...a look back at 2007

2007 proved to be a very busy year for sharing the Gospel. While we were out on the streets we saw God convicting hearts and we also saw many people reject God, but in the end we trust God to save souls.
The Internet continues to be an excellent venue to share the Gospel as well. We have had many conversations through e-mail messages and due to our videos that we have posted online.

Dorothy sends in the following remarks upon reflecting on 2007:

One of the things that I am thankful to God for this year was that Tim and Ben
committed to go to Tech to witness on a weekly basis and invited me to join with
them. We began on Freshman orientation day and continued
through the end of the semester. We spoke with people from all over
the globe who were of varied religious beliefs. We met
lots of Christian students who were serious about following Christ and making
Him known to others. Pastor Steve Miller came out on numerous occasions and
one week we were joined by a couple of Baptist Missionaries.
Over the course of the year we attended seven parades and passed out over 13,000 Gospel tracts.

I am thankful that God continues to provide all things for us as a group. Over the course of the past year there have been members of the group that have had problems with health, family, jobs, money, church families, and other things that I am certain that I have forgotten. However, the one thing that I have not forgotten is that God has shown His grace and provision in all of these circumstances. I think He has used each of these trials and tribulations for His glorious purpose and I think individually we have continued to grow in obedience to God through the problems.
This past year also brought trials of a different nature as Dorothy, Gilbert, and myself were all threatened with arrest at different times throughout the year for preaching the Gospel on public sidewalks. God provided and none of us wound up in jail, but it does serve as a reminder that there is a price to pay for the Gospel and that the freedoms we once enjoyed in America are quickly being eroded.

I am thankful for the people that have joined in with us this past year to spread the Gospel to a lost and dying world. They truly have hearts for the lost and diligently "report for duty" to pass out tracts and witness one2one.

I pray that during 2008 that if God would see fit to use us in His service, for His glory, that we would be bold and respond...."here am I; send me" (Isaiah 6:8).

After Christmas Exchange At The Mall

We spoke to 28 souls at the mall on Saturday. Some were alone, others in pairs and some in groups of four or more. All of them heard the Gospel; some for the first time, others had heard it before from grandmothers or other Christians in their lives. We were blessed indeed to have Pastor Steve Miller accompany us as we witnessed to the lost, and encouraged those we had spoken with on other occasions. One young man came up and said that we spoke to him last week and he was thinking about our conversation. Last week, he had said he didn’t care about where he spent eternity because he wasn’t religious and didn’t believe in “IT”. I had wondered at the time if the message was getting through but we delivered it anyway and left the results to God. We can’t convince anyone that the Bible is true, that Jesus is who He said He is; only the Holy Spirit can convince people of their sin and their need for a savior before it is eternally too late.

Please pray for these individuals that we were able to share the Gospel with:

Aliem

Amber

Lester

Jasper

Leo

Lexus

Ellia

Baron

Mason

Martin

Eries

Alissa

Melissa

Burda

Elisa

3 others

Tanner and 4 others

Chris and friend

Brittany

Brandon

Frankie

Street Preaching Mechanics

I came across this article on the Internet titled, "Street Preaching Mechanics", that gave tips and suggestions for open-air preaching.....how to prepare, etc. You will find an excerpt from the article below and a link at the bottom of this post to view the article in its entirety.

Prayer
"Men ought always to pray, and not to faint."
This verse was written especially for street preachers, and you’ll claim it when you face the street.
Here is a list of prayer requests to be made prior to your street preaching.
Pray:
* for power and filling of the Holy Spirit
* for rapport with the people* for exaltation of Jesus and His word
* for the fear of God to fall on the area of ministry
* for the blood of Jesus to cleanse the area
* for decrease of self, crucifixion of the flesh, and complete yielding
* for salvation of souls
* for strengthening of weak Christians
* for protection from police or physical harm

The rest of the article discusses tips on open-air preaching.
You can check out the rest of the article HERE.

The Misunderstood Annunciation

"Peace, goodwill toward men" - Luke 2:8-14

In today’s culture it would seem that the true meaning of Christmas has been lost. We have traded the message of peace with God and God’s goodwill toward men (reconciliation) for a cheap man-centered message of fleeting peace. In the message below you will discover the TRUE meaning of "peace, goodwill toward men".

'Twas The Last Weekend Before Christmas

'Twas the last weekend before Christmas and all through the mall while the people were stirring they heard the Gospel call!

The Saturday before Christmas at the mall was busy and some people were too busy. They were tired and worn out....many to the extent that they turned a cold shoulder to the TRUE message of Christmas - "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:14).

My family, Dorothy and Randy, and Tim and his Grandfather, Roy, hit the mall to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ and what Christmas is truly about. Tim's Grandfather, Roy, was visiting from out-of-town and was a real encouragement. He is 87 years young and still working for the Lord. He is a veteran of the US Navy who lives in Colorado Springs and witnesses three times a week to the military. He was a ball of fire at the mall sharing the Gospel as well. Roy is truly an inspiration to what a true believer should be like - Christ! Roy was very kind and genuinely concerned for the lost, and he delivered the Gospel message with a boldness and gentleness as only a mature man in Christ can truly give (the picture above is of Roy and Dorothy).

(Dorothy's report)
Yesterday was to me one of the more difficult times of witnessing. People were very preoccupied with shopping and the few who would stop to talk with were not open to the Gospel message. Added to that, those who would stop and listen were soon distracted or dragged away by others who came up during the conversation. One particular difficult encounter was with a gang member who appeared to be very nervous. He paced around in circles while I was talking with him; I expected him to walk off any minute but he didn't. At first he said that he wasn't religious so he didn't think about Christmas, "It is just another day to me." He said he didn't know anything about God or the Bible because he didn't believe in them anyway. As we went through the law he admitted to breaking the commandments and even said he would end up in Hell but being as he didn't know anything about Hell it didn't concern him. I told him what the Bible had to say about Hell. That was when he said that God just forgives. I told him that God doesn't just dismiss our case any more than an earthly judge would - instead he has made a way for you to be forgiven, and that way is through repentance (confessing and turning from sin) and faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. He answered, "No, he has to forgive, if he doesn't then he isn't God!"

