AUDIOS

My experiences with witnessing:

Fish Stories, Sunday, August 19th, 2007 11:17 PM
URL: http://www.adventuresinchristianity.com/?L=blogs.blog&article=892

There are some Christians who do not believe the Spirit of Christ can direct you in what you need to do in order to evangelize. This audio demonstrates the truth of it...
Listen for what my son and I were talking about and see just how I was prompted to use what we discussed as a springboard to swing to a witnessing encounter with a lady as she was sitting in her car next to ours watching her children.
I had the recorder on to test it, as it had failed to work the other day at my regular fishing hole, and I was seeing how long it would go before it stopped. I didn't realize I would be capturing an encounter, but I was hoping I would and was ready if God wanted to work it in. I was thrilled to see how it happened and, as this has happened many times, am glad to be able to show just how the Spirit works a personal encounter with Him into such a regular conversation with someone as they were chatting about their children at a playground.

The Leading of the Spirit in Audio -WMA

The Leading of the Spirit in Audio -MP3

As I was watching my younger son play I was aware of those there and was waiting to see just what the Spirit would prompt me to speak on.
You have to be ready to speak and willing to swing to the spiritual no matter where you are.
You have to start the conversation most of the time so be ready to do that.
 

An exciting part was that my wife was in our car and was listening to the whole encounter. I have been encouraging her that Jesus will arrange the situations if she will just be willing to listen for His voice, be bold in the knowledge that another soul may just be saved from Hell through her, and know the Spirit uses our words to bring life to a dead soul.
Jesus said He only did what He saw His Father doing and spoke what He heard His Father saying. That's just what I did today and you can hear it happen...
I thought it was funny to record the beginning part where Ryan and I were playing but, as the whole encounter played out, I looked back and could see how God had arranged that whole situation for Laura to hear the truth, for you to hear how God arranges situations and what can happen when you obey what Yahweh is doing.
Did Laura repent? Not that I saw. She sure listened intently. At one point she got down right squirmy, which was a GOOD sign. Was she a Christian? I don't know but she sure thought she was as she said.
I have had encounters like this (there even) where people were stunned by the timing of the conversation.
Do not forget, the Spirit will use the Word to bring life to what was spoken as you speak it and later to them as they remember it.

I gave Laura a booklet, with the Good Person Test in it from the Living Waters Ministry Store, to give her something to refer back to when the Spirit brings the conversation back up; He is faithful to do that.

So, you can do that!
Seek the lost while you still can...

The Law to Draw The Law

I had the opportunity (and audacity) to approach a police officer on the way home last night.

Officer Keith [last name protected]
As he was getting out of his cruiser I got back out of my car saying, "Whenever I see you guys I like to give you one of these.", handing him the "Are You Good Enough to Go to Heaven?" tract.
As he took it, he smiled and said, "I've got a buddy who would like this - He's always preaching at me."

I winced at that one. I hate to be preached "at."

I said, "Does he use The Law to explain it?"
He looked at me quizzically and said, "What? No..."
I smiled and proceeded to Draw the Law with the Law.

He was on duty and was just stopping in at the local Hess Gas Station convenience store for something, so I kept it quick. So I took him through the standard 4 rapid-fire and I can talk FAST:
Ever lied?
Yup.
What do you call someone who lies?
A liar.
Yeah, thanks for bein honest. Ever steal?
Uh, yeah.
What's that make you?
A ....a thief. Hah hah. (nervous smile)
Hmmm. Unless you're in Pittsburgh then that makes you a Steeler right?
Hah. Good one!
Ok, well here's the one that got me. It's the sixth commandment (woops - it's the Seventh)
Ok. (getting antsy)
Jesus said, "You've heard it said of old that you shall not commit adultery. Well I say whoever looks at a woman with lust has committed adultery already with her in his heart."
(Paused for effect)
Ever done that?
Who hasn't? (He's looking worried now... good...!)
Ok, Officer. When you face God you will be a lying, thieving, adulterer at heart and that's only 4 of the 10. (Ok so that was only 3 - I was nervous. the guy was BIG! I kept getting cramps looking up at him and I'm 6'2"!!! Anyway, he never noticed the mistakes.)
So, where will you go, Heaven or Hell?
Heaven, I hope! (nervous laughter)
Keith, scripture is clear you will be going to Hell!
Well, I have to get ....
Ok, I understand. Just make sure you read that.
I'm going to make sure my buddy gets this!
Well, listen, here's the part your buddy probably told you about.
...
"Well, ok.", I said, "What did God do so you DON'T have to go to Hell?"
..
"Ok. Hmm.", I said. "You'll appreciate this then."
He smiles as I say, "You're in a courtroom, guilty of t-boning a cop car as you ran a stop sign. You didn't mean to do it but you were caught red-handed, can't get out of it. Cop's mad 'cause you busted his ride. You stand before the Judge and he passes a sentence of 50,000 dollars to replace the car." Officer Keith nods knowingly. "You are about to go to jail when suddenly someone stands up that you don't know, pays the 50,000 dollar fine and walks out."
(paused for effect)
"What's the Judge going to say then?", I say. He shrugs and I say, "'You're free to go, right?'"
"Yeah.", he says, seeing the point.
I say, "Right. You're still guilty, but the fine was paid. God sent His own son 2000 years ago to pay the fine for your crime. And if you'll put your trust in Him that payment will be yours."
(ponderous silence)
"Y'see, you have to do two things to be rescued by God from the Hell you so justly deserve. What are those two things?"
(He shrugs)
"Repent and Believe."
(at that he nods)
I quickly explained Repentance with the firecracker being really dynamite analogy and explained Believing as being what you do when you trust your life to a parachute you've never used, jumping from a plane that is going down.

