EVANGELISM CRASH COURSE 2 - Follow-Up

The teams handed out about 3500 tracts so please pray they pierce the heart! Many thanks to Joanne who hand stamped CBC info on 1500 Giant Hundred Dollar bills. Thank you to Michael who co-ordinated all the grub and to Joshua and Mike M. who taught with me. Glory to God for another great night!! Its always crazy with that many people... 29!! But the Lord was with us protecting us and got us back on time. Thank you for your prayers. Sharon asks prayer for: Stephen, Paul, Omar and Neba, Leonel David asks prayer for: Alicia (she has heard us preach before. I was blessed to share the gospel with her again and Sharon gave her a DVD), Alexander (Seemed to be an evolution/new age-ist... god is in all of us...but we evolved?)

Matt Chandler - Update

Q & A - Catholicism

For His Glory asks:

When sharing with someone who is Catholic, do you think it is best to just give the straight Gospel or explain the differences of what they are being falsely taught?

Dave's answer:

The temptation in talking with a Catholic is to point out all the error in the "system". Lets bottom line it, Catholicism is and idolatrous, works salvation religion. I've found I have more progress in advancing the gospel not by immediately attacking the "system". When you attack the idol the walls will go up and it becomes combative. Many Catholics are raised in it, so you might as well be "dissin" their mother.

The gospel is "the power of God unto salvation", so whenever I'm speaking with a Catholic or anyone really, I try to get to the gospel as quickly as I can. Usually I ask them "If I had a knife in my back and three minutes to live, what would you say to me?" Then let them answer, usually they say something like, "Just ask for forgiveness." Which is not the gospel. When I present the gospel I try to stress WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE and HIS FINISHED WORK on the cross. Also when you talk about grace, you have to define it. Letting them know its the unmerited favor of God, NOT the enabling from God to have you live a life that will THEN merit your salvation. Salvation FOR good works, NOT salvation BY good works. Scripture is clear it is by grace are you saved through faith. Here are are some great verses on grace: Galatians 2:16, Ephesians 2:8&9, Titus 3:7, Romans 3:24, Romans 5:20. Maybe read some of these with them and ask them "are any works in these verses that save you?"

If the holy Spirit is working on the person they will hear the differences.

Q & A - Ways of doing evangelism

Johnny's Question:

What are some creative ways of doing evangelism in closed countries?

I have been out and about in the middle east for 6 years with Arabs for Christ. Every year, I meet more and more missionaries that would rather do nothing than risk getting in trouble with various muslim governments. For the most part, I would rather risk it and just go for it... But what other ways are there of reaching out with minimal risk?

Dave's Answer:

Johnny, thank you for considering me to even try to answer this question which to be honest I feel completely unequipped to answer being that I basically live in "Christian Disneyland" in the USA. I don't want to give you any advice that would put you in danger since I'm not born and raised in an environment that is so hostile to Christianity, so please take anything I say and run it through a "grid" of more godly counsel.

Tracts come to mind. One, because you can leave them discretely in places: pay phone change slots, bus benches, stuffing books or magazines in coffee shops, randomly mailing them with no return address, etc. Second, tracts are thorough and people can read them privately at their own discretion. The Lord can use a good tract.

Voice of the Martry had some interesting ideas for getting out the Good News. HERE is an idea using fax machines.

HERE is an idea that they used with helium balloons. Even if you tied one tract to a helium balloon and let the "wind blow where it wishes." You never know how the Lord will use it. Praise the Lord for your boldness and faithfulness. Please feel free to write back if I have totally missed the mark.

Breath of Life

I was reading through The Gospel of John this morning and came across an amazing section. I don't know about you but there are so many times when I read the scriptures that something jumps out as if it was the first time I had ever read it.

"And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit." John 20:22

This question is what came to mind when I was reading: I wonder if this is like during the creation of man when the Lord breathed LIFE into dust?

