The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. Psalm 29:4

I am sure you have heard it said that the Word of God is powerful. This is as common to the Christian's ear as John 3:16.

But do we really believe this?

Here is another question for you. What converts a man?

Charles Spurgeon said, "Have you never noticed, when persons are converted, that they almost always attribute it to some text that was quoted in the sermon? It is God's Word, not our comment on God's Word, which saves souls." (Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Vol. 34, No. 2010)

The word of God says,

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.  The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. Psalm 19:7-8

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17

Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. James 1:21

I am always amazed when I read that passage from Hebrews. The Word of God is sharp like a sword. It divides soul and spirit and even discerns our thoughts and intentions. It makes me think of science-fiction. Imagine a surgeon being able to cut cancer out of a patient with a scalpel that does not even break the skin. It passes through flesh and bone, reaches the cancer, and removes it with exact precision. Now imagine a scalpel that passes through our soul and spirit. It goes into our heart and mind and cuts away worldliness, lust, anger, idolatry, pride, selfishness and it does this with exact precision. It cuts out our heart of stone and the Holy Spirit comes in with a heart of flesh.

The Word of God is truly amazing! It is so powerful! So, Christians, let us trust it and use it for the conversion of souls. Let us not rely on ourselves, our apologetics, our knowledge, our humor, or our gimmicks. Let us rely solely on the Holy Spirit working through His Word.

I read in a biography that George Muller by the end of his life had read through the Bible 200 times, 100 being on his knees.

You may have heard it said about John Bunyan that "if you pricked him, he bled Scripture."

We say the Word of God is powerful, yet we rely on so many other books for wisdom. We say His Word is living and active, yet we live in a Bible-illiterate society of "Christians." We know the commandments of God are "better than thousands of gold and silver pieces" (Ps. 119:72), yet we are not very familiar with His Word, nor do we memorize it or read it everyday.

It is actually hypocritcal and illogical if we don't esteem the Word of God above everything else, not only in word but in deed. Think about it for a moment. This God we say we serve is more powerful, holy, good than anything else in existence...And we have His living Word. And yet we rarely take it out when witnessing. We can barely maneuver through passages as we talk with other Christians or the lost. We scarcely know any by memory. We spend more time reading commentaries instead of reading and memorizing the Word of God so that He can teach us its meaning. Do you see how illogical our actions are when it comes to the Word of God? We have something amazing.

I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. Psalm 138:2

We know God is sovereign and He uses His Word and Spirit to convert a man, yet we rely on our good works to appeal to man's intellect or alleged "free will." We think we could make a difference if we could only befriend them or invite them to a barbeque at church or give them a friendly smile.

And all the while we neglect the preaching of His Word. It is His Word and His Word alone that we must trust Psalm 19:7-8.

I have been told more than once that I should not read the Word of God aloud in public because someone could hear only part of what I am reading and it might be detrimental to his soul. I have been told it is impersonal. I have been accused of treating the Word of God as "magic pixy-dust," and that I expect something to happen just because I sprinkle it on people.

Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 1 Timothy 4:13

I may not think of the Word as "pixy-dust," but I do believe it is a living and active (magic) sword (scalpel) that can supernaturally divide a man's soul and spirit and discern even his thoughts and intentions. I have seen it happen over and over again on the streets. I could not tell you how many people have come to me in tears over something I read aloud from God's Word. I could not tell you how many times it has drawn people in with questions. I could not tell you how many people it has encouraged...but there are many. The Word of God is living and active, more powerful than anything else.

Spurgeon shares the story of Mr. Thorpe,

There was one who went to hear Mr. Whitefield—a member of the “Hell-fire Club,” a desperate fellow. He stood up at the next meeting of his abominable associates and he delivered Mr. Whitefield’s sermon with wonderful accuracy, imitating his very tone and manner. In the middle of his exhortation the Lord converted him and he came to a sudden pause, sat down broken-hearted and confessed the power of the Gospel. That club was dissolved. That remarkable convert was Mr. Thorpe, of Bristol, whom God so greatly used afterwards in the salvation of others.

After sharing this he concludes,

I would rather have you read the Bible, to mock at it, than not read it at all. I would rather that you came to hear the Word of God, out of hatred to it, than that you never came at all. The Word of God is so sharp a thing, so full of cutting power, that you may be bleeding under its wounds before you have seriously suspected the possibility of such a thing. You cannot come near the Gospel without its having a measure of influence over you. And, God blessing you, it may cut down and kill your sins when you have no idea that such a work is being done. Dear Friends, have you not found the Word of God to be very cutting, more cutting than a two-edged sword, so that your heart has bled inwardly and you have been unable to resist the heavenly stroke? I trust you and I may go on to know more and more of its edge till it has killed us outright, so far as the life of sin is concerned. Oh, to be sacrificed unto God and His Word to be the sacrificial knife! Oh, that His Word were put to the throat of every sinful tendency, every sinful habit and every sinful thought! There is no sin-killer like the Word of God. Wherever it comes, it comes as a sword and inflicts death upon evil.

Isn't it refreshing to see how much this man trusted in the sufficiency of God's Word?

At the courthouse last week I was reading aloud the familiar text from 1 Corinthians 15 about the earthly body and the heavenly body, and how the earthly must be sown to inherit the imperishable. A young man approached me and asked if I would read it again to him. I complied. He then asked me how I interpreted such a passage. I was given the opportunity to explain in full to him what this passage was describing. When I finished he looked satisfied with my explanation, he thanked me, and walked away.

A young lady approached me a few days ago at the courthouse who remembered me from over a year ago. Last year she had approached me in tears as I was reading a passage aloud. At that time her husband had just been killed in a car accident. She told me her story and through tears again thanked me for the blessing of encouragement. It was now a year later and this young lady, Semara, was telling me how she had shared with so many friends over the course of the year what that moment of encouragement at the courthouse meant to her.

The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. Psalm 29:4

What is the application?

Use the Word in your evangelism. Read it aloud. Let it penetrate your heart and edify you as you use it with the lost. Trust in its power. Do not think that you bring anything to the table. Flesh is useless. The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul.

May the Lord help us to trust and obey His Word.

Praise the Lord for Him using the preaching of His Word to draw in the lost in Athens. We were bombarded with intrigued people until 3am. Praise the Lord also for the incredible amount of laborers He brought out. We had a team of 11, including Wally Roderick my friend's dad. He had never done any street evangelism prior and told me at least eight times he would be hiding behind a trash can observing us. Within munites of us being there he was engaged in conversation with the lost and he even open air preached for the first time. The video does not do him justice, but his preaching was the best I have heard from a first-timer.

I spoke with Megan, a Jewish girl who approached me after listening to me preach for several minutes. She had heard me give my testimony in the preaching. She asked what happened to me in college that changed me. She was intrigued by my passion to stand on the corner and preach. I told her more of my testimony of how I grew up in the church, but was never truly converted. I told her it was the moment that I surrendered everything to Jesus Christ. I shared how ashamed I was of my sin. I explained that I hated who I was, but I could do nothing to change myself. I then cried out to Christ and asked Him to change me. I asked Him to save me and He did. I did not want my sinful life anymore. I wanted Christ. She did not understand the need of Jesus. She said, "I just don't know why it is important to have Jesus in your life." I then got to take her through the law and show her how serious sin is. She asked, "Well, can't I just stand before God and ask Him to forgive me? Why do I need Jesus?" I then asked her if she believed in justice. I gave her the illustration of guilty lawbreakers asking a just judge for forgiveness. He has to enforce justice. God is the same way. It turns out that someone killed her father and then killed himself. She asked if that guy was in heaven. I said he is a murderer and he is most likely in hell. Her eyes got really big and she said, "Really?" It was like she could not believe that I actually said it. She was still reluctant to believe, but It seemed like she was really thinking soberly. She said she was astonished at my boldness and passion for my beliefs. I told her she could believe me based on that as a testimony. I told her to look around at everyone on the streets. "Everyone around us is just partying, getting drunk, sleeping around. There is nothing new about humanity." I told her I used to be a part of all of that. I used to love my sin. "Look at me now though," I said. "What possesses a man to stop living in sin and stand on a corner and preach?" She could not give a reason. I told her it is the power of God.

Praise the Lord for so many laborers!

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

She was very receptive to the Truth. I gave her a copy of One Heartbeat Away. Pray for Megan.