I then paused as he considered what I said.

Then he remembered he had to get going, apparently thinking how long he had been there. So, seeing that, I said, "Hey, I don't want to keep you further - you have a job to do. But think about those things. We don't have the promise for tomorrow."
He said, "You're right about that!", or something along those lines, as he ran off into the store.

I yelled after him, "READ that and HAVE YOUR FRIEND CALL ME!"
If his friend does contact me we're going to have a talk about what he's been saying, or rather, what he has NOT been saying!

So, I didn't get threatened I'd be busted for "offensive speech", like Jesse Morrell of OpenAirOutreach.com was in Texas (he even got hand-cuffed!); I didn't get told I was a nut, and I didn't get told to "get off that box", like Ray Comfort of LivingWaters.com was, as a New York cop tried to intimidate him with the new "anti-loitering" laws that say you can't stand on anything and speak. Ray just got up on two guy's backs and continued on. I wasn't arrested, beaten, jailed or tortured to death as Christians are in other countries.

No, this Officer of the Law listened to God's evaluation of him using The Law and he was respectful and heard it all. Whether he believed it I couldn't get to, as he had to go. But he did take the tract, and he did hear everything - the whole Gospel this time.

Sometimes the best you can do is "lay it down" for the lost, that they can consider the truth.
And all you can know for sure is that you gave the Gospel faithfully,
because you used the Way of the Master.

You can do that.

Saturday, June 17th, 2006
As we arrived, my 5 year old and I, in Newark, NJ, to meet with GNN seed-sowers, I thought, I just know I'm gonna get a ticket. There won't be parking. I might as well go." I decided to risk it, not being able to decipher the parking meter times (most such location are normally free on weekends, and, as the sign said, no parking from 12 midnight to 6am). The meter was an hour long one and we noticed, at the time, all the other cars were parked at expired meters. It was a good walk so we said a quick, "Sure hope this isn't the wrong assumption. Protect us Father if I am wrong. Amen if I get a ticket. Just part of dealing in cities", and headed up to Broadway.

Tiffany, Robert, and several others were there preaching on the corners. I said "preaching", but that isn't quite right. They were having to do this, "Are you good enough to go to hea... here take this... wait... did you get... ok then... uh... (where was I Lord?)... (oh yeah)... Are you good enough to go to hea... wait here... did you get... uh ok... right... here's sir... oh.... no Habla, sorry... um... yes..."
WOW! I haven't seen people move that fast ever. Even in New York you can get a crowd. Not here. It was all "zoom , zoom, pardon, pardona me, zoom zoom"
There were street hawkers for whistles, people selling "hot" merchandise, people selling ices on carts and stands, some guy ranting about "rights" with a megaphone down the street, another preacher yelling mostly incongruous statements about Jesus through another megaphone, "Jesus good.  All time, all time, all time, Jesus good, all..." well you get the idea right? It WAS CHAOS! I had to laugh. I just had to laugh! My 5 year old loved it! "It's so LOUD! Hee hee hee!"

So I used what I heard on WOTMRadio yesterday (mp3 download so I think it was Thursday's). But first I approached a crowd at a bus stop, as Tiffany reminded us we could do in such situations, and said, "So, who wants to take the good person test? For ten bucks?" In unison they all turned around and I heard crickets chirping... Wow. This place was "dark." So I laughed and said, "ooooooook. Sorry to bother you." and walked over to two ladies standing against the wall. I said, "Ok ladies, they didn't want the money", holding up the cash. They smiled and I said, if either of you can name the ten commandments it's yours. "Roz" said smiling, "Ok, let's see, Don't commit adultery..., obey your parents, don't lie, don't steal... mmm, that's it- I can't remember any more." Her friend laughs and says nothing.
I then handed here the "A gift for you tract" with a dollar in it and took Roz through the good person test. She was very honest and completely unabashed at admitting her adultery. Just very honest and not hiding. She wasn't non-challant but just matter of fact. I was surprised, thanked her for being honest, and took her quickly to the Last "D" of the W.D.J.D presentation as her bus came. I gave her the "GODISNOWHERE" tract, forgetting I gave the other tract already, and told her the rest is in there. I then gave one to her mute friend and they both said thanks and got on the bus.

The babbler with the megaphone spouting Christian sounding stuff and I already had a discussion about using the Law to explain sin, which he liked, but he seemed to keep getting lost for words, so I gave him the booklet "Save yourself Some Pain" explaining as I tucked it into his shirt pocket that it explains who we are, what we believe and that we want him to join us. He was saying something about the Bible he had in his hand being enough, complaining about the extra stuff I just handed him so I just said, "Read it. It'll help you." He smiled and said, "Ok." I then heard him start explaining the Law and how we are seen by God using the Law. I smiled and he nodded as he kept talking.

 It was really hot and Ryan was getting hungry so we hit up McDonalds and then walked around to the stores trying to find a place that sells coupons. As I was in the "Mickey D" I handed tracts to people waiting and engaged a young guy in the W.D.J.D and the Good Person test. The Moslem behind me rejected the tract but the Hispanic guy behind him took it thanking me. The professing Christian in front of me had answered the "Are you a good person?" question with the first time I had heard this sort of response, "Jesus is my Savior. In Him I am a goo... well no, uh... He has saved me. Without Him, forget it!"  I was thrilled by that and told him so. So I gave him the "Save Yourself Some Pain" booklet and encouraged him to join the Harvest. He was very encouraged. Back slaps all 'round.