Blue Letter Bible commentary: The Greek word here used is employed nowhere else in the New Testament, but is the very one used by the Septuagint translators of Gen 2:7: 'And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.' There, man's original creation was completed by this act of God; who, then, can fail to see that here in John 20, on the day of the Saviour's resurrection, the new creation had begun, begun by the Head of the new creation, the last Adam acting as 'a quickening spirit' (1Cr 15:45)!" (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, p. 1100).

Isn't that COOL! The same word! The same Creator who made us, is the same One who gave us LIFE and His Spirit at Pentacost to empower His saints to be bold witnesses for him! May Christ breath His Spirit on us today to do the same!

Q & A

Not that I'm a "well of wisdom", but if you would like to ask an evangelism centered question, feel free to send one. I will try to answer it. Even if its stuff I've learned by mistakes I've made, you'll at least learn what NOT to do.

A Call to Wonder - Paul Washer

Currently I'm reading through Leviticus. That book makes me feel so "defiled" after reading it, because of my own sin and "uncleanness". But right after I read todays chapter I started reading a Spurgeon on the resurrected body:

"He who formed each atom from nothing can gather each particle again from confusion. The omniscient Lord of providence tracks each molecule of matter, and knows its position and history as a shepherd knows his sheep; and if it be needful to constitute the identity of the body, to regather every atom, he can do it."

Christ will raise us from corruption to incorruption. That truth was even more precious to me AFTER reading Leviticus. This Paul Washer video came to mind during my readings. If anyone doubts the power of Christ to raise us from the dead... He spoke and the worlds came into existence.

"who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high," Hebrews 1:3

Burbank Media Center-FOLLOW-UP-1/23/10

Over all a good time. Sharon, Mike S, Jorge, Nathan, Joshua, Christian (first time out with us), Hanna & Mark were the team. We had been to Noho and Hollywood the past 2 weeks so I thought it was time to hit a local community spot of Burbank Media Center. I'll be honest its a tough spot. People are drunk on affluence and pretty much ignore you or just give you dirty looks. Mike S brought out a heckler mic setup which I greatly appreciated and enjoyed. It gives people an opportunity to speak their mind on what we are saying or ask questions. It can be very beneficial to drawing a crowd. One girl even came up and said, "I totally disagree with everything you are saying, but I have to say when I saw you had a heckler mic... I thought that was cool."

Below is a perfect example of how handing out Million Dollar Bill tracts can be used to "hook" a conversation. AJ is an Atheist and I really enjoyed talking with him. He was respectful and patient in the conversation. The temptation when talking with an Atheist is to attack the folly of evolution. But this will not save the person you are speaking with. The GOSPEL is the power of God unto salvation. I don't need to seem "intellectual" or win some philosophical argument, I want to win the person the Christ. So if someone says "Prove to me there is a God." My response, "My friend... I would be more than happy to share why I believe in God." They have just given you an open door to the Gospel.

Pray the Spirit doesn't let AJ sleep until he gets saved!

Matt Chandler - Update

Spurgeon quote for the day! 1/24/10

"For our conversation is in heaven; from whence we also we look for the Savior; the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself,"—Philippians 3:20,21