Again, it was God's Word that brought Shevonne to me last night at the Creed concert. He was intrigued by what we were doing and wanted to know what church we went to. I told him that we were not really representing a specific church building, but Jesus Christ. I then got to share with him the entire gospel. He confessed to living with his girlfriend and explained that he had gotten her pregnant. He was anxious now about supporting her and if he should marry her. I explained to him repentance and then showed him Luke 14. I told him that he should really get alone with God and consider the cost of following Him. I did not promise Shevonne a "bed of roses," but I did share the greatest promise for him. If he renounces the world, and yes even his own life, he will have eternal life and be an heir to God's throne as a child of God. I asked him, "Don't you see how glorious that is? There is nothing in this world that can harm you. You do not have to be anxious about anything if you are reconciled to God." He smiled at me and looked really encouraged. He then told me he was not even supposed to be out there that night, but he knew that it was not an accident. He wanted to stay in touch and asked for my contact information. I gave him a New Testament and One Heartbeat Away. He said he was going to go home and start reading them immediately. Please pray for this young man.

We travel to Jacksonville, FL this week. Please keep us in your prayers. The team will be Jeff Gary, Bill Adams, Scott Smith, and myself.

Lord, take me home soon, but until then send me many souls to bring with me.

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.

1 Corinthians 13:11

"Where are the men?" I have heard my friend Alex Nunez (Repent and Believe) ask this very question many times as we are in the streets of Athens. He is asking why he does not see many men out on the streets proclaiming the gospel as they should.

This verse above follows the famous love verses.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

These passages describe what love is and then it is almost as if Paul says, "Now that I am a man I do these things (listed above)."

So, what is a biblical man? Is it a man who does what he wants and treats women like dirt? This is what most of the world thinks, but it's wrong.

No, when a worldly man is impatient, a Godly man is patient. When a worldly man is unkind, a Godly man is kind. When a worldly man is rude, a Godly man is considerate. When a worldly man rejoices at wrongdoing, a Godly man rejoices with the truth, and so on.

The world has it wrong.

So, what about the church, does the church have it right?

Well, just because you are a Christian man does not mean you are a pushover. You might have a picture in your head of the typical "church-going" man. I have several pictures in my mind. I think of the pastors who exalt theology, but are cowards when it comes to application. I think of all the young men I have encountered on the streets who profess Christ and are studying and training to be pastors, youth pastors, missionaries, etc. They are usually criticizing the evangelism we are doing, or they are drunk, or they pass by us saying, "I am a Christian, save it for someone else." Or they say, "You are doing more harm than good." Or they say, "I don't think you are being very effective." I can't remember if I have ever met just one who is actually putting into practice what he claims he is learning.

Then there are many I see who dress nicely for church and that is exactly where they stay. They exalt the idea and daydream about being a pastor or missionary one day (and the "Christian" women fall for it), but they are not doing anything. They are not on the streets proclaiming the Lord Jesus Christ. They are bowling with friends, or going to Young Life, or flirting with girls, or joining E-Harmony, or going to cemetery...excuse me, seminary.

Then there are others who claim to love evangelism, and Way of the Master, and they lift up the name of Paul Washer above every other name. And they show their devotion by going out once every two months and spend their time talking about evangelism the rest of the time. Or evangelism is something they "used to do." They now consume their time with video games and T.V.

Then there are always the really artsy men who make biblical manhood into some alluring abstract concept. We have to be "Wild at Heart." We have to be courageous by rescuing some princess from her abusive past. We are supposed to "fall in love with Jesus" (whatever that means) and take "bold journeys" into the wilderness. We are supposed to watch clips of "Braveheart" and then sing worship songs for three hours about "How He Loves Us" and then fall on our knees and "whisper" to Him thanking Him for "wooing us."

Is this biblical manhood? Peter brings some clarity to the matter.

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:5-8

Paul also comments on the subject.

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching...As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 2 Timothy 4:1,2,5

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Philippians 1:3-14

The Lord of Lords makes His case.

And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. Matthew 4:19-20

What does a biblical man look like? ...He is obedient to Christ.

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. Philippians 1:21-22

For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!

1 Corinthians 9:16

Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. Luke 24:45-48

I heard recently of a young lady who had to stand up for Truth because no one else would. Where are the men?

I heard recently of a pastor who thought it crazy to go into the community and reach out to the destitute surrounding the church building. Where are the men?

I saw a young boy holding a cross at the Falcons game when the laborers were scarce. Where are the men?

We know the harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few, but do we care enough to do something? May the Lord convict our hearts to stand for the Truth in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation. May we be obedient to Christ.

Thank you for your prayers as we were in Bristol and then Nashville, TN.

The outreach and fellowship were wonderful. There were not many who stopped at the events we were at, but many people took tracts and lots heard the Truth being proclaimed.

Brother Scott Smith preaching to the passing crowd in Nashville

One heckler stopped to confront the preaching. He was holding a sign that read, "Free Hugs." Scott used the sign to his advantage explaining that, "people do not need free hugs; they need the righteousness of Jesus Christ." He then came and stood by me with his sign trying to be a distraction. To my surprise, one guy stopped and gave me a big bear hug almost picking me up off the ground. He said he was not going to give the other guy a hug, but he wanted to give me one...oh great.

There were thousands who passed us and got tracts at the racetrack in Bristol. I was even able to recite some Scripture from 2 Peter that I had recently mastered. The video is on the homepage.

Patch and I passing out tracts and proclaiming Christ in front of the track

It was a joy to be with my brothers proclaiming Christ.

There are some great events coming up so keep an eye on the schedule and join me if you are able. We travel next week to Jacksonville, FL to labor with some local brothers and sisters so please keep us in your prayers.

I was challenged recently by a sister in Christ to write personal letters to my neighbors containing the gospel. I did this with great joy although it was a little tiresome writing out the letters. I wrote out ten two-page letters and mailed them today. I pray they will bear fruit even if it means just people reading the Truth. Let the Lord challenge and convict you to do something this week to boldly proclaim His name whether it is passing out a tract to the store clerk or starting a conversation with a stranger.

Lord, take me home soon, but until then send me many souls to bring with me.

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:1-11

Saved From What? Ministries is a name and a website. It has no other significance. The significant part of the ministry are the individuals behind it. My name is Keith Higgins. I am a Christian. I am not sure what many think of me, but I am earnestly seeking to obey the Bible. One of the most important jobs a Christian has on this earth is to proclaim the name of Jesus Christ. This is what I want to do. This is what I want others to do. That is why my life is dedicated to this. I will not always do it perfectly and many times I will need correction, but I will not stop fulfilling the great commission. I will fulfill the ministry of reconciliation of men to God and I will teach men to keep ALL the commandments of the Lord Jesus Christ.

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 2 Corinthians 5:18

As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 2 Timothy 4:5

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!

1 Corinthians 9:16

I will not stop preaching no matter what! I want to do this in all humility counting others better than myself.

I was preaching this past week at a Goo Goo Dolls/Switchfoot concert when Andrea approached me.

I was really just reciting 2 Peter and holding my "God Loves God Hates" sign

Andrea is an atheist. She was not offended by my sign. In fact this is the second time I have been preaching at Chastain Park Amphitheatre when the sign attracted an atheist. Both times it has led to a long great conversation. The majority of people that this sign offends are professing "Christians" or even "Christians" who might be in sin who show they are ashamed of God's Word and His character.

The thing I like about this sign is that it is all God's truth on the front and it especially works well with someone who does not believe in God. I like to let them know up front exactly who the God of the Bible is. He is a God who both loves and hates people. People need to know that unless they repent God's wrath remains on them (John 3:36). If they don't understand God is angry with them in their sin (Ps. 7:11) they will never see the need to repent. Almost all people I speak to on the streets, including "Christians," believe that God loves them no matter what. The Truth is that they have never received the Love of God because it is found in a relationship with God and His Word (Jesus Christ).

Andrea asked me what I was doing. I explained to her I was just reading some Scripture and proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ. She explained that she did not believe in God or see the need for religion. I used a little reasoning with her and talked to her about morality. I asked her if she agreed with a basic moral standard, that lying, stealing, murder, rape, etc. are always wrong. She agreed and even agreed that she had a conscience that told her this. I then told her that whether she believed in God or the Bible or not, they actually confirm every one of those standards we had just talked about. I explained the reason for rules. We can enjoy liberty within boundaries. You cannot play sports without rules. It would be chaos. I talked to her about the way her parents raised her. "Did your parents teach you right and wrong?" I asked. Of course they did. I then asked, "Why did they teach you those things?" So she could be brought up in a good way and not be a spoiled wretched individual when she grows up. I then related this to God's rules. He cares about us so He does not let us just do anything we want.