Dorothy-

I would have to agree with Dorothy that it was a "tougher" crowd at the mall and we literally did have girlfriends and wives pulling men away from us in the middle of our conversations.....it was strange. If we had been discussing the Dallas Cowboys or the the cold weather I don't think the women would have been dragging the men away (...a strange thought, shopping for Christmas and offended by the Gospel - such is the sinfulness of man!).

At one point during the evening I walked into a restroom and as I came through the door I made eye contact with a teenager, but nothing out of the ordinary. I continued around the corner in the restroom and I heard the teenager say, "Hey, did you see that dude? (he was referring to me - talking to his friend) He preached at me the other day." That is all I could hear of what they were saying. As I was flashing his face through my mind I remembered sharing the Gospel with him the previous week in the mall. I am thankful that God's Word does not return void and I continue to pray that the teenager would be reminded of the conversation he and I had, but most importantly, his need for a Saviour.

I am also amazed at the people God put in my path to share the Gospel with. I spoke with a gentleman from Los Angeles that thanked me for sharing the Christmas message with him. I spoke to a couple of other men from Hobbs, N.M., as well as a man from Bethlehem (yes...the town where Jesus was born). This individual still lives in Bethlehem and was in town selling crosses in the mall for Christmas. He said he was a Palestinian Christian and his family could trace their Christian roots back 700 years in the city of Bethlehem. I did share the Gospel with him because all of the crosses that he was selling had a dead Jesus on them. I wondered if he knew the resurrected Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, or if he simply worshipped a dead Christ.

I also had the opportunity to witness to a father and his teenage son. I took them through the law and the Gospel. The father seemed to have enough "christianity" in him to answer some basic questions, but the son didn't have a clue. I was able to get through the whole message before wife/mom started leaving and telling them she was "gone".
Just an observation that Dorothy and I both have made at the mall.....in general, men will listen and are polite, while the women are typically the ones to ignore and even pull the men away!

Below are some of the people we were able to share the Gospel with. Please be in prayer for them.

Justin
Jessie
Jeff
Bobby
Jason
Eddy
Jonathon
Aaron
Marcel
Suhale
Ray
Anita
Janet
Ivan
Ivan Jr

Gift of Christmas- John MacArthur

Messages From...Work

Letter Writer- A Question About Sharing The Gospel While At Work

Hi. I was wondering if you can help me with something that I have been wondering about since earlier today.

The place where I work, has a policy against religious type things, and I think that one of the rules is against things like talking to people about God.

I feel as if I don't tell people at work about God, then they are being excluded just because they work with me. I feel as if God still wants me to talk to them about it, even if it gets me fired.

I feel as if I do get fired over it, then it's God's will to not work for them anymore. On the other hand though, maybe it's God's will for someone else to talk to them about God. But what if I'm the only chance they will ever have.

I know that I need to keep praying to God for an answer on this. But if there is any help you can give me, it would help a lot.

Thanks,


Our Response-

I am glad to hear that God has put it on your heart to spread His gospel.
Telling people about the salvation that Christ has made available for us at work can be challenging in our politically correct world. It may be wise to find out exactly what the policy is at your workplace and be respectful of the company's time. I would suggest taking advantage of your lunch and breaks to share Christ with co-workers. Since you are not on company time during breaks and lunches they cannot restrict witnessing to co-workers during those times. Another thought might be to invite co-workers to coffee after work or meet up with them before work. Basically, off-the-clock witnessing should not bring cause for an employer to fire anyone.
You might be able to take advantage of normal conversations (i.e. celebrity deaths, tragic news items, etc) and while talking on these subjects you could ask a co-worker what they think happens to a person once they die and then once they give their view you could give your view.

Just remember that you are on company time and you do need to honor them with a full day's work for a full day's pay.
One final thought....Don't forget too that it is God who ultimately convicts and converts and we are merely His messengers so don't feel like you have to put a notch on your belt for God. Just take advantage of EVERY opportunity that He provides....and look diligently for that opportunity.
You mentioned that you needed to pray about it some more. That is the best plan of attack. Seek God and He will provide for you.


for His glory,
Toby Brillon
http://www.repentandtrust.org/

Letter Writer's Response-

Thanks so much for the help. This will definitely help me in ways to tell people about God.

Thanks again,

God Intervenes In A Witness Encounter

(Dorothy sends in the following...)


I was standing on the sidewalk and a truck pulled up into the adjacent parking lot. The young man driving the truck rolled down his window, turned up the volume on the radio which began to blast out "music" containing lyrics which I can not include in this report. I continued to open air to the small crowd lined up at the door 30 feet away. The young man then opened his truck door and told me to move away or else; adding, "I have my own ******* religion." Always curious to learn more about new religions I said, "That's interesting, tell me about your religion." He replied, " I am a ******* Christian, I ******* believe in ******* Jesus." He closed the door without further comment.


A few minutes later he rolled down the window and told me he would hit me if I didn't leave. I reminded him that I was on a public sidewalk and asked why he was so angry. His answer led into one of the best witnessing encounters I have had in a long time. He said he was angry because he just wanted some peace - "All my life I have been looking for peace - I used to go to church, that was a long time ago." I took him through the law, the cross and grace and he said that nobody had ever explained to him in that way and for the first time in his life he understood.


I left him with the Gospel of John and some information; he didn't offer his name but God knows who he is; please pray that he finds true peace with God through repentance and trust in Jesus Christ who is our peace.

A Buddhist, Jew, Gang Bangers, and Marines At The Mall

The mall was packed this past Saturday as we began to roam its corridors looking for people to share the Christmas story with. Now that there is only one more weekend before Christmas the mall is beginning to swell with shoppers. It is eye-opening to share the Gospel with someone at the mall that denies Christ, yet shops for CHRISTmas. Many people that we have spoken with at the mall this Christmas season have claimed no Christian background or any other religion, but when asked who Jesus is or was some are quick to reply "Saviour". I think this is yet another truth in the message that no one will be able to stand before God and say that they never heard the message.