This Newark McD didn't have coupons. I was pretty concerned about using money in Newark. But I didn't seem to have an issue with it. I later found out McDonalds has dollar coupons, just not at this one, and that they fit perfectly inside the "A Gift For You" tract! So now I have Dunkin Doughnuts and McDonalds coupons that fit in this very popular tract. I get wonderful smiles and thanks when people get these. These get read!

The squirt was getting testy as I discussed the gospel with two young men so I realized we were close to being done for the day. An older lady was being obvious about eavesdropping so I made sure she got a tract too. She said to her friend's query, "That young man was preaching the Gospel!" They both smiled and nodded as they got on the bus smiling and at me and Ryan.

We were all fighting frustration at times but it was still an effective day. It was a real challenge to our imaginative means to get people to take tracts and engage in one to ones. We just kept banging away at that dark spirit hanging over the place and eventually we started getting some responses. A little here, a little there, alot of tracts and some opportunities to try different things. And we handed out allot of Hispanic tracts!

One of the ladies got to ride some weird bike that moved as you leaned one way and then the other and we all got a good laugh. Another fella had a personal transport that is actually illegal but the police don't say anything. I marveled how it stayed on it's two wheels without the third wheel somewhere. I suspected a gyro ("jeye-row") was in use.

Here was one tip I pass to you: We did have to keep spinning.
What do I mean?
"Spinning" is what you do to ensure no one gets your stuff. Just keep turning this way and that and the pick-pockets stay off you, out of your pockets and your backpack.
Its a technique that takes practice but works well in moving crowds. You get allot of tracts handed out that way and no one gets your wallet. Of course, I always keep my wallet in the front and TRACTS in the back. Maybe some tracts get stolen that way.

I did manage, "Will you be good enough to go to heaven? Find out!" and then hand them that tract. The chaos there was very distracting and it was hard to think about what you were doing. You just had to "let it rip." This is where practicing comes in handy and scripture memorization too. Whenever I get stuck I pop to the scripture verses specifically useful  to witnessing.  And I have a good set of lungs so I didn't need the megaphone. One of the other guys laughed at that. I bellowed at him, "You Have to BE LOUD Here! Ha HA!" We grinned and laughed.
We were all so energized! Preaching the Gospel does that. What a Joy! What a thrill! What a short amount of time left to do this in!

So, a good day in Newark.
Ryan said he wants to go back.

And, oh yeah, I didn't get a ticket....  

BTW: I need to make this point for those dealing with spouses who do not want you to do these things. I got the idea, thank you Lord, to explain it this way to my wife. "Honey, this is my job. What I do to make money pays for me doing this job. But this is my job." My wife "got" that well. Makes the point very well.

Eternal Security
Last week I was working in a different building that has a security guard in a booth watching the cars in the lot. As I went in I gave the guard the tract "Are You Good Enough to Go to Heaven" as I know sitting there all day gives one alot of time to read. This tract is a double sided, 9 point font (or there about-pretty small), large sized, double sided tract.
In other words, it takes quite a while to read all of it.
I gave about 300 of this same tract out this weekend at our local town festival.
I find it amusing that the tract I expected people to like the least, due to it's length, is liked the most!
Maybe it's how colorful it is. Maybe it's the question, which is on everyone's mind. Not sure what it is they find so appealing initially, but it is one of my best ones to hand out - it rarely is rejected. One lady at the fair said, "I KNOW I'm good enough!" and got quite huffy when I asked her why. She just repeated she knew she was and nearly threw the tract back, almost running away.
It's weird how some people react. I'm guessing it's a demon talking.
(Thinking about this tract, I just called Danny at Livingwaters.com and ordered more of them 'cause I is OUT!)
So, as I came back out of the building in Maywood, NJ, I see the guard has changed and there is this young kid with metal in his face sitting there. I think, "Another one! Yes!"
As I walked by I asked where the Burger King was and he gave me directions.
They were not good directions.
I got lost.
They were awful directions.
I absolutely despise getting lost during my lunch break.
So, I'm thinking what I'm going to say as I find a Subway and get lunch.
"Rail on him and tell him off! Then give him the right directions!", I hear from my nefarious companion called the flesh.
No, that wouldn't do, I never found the Burger King and maybe I didn't hear him right.
So, I eat and head back.
I did hand some tracts to a lady in the line and another woman with a cane.

He's still there.
So I walk up to him and tell him I never found the place but I tell him where the Subway is. I hand him the same tract as the previous security guard and go back in to finish my job, "Here this will help pass the time."
Nope, I didn't rail on him, but smiled and tracted him.
"Nanner Nanner, flesh!" I hear a "raspberry." Hmmm. Maybe it's not my flesh after all.

After work I came out and he was still there (poor kid).
While inside I had witnessed to a Buddhist software engineer quite successfully who asked many probing questions and was very thoughtful as I left.