"Being sinless, the body when it shall be raised again shall be painless. Who shall count the number of our pains while in this present house of clay? Truly we that are in this tabernacle do groan. Does it not sometimes appear to the children of sickness as if this body were fashioned with a view to suffering; as if all its nerves, sinews, veins, pulses, vessels, and valves, were parts of a curious instrument upon which every note of the entire gamut of pain might be produced? Patience, ye who linger in this shattered tenement, a house not made with hands awaits you. Up yonder no sorrow and sighing are met with; the chastising rod shall fall no longer when the faultiness is altogether removed. As the new body will be without pain, so will it be superior to weariness. The glorybody will not yield to faintness, nor fail through languor. Is it not implied that the spiritual body does not need to sleep, when we read that they serve God day and night in his temple? In a word, the bodies of the saints, like the body of Christ, will be perfect; there shall be nothing lacking and nothing faulty. If saints die in the feebleness of age they shall not rise thus; or if they have lost a sense or a limb or are halt or maimed, they shall not be so in heaven, for as to body and soul "they are without fault before the throne of God." "We shall be like him," is true of all the saints, and hence none will be otherwise than fair, and beautiful, and perfect. The righteous shall be like Christ, of whom it is still true that not a bone of him shall be broken, so not a part of our body after its change shall be bruised, battered, or otherwise than perfect.
Put all together, brethren, and what a stretch it is from this vile body to the glorious body which shall be! yet when Christ comes this miracle of miracles shall be wrought in the twinkling of an eye. Heap up epithets descriptive of the vileness of this body, think of it in all its weakness, infirmity, sin, and liability to death; then admire our Lord's body in all its holiness, happiness, purity, perfection, and immortality; and know assuredly that, at Christ's coming, this change shall take place upon every one of the elect of God. All believers shall undergo this marvellous transformation in a moment. Behold and wonder! Imagine that the change should occur to you now. What a display of power! My imagination is not able to give you a picture of the transformation; but those who will be alive and remain at the coming of the Son of God will undergo it, and so enter glory without death. "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality," and therefore the bodies of living believers shall in the twinkling of an eye pass from the one state into the other; they shall be transformed from the vile to the glorious, from the state of humiliation into the state of glory, by the power of the coming Savior."

C.H. Spurgeon - "The Power of Christ Illustrated by the Resurrection"

For Parents and Kids

EVANGELISM CRASH COURSE 2

When: January 30th, 2010 3:00 - 9:00pm

Where: Calvary Bible Church

Who: This Event is for CBC High Schoolers Only

If you are new to evangelism and would like to join us

we would ask that you wait until another weekend

so that we may focus our efforts on the teens. Thank you.

Hello Crash Course Evangelists,

Here is the info for the Crash Course Evangelism training. We will be meeting at Calvary Bible Church, Saturday January 30th 2010 at 3:00 pm - 9:00 pm.

I want to give all the parents and teens heads up that the locations we are going to are North Hollywood Subway Station and Hollywood Blvd. The area we will be at on Hollywood Blvd. is very touristy near Highland and we have frequented this spot. Some parents may not feel comfortable with their teen going into these environments and I understand if you choose to OPT OUT. We will have several experienced evangelists going with the teens so they will be well supervised. They'll also be chauffeuring the group to the station and back to the church for pick up.

WHAT TO BRING:

• A bag, back pack, "man bag", something to carry gospel tracts in order to avoid handing people sweaty, crumpled up pieces of paper. We will be supplying you with tracts.

• A portable BIBLE. Its nice to have your super big "JMAC study bible"... but it gets a little heavy after about 3 hours.

• A Bottle of Water

• $2.50 for the Subway ($1.25 each way)

• A jacket because it can get pretty cold after the sun goes down! (Wow, I sound like a mom)

We will be starting the class promptly at 3:15 so please be on time. Dinner is provided. We will be back at the CBC parking lot at 9:00 pm for pick-up.

Your prayers are appreciated for this event and we hope it will be another exciting time!

In Christ,

David

Spurgeon quote for the day! 1/22/10

"That I may know him."—Philippians 3:10.