Dorothy, with grand-daughter in-tow, and I went looking for one2one conversations while my wife, Susan, took our two children to pass out Gospel tracts. We were able to give away many tracts and also personally delivered the Gospel message to 22 people.

Dorothy was able to share the Gospel with a man that said he was a Buddhist. This is unusual for West Texas, but I do think that Buddhism is growing in popularity partly due to Hollywood. However, this individual said that he became a Buddhist 14 years ago while practicing martial arts. He told Dorothy that he had "looked into Christianity", but Buddhism spoke more to his heart.

I had the opportunity to speak with a Jew that was working at one of the kiosks. He happened to be on break having ice cream. Dorothy and I approached him and handed him a Christmas tract and began the conversation. We quickly learned that he was Jewish. He was wearing a necklace with the Star of David and he also had a thick accent. While talking with him he said he was not a Jew by religion, but by birth, and he really knew nothing about the Jewish religion. I was able to share the Gospel of Christ and why He was the Messiah. I also challenged him to examine his beliefs and not reject Jesus because of any instruction his parents had given him, but rather asked him to examine himself in the light of Law of Moses and realize his need for a Messiah.

We also got to share the Gospel with a group of "gang bangers". The most of them looked to be about 15 and a couple of them were wearing crucifixes around their necks, but when I asked them about the meaning they really couldn't give an answer. While I was talking with the group three different interruptions came from other friends of theirs that would barge in and disrupt. I would quickly grab up the distractors by giving them a tract and engaging them in the conversation.....they would leave. This got to be so nerve racking and bothersome that I was about to give up the whole witness encounter, but I pressed on (by God's grace) and finished the message. I found out afterwards that Dorothy had shewed the third group of distractors away because one of the original 5 told the distracting individuals that he was trying to listen to what I was saying. At that point Dorothy asked them to leave....and they did. The individual that was trying to hear me scooted in closer at that point and heard the full message.

One final group I would like to mention - the Marines. We shared the Gospel with four of them. One of them KNEW the Gospel - sinfulness of man, righteousness of God, judgment to come, and repentance/faith in Christ. The other three listened. The one that knew the Gospel will be away from his family this Christmas....will you pray for him (Curtis)? We thanked each other for the conversation and I thanked them all for their service.

Would you pray for the people we spoke with?

Shay
Steve

Group of five teenagers
Derrick

Micheal, Jayton and Randi
Another group of 5 teenagers (gang bangers)
Curtis, Alex and Corey
Arthur and friend listening

Charlie Brown Christmas

Please do not forget to share the TRUE meaning of Christmas with friends and family this year. One common misconception I encounter on the street is that people believe they are going to heaven "because Jesus died on the cross for my sins". This is a true statement. Jesus did die on the cross for the sins of the world, but this forgiveness does not apply to everyone. Let me allow scripture to explain:

1 John 2
1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
7 Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. 8 Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. 9 He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. 10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
12 I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake. 13 I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father. 14 I have written to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one. 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 24 Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that He has promised us--eternal life. 26 These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. 27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

--------------------------------------------------------------

It is true that Jesus died on the cross for your sin, my sin, and the sin of the world. However, Jesus said that unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God (John 3:3). If one is truly born again he will live the life that the scripture above describes. Many people are not born again because they have never come to the Father through repentance and trust in the son, Jesus Christ. God commands all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30-31). When sharing the Gospel this Christmas please include repentance and trust in the Savior. It is imperative that one not point to a recited prayer as proof of his salvation. He must point to a time in his life when he humbled himself before God and cried out for mercy realizing that he is a guilty sinner before God deserving the judgment of Hell.

Voice Mail Added...And Working!

We have added a voice mail feature to the Repent and Trust web site. Now you have the ability to leave us a voice message through the web site!


We hope to hear both rants and raves through this tool. We will also be posting the messages we receive to the web site as well....so let us know what you are thinking and leave us a message!


Click the picture to the right to take a look at the new voice mail feature.

"...Discussing Things Like That"...At Tech

Fall semester ends at Texas Tech.

We have had a great time on campus this year. We were able to hand out hundreds of tracts and witness to people from all over Texas, USA and the world. We have also met and encouraged many believing students in their Christian walk. Tim and I went out today for the last time this year. Although finals are in progress, the temperature has gone way down and freezing rain is in the forecast, we found many people willing to stop and chat.

However, a few people were not willing to chat. We asked “What does Christmas mean to you? “ And if they said they were Christians we followed up with “In your opinion why did Jesus come to earth. “ One young man said “I believe in Buddha” and another young woman, who said she attends a non-denominational church, declined with “I never discuss things like that.” A Chinese student said that to him Christmas is like the Chinese New Year. He had never heard that God himself (Jesus Christ) took on human form, lived a perfect sinless life, and went to the cross where God laid upon him the iniquity of us all. He became sin for us and took the punishment that we deserve because we have broken God’s law. Jesus then rose again from the dead and if we repent and place our trust in Him God can forgive us and grant us everlasting life.

Messages From...A Rastafarian

Letter Writer-

Hi there- I am emailing you with important questions that pertain to what you might call the "cult" of rastafari. I am very well versed in christianity. I became born again at age 15 and have studied the scriptures through and through, and that is what has led to my conversion to rastafari. Now, I still do believe that Yeshua came to cleanse our sins and redeem us. I still believe that "Christ" was God in the flesh. I'm not here to argue, because you couldn't change my mind that rastafari is evil or a complete lie or whatever you might say. I am here looking for a personal educated answer, and with that said, here are my questions.

1. Do you believe that Rastafarians, who worship the same "Yahweh" of the Old Testament as Christians and Jews, will go to hell? And along those same lines, do you believe that Buddhists and other devout followers of other religions will also go to hell?

2. Do you believe that the use of marijuana is a sin?

3. Do you believe in reincarnation?

4. What is your interpretation of the prophecy of Revelation 12 and 17? And also, what/who/how do you see the great Whore of Babylon as?

5. Do you believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that Christ was a "white" man, and that the twelve tribes of Israel follow a "white" bloodline?