This kid, with his bottle blond hair and stud in his eyebrow and pirate earring in his left ear claimed to be a Christian. I couldn't remember self-mutilation being a fruit of the Spirit but I don't mention the metal.
He told me how he had been expected to die at 6 months and how that had always made him quite conscious of his mortality. He had joined the Boy Scouts and had recently made Eagle Scout (which I congratulated him on)!
With just a little probing we determined he wasn't a Christian at all but merely "religious."
He admitted to being a lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulterer at heart and that he would be guilty and headed for Hell if he died that night.
It bothered him no small amount.
As I shared the Gospel with him he showed that he had never heard even some of it and I was not too surprised to hear him say he would definitely be talking to God that night. We had discussed repentance, and what that means, Hell, God's Wrath against the unrepentant and arrogant, and how we all have to answer to God personally, with no one to defend us.
Once he finally stopped trying to say he was good we went to the Good News.
He was relieved and his countenance visibly changed.

I am hopeful that security guard found Eternal Security in Jesus that night.

While waiting in line at a local department store I saw we were going very slowly. I knew I had more than enough time to witness to someone, so I turned around and said, "Looks like this is going to take a while." The young man behind me agreed and then I handed him a GODISNOWHERE tract saying, "Here. Read this while you wait."

 He took it and I quickly turned back to waiting. The line was taking a very long time. So, I swallowed my ball of fear, said to myself, "The righteous are as bold as a lion!" and then I again spoke to this guy lurking behind me waiting to rip my lungs out if I mentioned the name of Jesus to him.

Well that didn't happen and I happily reminded myself demons lie. But the guy then said he was an atheist!
Lang lang laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang! All my fears had come true! Oh NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOL! Naaaah. As we spoke and I quickly went through the law in a third person sort of way (rats! The line was moving quickly now...) he mentioned being an Atheist as we moved into Judgment. I had already used the math analogy showing that math is a standard that doesn't change by opinion, so I went back to that and explained that Judgment has to be from a standard. His opinion of that standard of what "Good" is, he had said he was good in his opinion, holds no more weight than his acceptance that 2 plus 2 is always 4.

When we stand before God on our day of reckoning, when we will answer for every thought, word and deed, our opinion will be of no consequence whatsoever.

I had perceived that he was annoyed by that as I turned back to see how the line was going.

So I pulled out a Department of Annoyance tract, telling him it was my "card."

He laughed right out loud and, thankfully, said, "That was good timing!"

I like this card because this is how the Gospel message on the back reads:

We quickly discussed Judgment day being like jumping out of a plane. Your opinion will not effect gravity - you'll still "bounce." I wise-cracked that, "Well no, that would likely be a 'splat.'" "Trevor", which is what we'll call him, laughed but he wasn't smiling - he was very contemplative. I mentioned how a guy I heard had fallen ten thousand feet and lived was very fortunate. But that he likely had gone to church that next day. "It's amazing what staring death in the face will do to your perspective on what's important and what isn't." He nodded.
But Trevor still maintained his "opinion" of his "goodness" was more important to him.
"Trevor" shook my hand as I paid and left with my purchases.
I asked him if he had ever heard that kind of presentation. "No. Never", he said. I said, "Thank you for listening to me. And consider what I said carefully. We don't know what will happen tomorrow do we?"

I never mentioned God's Love or Grace. I never mentioned he had a way out. Trevor was still good in his own eyes. But "Trevor" put both tracts in his pocket. And he had read every word. He had said they were "interesting." Yeah. I bet that "interest" is real lively now!

Our conscience doesn't take much to be awakened or have it's crust broken open. A few simple words from the lips of the Savior, repeated thousands of years later, are all that are needed. When we were going through the Law I had mentioned Jesus said that looking with lust is the same as adultery in God's opinion. I said then, "That's the only opinion that matters, The opinion of the one who made you."

"Trevor's" conscience had him pretty knotted up at the end as we spoke. He had grimaced several times as we went through the Law as I was saying things like, "There isn't a man alive who hasn't lusted. And when you and I meet God we will be guilty. And where will you go if you are guilty?" He shrugged and then nodded, "Yeah."

Father, bring Trevor to the truth. Let what he saw clearly in our conversation be what sets his heart aflame for your Truth. Keep him from the evil one and let that young man come to the understanding of just how much you love him, and how angry You are at his sin. I tried to get him to see the seriousness of his sin. I explained how you will not blink at lust and lies. He read that you loved him enough to have your own son die on the Cross for Him. He had those tracts explained to him and he read them. Cause those words that are life echo in his mind that he repents and surrenders to your rescue for him. Amen.

Here is what we did to give a Christian response to the "'DUH' Vinci Code", as the New York Daily News called it on the front page headline for the movie's opener Friday:
My son, who is 5, and I went to three different theatres and handed out over 700 DaVinci Code Tracts on Saturday, May 20th.
Saturday had several shows sold out so we had a great crowd to work with.
I had a variety of responses, many inquisitive, some appreciative and two malevolent. One of the angry reactions actually was quite encouraging. This gentleman, who was around my age, cussed me, in front of my 5 year old, for giving him Christian effluent and stormed off. He had demanded to know what it was and I told him twice it was about the DaVinci code.
Now you may be wondering, "Just how was that encouraging?" Because I would much rather have anger as a response than apathy.
With anger as a reaction I know it's a result of an active conscience. And an active conscience is a wonderful thing to have!

I never once got asked to leave, even though I had "anticipated" that would happen! Now that makes me laugh as I remember Ray, Todd and Kirk on their WayOfTheMasterRadio.com program recently discussing how we make encounters to be sure failures, expected disaster, definite death waiting to happen. And then we find out we had only been hearing those demonic memos from Hell again, instead of reminding ourselves that God says the righteous are as a bold as a lion.
It is a source of everlasting strength for me to know that though man may kill me I cannot be harmed: My soul has been delivered from Death.