I then transitioned to the concept of humility. I have done this a lot lately. It seems more and more the Lord is showing me this is the starting point especially with someone like an atheist. So many people are proud. We tend to think that people just need the right information or they just need their questions answered. The Bible gives us clarity on man's heart no matter what he actually verbalizes to us.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Romans 1:18-19

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." James 4:6

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7

For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Psalm 51:16-17

Andrea needed to know that God will only reveal Himself to her if she is humble before Him. She admitted to reading through the Bible twice, but she did not understand it. I told her the only way she would understand God's Word is if she read it with a heart surrendered to Him letting Him show her who He is. She needs to go to God on His terms and not on her own. I told her that we are frail human beings who have no control over the grave. We cannot stop death from coming. I told her that it is in weakness that He is made strong. I could tell this concept of weakness was foreign to her. The world tells her to be strong, to compete, to not show any weakness. Afterall, it is the "fittest that survive." Weakness did not make sense to her. It was as if she had never heard it before because this world has done a good job of indoctrination.

I explained that even as a man I must be weak before God. I must be humble and show my dependency on Him. I told her that I weep before God because I know I need Him. I could tell that at first this idea was foolish to her, but after talking to her a while her countenance began to change. I told her about what Christ endured. The God of the universe became a helpless baby. He was born in a feeding trough, lived as a poor carpenter's son, and died a shameful death on a cross. He did this because God is made glorious through the weakness of flesh. He shames wisdom and knowledge and beauty and everything else that man esteems. God brings it to nothing to show that He is glorious.

Andrea was really engaged as the conversation went on and in the end she took a copy of One Heartbeat Away. I pray God shows her it is okay for her to be weak and humble before the God who created her.

Brother Scott Smith preaching to the crowds walking in to the concert

Another young lady came up to me after Andrea left. She was in the line waiting to get into the concert. She had been listening as I was reading Scripture and it was as if she had been waiting her turn to speak to me. I am thankful for this. We had actually prayed before in the car that God's Spirit would bring people to us He had already been working on.

This lady was a professing "Christian" who also wanted to know what I was doing out there. I told her the same thing as Andrea, that I was out there preaching the gospel. We began to talk and she told me she was a Christian. I asked her if Jesus Christ was in fact the Lord and Savior of her life. You would be surprised at how many people retract a little when you use the word 'Lord.' It is almost like she understood this meant a little more. She said, "Well, I don't really think Christianity is the only way because there are so many other ways that people believe and I think that is okay too." I asked her if she believes the Bible. She again said she did not think this was the only source of Truth. I then began to talk to her about sin. She agreed with everything I told her about man being sinful. I opened the Bible to Romans 3 and read to her God's description of man,

"None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." Romans 3:10-12

She accepted this as Truth. I told her that no matter what we do as "good" humans we will never have what we need to please God which is perfect righteousness or goodness. I told her there is only One who gives us this and that is Jesus Christ. I told her that only He was perfect, only He died, only He rose from the grave and defeated death, and only He grants forgiveness and eternal life.

It was like a lightbulb went off in her head. She said, "Wow, I never thought about it like that, but that makes perfect sense." She now understood why Jesus is The Way, The Truth, and The Life. I pray this Truth resonates in her heart and if she is not truly born again I pray she would give her heart to Christ. She took a tract.

Brother Chris Galloway and girlfriend Deborah being bold for the Lord Jesus Christ

I will be in Tennessee with Bill Adams this weekend for two outreaches. Please pray for us as we travel and preach.

Also, the Lord has been doing awesome things in Athens. I would like to maybe update you all on this soon. There is a brother from Blueridge who will be going with me for the first time to preach in the streets of Athens. This will happen in a couple of weeks so please pray the Lord will prepare people to hear and bring them to us.

Lord, take me home soon, but until then send me many souls to bring with me.

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14

You know the childhood story. The tortoise and the hare are in the great race and it seems obvious the hare will win, but he doesn't. He gets careless and lazy and eventually falls asleep. The tortoise wins. Why? Because "slow and steady wins the race."

I use this story because I believe it shows a Biblical picture of our race.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 1 Corinthians 9:24-25

We as Christians are involved in a race, and many times in the flesh it feels like a very long race. And truthfully, there is no "Chariots of Fire" music playing in the background. We don't see any fans on the sidelines cheering us on. We get careless and lazy and disheartened and sometimes we feel like just giving up. But the True Christian does not give up. The Christian finishes the race. "Slow and steady wins the race." It is the consistent faithful pace as we run with endurance that wins us the prize.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, Hebrews 12:1

Watch the following clip:

How did this clip make you feel? Honestly, it made me feel a little discouraged. Don't get me wrong, it was very moving and the message was very true and powerful. I am referring to the way the clip was put together. There are so many of these short videos made to motivate people to live the Christian life. Some of them have powerful music in the background. Some of them have beats or hip hop in the background that make you want to move...or even dance. They contain the most powerful quotes from sermons preached by Godly engaging speakers. But in the end, I come away deflated. We come away doing nothing. It's like we were in a movie theater for three minutes and then we come back to reality.

I come away discouraged because I know that is not what the Christian life is like. If I were to throw away my TV, the scene would not look like the Hulk grabbing the TV, ripping it out of the socket and hurling it through the livingroom window. If I were to smash my video games underfoot (I don't have any by the way), the scene would not be me literally crushing video games with my boots while all the glass windows in my house explode. The same is true in evangelism. When I go to preach, I know that the "norm" is not hundreds of people hanging on every word I say and as I finish a great whirlwind of fire sweeps through the crowd and they fall dead under conviction. I am sure this could happen; we serve a powerful God, but this is not what I see regularly.

It is the slow and steady race of endurance that wins us the race.

Now, here is the point of this update. As you watch these engaging videos, or get on a plane to go see Ray and KIrk, or stand in line to get Paul Washer's autograph, or go to the streets expecting the theme to "Braveheart" to begin playing, don't get disheartened when the scene just pictures you standing on a corner with a Bible with no one listening. There may be no other people willing to go with you. There may be no cameras or light shows surrounding you. There may be no rap beat playing in the background. But God is pleased when He sees you running this race with endurance.

God is pleased when He sees you rising early to meditate on His commands. He is pleased when you cry out and depend on Him in prayer. He is pleased when you go faithfully to the streets and exalt His Word. "Slow and steady wins the race."

Warning: Do not watch these videos and expect things to blow up when you go out and preach. His Spirit is working and you may never see this inward work, but stay faithful.

I know many people who love the Way of the Master. I know many people who talk about the latest blog on Facebook. I know many people who get excited about the most exhilarating sermons. But I don't know many people who go daily, weekly to the streets, open a Bible, and lift up the Lord Jesus Christ. Will you lead in this area? Christian, find a "fishing hole" and go there daily, weekly, and then after 7, 8, 9 years talk to me about the amazing things the Lord has done through the race of endurance. Don't fizzle out. Don't grow weary. Don't give up. Run the slow and steady race that you might obtain the imperishable wreath.

Praise the Lord for this past week of running the race. It is the Lord of glory who allows me to do so much and see His Holy Spirit work.

I was in Chattanooga this past Thursday with three of my favorite people, John Bensley, Bill Adams, and Jeff Gary. Not much was happening that afternoon. There were not many people out. There were no events. John set up his cross and began to preach and I started passing out tracts. God was gracious and His Spirit moved in some people.

A Christian couple and their daughter came by and as I went to pass the dad a tract he pulled out his own million dollar bill. They had actually come into town for the day from up near Nashville. They gave us such encouragement and we were blessed to fellowship with them for a while before they continued to the aquarium.

Before they left, the security for the aquarium came out and attempted to move us from the public sidewalk. As this happened, this family began engaging the staff and security. It opened a dialogue between all of us (John, myself, and this family) and the staff of this aquarium. They eventually called the police, but in the end the Lord allowed us to prevail as the law was on our side. A really cool part of this was that the dad, Tim, began witnessing to the security guard who is a Jehovah's Witness. He shared a lot of Truth with this man. Praise the Lord that the Holy Spirit was there with us. We concluded that encounter with thankfulness and prayer to God.