I appreciate your time, and look forward to your response.

Our Response-

I am glad to see that you stopped by our web site and took time to contact us. I apologize for the delay in the response.

Here are my "personal educated" answers to the questions you presented:

1. Will Rastafarians go to hell? - My short answer is that God alone is Judge, but according to what is taught in the Bible I would say yes. Here is the explanation from Scripture:
Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through me". (John 14:6) So that would mean that if one is not following the right Jesus then he will not see the Father. Please correct me if I am wrong....It is my understanding that the Rastafarians claim that Jesus has already returned in the form of Haile Selassie I. If Selassie were truly the second-coming then the following Scripture would be wrong:
Jesus also warned about false prophets and anti-christs that would come. Jesus actually warned, Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, I am the Christ, and will deceive many (Matt. 24:4-5)....Then if anyone says to you, Look, here is the Christ! or There! do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. Therefore if they say to Look He is in the desert! do not go out; or Look He is in the inner rooms! do not believe it. (Matt. 24:23-26)

2. Will Buddhists and other devout followers of other religions go to hell? - I will stick with the same answer from number one (....no one comes to the Father except through me.).

3. Is the use of marijuana a sin? - The Bible teaches that drunkenness is a sin and no drunkard will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9-10). It would be my belief from what Scripture teaches that if one used marijuana to the point of being drunk/stoned then it would be a sin and the penalty is hell...according to the Bible, not me.

4. Do I believe in reincarnation? - No. The Bible states, "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment," (Heb. 9:27).

5. Interpretation of the prophecy in Rev. 12 and Rev. 17.
Rev. 12 - the woman is Israel - being clothed with the sun speaks of the glory, dignity, and exalted status of Israel, the people of promise who will be saved and given a kingdom. The picture of the moon under her feet possibly describes God's covenant relationship with Israel, since new moons were associated with worship. The 12 stars represent the 12 tribes of Israel.
the dragon is Satan and the crowns depict Satan's domination.
the male child is Jesus
God protects Israel in the wilderness
tribulation
armies rise up against Israel
Satan wages war against all followers of Christ - Jew or Gentile

Rev. 17- I think I might could simplify this down to this - the whore is the religious world system.

6. What/who/how do you see the great whore of Babylon? - religious world system = false religions

7. Do I believe that Christ was a white man and the 12 tribes follow a white bloodline? - To be honest with you I would not care if Christ were purple and green. His skin color is absolutely irrelevant to me...it is His Salvation that is the issue. I feel the same way with the 12 tribes. I don't see skin color being an issue. I know that depending on who you listen to there were tribes that went to the north/south that were/are black.....but again this is a non-issue for me. I do not have any pictures of Jesus in my home either....I feel that would be idolatry because we don't have a clue what He looked like and have been commanded to have no graven images.

Toby Brillon
repentandtrust.org


-We never received any response back.

Miracles Christmas Parade 2007

.....IT WAS COLD!

What else can we expect for a Christmas parade...right? God provided much opportunity and we were able to deliver the Gospel to well over a thousand people!

I would like to thank Matt, Amy, Tim, Dorothy, Randy, Roy, Helen, Susan, Ryan, and Kaleigh for their faithfulness and their obedience to our Lord, Jesus Christ, and their willingness to take the Gospel and GO (Mark 16:15). These individuals are truly a great encouragement. They range from young to "older", and from healthy to "not so healthy", but their faithfulness is a constant encouragement and testament to the salvation that is available in Christ.

The crowd was sparse at the beginning (due to the cold) however, once the parade began people came out and lined the streets. We gave away candy cane Gospel tracts along with a candy cane. It went over well and everyone was very receptive. Several times along the parade route someone would hand the tract back to me and state that they were saved or were a Christian. I would ask them to keep it and pass it along to someone that they knew was not saved.

If you are not already taking the opportunity of the Christmas season to share the Gospel I encourage you to do so. Leave a candy cane and a Gospel tract with a good tip, or with the person at the drive-thru, or the clerk checking out all of your Christmas gifts. Everyone is very receptive to the Gospel this time of year. Please use the opportunity of "Christmas cheer" to proclaim peace and reconciliation with God!

A Godly Man Loves The Word Of God

by Thomas Watson

"O how love I your law." (Psa. 119:97)


Part A: Godly Man Loves the Word Written

Chrysostom compares the Scripture to a garden set with ornaments and flowers. A godly man delights to walk in this garden and sweetly solace himself. He loves every branch and part of the Word:

1. He loves the counselling part of the Word, as it is a directory and rule of life. The Word is the direction sign which points us to our duty. It contains in it things to be believed and practiced. A godly man loves the directions of the Word.

2. He loves the threatening part of the Word. The Scripture is like the Garden of Eden: as it has a tree of life in it, so it has a flaming sword at its gates. This is the threatening of the Word. It flashes fire in the face of every person who goes on obstinately in wickedness. "God will wound the head of His enemies, the hairy scalp of the one who still goes on in his trespasses." (Psa. 68:21). The Word gives no indulgence to evil. It will not let a man halt half-way between God and sin. The true mother would not let the child be divided (I Kings 3:26), and God will not have the heart divided. The Word thunders out threats against the very appearance of evil. It is like that flying scroll full of curses (Zech. 5:1).

A godly man loves the menaces of the Word. He knows there is love in every threat. God would not have us perish; he therefore mercifully threatens us, so that he may scare us from sin. God's threats are like the buoy, which shows the rocks in the sea and threatens death to such as come near. The threat is a curbing bit to check us, so that we may not run in full career to hell. There is mercy in every threat.

3. He loves the consolatory part of the Word - the promises. He goes feeding on these as Samson went on his way eating the honeycomb (Judges 14:8,9). The promises are all marrow and sweetness. They are reviving to us when we are fainting; they are the conduits of the water of life. "In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul." (Psa. 94:19). The promises were David's harp to drive away sad thoughts; they were the breast which gave him the milk of divine consolation.