Big Guy, BIGGER fears
I was determined to get someone to talk to today so I made a point of giving a tract to whomever was behind me at the convenience store (getting milk for coffee at work).
He made me late...

Willie looks like he is at least 280 pounds and shorter than me (I'm 6'2"). And Willie was actually hopping during our conversation he was getting so excited. I made sure he didn't need to go anywhere. He was just really wound when it hit him that he was now able to share his faith!
I got to explain so much to him I was actually a little late (not too much). But what was so funny was that Willie was scared when I suggested to him that he now has no excuse and then asked him if he will go and speak to people about Jesus. He said was afraid to.
I laughed and said, "AFRAID? Man, LOOK at you! Who have you to be afraid of???"

He grinned and wagged his finger at me saying, "Yeah but it ain't about size!"

He really didn't want to leave. He asked me where I went to Church, how to get there, etc. Allot of telling questions he had had his eyes opened and his heart lit on fire.
As he was leaving I was encouraged to say something to him. We were just in front of the fire station in Teaneck, NJ. The firemen were just coming back from a call. So I pointe dto them and said, "Willie. Look. If these firemen went to a call and didn;t get out of their trucks, but instead polished the brass while people burned... that would be criminal right?" (He had said "criminal" with me) and then he said, "I see where you're going..." As I said, "You have the knowledge that can save people SOULS from HELL." As I said that I boinked his chest..uh rocky muscles... (ow). He grinned but then got VERY sober. "Thanks." he says and shook my hand again.
So I then said, "Don't fear man, who can only..." and he picked right up with "kill the flesh, but fear him who can destroy our flesh and then cast us into Hell!"

So many times, as we talked, scripture came out of his mouth. It was wonderful to see how God had prepared him to hear the message, prepared him to be ready with scripture he already knows, established his walk with God and sent him to the 7-Eleven!

I actually felt like I threw a match in a 55 gallon drum full of jet fuel - WHOOM!

Father, THANK you for such a wonderful opportunity. You knew I need a lift. I am so blessed that I had that chance to see the light go on in someone else's eyes.
THANK you SO much for giving me that moment with Willie.
Set his feet on the path you have for him.
I saw such potential in him.
If it would be ok with you make him contact me so we can work together (I could sure use such an encouraging partner). But your will be done, Father.
Set your protecting Angels around Willie, Father, and build him up to be the warrior I saw in him - the soldier you showed me.
Amen.
 

Badabing!
Yup. That's what I have to call this one. BADABING BABY! LOL!
I was coming out of the convenience store slurping my coffee (Can I just say "Thank you God for coffee!!!" LOL).
Anyway, I see these two younger ladies and hand an Einstein tract to one of them.
She reads the whole thing OUT LOUD!
I kept going but watched in my van's rear big side view mirror as she reads e v e r y word to the e n t i r e store o u t  l o u d.
She comes out and I walked around to her car door and tapped on the window.
I asked her how she liked it when she open the window.
She said her name is Nairobies and that her dad is catholic and mom is Jehovah's Witness.
"Wow! That's a tough situation.", I said.
"Sure is!", she replies. She has tears in her eyes.
She said the tract really touched her and that she appreciated me giving it to her.
So I gave her a "Save yourself some Pain" booklet and said, "Look. Now I know why I was prompted to give this to  you. This is what you've been looking for. It has the answers you need to hear. It'll straighten out all the 'hooey' you've been hearing and give it to you straight."
She was so grateful I was moved to tears.

As she drove away her friend waved and they were all smiles.
I bawled all the way home.

Stressed or Pursued?
-by Patrick Burwell

Recently I had opportunity to speak to a lady on the phone who was selling a program that claims to teach how to reduce stress. I'm sure you guys have heard this ad from Lucinda Bassett's Midwest Center for Stress and Anxiety.
After hearing of this group I decided to find out if it was what I expected. So I called "for more information."
I know, I know. You are saying, "Are you crazy? ASK for more calls and spam?"
Well as a minister of God I believe it is my responsibility to identify what is biblically based and what is not when claims are made that seem a bit too close to the truth, and yet smell. I had suspected they were using the principles found in scripture without giving the conclusion.
Seems I'm right - sure would have liked to have been wrong.
Lucinda Bassett claims Christianity and claims her center can give you back the happiness "the way it used to be, remember?":
"Take the GetBetterNow assessment
and join the thousands who have changed their lives by first understanding themselves."

I get particularly peeved when others make money off of what God says, and after they twist it first. It isn't right to not give God the Glory and they can bring the lost down a primrose path to destruction leaving out the integral part. And Here's how they do this:

You are stressed. Your life is a shambles. Nothing seems to go right. Everything you touch seems to go bad. No one likes you. Some even hate you. The future looks hopeless. You are down on yourself. You are miserable. You cry alot. You have no friends.

What is this Center's answer?
Learn how to handle your stress with breathing exercises (which I admit sounded great at first) and with other mental exercises designed to lessen the "load".
"Great!" you say. "What's wrong with that?"
Simply put: If God is the one turning up the heat and these people come along to try to make you more "fire proof" how does that help? Indeed it inoculates you against the truth and gives you a First Class ticket to Hell.

My life was everything I described above and it is what God used to get my hard headed attention! I THANK GOD for the struggles and hardship I went through now.
REDUCE STRESS? WHAT? And miss out on what God had for me? God loved me enough to nearly KILL me to save me.
REPENT you fool while you still can! God's LOVE for you is that He has not given up on you and LET YOU DIE.

