief 11 minute message presented at the City of Goldsboro's Christmas in Herman Park 2011. Reading the story of that first Christmas as revealed in Luke chapter 2, then briefly explaining why the righteousness of Jesus has great implications for our lives today, just as it did for the original hearers. And a closing prayer by J.R. Miller called "A Prayer for Christmas Day."

Conversing with an Atheist

Evangelist: Hi there, did you get one of these?
Atheist: What is it?
Evangelist: A gospel tract; it's about Jesus!
Atheist: I'm an Atheist; I don't believe in God.
Evangelist. Why don't you believe in God?
Atheist: There's no proof for God.
Evangelist. Sure there is, just look around; a beautiful blue sky, green grass, the sunshine, it really is a wonderful work of God.
Atheist: Haha yeah, that's your opinion. All the evidence points to evolution. Scientists know for a fact that evolution is how things came about, and that there is no need for God.
Evangelist: First of all, not all scientists believe that. And two, it's called the "theory" of evolution because it is not provable. However, I can prove to you that God exists in about 30 seconds.
Atheist: Yeah, right. Let me see!
Evangelist: When you look at a painting, how do you know there was a painter?
Atheist: Because a painter painted the painting.
Evangelist: Very good, that's right. When you look at a building, how do you know there was a builder?
Atheist: Well...
Evangelist: The building is proof there was a builder. And in the same way, when you look at creation it's proof there was a Creator. Your conscience also proves God is real, because God has taken the time to write his law on your heart. You know it's wrong to lie, steal, and commit adultery don't you? Have you ever told a lie?
Atheist. Yes.
Evangelist: What does that make you?
Atheist: Human.
Evangelist: Nah, more specifically!  : - )
Atheist: You want me to say liar?
Evangelist: Yeah, so what do you call someone who tells a lie?
Atheist: Not a liar.
Evangelist: Come on, you'd be a liar wouldn't you?
Atheist: Yep.
Evangelist:Have you ever stolen anything? The value is irrelevant.
Atheist: No.
Evangelist: Even if it was small, something from a brother, sister, a friend . . . anything without asking that didn't belong to you?
Atheist: Yeah, just small things though.
Evangelist: The value is irrelevant. If I reached into your pocket and took 5 dollars from you and ran off, you'd be just as upset if I took 100 dollars from you. So what are you called if you steal something?
Atheist: a thief.
Evangelist: That's right. Let's go through one more commandment--the seventh commandment--you should not commit adultery. Have you comitted adultery?
Atheist: Nope. Haven't broke that one.
Evangelist: Jesus said that if you look at a woman to lust for her, you have committed adultery in your heart. Have you looked with lust?
Atheist: Who hasn't?
Evangelist: So by your own admission. you're a lying, thieving, adulterer at heart, and that's just 3 of the 10 commandments. Do you think you'd be guilty or innocent on judgment day?
Atheist: Innocent, because I don't believe in God.
Evangelist: Just because you don't believe in God, it doesn't change reality. Stand in the middle of the freeway and say you don't believe in trucks--you'll get crushed! Innocent or guilty?
Atheist: I told you, I don't believe in God so it doesn't apply to me.
Evangelist: Well, in that case, "if" what I'm telling you is true and "if" God does exist, would you be innocent or guilty?
Atheist: If it's true, then I'd be guilty.
Evangelist: Should God reward you with heaven or hell?
Atheist: I don't believe in God but if it's true then yes, I'd go to hell.
Evangelist: Does that concern you, that you'd go to hell?
Atheist: . . .If it's true it would.
Evangelist: Let me ask you a question, would you sell one of your eyes for a million dollars?
Atheist: No.
Evangelist: How about both of your eyes for $10 million dollars!
Atheist: No.
Evangelist: Why not? It's because your eyes are important to you, how much more precious is your soul that looks out the windows of your eyes?
Atheist: . . . I see what you are saying.
Evangelist: Let me make it a little clearer for you. Put yourself in a courtroom, guilty of serious crimes. Do you think that the judge can just let you off the hook?
Atheist: No.
Evangelist: How much more strict of a judgment do you think God will
impose on you for breaking his eternal law, the ten commandments. He can't let you off the hook, if he did he would be an unjust judge. When human judges let people off the hook, we call them corrupt. God reveals himself in the Bible as a righteous judge, who judges every person's thoughts, words, and deeds! There is no corruption in God, unlike us, and he will give everyone who dies in their sins exactly what they deserve. We deserve to be punished in hell for our sins. The question you should be asking is: how can a just and holy God spare you of his firey judgment?
Atheist: If I try to be a good person, won't he forgive me?
Evangelist: Let's go back to the courtroom a second. You say to the judge, but judge I'm a good person now, I broke the law and committed those crimes 6 months ago. I've gave to charity, done community service, and even helped out in nursing homes, please your honor, I won't do it again--I'm sorry,please let me go. A good judge would respond with, certainly not! You  broke the law and the fine must be paid. You should be sorry, but being sorry and trying to change your life isn't going to make up for the law you broke. The fine must be paid.