A godly man shows his love to the Word written:

(a) By diligently reading it. The noble Bereans "searched the Scriptures daily" (Acts 17:11). Apollos was mighty in the Scriptures (Acts 18:12). The Word is our Magna Carta for heaven; we should be daily reading over this charter. The Word shows what is truth and what is error. It is the field where the pearl of price is hidden. How we should dig for this pearl! A godly man's heart is the library to hold the Word of God; it dwells richly in him (Col. 3:16). It is reported of Melanchthon that when he was young, he always carried the Bible with him and read it greedily. The Word has a double work: to teach us and to judge us. Those who will not be taught by the Word shall be judged by the Word. Oh, let us make ourselves familiar with the Scripture! What if it should be as in the times of Diocletian, who commanded by proclamation that the Bible be burned? Or as in Queen Mary's days, when it spelled death to have a Bible in English? By diligent conversing with Scripture, we may carry a Bible in our heads.

(b) By frequently meditating on it: "It is my meditation all the day" (Psa. 119:97). A pious soul meditates on the truth and holiness of the Word. He not only has a few transient thoughts, but leaves his mind steeping in the Scripture. By meditation, he sucks from this sweet flower and ruminates on holy truths in his mind.

(c) By delighting in it. It is his recreation: "Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart." (Jer 15:16) Never did a man take such delight in a dish that he loved as the prophet did in the Word. And indeed, how can a saint choose but take great pleasure in the Word? All that he ever hopes to be worth is contained in it. Does not a son take pleasure in reading his father's will and testament, in which he bequeaths his estate to him?

(d) By hiding it: "Your word I have hidden in my heart" (Psa 119:11) - as one hides a treasure so that it should not be stolen. The Word is the jewel; the heart is the cabinet where it must be locked up. Many hide the Word in their memory, but not in their heart. And why would David enclose the Word in his heart? "That I might not sin against you." As a man would carry an antidote about him when he comes near an infected place, so a godly man carries the Word in his heart as a spiritual antidote to preserve him from the infection of sin. Why have so many been poisoned with error, others with moral vice, but because they have not hidden the Word as a holy antidote in their heart?

(e) By defending it. A wise man will not let his land be taken from him but will defend his title. David looked upon the Word as his land of inheritance: "Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever, for they are the rejoicing of my heart." (Psa 119:111) And do you think he will let his inheritance be wrested out of his hands? A godly man will not only dispute for the Word but die for it: "I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God." (Rev 6:9)

(f) By preferring it above things most precious: (1) Above food: "I have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food." (Job. 23:12). (2) Above riches: "The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of coins of gold and silver." (Psa. 119:72). (3) Above worldly honour. Memorable is the story of King Edward the Sixth. On the day of his coronation, when they presented three swords before him, signifying to him that he was monarch of three kingdoms, the king said, "There is still one sword missing." On being asked what that was, he answered, "The Holy Bible, which is the 'sword of the Spirit' and is to be preferred before these ensigns of royalty."

(f) By talking about it: "My tongue shall speak of your word." (Psa. 119:172). As a covetous man talks of his rich purchase, so a godly man speaks of the Word. What a treasure it is, how full of beauty and sweetness! Those whose mouths the devil has gagged, who never speak of God's Word, indicate that they never reaped any good from it.

(g) By conforming to it. The Word is his compass, by which he sets his life, the balance in which he weighs his actions. He copies out the Word in his daily walk: "I have kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4:7). St Paul kept the doctrine of faith, and lived the life of faith.


Question: Why is a godly man a lover of the Word?

Answer: Because of the excellence of the Word.

1. The Word written is our pillar of fire to guide us. It shows us what rocks we are to avoid; it is the map by which we sail to the new Jerusalem.

2. The Word is a spiritual mirror through which we may see our own hearts. The mirror of nature, which the heathen had, revealed spots in their lives, but this mirror reveals spots in the imagination; that mirror revealed the spots of their unrighteousness, this reveals the spots of our righteousness. "When the commandment came, sin revived, and I died" (Rom. 7:9). When the Word came like a mirror, all my opinion of self-righteousness died.

3. The Word of God is a sovereign comfort in distress. While we follow this cloud, the rock follows us. "This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life." (Psa. 119:50). Christ is the fountain of living water, the Word is the golden pipe through which it runs. What can revive at the hour of death but the word of life (Phil. 2:16)?


Part B: A Godly Man Loves the Word, Because of the Efficacy it has had upon Him

A godly man loves the Word preached, which is a commentary upon the Word written. This day-star has risen in his heart, and ushered in the Sun of righteousness. The Scriptures are the sovereign oils and balsams; the preaching of the Word is the pouring of them out. The Scriptures are the precious spices; the preaching of the Word is the beating of these spices, which causes a wonderful fragrance and delight. The Word preached is "the rod of God's strength" (Psa. 11O:2) and "the breath of his lips" (Isa. 11:4). What was once said of the city of Thebes, that it was built by the sound of Amphius' harp, is much more true of soul conversion. It is built by the sound of the gospel harp. Therefore the preaching of the Word is called "the power of God to salvation" (Rom 1:16). By this, Christ is said (now) to speak to us from heaven (Heb. 12:25). This ministry of the Word is to be preferred before the ministry of angels.

A godly man loves the Word preached, partly from the good he has found by it - he has felt the dew fall with this manna - and partly because of God's institution. The Lord has appointed this ordinance to save him. The king's image makes the coin current. The stamp of divine authority on the Word preached makes it an instrument conducive to men's salvation.


Application: Let us test by this characteristic whether we are godly: Are we lovers of the Word?

1. Do we love the Word written? What sums of money the martyrs gave for a few pages of the Bible! Do we make the Word our bosom friend? As Moses often had 'the rod of God' in his hand, so we should have 'the Book of God' in our hand. When we want direction, do we consult this sacred oracle? When we find corruptions strong, do we make use of this "sword of the Spirit" to hew them down? When we are disconsolate, do we go to this bottle of the water of life for comfort? Then we are lovers of the Word! But alas, how can they who are seldom conversant with the Scriptures say they love them? Their eyes begin to be sore when they look at a Bible. The two testaments are hung up like rusty armour which is seldom or never made use of. The Lord wrote the law with his own finger, but though God took pains to write, men will not take pains to read. They would rather look at a deck of cards than at a Bible.