Tim conversing with the staff

A Jewish lady came by and rejected a tract with the proud statement of "I am Jewish." Many Jewish people we encounter on the streets actually say this. Bill was reading an Old Testament prophet when she walked by and the lady actually recognized this. Jeff and I asked her if she had a Bible. She said she did. I asked if she had ever read the book of Isaiah and the prophecies about Christ found within that book. She then said she had no problem with Jesus. We told her that she must believe He is God in the flesh to be saved. She said she knew she was okay. I asked her what she hoped in to save her in that day of judgment. She said, "I just feel it in my heart that I am one of the true born again of Israel." Jeff then protested from Jeremiah, "The heart is deceitfully wicked." She was content to keep believing in her false hope. We pleaded with her that Jesus Christ is the Savior and is God, but she left not wanting to talk anymore. Please pray for this woman who has been blinded by the devil and her own flesh.

The consistent faithful ministry at the courthouse continues to be successful. The Lord has allowed us to reach so many there and many times there are people who have spoken to us more than once over the months and years.

There was a lady who came by last week and she was praising the ministry John and I had been doing there. She explained that a couple of months ago she was facing some financial difficulty. She just happened to be passing as I was reading Luke 12 about not being anxious about your life, what you eat, drink, or put on. She said she went back to her car and wept to God. The Word had ministered to her soul. Now two months later she was standing in front of us thankng us for what we do. Obviously we never could have imagined or planned something so incredible. We explained to her that many professing "Christians" have a problem with what we do. She was astonished that anyone could object to what we do and thanked us again.

Praise the Lord that this is the result of God's Word being preached! Praise the Lord that we are the messengers He chose!

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

Are you content with glorifying your King? William Carey, the famous missionary to India, went seven years without any results. Are you that committed and then some? Noah we believe preached more than 100 years with none being spared the flood except those of his own household. Will you run that race? Is He worth your time and heart?

Ruby was a woman I spoke to with actually no religion or religious baggage. She looked Arabic so I asked if her family were Muslims. She was there with her teenage daughter, younger son, and small child. I began to ask her what she believed. She said she thought there was a god, but as long as you do good on this earth you were fine. It is amazing how many people believe this. The "good" go to heaven and the "evil" go to hell. I told her that many people believe this, but it could not be further from the Truth. She was not defensive at all as I shared with her the Bible's teaching that all are sinners and under condemnation. I then explaied how we only have one solution to our sin problem which is the sinless Savior. It seemed like the Holy Spirit helped her understand clearly what I was teaching her. She understood sin and judgment asking, "So you are saying we all deserve to be punished?" She got it, so I shared the glorious news of Christ. I asked if she had a Bible. "No." So I gave her a New Testament and One Heartbeat Away. As they left I pictured this husband and wife beginning to read these books together. What an amazing thing it would be to see this entire family become born again! It would be a whole new righteous generation beginning. Please pray for this family.

Friday evening I was privileged again to join these men who go faithfully to Athens and spend several hours teaching lost college students. Alex Nunez and Bobby McCreery are two very faithful men. Praise the Lord for the slow and steady race they run when it appears outwardly that nothing is happening.

I spoke with Love. She is a lesbian. She asked if this was a sin. I shared with her the truth from the Scriptures. In the end she did not want to repent, but I shared one last thing with her before she left. I asked if she knew that her name was one of the fruits of the Spirit. I told her that love was actually the first one on the list. I warned her that right now she was not walking according to the Spirit but according to the flesh. In the end I warned her it would kill her. "But," I shared hopefully, "if you live according to the Spirit of God in humility and repentance, you will have eternal life." She gave me a look of sincerity and left with a tract.

Another young lady, Lauren, came up, put her arm around me, and began mouthing off to me. I stared her right in the eyes and asked, "Is that the way you talk to a man?" I explained, "It is very degrading and disrespectful the way you are speaking to me right now." She looked at her friend, who was a guy standing in front of us. He looked oblivious to what was even happening. She asked, "What are you some kind of chauvinist or something?" She then turned to walk away, but I said, "No...let me show you something." I opened the Bible to 1 Peter 3:4

but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.

She went from being in my face with every other word and phrase being, "like" "okay" and "you don't actually believe that do you?" to a speechless woman standing before me. I explained that this is the way that women are beautiful and it is designed by God. I told her the most attractive thing she could do is show respect and support toward a man. I pointed to the guy who was with her. I told her she had no idea how much it meant to a man to feel respected by a woman. It is like gold and it is very desirable. The guy acted as if he could not relate at all. He may have been a homosexual. Astoundingly she said, "I believe that...that is beautiful." I then began to give her the Truth from the Scriptures. She was not as excited to hear about drunkeness being a sin. She was out there having a good time getting drunk and who knows whatever else. She went away with a tract unwilling to repent, but it was still pretty amazing to see the Word of God planted in this young woman's heart. I pray the enemy does not steal it away.

The guy she was with, Brian, asked me to pray for him before he left. When I asked him what he needed prayer for his response really surprised me. He actually wanted me to pray for purity for him. Praise the Lord! I have no idea what effect this conversation may have had on this couple, but again the Word of God is so powerful.

May the Lord continue to raise up faithful ambassadors to hit the streets. The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. It is amazing to see the Lord already working in this area. I believe something supernatural is happening lately. Pray hard Christians, and obey!

Lord, take me home soon, but until then send me many souls to bring with me.

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

"I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,

and I will be their God,

and they shall be my people.

Therefore go out from their midst,

and be separate from them, says the Lord,

and touch no unclean thing;

then I will welcome you,

and I will be a father to you,

and you shall be sons and daughters to me,

says the Lord Almighty." 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children...Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. Ephesians 5:1, 7-11

I will not set before my eyes

anything that is worthless.

I hate the work of those who fall away;

it shall not cling to me.

A perverse heart shall be far from me;

I will know nothing of evil.

No one who practices deceit

shall dwell in my house;

no one who utters lies

shall continue before my eyes.

Morning by morning I will destroy

all the wicked in the land,

cutting off all the evildoers

from the city of the LORD. Psalm 101:3-4,7-8

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!

How vast is the sum of them!

If I would count them, they are more than the sand.

I awake, and I am still with you.

Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!

O men of blood, depart from me!

They speak against you with malicious intent;

your enemies take your name in vain!

Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD?

And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?

I hate them with complete hatred;

I count them my enemies. Psalm 139:17-22

He said to them, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. John 8:23

I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. John 12:46

But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. "I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. John 17:13-21

The Scriptures are so clear and sometimes we make them out as if they are not so clear.

My point is that the Christian is supposed to be unstained from the world. If you read the above passages carefully you can see how they relate to many things in which we participate. We watch things and listen to things and entertain ourselves with things that God hates and we act as if God smiles on us because of the liberty we have in Christ. This is a lie!

Remember we are in this world, but we are not of this world. Jesus, in his interactions with the world, called sinners to repentance. He did not get drunk with the heathen or participate in their sin or indulge in their lust of the flesh. He was perfect and holy and He commands that we be holy.

I have a question for you Christian: What do you think the apostles did in their spare time? What if they lived in 2010? Would they go to bars to drink and "hang out?" Would they go into secular concerts where there is drunkeness, swearing, blasphemy, antichrist lyrics and spirits, sensuality, or even nudity? Would they watch TV or movies filled with curses, blasphemy, witchcraft, sexual immorality, and violence?

Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 2 Corinthians 11:24-28

In light of Scripture, I must admit, it is difficult for me to think the apostles spent their weekends watching gladiators being killed and torn apart by lions.

If this is the standard with the apostles then what is the standard of Jesus Christ? I believe the Scriptures show us.

Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!

O men of blood, depart from me!

They speak against you with malicious intent;

your enemies take your name in vain!

Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD?

David says he hates these men who speak against Christ and blaspheme His name. He wants them to depart from him.

Yet we as Christians entertain ourselves by watching these men in movies, TV, concerts, and whatever else.

I know there are young Christians who are less sanctified. I know we still struggle with sin and holding onto the world. I know I fail as much as all of you. But we as Christians must stop justifying our sin if we expect the following passage to be true in our lives.

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. Proverbs 4:18

Something is wrong if you have been a Christian for 10 years and you still think it is okay to go to an AC/DC concert and sing about being, "On the Highway to Hell."

Do you want to shine brighter and brighter, or do you want to look more and more like this world? Which is more Biblical?