That's NOT the answer they are telling people. And that was not what they wanted hear from me:

"Repent and be saved, for unless you are born again you will not enter heaven. If we will but SURRENDER God will make us how we need to be and show us REAL stress management!" God gives us hope for tomorrow in the MIDST of our struggles.

The lady was unimpressed at first. That's the best way to describe her lack of reaction. Total zero. "Uh huh."
She claimed to be Catholic and even though I walked her through the Law and she admitted to being guilty of violating what will justly send her to Hell she still claimed that she had to "work at being good."
So I left her with the cheerful, "Well ok. The program does sound good if the aim is to get people calm enough to hear the truth. Remember that without repentance their is only one destination: Hell and the Lake of fire."
We talked about how explaining to a cancer patient what the cure is for a disease without proving to them they have the disease gets an "Uh huh" reaction. But if you first prove the disease they have they will greatly desire the cure and be very grateful!
She heard that and responding with "Yeah, that makes sense." But she still was trying to sell her product. I think she got it though: I heard a different tone in her voice.
I'm still waiting for their taped sales pitch. I expect more of the same.
And I know one thing for sure: That young lady thought about what I said to her tonight, that she had not surrendered to God if she still thinks she is able to be good. She was pretty nonplussed at one point (her mouth stopped) so I gave her the Good News.

I think might have missed that because she was still on what I said before about sin and hell and judgment and Jesus saying that without repentance she will perish. I had explained to her that repentance is never going back; being completely done with sin; never looking back; being sick and tired of it; a TOTAL surrender. I again used the analogy of a smoker who finally quits. There isn't one person who doesn't know of someone who can't seem to quit smoking or has had that struggle themselves. Every person I use that analogy on completely gets what repentance means after that. Most of the time they finish the sentence for me! They verbally nod with earnest understanding and my heart leaps fro them!

Monika will be dealing with God now and she will not have enough stress management to handle what He breaks her with - that she can be sure of.
 
Want a better choice? Read Ray's Book. It's less than $8. Lucinda's program (when you get the whole thing) is over $1,100.00 AND they don't give you the right info - indeed they lie to you.

No Promise But One
-by Patrick Burwell

Recently I had opportunity to witness to a funds solicitor for a political party.
We talked for a bit and then I stated clearly who I was and launched into a witnessing encounter, "I'm an evangelist and that is where my money goes. So, on that note Evelyn, would you say you are a good person?"
(We'll call her "Evelyn" because I did not get permission to use her name.)

When we had gone through the whole Gospel presentation, to which she honestly admitted her guilt, she let me know she appreciated my taking the time to walk her through the whole Gospel. She obviously had never heard it quite so well as at that moment - it may be she never had. But she did recognize our discussion was God speaking to her. She said her Baptist church was in the midst of a revival that week with a female evangelist.  And she said she had heard the Gospel for years but never heard someone use the Law to explain what sin is. I asked her to have that evangelist contact me.

We don't have have to only use the exact W.D.J.D. method once we know the material well. But, for the newbie, stick to the exact method until you are prepared to "wing it" from allot of practice. Like Ray Comfort said recently on their Way of the Master Radio program, "It comes naturally to me now."
Later on you'll get the right idea in what these questions are trying to accomplish using your own words while being prompted by God's Spirit. Remember the formula, "Law to the Proud, Grace to the Humble." and you'll not get lost.

I recently had a Real Estate lady answer she was a very good person but yet answered so honestly to the Ten Commandments that I went straight to explaining the Gospel to make sure she understood what God required. We then had a two hour discussion on how to share her faith in detail - it was wonderful and plainly arranged.
We are not the Judge. We are just the Messengers.

So we ask the first two questions in the W.D.J.D method to see who people are by their responses. And all we are doing is looking for humility before we proceed. Just because someone might say "Yes" to the Good Person question does not mean they didn't misunderstand you and answered the comparison question many, like the Real Estate lady, seem to be answering: "Are you good, compared to other people?" Don't worry, because the "Do you think you've kept the ten commandments?" question, and the commandments themselves, will be the clincher. If they answer honestly and without hesitation then you can know they are already humble and ready for God's Salvation. But, if they still attempt to justify themselves then you must not give them the precious Pearl of Great Price for them to trample and defile. A person who is ready to repent will come to God willing to cut off an arm or gouge out their eye rather than sin any more. The Law of God will do the job if we just let it. You are required to leave them considering their sin before the mirror of God's Law if they are yet still proud. Don't let's inoculate anyone with some false hope of salvation when they have not repented and have no intention of doing so. Because and unless you are born again you will not see heaven.

"Evelyn" clearly saw God had spoken to her in that call and said she would definitely be considering all we talked about when she was home and quiet. And I believe Jesus was giving her what she needed to know because she wasn't getting it at her church. I have witnessed evangelists using the Gospel for "a cloak of covetousness" instead of a desire to win the lost. I have known pastors that brought in "evangelists" to bring up the tally of the daily offering collections. That is why they will not use the Law to explain sin, lest they lose money. They shall answer to God Almighty for their crimes. So remember and ensure that everyone you speak to in your witnessing encounters understands TODAY they must consider their salvation, for tomorrow may be too late.

Many times I have noted we can read the scripture two different ways. And so it is, when I read that today is the day of salvation, I see it can be a warning or it can be an exclamation. "Evelyn" saw it was an exclamation from God to her. God had given "Evelyn" understanding of His rescue for her, and the only thing she could do now was choose. That choice isn't to "accept" Jesus or not, but rather it is whether to believe God and His Promise of Salvation. Make sure you are clear when that "day" comes for the one you get to speak to of God's rescue for them.