2. Do we love the Word preached? Do we prize it in our judgments? Do we receive it into our hearts? Do we fear the loss of the Word preached more than the loss of peace and trade? Is it the removal of the ark that troubles us?

Again, do we attend to the Word with reverential devotion? When the judge is giving his charge from the bench, all attend. When the Word is preached, the great God is giving us his charge. Do we listen to it as to a matter of life and death? This is a good sign that we love the Word.

Again, do we love the holiness of the Word (Psa. 119:140)? The Word is preached to beat down sin and advance holiness. Do we love it for its spirituality and purity? Many love the Word preached only for its eloquence and notion. They come to a sermon as to a performance (Ezek. 33:31,32) or as to a garden to pick flowers, but not to have their lusts subdued or their hearts bettered. These are like a foolish woman who paints her face but neglects her health.

Again, do we love the convictions of the Word? Do we love the Word when it comes home to our conscience and shoots its arrows of reproof at our sins? It is the minister's duty sometimes to reprove. He who can speak smooth words in the pulpit, but does not know how to reprove, is like a sword with a fine hilt but without an edge. "Rebuke them sharply" (Titus 2:15). Dip the nail in oil, reprove in love, but strike the nail home. Now Christian, when the Word touches on your sin and says, "You are the man", do you love the reproof? Can you bless God that "the sword of the Spirit" has divided between you and your lusts? This is indeed a sign of grace and shows that you are a lover of the Word.

A corrupt heart loves the comforts of the Word, but not the reproofs: "They hate the one who rebukes in the gate." (Amos 5:1O). "Their eyes flash with fire!" Like venomous creatures that at the least touch spit poison, "When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth." (Acts 7:54). When Stephen touched them to the quick, they were mad and could not endure it.


Question: How shall we know that we love the reproofs of the Word?

Answer 1: When we desire to sit under a heart-searching ministry. Who cares for medicines that will not work? A godly man does not choose to sit under a ministry that will not work upon his conscience.

Answer 2: When we pray that the Word may meet with our sins. If there is any traitorous lust in our heart, we would have it found out and executed. We do not want sin covered, but cured. We can open our breast to the bullet of the Word and say, "Lord, smite this sin."

Answer 3: When we are thankful for a reproof: "Let the righteous strike me; It shall be a kindness. And let him rebuke me; It shall be as excellent oil; Let my head not refuse it. For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked." (Psa. 141:5). David was glad of a reproof. Suppose a man were in the mouth of a lion, and another should shoot the lion and save the man, would he not be thankful? So, when we are in the mouth of sin, as of a lion, and the minister by a reproof shoots this sin to death, shall we not be thankful? A gracious soul rejoices when the sharp lance of the Word has pierced his abscess. He wears a reproof like a jewel on his ear: "Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold is a wise reprover to an obedient ear." (Prov. 25:12).

To conclude, it is convincing preaching which must do the soul good. A nipping reproof prepares for comfort, as a nipping frost prepares for the sweet flowers of spring.


[From The Godly Man's Picture by Thomas Watson, a Puritan Paperback edition published by the Banner of Truth.]

Christmas Parade Video

THIS IS A REPOST FROM LAST YEAR'S CHRISTMAS PARADE.
PLEASE JOIN US THIS SATURDAY FOR THE 2007 CHRISTMAS PARADE.

This is a video I put together from our witness at the Christmas parade.

Christ Is Not Invited To Christmas At Texas Tech

Three of Tim’s friends joined us today on the campus of Texas Tech. We had another great day, met many new people, and had some interesting conversations.

I went by the multi-cultural, multi-religious, Happy Holiday exhibit which is currently outside the Allen Theatre in the student center. I was hoping we could use this to springboard into a conversation, but no one was admiring the display. Instead we passed out Candy Cane tracts in the free speech area and wished people “Merry Christmas.”
Then we asked the question, “What is the meaning of Christmas?” to passing students (even non-Christians could give the correct answer); then as a follow-up question, we asked, “Why did Jesus come to earth?”
The majority of those professing Christianity said they celebrated Christmas as the birth of Jesus; and that he came to die for sin; however beyond that they had a very shallow understanding of what it means to be a Christian.

A very personable young man was planning to repent when he got to Heaven, one student was hoping that purgatory was true (he wasn’t Catholic), and another from an “evangelical Christian” background had no idea what God did so he could escape Hell.

“If the gospel were more faithfully preached, there would be fewer people professing to believe it.” A.W. Pink

On the other hand many others said they have been thinking a lot about the things of God lately and the meaning of Christmas. A non-Christian student we talked with a few weeks ago stopped by to say he has enjoyed reading the stuff on our web page but he can’t say that he will get converted. He is correct! We can’t save ourselves. Salvation is the work of God. Only the Holy Spirit of God can convince an individual that he is a sinner bound for Hell, that Jesus is who he said he was, God in the flesh, who took the punishment for us. If we repent and put our trust in the risen Savior; God can then dismiss our case and impute the righteousness of Christ to our account.
The last student we spoke with left to catch the bus but turned back to say “Thank you.”

Messages From...A Satanic Reverend

Letter Writer- (a satanic reverend?)

Since your such good christians, I have but one question for you. When are you going to bring out the guns and start brutaly murdering innocent people for not accepting your Hitler style, dictator as a god? That is what all you christians have done throughout history. Fred Phelps follows the bible to the letter, so when are the guns coming out and when are you going to starting burning people again?
Rev. *******
The United Satanic Empire

Our Response-

Hello,

My name is Toby and it is good to hear from you. To begin with I would like to address your assertion of "good Christians". "Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God:" (Matthew 19:17). I totally agree with the Scripture that I just quoted to you. I am not good. In fact I am wickedly sinful and depraved when I compare myself to God. By the world's standards one might say that I am a "good person" but I do not adhere to the standards of this world. I adhere to the standard of Jesus Christ....wherein I fail miserably. So I cannot consider myself a "good Christian". However, I do have an alien righteousness because of the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed for my sins. My sins (an abbreviated list...believe me!) being lying, stealing, murder, adultery....and the rest of the Ten Commandments to boot. God says that ALL liars will have their part in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 21:8) and that no thief, murder, or adulterer will inherit the Kingdom of God. But because God poured out His wrath on His perfect, righteous, and holy Son my debt was paid. I took hold of that salvation by agreeing with God that I was wickedly sinful, crying out for forgiveness, forsaking sin, and trusting in Christ....the Pure Sacrifice. Anyway, all of that to simply say I do not consider myself good.