Maybe we should stop blindfolding each other and start carrying each other toward the light. We should stop testing God with how much we can get away with and start imitating Christ. Who will take the lead? Who is willing to give up their idols and obey the Lord?

Over and over in the Kings you see different rulers succeeding the throne. Many times you see a ruler who is described as doing what is right in God's eyes, yet he fails to do one thing. Do you remember what it was?

In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba. And Jehoash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all his days, because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued to sacrifice and make offerings on the high places. 2 Kings 12:1-3

And he (Jotham) did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah had done. Nevertheless, the high places were not removed. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of the LORD. 2 Kings 15:34-35

I remember reading these passages over the years and how much they bothered me. As I read over and over how the kings failed in this one area I longed to see just one who not only did was right, but also who tore down these places of idolatry. Why did so many allow these places to remain?

Why do we allow these places of idolatry to remain in our own lives? May the Lord help us to tear them down and help others to do the same.

I was at the Rockstar Mayhem Festival yesterday with my brother in law, Ben. It was such a blessing to be with him as we reached out to those whom the "church" will never reach. "Church" people are too comfortable in their pews. They are comfortable behind their pulpits. They will not reach these people because most of these lost people will never step into a church. Many at this festival passionately hate Christ.

Regardless, we stepped out of the building and reached out to them and got to share Christ with many.

I spoke to Brian. He said he was a Christian and loved Jesus Christ. He was going to see bands like Korn and Rob Zombie who are extremely antichrist and who sing filthy lyrics. Before my brother in law Ben came to Christ, he was engulfed in this kind of music. He has a lot of knowledge about these bands and can relate to these people better. Ben told me prior to this conversation that Rob Zombie would be wearing a pentagram on stage.

Ben Davis, caring about the lost

I asked Brian why he was going to see bands who were satanic if he loved Jesus Christ. He told me these bands were just trying to make money and it was just entertainment. I told him that it was wrong to participate in such filth, especially knowing it was the same filth that Christ was crucified for. I hope you see the connection now between our conversations at this festival and the teaching above. Many at this festival claimed to be Christians and have a love for Jesus Christ. One group even showed us kindness by buying us some water.

Brian asked me, "So it's not okay if I go to this concert?" I told him no, not if he loved Jesus Christ. He said, "Well, that's not what I heard?" Brian probably goes to a church that approves of this type of behavior. I asked him who he received his information from. I told him that the Bible should be his standard and the Scriptures teach that Christ keeps us unstained from the world. I told him that God should be making him more and more holy and he should look more and more like Jesus Christ. It did not appear that this was happening in his life at all. He then said, "I hope God does this for me." Praise the Lord for the conviction! He took a tract and still went into the concert, but I pray that God uses the Truth to change his selfish heart.

I talked with another guy, Mark, who said he liked to consider himself to be a Christian. He said that he used to date a girl who was a "Christian" and who had "really Christian" parents. He then proceeded to tell me that this girl got pregnant by another guy and broke up with him. He said that ever since then he has struggled with his faith. I brought him to Matthew 7:24-27 and read it aloud to him. I told him that I faced different trials with professing "Christians" in my life, but my faith did not collapse because it was founded upon Christ and His Word. I told him there was a good chance that his faith was not founded upon the Word because when he was disappointed by these "Christians" his sandy foundation crumbled. He received the words well and took a tract, but it did not appear he had much conviction from the conversation. I pray that the spoken Word of God would penetrate his hard heart.

I spoke to another couple of girls who again were saying they loved Jesus Christ. They seemed to think Rob Zombie was not that bad to listen to. I grabbed Ben and let him take over because of his knowledge and experience. He told me later it was like we were having the same conversation over and over again. Some even seemed like genuine Christians, but there was no conviction over His Word and no conviction about holy living.

Ben sharing with professing Christians

Overall this was a great outreach. We reached a lot of people who do not go to church or claim to be Christians. They heard a lot of Truth. There was a lot of seed scattering and I pray that God allows it to germinate. Even if we don't see results, the Word was preached, Christ was lifted up, and His Word never returns void.

Lord, take me home soon, but until then send me many souls to bring with me.

The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. Revelation 3:5

For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. Luke 9:26

Jeff Gary, Alex Nunez, and myself preaching boldly at Bele Chere 2010

What an incredible thought that we could actually be ashamed of our Father, the King of the Universe. Yet it is so true with many professing "Christians." They act as if it is a shameful thing to be associated with the name of Jesus and the words He spoke. Men act like little boys who are too embarrassed to be dropped off at school by their daddy.

"And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. Luke 12:8-9

The more incredible thing is that Jesus Christ, the Lord of Lords, says He will not be ashamed of us before, not only the angels, but also Father God. Jesus Christ boldly stands before His Father and says, "These are my friends." He does this regardless of our sinful past. He knows that the debt is paid in full. "It is finished!"

How much more should this motivate us to stand up for our Father in the midst of a twisted and crooked generation?

Bele Chere 2010 was an incredible outreach to unashamedly preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The streets could have handled 1,000 Christians out there sharing their faith and we still would have needed more.

Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few Matthew 9:37

We will definitely be out there next year with a bigger team, Lord willing.

One of the most amazing aspects of this trip was to see Biblical prophecies fulfilled right before our eyes.

I was talking to Josh, an atheist and physicist, who was having trouble understanding the Trinity. He did not understand how Jesus who is immortal could die on a cross. I attempted to appeal to his intellect by telling Him that God exists in a different realm or dimension. In that true realm He is fully God. Yet His Word became flesh and blood. He subjected Himself to humanity. He subjected His deity to human flesh and in that flesh died. But He never ceased from being fully God and completely immortal. To which Josh said, "I don't know, it just seems like a stumbling stone." Wow! I told him that the words he just used were the exact words used for Jesus Christ in the Bible. He just shrugged his comment off as coincidence because "the Bible is a big book with lots of words." I was pretty impressed anyway. I then told him I no longer wanted to address his intellect, but I wanted to talk to him about his sin. I asked him if he thought of himself as humble because the underlying requirement for God revealing His Truth is humility. He actually said he had never heard of this concept before. I told him that if God was going to show him anything he would have to be humble. If he sits in judgment of God then God is not obligated to show him anything. I told him he has to approach God with the mindset of, "God I will not tell you who you are, but you show me who you are and I will submit to your Truth."

He said he could not believe. I told him that was true unless God granted him faith. He then asked me if he had free will. I told him he was bound to his sinful will and would stay that way unless Christ set him free (John 8:32). He asked, "Then what can I do?" I told him to look around at the passing crowd. I then asked him what made him stop and approach me out of all those people who do not seem to care. He said he was just a mindless creature wandering around obeying his desires. I told him that was true about every person out there, yet they had not stopped. "What made you stop, Josh?" I asked. He did not know. I told him it was the mere grace of God that he was even talking to me. I told him God was not obligated to stop him in his tracks. I then told him it was the grace of God that He allowed me to be out there in his path preaching. I explained that the human language cannot be divorced from human beings so I had to give him commands whether he could obey them or not. I told him to call out to God for understanding and faith. I told him to repent and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. I told him he must have humility so he must call out to God for humility. I then shared with him James 1:5 "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." I then told him not to take this grace for granted because God was not obligated to give it. We ended the conversation by him taking a tract and One Heartbeat Away. He said he would think about that idea of humility. He really acted as if he had never heard of that concept before.

Pray for Josh that God would give him humility.

The next prophecy I saw fulfilled was when Marcus Pittman began preaching to an angry mob of people.

Marcus began preaching about the sins of people that are committed everyday. He pointed out the thousands of murders that take place in our country through abortion. At this point, Frenchy (a young woman) began arguing with him telling him that it was a woman's choice when it came to abortion. Marcus tried to reason with her from Scripture saying that God is the one who gives life in the womb. She would not listen. Marcus then began to explain the justice of God. He talked about how God has to judge sin in order to remain just. He referred to God's judgment through the flood during Noah's day and talked about the coming day of judgment.

Frenchy then stepped back, lifted her hands to heaven and said, "Where is this judgment?" as if to challenge God to kill her right then.

I was astounded at what was happening. Marcus was preaching about the flood and the coming day of judgment and here is this girl asking, "Where is this promised day?" Sound familiar?

knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation." For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 2 Peter 3:3-7

It was like this passage was describing that exact moment that I was witnessing. This instance really made me wonder how much longer God will delay His wrath in order for evil men to repent.

