Ouch!

SCRIPTURE MEMORY - 2 Timothy 2:14-26

I'm really starting to understand the importance of scripture memory, especially because of evangelism. Here is a section that is so practical to read given how many false teachers we run into!

2 Timothy 2:14-26

Remind {them} of these things, and solemnly charge {them} in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless {and leads} to the ruin of the hearers.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

But avoid worldly {and} empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness,

and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,

{men} who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some.

Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness."

Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor.

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these {things,} he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love {and} peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels.

The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged,

with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,

and they may come to their senses {and escape} from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

CUT TO THE CHASE! - Deity of Jesus Christ

This is a new segment that will hopefully help you to "cut to the chase" in conversations with people on the street.

One of the questions you can ask to cut to the chase... "Do you believe that Jesus is God?"

If people can't answer a definitive YES to that question, you are not dealing with a Christian.

Here is a verse I've used to point that out to people, "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am [He], you will die in your sins." John 8:24

John MacArthur writes - "He is not part of the original statement. Jesus' words were not constructed normally but were influenced by OT Hebrew usage. It is an absolute meaning "I AM" and has immense theological significance. The reference may be to both Ex. 3:14 where the Lord declared His name as "I AM" and to Is. 40-55 where the phrase "I am" occurs repeatedly. In this Jesus referred to Himself as the God (Yahweh- THE LORD) of the OT, and directly claimed full deity for Himself.

No matter how "intelligent" or persuasive peoples arguments may seem, if the person you are speaking to does not believe in the deity of Jesus Christ they are "dead in their sins" and need to hear the gospel!

Noho 9-26-09 Follow Up

Sharons prayer requests: Please pray for Hugo, Martin, Mario, Valentine, and Frank.

Mikes and Joanne's: Please pray for Mia who Joanne shared the Gospel with in detail and she prayed with her. Time will tell if her heart was given to the Savior. Pray also for William and his wife Vergie who claim to be Catholic and listen to some Gospel but had to leave. Pray for Art who said you get to heaven from being good. I started sharing the Gospel with him that none are good no not one and that we are all sinners and that only through Jesus Christ and his shed blood on the cross can anyone go to heaven. Then John 14:6 , Jesus is the only way, then all of a sudden he had to go. Also pray for Valentine a Ukrainian who needs to submit to Christ. All in all it was a glorious night of preaching, teaching, and sharing the Gospel with a lost and dying world.To God be the glory.

Davids: John who took a bible. Shane the homeless guy. The guy who rejects the deity of Christ and Evelyn the girl who cursed me out.

Yom Kippur Sept 27th &28th

Today is the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur or "The Day of Atonement." You can read about it in Leviticus 16:1-34. This part in particular stood out to me:

v. 20-22 "And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place, the tabernacle of meeting, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat. Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, (Is. 53:6-All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.)

putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man.The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness." (Psalm 103:12 -As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.)

2 Cor. 5:19 - God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

PRAISE THE LORD everyday that He has made us right before Him through the blood of the Lamb... Jesus Christ! If you know someone Jewish TODAY you have the perfect segue to share the glorious Gospel... be bold for the sake of His glory and their soul!!

UFO's & Yolanda

Aaron and I went up to Burbank Media Center on Labor Day to hand out some tracts which lead to an interesting conversation with a lady who was sitting and reading.

PRAY FOR JOSE!

Sharon took him to Hope again today... and he was accepted into the program!! Praise the Lord! Please pray for his salvation and that the Lord then uses him to reach others for Christ because he likes to talk!

Jesus Died!