As far as the guns and flamethrowers....I have them stored with my food and water in the basement. I'M JUST JOKING!!!!

I totally agree with your use of the small c in the word "christian" in reference to all of those people that burned and murdered. They were wrong and could not have been Christians. If they had been Christians they would have read and studied what their Bibles said about violence:

Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword (Matthew 26:52).

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)(2 Corinthians 10:3-4).

The Bible repeatedly teaches against this in the New Testament. Yes, there are passages in the Old Testament where violence is commanded by God, but I won't get into that unless you want to know why the difference.
Only the "christians" throughout history have taken to violence. True Christians would not resort to such a futile task because it would put their faith in a gun rather than in God Almighty. Besides....how dumb is it to tell somebody to convert to Christianity or die?
Jesus taught that the enemy has planted weeds in with the true wheat in an effort to destroy the true Church, but He teaches that we will endure and the true Church shall prevail (Matthew 13:24-43).
Fred Phelps is not living by the letter of the Bible because of his violence and hatred. A Christian is known by love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,meekness, and temperance. I think we would both agree that the Phelps cult is none of these.

I watched your video (I did not include a link to this video...you don't want to see his website or videos). I doubt anyone will take you up on it because the false teachers that are out masquerading as Christians cannot perform such a miracle. This type of miracle can only come from the workings of God Himself. Jesus and His disciples cast out demons to proclaim the Kingdom of God and as authentication of their message. This is not God's plan to save someone or to get rid of demons. God's plan of salvation and demon removal is His Gospel - the sinfulness of man, the righteousness of God, the judgment to come, the death and resurrection of Jesus. If I were you I would not hold my breath waiting for a Benny Hinn wannabe to exorcize you.

-covered in the blood of Jesus,
-Toby

Letter Writer's Response-

Hi Toby. Just read your message and we do both agree with about phelps, however that is where we part ways. I know that exorcisms are the casting out of angels who claim to be demons just to make people think that god has some power that he clear does not. I do have a question for you though. Since the body of jesus was found along with mary and their male child born out of wedlock, how is the bible going to be re-written to cover up the lie that christ's body assended to heaven? The bible has been re-written time after time to cover up it's lies when they were exposed, so do you know how the christians are going to cover up this lie that has been exposed? jesus doesn't sound all that perfect to me now. Also jesus lost faith on the cross, father my father why hath thou foresaken me?, doubt in his own words.
Rev. *****
The United Satanic Empire


Our Response-

(Name),

Here are 45 questions that will help reveal the illegitimacy of the "Jesus and His family's bones" hoax. I apologize for 45 questions. I think only a few nail the "Jesus coffin" shut, but the full 45 really make a glaring point.
It basically boils down to man's greed. James Cameron released his film about this subject on Discovery Channel right before holy week.....cha ching! That's just like Newsweek and Time magazines - whenever sales are down they throw a picture of Jesus on the cover and instant cash appears in their pockets!
Incidentally, just about all of the people cited in Cameron's film and even the one's that made appearances have since recanted their support and distanced themselves from the film.