On top of this, as we left, a false prophet who had been heckling us jumped up and began preaching to the crowd. He was literally open air preaching to the crowd that God loved them unconditionally no matter how they lived. He was preaching peace to the people when there is no peace (Jeremiah 23:16-22). It seemed like that preacher was God's judgment on those who love the darkness and do not want the light of God's gospel.

Though they know God’s decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. Romans 1:32

I could tell God's grace was upon our ministry in that darkness. Despite the hostility there was much Christian encouragement.

One woman was in tears over the hostility she saw from wicked men toward the preaching of the Word. She told us through her tears that she was praying for us and she had no idea our world had gotten so bad. She seemed like your typical church going Christian, oblivious to the darkness around her, and hindered by her church tainted goggles. I am thankful God allowed her see the truth of the World we have surrendered to the enemy.

Another family saw the same darkness. The teenage daughter of the family listened as a young lady argued with Marcus. As the argument grew, even this daughter could not contain her burden for the truth as she yelled out in Marcus' defense, "What he is saying is in the Bible!"

Another Christian passed by who I recognized. He is a Jewish Christian who I have been able to minister to at our local courthouse in Lawrenceville, GA. He told me he just happend to travel to Asheville that weekend not even knowing about the festival. He bought Alex and I hotdogs and water to replenish our efforts. Praise the Lord for this encouragement!

The most amazing Christian encouragement actually came through one who was criticizing our efforts. He was the type who seemed to believe we were doing more harm than good. Tony walked up to me and asked if I really believed we were being effective. Based on the Word of God I told him, "Absolutely." He then began to give me a speech that I have heard many times from professing "Christians." Maybe you have heard it before. He said that he builds relationships with people and the best way to get through to people is to relate to them in personal ways. I asked if he thought the power to save someone was in building relationships or in the Word of God (the gospel). I then shared with him Romans 1:16 that says the power is in the gospel. I told him that we are commanded to proclaim the gospel to all of creation and that it will be life giving words to those who receive them, but it is foolishness to those who are perishing. He then said, "Well, that is okay if you feel that way." I leaned in toward him and said very sternly, "Maybe you live by your feelings, but I follow the Word of God." I then told him that his problem was that He was ashamed of the words of Christ. He looked astounded that I would be that bold and wriggled around as if I had made him very uncomfortable, and then he moved in a little closer.

I then asked him, "So how do you share with people?" He answered that he just likes to interact with people. Just then, Dustin (a drunkard) walked up and looked as if he wanted to talk. I turned to Tony and said, "This guy looks like he wants to interact." I then turned to Dustin and asked him his name and introduced myself. He said a few things and then I asked him, "Hey Dustin, do you mind if my friend Tony shares a couple of things with you, do you have a couple of minutes?" He smiled and said, "Sure." Tony then began to slowly stumble through his words and witness to this guy. He was actually pretty thoughful, but I could tell he was really nervous. After about ten minutes they brought me back into the conversation. I used this opportunity to take Dustin through the law and share a brief gospel message with him (I did this so Tony could see the simplicity of using the law and sharing the gospel). They continued talking as Josh came up to me (I mentioned him above). We talked for a while, but I heard in the background Dustin ask Tony if he would walk with him and keep talking to him while he got a drink. They came back about 20 minutes later and were still talking. They left still talking. That was Friday night.

Saturday night, as we were leaving, Tony was there again talking to someone else. He spotted me and ran up to me. I said, "Hey Tony, how did it go with Dustin?" He was amazed that I even remembered his name. He looked me straight in the eyes and said, "You were right, you guys are doing a good job." He then began to tell me how he had talked to Dustin for 45 minutes and they were going to stay in touch through Facebook. He thanked me and told me he would stay in touch. Praise the Lord! I never could have orchestrated such events. What an amazing encouragement!

Pray for Tony that he stays bold for the Lord Jesus Christ

Without making this too incredibly long let me just summarize a few other things that happened.

We had water thrown on us. Wicked men got in our faces and threatened us. Women exposed their bodies.

I offered a young boy (maybe 11 years old) a tract to which he replied with a hateful look, "Uh...I am a Darwinist."

I gave one of my "Truth" tracts to a guy to which he replied, "The Truth, we were just talking about that."

One girl, Tatiana is a bisexual. She was thankful for the conversation and me listening to her. She took a tract.

Another girl was forced into child pornography as a young girl. I got to share a lot of truth with her.

Bill stopped to listen to John chapter 10. I asked him why he stopped. He said no one else was stopping, but he knew what I was doing was important even if it only changes his life. I encouraged him to get into the Word for himself.

Rebecca took One Heartbeat Away. She wanted to know what inspired me to be out there. I told her it was the power of God. I then explained what it means to follow Christ. I asked her if she was willing to surrender everything to Him. She said she was not sure, but took the book and was very thankful for my responses.

Pepi is an agnostic who would not take anything from me, but he said I got him thinking about picking up the Bible again. He said he would actually go buy a copy and begin reading it.

I pleaded with Adam to repent, but he was so confused by all the lies this world is feeding him.

I have included videos Andrew Burgess took of the preachers. I hope they are as much a blessing to you as they were to me.

Alex Nunez also wrote some thoughts about the outreach. They are very encouraging. You can read them here:

http://repentandbelieve.wordpress.com/

Lord, take me home soon, but until then send me many souls to bring with me.

Whoever says to the wicked, "You are in the right," will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations, but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them. Whoever gives an honest answer kisses the lips. Proverbs 24:24-26

Evangelism takes many forms. There are many great events where we can pass out tracts and have conversations. Other events are great for open air preaching. Sometimes a cross or sign is the appropriate tool. Sometimes it is just having a conversation incognito. A lot of times we can use any tool we want to draw in people. Regardless, we go to glorify Christ, shine light in darkness, and find His lost sheep.

Sometimes we just need to go to events to let the world know that we care. We care that our country is killing babies so we go to shine light at abortion clinics. We care that people have no regard for God's laws so we go to Gay Pride and satanic concerts. We care about preaching the True gospel of Jesus Christ so we go to Jehovah's Witness Conventions and Joel Osteen events. It is very important as a Christian to shine your light and confront the demons of this world.

Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 1 John 2:22

and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 1 John 4:3

But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man." Matthew 16:23

You see there are many demons and false spirits in this world and they can use people to accomplish their plans. Remember, you are either being used by Christ or you are a child of the devil (1 John 3:10, John 8:44).

The best thing we can do sometimes at these very dark events is shine our lights and confront the demons.

Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Proverbs 27:5

We were able to do this at the Jehovah's Witness Convention 2 weekends ago. It was amazing to see the demons at work as we brought the glorious light of the gospel. Friday morning I was walking toward the penalty box (Our free speech area), when two parking attendants (JWs) jumped into the box. I just ignored them, plopped my cross and "Jesus Christ is God" sign down, and started preaching. One of the other attendants started shouting at me telling me only 2 people were allowed in the box. I told the demon not to talk to me and kept preaching. He then got on his radio. He found out that actually four people can be in the box so he ordered his two minions out of the box.

Before I left, the Lord gave me a message for the JWs. I realized that these people were trusting in demons to tell them what the Word of God says rather than reading it for themselves and trusting the Holy Spirit. That is why they go to these extensive teaching conventions and thousands flock to them. So I began preaching this. An older man came up to me and asked me what I was protesting. I told him I was protesting the false gospel that the demons in that building were preaching. I told him I was there to preach the True gospel of Jesus Christ. He then said I was doing a good job. I said, "If I am doing such a good job then why are you going in there?" I then asked him the question, "Don't you remember what Jesus said before He left?" The man looked at me in suspense and said "No, what did he say?" I told him that Jesus said He must go so that the Helper, the Holy Spirit could come and He would lead us to all Truth. I told him to start reading the Bible and trusting the Holy Spirit. The man thanked me and walked away. Of all the people that day, he seemed the most receptive. Please pray for him.

Our free speech at the Public Gwinnett Arena is limited to a penalty box

I had to leave that day to fly to Los Angeles for the MLB Allstar Game so Ben took over. On Saturday Ben showed up to preach, but four demons were waiting in the box to scoff at him. This just shows how demonic these people really are. They chased him off, but Ben planned to return early Sunday morning and beat Beelzebub to the box. Sunday he claimed the box for the Lord, but as he was waiting beside it for people to begin coming in, four more demons jumped in the box. Ben was brave this time. He stood his ground and jumped up on the stool that was in the middle of the four cornered snarling demoniacs. He began preaching the Word of God. Just then a Gwinnett Arena official came out and motioned for the beasts to leave telling them the preacher was okay. Praise the Lord! Ben is going back in a couple of weeks to do battle once more. Contact him if you are interested in fighting beside him (benjamind105@gmail.com).