"Only permit me to say, what a refreshing, what a sanctifying knowledge is this, to know him. When the Laodicean Church was neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm, how did Christ seek her revival? Did he send her precious doctrines? Did he send her excellent precepts? Mark you, he came himself, for thus it is said, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with me." That is a cure for it all, you see. No matter how lukewarm, though God may say, "I will spue thee out of my mouth," yet, if Christ comes, that is the cure. The presence of Christ with his Church puts away all her sicknesses. When the disciples of Christ were at sea in a storm, do you recollect how he comforted them? Did he send them an angel? No. "It is I, line not afraid;"and when they knew him, then they had no more fears. They were assembled one night, "the doors being shut for fear of the Jews:" how did he comfort them? Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and said, "Peace be unto you." There was Thomas, full of doubts and fears. How did Jesus Christ take away his doubts? "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side." Oh! it is Christ, it is Christ who cures all. The company of Christ is the only thing which a Christian wants. I will undertake that if his heart be like an iceberg, as soon as Jesus comes, it shall flame like Vesuvius. His spirit shall be dead and like a rotten corpse; but if Jesus comes he shall leap like a hart, and become strong as a young unicorn. Thy presence makes me like the chariots of Amminadib. Now, do not think I am talking what I do not know. Do not imagine that I am talking mere fanatical slip-slop which I cannot prove. I do assert (and God who searcheth all hearts, knows how true this is), I do assert that, from the depths of doubt, of dullness, of worldliness, I have leaped in one moment into love, and life, and holy enthusiasm, when Jesus Christ has manifested himself to nine. I cannot describe the difference between my spirit, water-logged, worm-eaten, ready to sink to the bottom without Christ, and that same spirit, like a strong stanch ship, with sails full, with favorable wind, speeding into harbor, with a golden freight. Like you poor little bird which some cruel boy has torn from the nest and almost killed—it is not fledged yet, and cannot fly, and it lies down to die, trampled in the mire in the streets—that is my heart without Christ. But see that other bird! The cage-door is opened, its wings vibrate, it sings within all its might. and flies up to talk with the sun—that is my heart when I have the conscious presence of my Lord Jesus Christ! I only bring in my own consciousness because I do not know yours; but I think I will now venture to say that every believer here will admit it is the same with him—

"'Midst darkest shades if he appear
My dawning is begun;
He is my soul's bright morning star,
And he my rising sun."

C.H. Spurgeon - "Do you know Him?"

So true...

I got this off Stone the Preachers site and its so true. Do you ever feel like this when you witness?

Spurgeon quote for the day! 1/18/10

This was the end of the sermon I just read "The Heart of the Gospel". This last section should be the heart attitude of every preacher. I pray the Lord gives us all this kind of heart for the lost.

"Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

—2 Corinthians v 20,21.