Christ Jesus is the Promised Messiah for All Who Believe.
And He is the Only One.

(I found out later her name really was "Evelyn")
 

The Million Dollar Question Tested and found WONDERFULLY Effective

I was speaking to a lady named Erica who works for [company protected] in their DSL department. We were discussing the issues for a client of mine and at the end she asked me what every service person does, "So is there anything else I can help you with?"
I took that as an opportunity.
I asked Erica the "Million Dollar Question": "Where do you think people go when they die?"
Her response was something akin to a new age nonsense about life forces and such.
so I then went into the Good Person test.

When we were talking I was her compatriot and confidant in matters of engineering solutions and how this works and that doesn't and "Oh this is so funny" stories. But we we talked about sin, Hell, Judgment and Wrath I suddenly became just another annoying customer.
Erica claimed to be good and yet actively seeks the lost with the gospel. she said alot of "Oh I know that" and such.
I wasn't dissuaded or assuaged. I kept going as if she had said "Nice day" and knew that fish was fighting the line for all she was worth.
She snapped the line and ran.
But she left with the hook deeply imbedded in her. She took that line, the hook and the sinker. She swallowed the hook and I bet right now it's bugging her. She's so distraught she won't even answer a friendly "Are you offended?" email.

We have a mission.
That mission is to save people from the fire, to save the drowning.
We may not save them ourselves but they can be sure they know they are drowning and headed for burning when they are done with us.

Erica acknowledge some sin in her life but clearly didn't believe she was headed for Hell. She claimed to honor God every week and kept the Sabbath, but other times she admitted to falling short.
I used the standard we both understand, math, as the explanation of why we cannot measure ourselves by each other but must judge ourselves by the pure, absolute, truth of the Law. We must compare ourselves to the one who kept the whole Law.
I used the sheep analogy of how pure, how good, it looks next to the dirt, but in a snowstorm the same sheep is filthy by comparison tot he pure white of the snow.

The Law is the Standard, Jesus being the Living embodiment of that Standard. And it is this mirror of the Law we must see ourselves in.

Erica denied her sinfulness because she had been judging herself by how others seem to be doing, but she went away considering who she is by God's standard seeing how guilty she really is.

Erica [name protected of [location protected], may God yet bless you with the repentance we spoke of. Father God open her eyes and let her today see who she really is. Let her be broken and sorrowful, that she may yet be saved by the your son's sacrifice. Let her yet bring GLORY and Honor to your name, Yahweh. Cause her to surrender, ending her blasphemies and sin forever.
Bring Glory to your name Father. Amen.
 

WOW. Here is Erica's response to my email asking her if I offended her. I was making sure I did that well.
----------------------
Patrick, it was a pleasure to speak with you as well! You made that just fine. My father in-law is a missionary (and the one that married my husband and I ) and its is always refreshing to hear someone speak of God in such high regards. Although my in-laws are in a different state, it is nice to hear you speak of Him… and makes me smile and think of my mother and father in law J

Thanks for everything!

Erica
----------------------
I can bet SOMEONE's conscience is working overtime! Her In-Laws are MISSIONARIES! I got to preach the Gospel truth to a missionary's family! HALLLEUJAH! I bet they'll be VERY happy to hear that! I was just allowed to be the answer to the prayer of a missionary. I'm in tears!
GLORY to YAHWEH in the HIGHEST!

Well Episc-my-palian!
I met a lady named Lind today. I had overheard her say she was short on cash for fuel and thought I heard an opportunity to bless someone at the pump. I glanced at her car and saw her car was so full of muck that she had to shove the stuff down to see out the back. It was clean stuff, nothing gross, just horribly disorganized.
In my experience (please note this caveat before you try to correct me ok?) people with cars in this state tend to be folks with "issues" and their problems that cause such disarray generally are of a spiritual nature.

I wasn't disappointed.

Lind is studying, and soon to be, ordained as a Deacon in the Episcopalian Church. She also said something about being in an Augustine order and someone else's monastic society. Augustine apparently espoused trust in God while the other claimed being born anew as a requirement. I agreed that unless a man is born again he will not see heaven. She disagreed...

When I introduced myself initially God had allowed the whole encounter to be quite charming and disarmed any uncomfortableness by my not being able to remember the Church I am a MINISTER AT! LOL! I laughed so hard, and she really thought was funny. It was after midnight and we were both tired. So it started out pretty good. "Hmm, that's not too good!" she said smirking when I said, "Oh my I can't remember... it's a small church and we just started it... uh... oH yeah! Living Faith! Church of LIVING FAITH! Right on Yates road!" LOL! It was a belly buster.

Her car, turns out, just needed some antifreeze (she had just gotten gas and had some overheating issues that brought her right back there 1 minute later... hmmm, she would have missed me otherwise! HMMM!). So, we talked about overheating and engine stuff and I remember her saying to the attendant she just came from "Sunshine House".  I had seen this place and had been wondering what that was. So I had asked her. She is a "recovering addict" (her words) and it is a local rehab "center" for addicts. She brought up ministering at her AA meetings.