Skimming the Surface

"Let us not forget as we live in this world that Christ is in us and with us. And let us not forget that some day in heaven, we will see Jesus face to face. We will look into the face of Jesus, and behold the face of God. For all eternity, we will see the omnipresent God in the person of Jesus Christ. The love of Christ in its sweetness, its fulness, its greatness, its faithfulness, passeth all human comprehension. Where shall language be found which shall describe his matchless, his unparalleled love towards the children of men? It is so vast and boundless that, as the swallow but skimmeth the water, and diveth not into its depths, so all descriptive words but touch the surface, while depths immeasurable lie beneath. Well might the poet say, “O love, thou fathomless abyss!” For this love of Christ is indeed measureless and fathomless; none can attain unto it. Before we can have any right idea of the love of Jesus, we must understand his previous glory in its height of majesty, and his incarnation upon the earth in all its depths of shame. But who can tell us the majesty of Christ? When he was enthroned in the highest heavens he was very God of very God; by him were the heavens made, and all the hosts thereof. His own almighty arm upheld the spheres; the praises of cherubim and seraphim perpetually surrounded him; the full chorus of the hallelujahs of the universe unceasingly flowed to the foot of his throne: he reigned supreme above all his creatures, God over all, blessed for ever. Who can tell his height of glory then? And who, on the other hand, can tell how low he descended? To be a man was something, to be a man of sorrows was far more; to bleed, and die, and suffer, these were much for him who was the Son of God; but to suffer such unparalleled agony—to endure a death of shame and desertion by his Father, this is a depth of condescending love which the most inspired mind must utterly fail to fathom. Herein is love! and truly it is love that “passeth knowledge.” O let this love fill our hearts with adoring gratitude, and lead us to practical manifestations of its power."

C.H. Spurgeon

Noho 9-19-09 Follow Up

We are truly a family!

Sharon's prayer request:

Pray for Jose and Fabian and Sergei (Russian). Jose would like us to come out and speak to the other homeless people near where he lives. He says he is coming back next week.

Jose is a guy who Sharon was blessed to witness to last night at Noho. HE CAME TO CHURCH TODAY!!! What an encouragement! Please pray for him and that we get to share the good news with his community.

Spurgeon quote for the day! 9/13 "Thoughts on the Last Battle"

"Sirs, if I saw you lying in your bed, and your house was on fire, the fire might be at the bottom of the house, and you might slumber safely for the next five minutes; but with all my might I would pull you from your bed, or I would shout, "Awake! awake! the flame is under thee." So with some of you who are sleeping over hell's mouth, slumbering over the pit of perdition, may I not awake you? may I not depart a little from clerical rules, and speak to you as one speaketh to his fellow whom he loves? Ah! if I loved you not, I need not be here. It is because I wish to win your souls, and, if it be possible, to win for my Master some honor, that I would thus pour out my heart before you. As the Lord liveth, sinner, thou standest on a single plank over the mouth of hell, and that plank is rotten. Thou hangest over the pit by a solitary rope, and the strands of that rope are breaking. Thou art like that man of old, whom Dionysius placed at the head of the table; before him was a dainty feast, but the man ate not, for directly over his head was a sword suspended by a hair. So art thou, sinner. Let thy cup be full, let thy pleasures be high, let thy soul be elevated, seest thou that sword? The next time thou sittest in the theatre, look up and see that sword: when next in thy business thou scornest the rules of God's gospel, look at that sword. Though thou seest it not, it is there. Even now, ye may hear God saying to Gabriel, "Gabriel, that man is sitting in his seat in the hall; he is hearing, but is as though he heard not; unsheathe thy blade; let the glittering sword cut through that hair; let the weapon fall upon him and divide his soul and body." Stop, thou Gabriel, stop! Save the man a little while. Give him yet an hour, that he may repent. Oh, let him not die. True, he has been here these ten or dozen nights, and he has listened without a tear; but stop, and peradventure he may repent yet. Jesus backs up my entreaty, and he cries, "Spare him yet another year, till I dig about him and dung him, and though he now cumbers the ground, he may yet bring forth fruit, that he may not be hewn down and cast into the fire." I thank thee, O god; thou wilt not cut him down to-night; but to-morrow may be his last day. Ye may never see the sun rise, though you have seen it set. Take heed. Hear the word of God's gospel, and depart with God's blessing. "Whosoever believeth on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved." "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." "He is able to save to the uttermost, all that come unto him." "Whosoever cometh unto him, he will in no wise cast out." Let every one that heareth say, "Come; whosoever is athirst, let him come and take of the water of life, freely."

C.H.Spurgeon - "Thoughts on the Last Battle"

Fire & Hammer

This sermon preached by Pastor Jack was such a blessing me and to all who share the Gospel... KEEP USING THE WORD!!! It is all we got and all we need. Spurgeon said it is the only weapon the Spirit uses ... because He wrote it and is IN IT!

Mark Cahill this Saturday!!