It's the same way between you and God, you have broken his law by lying, stealing, lusting, and numerous other sins. No amount of good works will ever make up for the sins you have committed. Does this make sense to you?
Atheist: Yes.
Evangelist: Back to the courtroom one more time. You are being handcuffed and led out of the courtroom, and all of a sudden the judge says hold up. You turn and face him, and he says to you, you have broken the law and have not been able to pay your $100,000 fine. As a just judge, I have upheld the law and sentenced you to prison. The judge steps down from his stand, walks over to you, takes out his checkbook and fills out a check for $100,000. He then says to you, but as your friend, I am paying your fine. Not because you deserve it, or because you did anything to earn it, but simply because I was showing you mercy. It is a gift from me to you. How would that make you feel?
Atheist: Pretty grateful.
Evangelist: You bet it would! How would you respond to the judge?
Atheist: I would thank him and not go back to that lifestyle of crime.
Evangelist: That's right. Just like the courtroom, God has judged you guilty of breaking his law and the punishment is hell. But God being merciful, sent his son Jesus to pay the fine for the law you broke. The Bible tells us that God took on human form; Jesus became a man about 2,000 years ago and he lived a perfect life, fulfilling God's law, something you and I have failed to accomplish. Because Jesus had not broke the law he could give up his life as a sacrifice for those that have broke the law--Jesus was a perfect sacrifice for sinners. This was prophesied throughout the Bible and it came to pass. As Jesus suffered on the cross he was actually absorbing the penalty of his peoples' sins in his body--The book of Isaiah puts it this way: God laid on his son the iniquities of the people and crushed him. Jesus absorbed the wrath of God: you broke the law and Jesus paid your fine. The story doesn't end here though. Three days later Jesus was resurrected from the dead proving that he does have the power to forgive and cleanse those who have rebelled against his law. To receive this mercy that God is offerring you through his son Jesus, you are commanded by God to repent (that means to turn from your sins as revealed by God's moral law) and to put your trust in Jesus as you would in a parachute! Does this make sense?
Atheist: Yeah, it makes sense.
Evangelist: When do you think you will repent and put your faith in Jesus?
Atheist: Don't know.
Evangelist: Everyday 150,000 people die and open their eyes in eternity, some open their eyes to realize the flames of hell and torment, others meet Jesus face-to-face. Don't procrastinate, your eternal destiny depends on whether you repent and trust Jesus. Hey, do you have a Bible?
Atheist: Yes, I do.
Evangelist: I want to encourage you to read it, start with the gospel of John (it's the 4th book in the new testament). Ask God to give you understanding as you read it. And don't just be a hearer of it, but obey what it says.
Atheist: Ok.
Evangelist: Hey, thanks for talking with me. If you have any questions just contact me through the website listed on the back of that gospel tract I gave you. Have a great day! :-)

Rethink Gospel Tracts

Tags: who is Jesus, why Jesus is significant, what did Jesus accomplish, why Jesus is the eternal Son of God, why is Jesus unique, why Chrisianity is the one true religion, why there is none like Jesus, John 14:6,

It's a small tract to carry around with you--the size of a business card--to give to those who are a little confused about who Jesus is, or simply a reminder to anyone about Jesus' identity and why there is none like Him! The tract then swings to a short gospel message of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection; and our need to repent and trust in the Savior. A good, little way to plant, water, and grow.


Buy the Rethink gospel tracts here.

How Pietism Deceives Christians

Read this article tonight: "How Pietism Deceives Christians"; it's good. I can relate to some of what the author is writing about. For several years I had the mind set that I was a "radical" Christian because my life revolved around evangelism--a daily and nightly thing. Everywhere I went: a gospel tract had to be handed out; had to find a way to interject the gospel into every conversation; had to be reading theological books around the clock; listening to sermons non-stop. As a result, I looked down on Christians who were not like me. I was prideful, and a pietist as the article brings to light. My deception of; "a true Christian is someone who focuses all their energy on evangelism, because that's what God cares about," was beginning to affect other areas of my life. Those areas are as follows: when I should have been strengthening relationships with family members, my head was buried in theology books; when I should have been working diligently unto the Lord at work, rather than trying to read my Bible, memorize verses, and witness to co-workers--I was cheating my employer by not setting a good Christ like fruit of the Spirit example. I was neglecting just about every other area of life, failing to see that Christ has come to remove the curse as far as it is found, as Issac Watts once sang, and this happens by living out the fruits of the Spirit in every area of life, by the grace that Christ supplies. God is just as pleased with me when I spend time with my family, as when I am out evangelizing; God is just as pleased with me when I am at my secular (common) job, as when I am out evangelizing; God is just as pleased with me when I rest from my labors and enjoy life, as when I am out evangelizing. Why so? Because Christ is my justification and my sanctification as Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians.

Superwoman Appears in Piedmont Park

Back in April, my wife and I were able to visit a good friend in Atlanta. We all went over to Piedmont Park where the Dogwood Festival was carrying on, and did a little open air preaching. Here is one of the videos from that day.

Calling or Career?