On Friday From Atlanta I flew 6 hours, stopping for 2 hours in Charlotte, to Los Angeles, CA for the Allstar game. I got there roughly about 8pm and had to wait with the rental car for Bill and the others until 2am. We did not reach our final destination until 3:30am Los Angeles Time, 6:30am Atlanta time. We were exhausted, but the Lord gave us strength for 4 days of ministry.

On the plane, the Lord strategically placed me between two Catholics. This is my kryptonite as an evangelist. There is nothing more uncomfortable for me than sharing on a plane. Joy was on my right. She was flying back to Australia. I talked to her a little about my ministry which led into me sharing some Truth with her. I asked if she was a God-fearing woman to which she replied, "Yes." The conversation ended with her asking me to pray for her husband, David who is somewhat in a dangerous area as he serves in the Navy. I gave her One Heartbeat Away with one of my Catholic tracts as a book mark. She thanked me. The other girl was a little less receptive. She had walked away from her Catholic upbringing. She would not take my tract at first, but when I told her I wrote it she took it and read the whole thing right there. She then handed it back and thanked me. I asked if she had ever heard that before. She said no. I then asked where the Bible ranked in her life as far as importance on a scale from 1-10. She said a three. At least she was honest. I shared a few more things with her. Phew...glad it is over!

One of the things that surprised me most about the trip was the lack of evangelists on the streets. We were right in the heart of Way of the Masterville and apparently this area is no different from any other part of the country. There are just not that many consistent faithful people who are willing to die to the flesh and hit the streets. I was honored to go from Atlanta with three others to represent our King. I had been burdened to go so maybe this was the reason. We were blessed to have Brad Snow offer his home to us. He and his family were very hospitable (3 John 1:5). He is attempting to get a group together out there.

We were also joined by Anita and Liz, faithful witnesses who work for the Ambassador's Academy. They were bold as they handed out tracts and conversed with the lost.

There were so many to reach as we traveled to the Stadium each day. At first the security was giving us lots of trouble and even asked us to leave one day, but the Lord prevailed and kept us there the rest of the outreach. Thank you so much for all your prayers.

Brother Franklin Jones starting a conversation

There were lots of protestors there because of a law being passed in Arizona that related to illegal immigration. I spoke with one of the protestors, Samuel, who was a professing Christian. I asked him if he ever went out there to share his faith. He said no. I asked him why not. He said, "I don't know, that is a good question." He was actually convicted about the questions I asked. Praise the Lord! So many people get distracted by other things and they forget their Master's command (Luke 24:46,47).

There were also many atheists out there. I talked to at least four I think during the trip. It seems like they are growing in number. Jesus is an atheist and I began to talk to him about the importance of humility. He was very proud and only 17 years of age. I told him that it had nothing to do with intellect. I told him his need to repent. I then told him I would pray that God would give him faith. He said it was impossible. I told him it was not impossible because God had granted me faith. He said, "Yeah, that is just because you are content to believe in fairy tales." I said, "Jesus, how old are you?" "17," He said. I told him my age. "Are you in college?" I asked. He was proud to tell me he is a senior in high school. I told him my credentials. "Jesus," I said, "I did not have to throw my logic or reason or intellect aside to believe in Christ, but it really has nothing to do with my intelligence and everything to do with being humble before my Creator." I told him he needed to humble himself and repent of his sins. He scoffed, but I told him I would pray for him. Pray for Jesus.

Brother Jason Slade, reaching out to the lost with gospel tracts

Please pray for:

Brian (Atheist)

AJ (Atheist)

Brian (Catholic)

Nicholas (Lutheran)

Abigail and Albert (Abigail said she has worse fruit now as a "Christian")

Alex and I travel to Asheville next weekend. Please keep us in your prayers.

Lord, take me home soon, but until then send me many souls to bring with me.

We preach the Biblical gospel when we go to these different events. "What is the Biblical gospel?" You might ask.

Listen to the following audio by Paul Washer and you will hear what most preachers will not speak of today.

Athfest 2010 was the perfect event for preaching this gospel we believe. 2 Corinthians 2:17 says, For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's Word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

You see, we don't preach to please men as Paul said in Galatians 1:10. We do not change the message so we will be more acceptable to men. We preach the whole counsel of God even if men are offended. I do not want to present a false god to people. I want to give them the God of the Bible. This means that I am giving them not only a loving God, but also a God of justice, jealousy, righteousness, and hatred toward unrighteous sinners (Psalm 11:5). My only job is to do it in love, but just because I am speaking of these things in the open air does not mean I am not doing it in love. In 1 Corinthians 13 and 2 Timothy 2:24-26 we have descriptions of what the Lord's servant shoud be when sharing with the heathen. My job is to keep the flesh out of it and walk by the Spirit. If I can do this then I have succeeded no matter what the result. If no one gets saved, or if I get shouted at, or if men get so angry they want to kill me I have succeeded if I have spoken the Truth in love according to the above passages.

I know this is true and I have seen how men respond to the Word of God and not the messenger. At the Lenox fireworks last night I had a man (very likely a homosexual) very upset with my sign that talked about God's hatred toward unrighteous sinners. He was not mad at me. We had a very civil conversation for about 20 minutes. He shook my hand at the end of the conversation and told me he respected me for what I was doing. But he was very offended at the idea of a God filled with hatred for sin. What do I do as an evangelist? Do I try to present God in a different way? No, I give him the God of the Bible and if he doesn't want that God then his only alternative is to keep believing in his idol. Until he comes to God on God's terms he cannot come to God. Of course I talked about the love of God. I talked about the cross and what Christ endured to appease the wrath of God. But it was still an offensive message to this man, Mark. The only sufficient answer for Mark was that God is only filled with love. This is simply not true. If God is only love then why did Christ die? Why does the Bible say it pleased the LORD to crush His Son? Why did Christ cry out, "My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?" The temptation is to make the message more palatable, but I did not want to give Mark another idol to believe in; I wanted him to see God in all of His glory and worship Him. Jesus did the same thing. Many times throughout the gospel of John you see Christ going after people who will truly follow Him. You see Him doing the same thing in Mark 10 with the rich young ruler. I want to make disciples of Christ, not church-goers or lukewarm "Christians" who are not really Christians at all. Pray for Mark. The last challenge I gave him was to have humility and repent of any sin he is holding on to.

I also got to give a Bible to Abdul who is a Buddhist. He did not even know that the Bible is divided into the Old and New Testaments. He believes in a god, but he believes the Sun is god. Pray for this young man. He received the Word of God with gratefulness. He also took One Heartbeat Away.

There have been great opportunities to share the True gospel these past few weeks. I mentioned the Lenox fireworks we went to last night. We also got to preach at the Peachtree Road Race yesterday morning. We were at the Sting concert last week and then AthFest before that. I am so grateful for faithful men I get to preach with. I got to be with Bill Adams again yesterday who just returned from his World Cup outreach in South Africa. Thank you also to Ben Davis, Chris Galloway, Chap Williams, Bobby McCreery, Alex Nunes, Jason Slade, Jim Coyle, and Drew Pendley for your faithfulness to the Word of God.

At the Sting concert I got to share with an atheist, John, for at least 30 minutes. He was intrigued by my sign, "God Loves, God Hates." It led to him hearing lots of Truth and a New Testament in his hands. He told me more than once he thought I was a very nice guy and reasonable. I think it is important to be kind and considerate when talking to people. Skeptics think just because I am holding a sign about God's hatred means that I am being a jerk to people. This could not be further from the truth. Rarely do I not get a handshake from people I speak to. Kindness is important, but it can't stop there. It is the gospel that is the power unto salvation (Romans 1). My kindness only compliments the message I speak. The sign is merely a tool to create the opportunity. It draws people in for a teaching moment. Why do we as Christians neglect such powerful evangelistic tools just because crazy people like the Westborough Baptists use the tools in an unbiblical way? Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water.