Here are the questions that supporters of Cameron's film cannot answer:
1. Explain to me why a poor family from Bethlehem would be buried in a middle class grave in Jerusalem.
2. Mary, Jesus and Joseph were the most popular names in Israel at this time. That is why the Jewish archaeologists who first discovered these caskets in 1980 NEVER claimed these belonged to the family of Jesus. The odds are too preposterous.
3. Israeli archaeologist Joel Rosenberg believes this new film is nonsense.
4. So does Jewish archaeologist Amos Kloner.
5. There is no credible evidence that Jesus was ever married. The only possible reference to Jesus being married is in a 14th century manuscript (Acts of Phillip) that nobody deems credible.
6. There is no evidence that Jesus had children.
7. They claim they have proof that Jesus had a baby. We can't even determine the father of Anna Nicole Smith's baby. (Jay Leno)
8. As there is no credible evidence that Jesus was married with children, this discovery does not prove that Jesus was married; it proves that these caskets don't belong to Jesus. If Jesus was not married to Mary, this whole theory collapses.
9. If Jesus had a wife and children, wouldn't Jesus have told John to only take care of His mother when He was on the cross?
10. Jesus son of Joseph is hardly legible.
11. Professor Stephen Pfann in Jerusalem believes the name "Jesus" should actually be interpreted "Hanun."
12. For such an esteemed Rabbi, the family sure did a sloppy job of inscribing His name on the casket.
13. Jesus is never referred to as "The son of Joseph" in early Christian witness. That is the inscription on the casket.
14. If you were going to hide a casket, would you put it in Jerusalem and label it "Jesus"?
15. Why did they only test the DNA of the Jesus and Miriamne casket and not the caskets of the others? Because if they discovered that the DNA didn't match, their story would crumble.
16. The scientist who did the limited DNA testing said, "Don't be deceived by the media. This type of DNA testing cannot test every relationship."
17. There is no DNA baseline available to prove this was the burial box of Jesus.
18. Miriamne e Mara is not legible, they are speculating.
19. Miriamne e Mara is almost certainly interpreted wrong. "Mara" is probably a contraction of Martha and is probably a second name.
20. Miriamne is NOT Mary Magdalene. Mary Magdalene is not written on the casket.
21. Is the Yose (Joseph) married to Maria? Who knows?
22. Is Jesus married to Miriamne? Who knows?
23. The name Miriamne is not found in any credible text. Not one. The only time that we can find the name Miriamne is in reference to Herod's wife, Miriamne.
24. Matya (they claim that is Matthew) is found on one of the caskets. If this is Matthew, why would Jesus' disciple be buried with him?
25. There is no evidence that Jesus had a brother named Matthew.
26. Defenders claim that if Joseph and Mary had more children than what the Bible lists, "The name Matthew is consistent with the type of name that Mary and Joseph might have named one of their children." That is not a credible argument.
27. They simply left Matthew out of the picture to make the statistical analysis look better.
28. They are doing their statistics backwards. They start with the presupposition that this is Jesus tomb and then try to determine the odds. You can't do that.
29. If we found a gravesite today with the names John and David, John's son (the equivalent to Jesus and Joseph) could we conclude which John this was? How many John's have had a wife named Mary and a child name David in the last two centuries? Then if you knew that David was unmarried and from Los Angeles, but the tomb was found in New York, would you feel confident you had identified the right David?
30. Joseph's tomb is missing. Why?
31. Jesus' half-brother Jude is missing. Why?
32. Jesus' half brother Simon is missing. Why?
33. Jesus sisters may be missing. Why?
34. If Jesus was buried and didn't rise from the dead, why did Jesus' half brother, James, die preaching that Jesus rose from the dead?
35. Ditto for Jude.
36. How could the family have kept this a secret from the early church?
37. Wouldn't the Romans been able to find this casket and end the dispute?
38. Wouldn't the Jews happily dug up this casket to put an end to this new Jewish cult named Christianity?
39. Trying to resolve whose caskets these are is like trying to figure who put the first dagger in Julius Caesar.
40. While science and CSI techniques can be helpful, we don't have a time machine to take us back to the first century.
41. Eisegesis is when you form a conclusion and then go find the evidence for your theory. That is what they have done here.
42. There are a thousand scenarios to explain this. To assign ownership to Jesus is simply not reasonable.
43. We have films and eyewitnesses of the JFK assassination and we still can't figure out who killed him.
44. If this were a civil case, it would be laughed out of court.
45. Wow! You trust this film more than the Bible? Now that's faith. The Bible is a more reliable source of information than this circus of evidence.
Sources: Dr. Albert Mohler (www.albertmohler.com) Dr. James White (www.aomin.org ), Dennis Ingolfsland (www.reclinercommentaries.com)
Nathan Busenitz (http://faithandpractice.blogspot.com/)
******************************************************

The accuracy of the Bible is a well documented fact. The Dead Sea Scrolls solidified the trustworthiness of the Bible we have today. You cannot prove the Bible is true by manuscript evidence but you can prove that the text we have today is the same they had back then.

As far as Jesus losing faith.....
When Jesus cried, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" this was not a loss of faith. Jesus was quoting Psalm 22 which was a prophecy of the suffering that the Messiah would endure and the victory He would provide. It was also a statement. At that time God the Father did forsake Jesus on the cross. God poured out the full fury of His wrath upon Jesus and departed from Him. God will not co-habitate with sin and since Jesus took on the sin of the world He (Jesus) actually became despicable in the eyes of God the Father. Jesus' statement made the point that Jesus was the perfect sinless sacrifice and that He had never been away from or out of the will of God the Father before. It is a testament to the total depravity of mankind in that God Himself had to pay the price for man's sin.....no other payment would suffice. 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 5:21).

I do have a question for you. I know what the Bible teaches about Satan's fall from the Heavens, but what does your belief teach on this incident?

Toby
repentandtrust.org


****************
Much time went by before I heard back from the satanic reverend. I actually received an e-mail from the reverend's "life-partner". He told me that the reverend was deathly ill in the hospital and that is why I had not heard back. I replied back and told them that I hoped he would be well soon and that I was praying for him....... It was weird. To this day I still question it - praying for someone that utterly hates God, - My Savior, My Lord, My God, and My King.....but, I prayed for his salvation and that he would repent of his wicked abominations before it was too late. I have not heard anything back from the reverend. A quick check of YouTube shows that he is still alive and making videos and still hating God.

7 Deadly Sins...In The Mall!

God continues to bless us with much opportunity and favor at the mall as we meet every Saturday night to share the Gospel with people. My family and Dorothy and her husband were on hand to proclaim the Good News. The Christmas season and the atmosphere of the mall provide many springboards into the Gospel message.

We walked by a kiosk that was selling board games. They had one game in particular called "7 Deadly Sins"........needless to say, we used this as a CATAPULT to get into the conversation of the Gospel with three individuals. The instructions on the game state that everyone starts in hell (this game doesn't realize how right it is!!! see John 3:36). We asked three teenagers if they believed in hell and then if they could name any of the "7 deadly sins". This led to a good conversation, but there was a group of girls that were trying to interrupt our conversation. They knew the three we were speaking with and they were creating a distraction for our message. Dorothy quickly pulled the distracting group of girls away and began to witness to them and I finished up with the initial group of three. One of the individuals said that he goes to church with his parents but the service is in Spanish and he does not understand Spanish.....he heard the Gospel loud and clear in English last night!

We also met 3 other groups of Christians and encouraged them to share their faith.....and even invited them to join in with us at the mall every week.

Dorothy had the opportunity to witness to an individual that said he had a Southern Baptist background, but he thought that everyone worships the same God. It was a very good conversation and I think he was considering some truths of the Gospel that he had not yet realized.

Finally, there were two individuals that we shared the Gospel with, one was a foreign exchange student from Germany. He said he was Catholic. He seemed as if he really did not want to hear the message I was giving he and his friend, but he did stay and listen and took a Gospel tract from me as well. Who would think that you could be a witness to Germany in West Texas! God is gracious and merciful that he would bring an individual from the other side of the world to hear His message of Peace and Reconciliation!

Below are the names of the people we spoke with last night. Please pray for them.

K.C.
Allie
Sarah
Sammy
Rebecca
Jose
John
Roman
Andrew
Matthew
Isaiah
Johnny
Jon
Jared
Joern
Tye

6 others

Paul Washer - What Is The Gospel? -And Regeneration