My wife and I watched Gary North's "Calling and Career as an Austrian School Scholar" tonight. I think everyone should watch it, especially some of my evangelist friends who may think that secular work is a waste of time. I used to think that all I wanted to do, or all that God wanted me to do was evangelize, but that isn't correct; there is calling and there is career. Some may have their calling as career, but in no way does it mean that career or "secular" work is somehow less spiritual. Check out the video:

Twitter Change; Worldview Change

Here's something I recently decided:

I've decided to use @seedshakers for all my tweeting going forward. I used to think the gospel was just for outreach. It's actually the light in which the Christian does life, which includes outreach. So, @seedshakers, life, my life that God is pursuing will be expressed. Controversial or not, topics of a variety will be discussed @seedshakers and of course here on this blog, no holds barred. Some might discover that I'm not much of a legalist. Everything under the sun is under God's sovereign Son, yes even my beloved arminians :)  ; work, home, school, government, everything in light of the gospel. 

The Law is Light

This past weekend my wife and I met up with some friends to do some evangelizing. At one point Saturday evening a man who professed Christ, had walked by and upon hearing the preaching he turned to some of us standing there and said, "Is this loving? Is this really benefitting anybody?" He thought that we should be loving people instead of, as he put it, "telling people they're going to hell." What this man failed to understand is that what we were doing, was loving. His failure to comprehend the message of the cross, that we broke the law and Jesus paid the fine, hindered him from recognizing the absolute necessity to preach on sin, righteousness, and judgment. How loving would it be if I see someone who is about to get mugged and I don't warn him or her of the criminal lurking around the corner?!  Judgment awaits sinners, and we have the duty to reason with them about the impending judgment. God has given His law as a tool to do just that! The law is the standard by which Jesus will judge the world, and so it is the very thing we should use to persuade sinners to come to Christ. For without the law, there is no knowledge of sin. The law is light; exposing darkness and revealing depravity.

Christmas Parade Preaching

Here's a few videos from the past month of some preaching at a couple Christmas parades. If you watch them, pray for the people you see in the crowds:

1. That God would strengthen the believers who heard the word preached and motivate them to live as they are called.
2. That God would grant repentance and faith to the unbelievers who heard and cause them to be born again.
3. That the gospel would affect change in the communities of the hearers.

Why is the law of the Lord perfect in converting the soul?

Psalm 19:7 "The law of the Lord is perfect in converting the soul."

Psalm 19 gives us some insight into why God's law is used to revive someone's life. The law (the Ten Commandments) makes those who are simple to become wise--it enlightens one's eyes to fear the Lord! God's commandments are true, right, and enduring. The law is used to discern the error of our ways as the psalmist explains. The apostle Paul put it this way in Romans 7:7: "Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, "You shall not covet." As a result, the law stops a sinners mouth from justifying himself before God. Romans 3:19-20 informs us that the law stops our mouths from justifying ourselves, leaves us helpless and guilty before a holy God, brings the knowledge of sin by defining it for us, and points us to the Savior! "Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin."

I love what Charles Spurgeon said concerning the Ten Commandments in regards to the use of the law in evangelism:

"But more, there is war between thee and God's Law. The Ten Commandments are against thee. The first comes forward and says, "Let him be cursed, for he denies Me. He has another god besides Me, his god is his belly, he yieldeth homage to his lust." All the Ten Commandments, like ten great cannons, are pointed at thee today, for you have broken all God's statutes, and lived in daily neglect of all His commands. Soul! thou wilt find it a hard thing to go to war with the Law . . .What will ye do when the Law comes in terror, when the trumpet of the archangel shall tear you from your grave, when the eyes of God shall burn their way into your guilty soul, when the great books shall be opened, and all your sin and shame shall be punished?"

God's law has its appropriate place. It's not used as a moral ladder to climb yourself into heaven. It can't be done! You will never be good enough to earn or merit forgiveness from God--no matter how hard you try--your efforts are futile and an insult to God's holiness. Picture yourself in an earthly courtroom, all the evidence is laid out--you are guilty! You have been sentenced with a $100,000 fine or time in prison. You don't have the money, so you are handcuffed and led off to jail. All of a sudden, the Judge speaks up, "Hold that young man there!" The Judge steps down from his judgment seat and walks over to you and pulls out a checkbook and writes in a $100,000. He says to you, "I've just paid your fine, you are free to go!" You see, that makes sense in light of the fact that you broke the law and that there was a consequence to it.

If we go around telling people that they need Jesus without taking the time to show them why they need Jesus, that they have offended God by breaking his law, they will not come to Jesus with the right motives. They will come seeking an improved life of health, wealth, happiness, and an easy life. But the Bible promises persecutions, trials, and temptations--and peace in Jesus, knowing that you're saved from God's wrath. You see, the law makes us realize that God's wrath against our sin is just, and that we actually do deserve to be punished in hell for eternity. This bad news about the law makes the good news of Jesus make sense! He paid our fine!

In closing, hear the words of Dr. Martin Loyd-Jones:

"A gospel which merely says, 'Come to Jesus,' and offers Him as a friend, and offers a marvelous new life, without convincing of sin, is not New Testament evangelism. (The essence of evangelism is to start by preaching the Law; and it is because the Law has not been preached that we have had so much superficial evangelism.) True evangelism... must always start by preaching the law."