"Notice how the text puts it: "We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us." This thought staggers me. As I came along this morning I felt as if I could bury my head in my hands and weep as I thought of God beseeching anybody. He speaks, and it is done; myriads of angels count themselves happy to fly at his command; and yet man has so become God's enemy that he will not be reconciled to him. God would make him his friend, and spends the blood of his dear Son to cement that friendship; but man will not have it. See the great God turns to beseeching his obstinate creature! his foolish creature! In this I feel a reverent compassion for God. Must he beseech a rebel to be forgiven? Do you hear it? Angels, do you hear it? He who is the King of kings veils his sovereignty, and stoops to beseeching his creature to be reconciled to him! I wonder not that some of my brethen start back from such an idea, and cannot believe that it could be so: it seems so derogatory to the glorious God. Yet my text saith it, and it must be true—"As though God did beseech you by us." This makes it awful work to preach, does it not? I ought to beseech you as though God spoke to you through me, looking at you through these eyes, and stretching out his hands through these hands. He saith, "All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people." He speaks softly, and tenderly, and with paternal affection through these poor lips of mine, "as though God did beseech you by us.
Furthermore notice that next line, which if possible has even more force in it: "We pray you in Christ's stead." Since Jesus died in our stead we, his redeemed ones, are to pray others in his stead; and as he poured out his heart for sinners in their stead, we must in another way pour out our hearts for sinners in his stead. "We pray you in Christ's stead." Now if my Lord were here this morning how would he pray you to come to him? I wish, my Master, I were more fit to stand in thy place at this time. Forgive me that I am so incapable. Help me to break my heart, to think that it does not break as it ought to do, for these men and women who are determined to destroy themselves, and, therefore, pass thee by, my Lord, as though thou were but a common felon, hanging on a gibbet! O men, How can you think so little of the death of the Son of God? It is the wonder of time, the admiration of eternity. O souls, why will you refuse eternal life? Why will ye die? Why will ye despise him by whom alone you can live? There is one gate of life, that gate is the open side of Christ; why will ye not enter, and live? "Come unto me," saith he; "Come unto me." I think I hear him say it: "Come unto me all that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." I think I see him on that last day, the great day of the feast, standing and crying, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink." I hear him sweetly declare, "Him that cometh to me I will no wise cast out." I am not fit to pray you in Christ's stead, but I do pray you with all my heart. You that hear my voice from Sunday to Sunday, do come and accept the great sacrifice, and be reconciled to God. You that hear me but this once, I would like you to go away with this ringing in your ears, "Be ye reconciled to God." I have nothing pretty to say to you; I have only to declare that God has prepared a propitiation, and that now he entreats sinners to come to Jesus, that through him they may be reconciled to God.
We do not exhort you to some impossible effort. We do not bid you do some great thing; we do not ask you for money or price; neither do we demand of you years of miserable feeling; but only this—be ye reconciled. It is not so much reconcile yourselves as "be reconciled." Yield yourselves to him who round you now the bands of a man would cast, drawing you with cords of love because he was given for you. His spirit strives with you, yield to his striving. With Jacob you know there wrestled a man till the breaking of the day; let that man, that God-man, overcome you. Submit yourselves. Yield to grasp of those hands which were nailed to the cross for you. Will you not yield to your best friend? He that doth embrace you now presses you to a heart that was pierced with the spear on your behalf. Oh, yield thee! Yield thee, man! Dost thou not feel some softness stealing over thee? Steel not thine heart against it. He saith, with a Tone most still and sweet. "To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." Believe and live! Quit the arch-enemy who has held thee in his grip. Escape for thy life, look not behind thee, stay not in all the plain, but flee where thou seest the open door of the great Father's house. At the gate the bleeding Saviour is waiting to receive thee, and to say, "I was made sin for thee, and thou art made the righteousness of God in me." Father, draw them! Father, draw them! Eternal Spirit, draw them, for Jesus Christ thy Son's sake! Amen."

C.H. Spurgeon

Matt Chandler - Update

Spurgeon quote for the day! 1/16 "The Heart of the Gospel"

"Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

—2 Corinthians v 20,21.

"This leads me on to the second point of the text, which is, what was done with him who knew no sin? He was "made sin." It is a wonderful expression: the more you weigh it the more you will marvel at its singular strength. Only the Holy Ghost might originate such language. It was wise for the divine Teacher to use very strong expressions, for else the thought might not have entered human minds. Even now, despite the emphasis, clearness, and distinctness of the language used here and elsewhere in Scripture there are found men daring enough to deny that substitution is taught in Scripture. With such subtle wits it is useless to argue. It is clear that language has no meaning for them. To read the 53rd chapter of Isaiah, and to accept it as relating to the Messiah, and then to deny his substitutionary sacrifice is simply wickedness. It would be vain to reason with such beings; they are so blind that if they were transported to the sun they could not see. In the church and out of the church there is a deadly animosity to this truth. Modern thought labours to get away from what is obviously the meaning of the Holy Spirit, that sin was lifted from the guilty and laid upon the innocent. It is written, "The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." This is as plain language as can be used; but if any plainer was required, here it is,—"He hath made him to be sin for us."
The Lord God laid upon Jesus, who voluntarily undertook it, all the weight of human sin. Instead of its resting on the sinner, who did commit it, it was made to rest upon Christ, who did not commit to it; while the righteousness which Jesus wrought out was placed to the account of the guilty, are treated as righteous. Those who by nature are guilty, are regarded as righteous, while he who by nature knew no sin whatever, was treated as guilty. I think I must have read in scores of books that such a transference is impossible; but the statement has had no effect upon my mind. I do not care whether it is impossible or not with learned unbelievers: it is evidently possible with God, for he has done it. But they say it is contrary to reason. I do not care for that, either: it may be contrary to the reason of those unbelievers, but it is not contrary to mine; and if I am to be guided by reason, I prefer to follow my own. The atonement is a miracle, and miracles are rather to be accepted by faith than measured by calculation. A fact is the best of arguments. It is a fact that the Lord hath laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all. God's revelation proves the fact, and our faith defies human questioning! God saith it, and I believe it; and believing it, I find life and comfort in it. Shall I not preach it? Assuredly I will."