If anyone is interested Mark Cahill is going to be at this church on SATURDAY the 19th:

Bridge Bible Fellowship

18644 Sherman Way

Reseda, CA 91335

818-776-1500

Sharon's friend Kitty, got us 10 tickets to share. If you're interested call my cell or e-mail me.

This is a wonderful opportunity to see an ON-FIRE evangelist!! Bring tracts because after you hear Cahill your going to want to run out of that church and witness to everyone!!

Ugh...

Please pray for us... we are still sick. I want to go out and PREACH but my voice is still all raspy!

How to talk to a Heretic.

I think all evangelists should listen to this current series "How to Talk to a Heretic" by Pastor MacArthur, as inevitably you will run into one when you are on the street. Either that or eventually they will come to your door!

HOLLYWOOD 9/12/09 - FOLLOW UP

The team was Clint, Sharon, Hanna, Dean, Sai, Aaron, myself and a new lady from Grace who is now at CBC, Kitty. The crowds have definitely dropped because summer is over. Dean and I preached, also Aaron did boldly in front of Mann's Theater. Over all it was a great time! Enjoy the interview, please excuse the poor sound quality I think something weird was going on with my mic.

Sharon's prayer requests: Please pray for Bruce, Esmeralda and Arthur.

David's prayer requests: Juan, Zack "Napoleon Dynamite", the two homosexual guys who I pleaded with while preaching & Rich

This is by far one of the most vivid, Christ exalting sermon's I've ever read! I can honestly say if you don't read this entire sermon you are robbing your own soul of a tremendous blessing.

"And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it."—Colossians 2:15.

"At last the trememdous day arrived. Foot to foot the conqueror must fight with the dread tyrant. A voice was heard in heaven, "This is your hour, and the power of darkness." And Christ himself exclaimed, "Now is the crisis of this world; now must the prince of darkness be cast out." From the table of communion the Redeemer arose at midnight, and marched forth to the battle. How dreadful was the contest! In the very first onset the mighty conqueror seemed himself to be vanquished. Beaten to the earth at the first assault, he fell upon his knees and cried, "My Father, if it be possible let this cup passd from me." Revived in strength, made strong by heaven, he no longer quailed, and from this hour never did he utter a word which looked like renouncing the fight. From the terrible skirmish all red with bloody sweat, he dashed into the thick of the battle. The kiss of Judas was, as it were, the first sounding of the trumpet; Pilate's bar was the glittering of the spear; the cruel lash was the crossing of the swords. But the cross was the centre of the battle; there, on the top of Calvary, must the dread fight of eternity be fought. Now must the Son of God arise, and gird his sword upon his thigh. Dread defeat or glorious conquest awaits the Champion of the church. Which shall it be? We hold our breath with anxious suspense while the storm is raging. I hear the trumpet sound. The howlings and yells of hell rise in awful clamour. The pit is emptying out its legions. Terrible as lions, hungry as wolves, and black as night, the demons rush on in myriads. Satan's reserve forces, those who had long been kept against this day of terrible battle, are roaring from their dens. See how countless their armies, and how fierce their countenances. Brandishing his sword the arch fiend leads the van, bidding his followers fight neither with small nor great, save only with the King of Israel. Terrible are the leaders of the battle. Sin is there, and all its innumbrable offspring, spitting forth the venom of asps, and infixing their poison-fangs in the Saviour's flesh. Death is there upon his pale horse,and his cruel dart rends its way through the body of Jesus even to his inmost heart. He is "exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." Hell comes, with all its coals of juniper and fiery darts. But chief and head amongst them is Satan; remembering well the ancient day Christ hurled him from the battlements of heaven, he rushes with all his malice yelling to the attack. The darts shot into the air are so thick that they blind the sun. Darkness covers the battle-field, and like that of Egypt it was a darkness which might be felt. Long does the battle seem to waver, for there is but one against many. One man—nay, tell it, lest any should misunderstand me, one God stands in battle array against ten thousands of principalities and powers. On, on they come, and he receives them all. Silently at first he permits their ranks to break upon him, too terribly enduring hardness to spare a thought for shouting. But at last the battle-cry is heard. He who is fighting for his people begins to shout, but it is a shout which makes the church tremble. He cries, "I thirst." The battle is so hot upon him, and the dust so thick that he is choked with thirst. He cries, "I thirst." Surely, now, he is about to be defeated? Wait awhile; see ye yon heaps; all these have fallen beneath his arm, as for the rest fear not the issue. The enemy is but rushing to his own destruction. In vain his fury and his rage, for see the last rank is charging, the battle of ages is almost over. At last the darkness is dispersed. Hark how the conqueror cries, "It is finished." And where now are his enemies? They are all dead. There lies the king of terrors, pierced through with one of his own darts! There lies Satan with his head all bleeding, broken! Yonder crawls the broken-backed serpent, writhing in ghastly misery! As for sin, it is cut in pieces, and scattered to the winds of heaven! "It is finished,"cries the conqueror, as he came with dyed garments from Bozrah, "I have trodden the wine-press alone, I have trampled them in my fury, and their blood is sprinkled on my garments."