Another guy, Devin, was out on the streets of Athens getting drunk and going after girls. He goes to church every Sunday and admitted to getting drunk at least twice a week. I really felt compassion for this guy. We talked for a long time, at least an hour and prayed together. He was in tears over his sin. He knew he was enslaved to his flesh. I talked to him about the importance of crying out to God and asking for Christ to change him because he could not change himself. I could tell that the words of Truth I spoke to him rang true in his heart. He agreed with everything we spoke about and was humbled by God's Word. He gave me his number and I called him the next day just to let him know I was praying for him. I am supposed to call him again in a couple of months when he moves to Athens. I am praying Christ continues to work in his heart. We will most likely get together in the future. Pray for Devin.

Please pray for Alex Nunez and I as we travel to Asheville, NC for the Bele Chere Festival. There is supposedly a lot of witchcraft and sorcery in this town so please pray for God's favor as we proclaim God's Truth to these people.

Lord, take me home soon, but until then send me many souls to bring with me.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. 2 Corinthians 2:14-17

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16

I was blessed to meet with my brother, John Bensley, this morning. It seems that God has been showing us the same thing lately through different Scriptures. It is amazing how the Holy Spirit works. I thought I would share the same encouragement with you all.

The above verses paints this amazing picture and this is the picture that John and I saw. It is the picture of a burning slaughtered body on an altar with smoke ascending to God from the altar. We were amazed at the severity and gruesomeness of this picture, but this is exactly what Jesus was and we are no less.

Jesus was placed on the altar just like Isaac, except Christ was not spared. Isaiah 53:10 says,

Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for sin

It pleased the LORD to crush His Son underfoot. And the fragrance that went up to His Father was a pleasing aroma and the only sufficient sacrfice that would be accepted for sin. Do you see the amazing picture and implications of these types of passages?

A number of things enter my mind:

Jesus is the only sufficient One

Flesh is worthless

Sin is disgusting and God hates it

We are to follow in the steps of the perfect spotless Lamb of God

We should be nothing less than a sacrifice, a burning body on an altar with no rights, dead to self, omitting a pleasing fragrance to our Father.

When you go to preach in the streets, remember Matthew 5:14-16 in light of these other passages. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

The Bible says that as you are preaching some will pass by you. They will see you on a stand shining your light. They will smell your stench and it will be disgusting to them. Why? Because it is the smell of death. It is repulsive and disgusting to their nostrils. It is a reminder and evidence that they are perishing. They are still dead in their sins.

But to those who are His, it is a sweet smelling aroma because they realize they are dead in sin and they need life and the sacrifice of Christ is that life.

And God looks down on it all and is glorified because He sees the same sacrifice that His Son endured.

God is pleased with your obedience. If you are not obeying Him then remember: You are not greater than your Master.

Another incredible week of evangelism!

I had many opportunities to lift up the name of Jesus Christ at Riverbend 2010 in Chattanooga. I was there with Jeff Gary, Bill Adams, and Bobby McCreery on Monday for the huge street party they have there. Here is a short video that Bill compiled showing some of the ministry, although a video never quite captures the amazing things we encounter:

I was holding my sign that says, "God's soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence." A transgender man/woman, Ricky, approached me and asked what God thought about transgenders. I thought for sure Ricky was going to be really mad about the sign or something. To my surprise, he did not get upset when I said that God is specific enough about the sexes to even describe men and women having different hair lengths (1 Corinthians 11). I said that God created men and women and He is very spefic about how we should act. I asked if Ricky had a Christian background. He said he was molested by a higher up in the Baptist church. He then went on to say that he thought Jesus was more accepting and He even hung out with sinners. Many people use this example to say that God is okay with them staying in their sin. I told him that he was talking about a double-edged sword, because although Jesus spent time with the worst of sinners, He called them to repentance, to turn away from their sin. I assured him that God does have very specific commandments and they are for our good. I also told him that God is gracious and forgiving of anyone who is willing to repent and place their trust in Him. Ricky then asked if anyone else had come up to me yet. I told him I had only been there about 30 minutes and he was the first to appraoch me. To my surprise again, he shook my hand and said you are doing a good job and walked away. He seemed very humbled by God's expectations. I pray he is converted.

I spoke with a couple, Matthew and Christy who were drunk. Matthew said he is Jewish. I pleaded with them for about 20 minutes to repent. They were convinced that they had tried church and it was not true. Matthew was convinced that it was okay to just live life. I told him there were leaders and followers. He said he was a leader. I asked him, "Then why are you following this world into sin and death?" He said he was not following the world. I told him to look around at the crowd of drunk people just walking around partying. I told him he looked no different and it was going to lead them both into hell. I kept pleading with him, but he loved his sin too much. They took tracts, but left me after a while of listening to Truth to keep indulging in sin. Pray for this couple.

Friday I was in Riverbend again with Jeff Gary. We had such great conversations with too many to list here. We actually got to speak with many professing Christians. Some I believe were genuine and others were not. One young lady came up to me while I was reading Scripture aloud. She looked very encouraged to see me out there preaching. She asked if I was discouraged that not many people were listening. I told her that Jesus went through the same trials and that I was not greater than my Master. He told me to take up my cross daily and follow Him. I asked her if she was a Christian. She said yes. She is 14. She shared some of her testimony with me. During her testimony she said something pretty amazing. She said there was a point in her life right before she got saved when she was praying to God, but she knew He was not listening because she was living in sin. This is a fourteen year old girl that said this. Most professing Christians I talk to never realize this Truth. I told her that was astounding she recognized that and that she was echoing the Psalms that say the same thing. At the end of the conversation she was smiling very big from the encouragement. I was very encouraged by her wisdom and gave her some links to help in her evangelism. Pray for Ansley.

Another conversation was not as encouraging, but I felt like God gave me the patience and grace to deal with him. It was with a guy named Ethan. He was probably college age and was questioning our methods (preaching, tracts, and signs). He was one of those "You need to be preaching love" people. I don't argue with the fact that we preach God's love through Christ. But what these people say is that we should only preach love. They never seem to think it is okay to talk about God's justice or His wrath toward sin. I opened the Scriptures with him for probably close to an hour. It was after midnight by the time our conversation ended. I felt like I answered every one of his arguments with Scripture and he was only left with his opinions. The worst part of it was that he agreed with what I was saying, "But..." They always seem to come back with a "but." He then said something that led me to believe he was emergent. I asked if he liked Rob Bell. It was no surprise when he answered yes. I told him about his subtle false teaching. He said he knew Bell was probably wrong in some areas, but that some of his "Nooma" videos were really good. I said "Yeah, but you are sucking down rat poison in some of his other videos." I told him there was a reason why most of the New Testament books warn about false teachers. It is because they are very subtle, and hard to spot sometimes, and very very dangerous. I then told him flat out that I did not think he knew the Bible very well. He asked why. I said because the more you handle the real stuff (The Bible) the more you are able to spot the counterfeit. This analogy is not new, but people talk about it in the same way when people can discern between real money and counterfeit bills. At the end he was somewhat agreeing with me and changed what he originally said. He said although it was important to talk about God's love, God's love encompasses a lot of things like His anger toward sin, etc. etc. I told him that was fine he was agreeing with me in principle, but I did not think he applied that to his every day evangelism. I told him very boldly that I did not believe that he talked about things like wrath, sin, and judgment to people when he was evangelizing. He sort of shrugged it off, but did not try to defend himself saying he did. It was a frustrating conversation because it seemed like no matter what I showed him from God's Word he did not listen. But I pray it was not unfruitful. God's Word never returns void.

On Saturday I was able to do some evangelism with Dwayna Litz and her evangelism ministry, Lighting the Way. She sets up a table in Little Five Points with many great resources realted to all the different cults and false gospels. You can contact her through her website if you are interested in joining her. It was crazy that Saturday afternoon because as we were ministering a huge group of Hare Krishnas came parading down the streets chanting, dancing, and handing out literature. I wish Christians had such zeal for the God they serve.

Saturday evening it was Riverbend again. Ryan Wilson joined us as we preached and distributed tracts to the large crowds of people. I really sensed the Spirit working in people as I was able to preach to them. Many sat around and listened for a long time. Many approached us with questions. We got to pray with some. Jeff spoke with a gentleman who had been out there drinking and he seemed very humble as Jeff prayed with him.

God really moved me with compassion for these people as we reached out to them. Jeff agreed as we were thinking back on the outreach. It seemed like God was really working and sending us the right people to talk to. We got to reach so many for God's glory. I am very thankful to our God that we serve, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Lord, take me home soon, but until then send me many souls to bring with me.