C.H. Spurgeon - "The Heart of the Gospel"

Aid for Haiti

If anyone is able to help, Compassion International is a trusted organization to donate to.

HERE is a link to where you can do that.

Be praying the Lord uses this catastrophe to draw people to Himself. That Missionaries, Pastors and Evangelists would be bold with the Gospel. And that they would have the resources to show love in a tangible way.

Let us all examine ourselves. "Unless you repent you will perish." Luke 13

HERE is where you can give to the Bible League. People in Haiti ultimately need God's word!

"Avatar is boring"...

Another classic quote from John Piper.

JMAC BRINGIN' IT!

Troop Movement!

Calvary Bible Church

1101 S. Main St.

Burbank, CA 91506

Who's this guy?

... oh wait, he's our Pastor.

Spurgeon quote for the day! 1/8/10

"That I may know him."—Philippians 3:10.

"Most believers rest perfectly at ease with knowing Christ's sacrifice. They see Jesus as the great High Priest, laying a great sacrifice upon the altar for their sins, and with their whole heart they accept his atonement. By faith they know that all their sin is taken away by precious blood. This is a most blessed and hallowed attainment, I will grant you; but it is not every Christian who perceives that Christ was not only the offerer of a sacrifice, but was himselfthe sacrifice, and, therefore, loves him as such. Priest, altar, victim, everything Christ was. He gathers up all in himself, and when I see that he loved me, and gave himself for me, it is not enough to know this fact: I want to know him, the glorious person who does and is all this. I want to know the man who thus gave himself for me. I want to behold the Lamb once slain for me. I want to rest upon the bosom which covers the heart which was pierced with the spear; I pray him to kiss me with the kisses of that mouth which cried, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" I love Calvary, the scene of woe, but I love Christ better, the great object of that agony; and even his cross and all his sufferings, dear though these must ever be to the Christian mind, only occupying a second place; the first seat is for himself, his person, his deity, and humanity.
Thus, you see, we have to leave a great many believers behind; nor have we enumerated all, for I believe that even some of those saints who have received grace to look for the coming of Christ, yet in their vision of his coming too much forget him. Is it not possible for nine to pant for the second advent as to lose sight of him who is to make that advent? So to long for a millennium, that I may forget him who is to reign King of kings? So to pant after that glory of Israel that I may forget him who is Israel's glory? Anywhere short of knowing him, I would not have you stop, beloved; and even when you know him, I would urge you still to be impelled with the same desire, and to press forward, crying with the apostle, "That I may know him."

C.H. Spurgeon - "Do you know Him?"

This is classic...

If Brit Hume had said any other religion... he would have been fine.

Just for the record: ALL other world religions apart from true biblical Christianity are false systems made by self righteous men & demons; designed to deceive men, puff up their pride and ultimately damn them to Hell. There is only ONE WAY to be saved from the wrath of a Holy God and its through Jesus Christ! His death, burial and resurrection is the only way to be forgiven of your sins and inherit everlasting life.

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6

Spurgeon quote for the day! 1/6/10

"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."—Philippians 2:9-11.