Now, I was waiting for an opening and I got it as she went to get in her car. She mentioned she speaks to addicts and deals with drunks. So I said, "So I can ssume you are a Christian right?" "Well yeah!" , she says, smiling. All very cordial and fun. She knows I'm a minister so I say, "Ok, I have a knife in my back and have three minutes to live. What will you say to me?" (FINALLY I remembered to use it when speaking to a professing Christian - especially Ministers)
She starts going on about oil and last rites and getting medical help!?!
So I get a bit more poignant, "I'm dieing! I don't want to go to hell..."
And this is where we get to some interesting stuff.
"Well I would try to make you as comfortable as you can."
"What? I'm going to Hell! I'm not sure! Help!" Quizzical looks. "Ok, tell me if this sounds good: 'You are dieing, you are going to meet God. You have to repent of your sins. Your lying, stealing, lusting are sins against God. Ask Him for His forgiveness and you'll be ok if you then trust yourself to Him, believing Jesus paid the price on the cross for you."
"See?", I said. "Less than three minutes!." "Does that sound good?"
"Would you consider yourself to be a good person?
Do you think you've kept the Ten Commandments?
Will you be innocent or guilty
Will you be going to heaven or hell?
Clear cut and precise, right?"

Then she starts telling me that Her God is a loving God and wouldn't send anyone to Hell. She says that no one keeps the ten commandments. They may try but no one really can. I agreed and then we go through something about the Trinity. And then she says that scripture is written by men and that Muslims, Jews and Buddhists all go to heaven!!! She tried to tell me Ishmael was promised by God to be a great nation and that He has the same.. and I cut her off with, "NO. Isaac is the son of promise not Ishmael." She tries to say Allah is another name for God, to which I tell her God clearly said His name in the scriptures.
All good nature left this woman and her claws came out.  On and on we went.
"We don't judge!  MY God is a God of Love! I deal with alot of people and I don't believe God would condemn them." "No", I said again. "God doesn't condemn anyone. We don't judge. We merely ask people to judge themselves by the Law. God said it will be our conscience that will condemn us." She then tried the "there are alot of Christians that need to hear that one!" tactic, thinking apparently to throw me. I agreed wholeheartedly! She grins. "Bill Bright said less than 2% of Christians share their faith! I can tell you less than that go out of their way to share their faith wit a stranger!", I say. That actually got a smile from her again. She then tries to say the scriptures are written by men and something about that He isn't so narrow to reject people.
"NO, listen." I said, " God is just and Holy. You've read the Old Testament!" (she nods), "The Law says that without the shedding of blood there will be no forgiveness of sins." She tried to use that line about pagan religions say that too, implying it's just a copy of them. Then I pointed out but God also said that no amount of dead animals would wash away sin - the sacrifice has to be pure and only Jesus is pure!
I then said "You know it's 'funny' that you are saying this because I run a ministry site called OnlyJesusSaves.com" "Well that's what YOU believe." She grins, admiring the irony. She then stops and then back pedals saying, "Now dooooooooon't get me wrong. I do believe that the blood of Jesus washes away my sin, but that isn't the only way. God isn't so narrow as to reject anyone."
And then I laid this whopper on her. I swallowed as I said it, knowing this would go down hard, but it had to be said, "But Jesus himself said 'IAM the way the truth and the life and no man comes to the Father but by me.'"
That got silence but she was fuming.
As she drives away she is looking like her head is going to pop off. But I'm still pleading with her. I know a God arranged encounter when I see one. I said as she made the turn around the pumps to leave that she needed to consider these things carefully, "Please!", I said, pleading again. I had both hands out to her. I knew it was Jesus.
She muttered, "You need to consider this!", and she nearly wrecks trying to flip me the bird!

Wow.

Over and over she said HER God wouldn't be so narrow. Her God wouldn't judge. HER God wouldn't be so condemning. I had said to her somewhere in there, "Isn't that the violation of the second commandment?"
Puzzled look. I could tell she was trying to remember which one that was.
"Doesn't that mean you've made a god you can be comfortable with in your sins?"

It was like I had smacked her between the eyes. I literally saw her go cross eyed. She was very close to me and I was aware she was a big woman and could whoop my skinny butt. There was a moment there and I remember Ray only got smacked by women, so... But I was calm and truly felt compassion for her. I am sure that is why she went so long at 1AM in the morning. She could hear it, the pleading of Christ in my voice to "please repent now."
Several times she calmed and listened. But she kept going back to the trough of lies she apparently had been feeding from for a long time. She was SO close a few times. She just couldn't bring herself to admit being wrong. I never had the chance to ask her the "good person test". But I didn't really need to though, she heard it all and readily admitted to not being good "at all." I didn't have to say it to her directly. She was very open and admitted the 12 steps of AA helped her see her sin. But then she went off again saying, "God in AA can be just a 'Group Of Drunks' there for each other. Those who have experienced it helping those who are experiencing it." I let her have that one with, "Mentoring." "Yes, that's it. None of the people I meet with every week at AA thinks they are good. They all say to me they know they are going to Hell." (Interesting choice of words that).
I tried so hard to get her to see that only Jesus is their solution and that she needs to tell them, but she just wouldn't hear of it. Her god doesn't condemn.

Ah, Lind. Jesus wants to take you in His arms and heal your hurts but you will not. He wants to use you to heal the broken hearted but you refuse. You stop short of their salvation. You have such apparent compassion for the hurting. You think you are being compassionate, but you are condemning them to hell, and to continued suffering here as well.

Lind understood all of it, she just couldn't accept it.

Guys and Gals, don't ever fail to stand for the message of Jesus, that He is the Only Salvation, and that God's Grace is free to all, but they must repent.

Never compromise the message, no matter how a sinner pleads for another way.