C.H. Spurgeon - "Christ Triumphant"

The Judgement Seat of Christ - Leonard Ravenhill

This was so convicting... brace yourself!

Rogue Evangelists!

I heard there were going to be some "Rogue Evangelists" up at Burbank Media Center tonight if anyone wanted to join them.

Also at Noho Subway tonight.

I will not be as I'm sick.

FOLLOW UP FROM NOHO:

Sharon said, "Brother, We (Bea and Aaron ) had a great night of conversations. Pray for Wes, Arshak, and four chinese students."

Mark Cahill on Way of the Master Radio

This really blessed me!

PART1

PART2

PART3

The age old question answered ala Voddie Baucham!

The Agony of Hell

This sermon was preached yesterday by Pastor Jack. It is such a good sermon to give an unbeliever that I burned 6 copies this morning to give out. Please love the lost enough to share the Gospel which is the "power of God unto salvation!"

Noho 9-6-09 Follow Up

Sharon's prayer requests:

Summer, Jon Pierre, Ahmen (A Muslim)

David's prayer requests:

Oz, Joseph, Miguel & those who took Gospel of Johns, tracts and DVD's

Taylor

Had a great time the other day. Was blessed to share with a guy named Taylor and his friend who was half in and out of the conversation. I wish you could have seen Taylor, he went from "kidding around" to seriously listening and contemplating what was being said.

Please pray for him, I would love to meet him in heaven.

Canary's in the coal mine!

"Life for an actual canary in a coal mine could be described in three words - short but meaningful. Early coal mines did not feature ventilation systems, so miners would routinely bring a caged canary into new coal seams. Canaries are especially sensitive to methane and carbon monoxide, which made them ideal for detecting any dangerous gas build-ups. As long as thecanary in a coal mine kept singing, the miners knew their air supply was safe. A dead canary in a coal mine signalled an immediate evacuation."

I've often thought that evangelists are the cultures "canary in the coal mine". How we are treated is an indicator of the moral condition of the culture. I'm not sure if this makes and sense...

This is funny.

If anyone uses the "Million Dollar Bill" tracts like we do ... you'll get a kick out of THIS.

This is War!

I'm sorry to bombard you with videos, but now that I know how to embed them I wanted to share some of the things that have lit the fire in my life to not waste it!

MIGHTY TO SAVE!

This one has brought me to tears. Anyone who has been saved from a dark past understands that "he who has been forgiven much loves much".

Reformed Evangelism - John Piper

MAN, can Piper sum up stuff or what! (PS - I'm learning how to embedd audio and video into the blog... I'm giddy!)

Paul Washer on Evangelism

This sermon really blessed me.

Pasquale

This conversation was with a guy who at first rejected the Million dollar Bill... then came back for one... then another... then asked me what it was for... this is how I transitioned using the tract to the spiritual. If I seemed a little blunt with Pasquale, he looked like a guy who would have me "sleepin' with the fishes if I didn't pay up" but he turned out to be very nice and open to talk.

He took a copy of "Why Christianity" which I personally think this is one of the best "follow up" gifts. First its affordable, second its a DVD I think some people are more likely to watch a DVD then read a long tract. Please pray for Pasquale.

Noho 8-31-09 Follow Up

Was on my own yesterday and still had a great time. Handed out about 300 tracts and had some good conversations with people.

Here is a witness encounter with two young "skaters", Nick and Kevin who were probably 12-15 years old. You would be surprised how open teens are to talk. (Please be patient with me when hearing the quality of this, I'm working on the whole process of recording audio with mic position... its a work in progress)