"Look at him! Can your imagination picture him? Behold his transcendent glory! The majesty of kings is swallowed up; the pomp of empires dissolves like the white mist of the morning before the sun; the brightness of assembled armies is eclipsed. He in himself is brighter than the sun, more terrible than armies with banners. See him! See him! O! hide your heads, ye monarchs; put away your gaudy pageantry, ye lords of this poor narrow earth! His kingdom knows no bounds; without a limit his vast empire stretches out itself. Above him all is his; beneath him many a step are angels, and they are his; and they cast their crowns before his feet. With them stand his elect and ransomed, andtheir crowns too are his. And here upon this lower earth stand his saints, and they are his, and they adore him; and under the earth, among the infernals, where devils growl their malice, even there is trembling and adoration; and where lost spirits, with wailing and gnashing of teeth for ever lament their being, even there, there is the acknowledgment of his Godhead, even though the confession helps to make the fire of their torments. In heaven, in earth, in hell, all knees bend before him, and every tongue confesses that he is God. If not now, yet in the time that is to come this shall be carried out, that ever creature of God's making shall acknowledge his Son to be "God over all, blessed for ever. Amen." Oh! my soul anticipates that blessed day, when this whole earth shall bend its knee before its God willingly! I do believe there is a happy era coming, when there shall not be one knee unbent before my Lord and Master. I look for that time, that latter-day glory, when kings shall bring presents, when queens shall be the nursing mothers of the church, when the gold of Sheba and the ships of Tarshish, and the dromedaries of Arabia shall alike be his, when nations and tribes of every tongue shall

"Dwell on his name with sweetest song,
And infant voices shall proclaim
Their early blessings on his name."
Sometimes I hope to live to see that all-auspicious era—that halcyon age of this world, so much oppressed with grief and sorrow by the tyranny of its own habitants. I hope to see the time, when it shall be said, "Shout, for the great Shepherd reigns, and his unsuffering kingdom now is come"—when earth shall be one great orchestra of praise, and every man shall sing the glorious hallelujah anthem of the King of kings. But even now, while waiting for that era, my soul rejoices in the fact, that every knee does virtually bow, though not willingly, yet really. Does the scoffer, when he mouths high heaven, think that he insults God? He thinks so, but his insult dies long ere it reaches half-way to the stars. Does he conceive, when in his malice he forges a sword against Christ, that his weapon shall prosper? If he does, I can well conceive the derision of God, when he sees the wildest rebel, the most abandoned despiser, still working out his great decrees, still doing that which God hath eternally ordained, and in the midst of his wild rebellion still running in the very track which in some mysterious way before all eternity had been marked as the track in which that being should certainly move. "The wild steeds of earth have broken their bridles, the reins are out of the hands of the charioteer"—so some say; but they are not, or if they are, the steeds run the same round as they would have done had the Almighty grasped the reins still. The world has not gone to confusion; chance is not God; God is still Master, and let men do what they will, and hate the truth we now prize, they shall after all do what God wills, and their direst rebellion shall prove but a species of obedience, though they know it not.
But thou wilt say, "Why dost thou yet find fault; for who hath resisted such a will as that?" "Nay, but O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory." Who is he that shall blame him? Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! He is God—know that, ye inhabitants of the land; and all things, after all, shall serve his will. I like what Luther says in his bold hymn, where, notwithstanding all that those who are haters of predestination choose to affirm, he knew and boldly declared, "He everywhere hath sway, and all things serve his might." Notwithstanding all they do, there is God's sway, after all. Go on, reviler! God knoweth how to make all thy revilings into songs! Go on, thou warrior against God, if thou wilt; know this, thy sword shall help to magnify God, and carve out glory for Christ, when thou thoughtest the slaughter of his church. It shall come to pass that all thou dost shall be frustrated; for God maketh the diviners mad, and saith, "Where is the wisdom of the scribe? Where is the wisdom of the wise?" Surely, "Him hath God exalted, and given him a name which is above every name."
And now, lastly, beloved, if it be true, as it is, that Christ is so exalted that he is to have a name above every name, and every knee is to bow to him, will we not bow our knees this morning before his Majesty? You must, whether you will or no, one day bow your knee. O iron-sinewed sinner, bow thy knee now! Thou wilt have to bow it, man, in that day when the lightnings shall be loosed, and the thunders shall roll in wild fury: thou wilt have to bow thy knee then. Oh! bow it now! "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little." O Lord of hosts! bend the knees of men! Make us all the willing subjects of thy grace, lest afterward, we should be the unwilling slaves of thy terror; dragged with chains of vengeance down to hell. O that now those that are on earth might willingly bend their knees lest in hell it should be fulfilled, "Things under the earth shall bow the knee before him."

C.H. Spurgeon - "The Exaltation of Christ"

More and more I'm learning that my estimation of the value of Christ effects every aspect of my life. If I esteem His finished work on the cross, then my prayers are bold. If I meditate on His humility, it effects how I love my wife and serve my kids. If I have my gaze fixed on the Person & work of Christ, I can preach the Gospel with power & passion. And inasmuch as I believe that one day I will bend the knee before King Jesus, is the measure that I will live this life for His glory.

Poll results

When is the last time you "confessed with your mouth Jesus as Lord" (shared the gospel) to someone?

Praise the Lord! You guys are "healthy" in your evangelism. Keep it going!

We may chicken out from opening our mouth but we really don't have an excuse for not handing out a tract. Even if you just leave a tract for someone to find it will keep stoking the flame. Here is what R.A Torrey had to say on using tracts:

Importance and advantages.

1. Any person can do it. We cannot all preach; we cannot all conduct meetings; but we can all select useful tracts and then hand them out to others. Of course some of us can do it better than others. Even a blind man or a dumb man can do tract work. It is a line of work in which every man, woman and child can engage.

2. A tract always sticks to the point. I wish every worker did that, but how often we get to talking to some one and he is smart enough to get us off on to a side track.

3. A tract never loses its temper. Perhaps you sometimes do. I have known Christian workers, even workers of experience, who would sometimes get all stirred up, but you cannot stir up a tract It always remains as calm as a June morning.

4. Oftentimes people who are too proud to be talked with, will read a tract when no one is looking. There is many a man who would repulse you if you tried to speak to him about his soul, who will read a tract if you leave it on his table, or in some other place where he comes upon it accidentally, and that tract may be used for his salvation.

5. A tract stays by one. You talk to a man and then he goes away, but the tract stays with him. Some years ago a man came into a mission in New York. One of the workers tried to talk with him, but he would not listen. As he was leaving, a card tract was placed in his hands which read, "If I should die to-night I would go to ______ Please fill out and sign." He put it in his pocket, went to his steamer, for he was a sailor, and slipped it into the edge of his bunk. The steamer started for Liverpool. On his voyage he met with an accident, and was laid aside in his bunk. That card stared him in the face, day and night. Finally he said, "If I should die tonight I would go to hell, but I will not go there, I will go to heaven, I will take Christ right here and now." He went to Liverpool, returned to New York, went to the mission, told his story, and had the card, which was still in his pocket, filled out and signed with his name. The conversation he had had in the mission left him, but the card stayed by him.

6. Tracts lead many to accept Christ. The author of one tract ("What is it to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?") received before his death upwards of sixteen hundred letters from people who had been led to Christ by reading it.

Hollywood Follow-up 1-2-10

What a great night! The team was Clint, Dean, Mike S, Nathan, Bea, Hanna, Lawman, Aaron & myself. There is such an energy out there at night we love it. At one point a bunch of break dancers came and "muscled" us out if where we were set up, but the Lord used it. The crowd got big and forced people to go around through this small narrow way... past guys handing out tracts like crazy!! We way under estimated how crowded it would be, probably handed out about 2000 tracts.

Here is the first Gospel presentation I preached. I had one older lady listen to the whole thing and she took a bible, you'll hear me interact with her a little. Four other people took bibles as well, for Hollywood that is really good. PRAISE THE LORD!!

Later on that evening we ran out of tracts and just started handing out a bunch of bibles.