Cross Bearing Servant

180 Movie - Project Heart Changer - Cal Poly SLO

2011-10-31T22:44:00.000-07:00

Is a twenty-three minute video really necessary to document Project Heart Changer at Cal Poly State University? Maybe not. Many people won’t watch the entire video – I understand. But after going through the almost four hours of footage I had, I couldn’t bring myself to exclude these clips. Even though it’s kind of long and sometimes the audio isn’t all that great, these clips capture the faces of individual human beings.

The shoulder-mounted camera captured excellent footage of the student’s and faculty’s faces as they accepted and/or rejected the 180 Movie DVD’s. As I edited the footage, I was struck by a few things.

First, some of these young people are the future leaders of our country. Some of theme won’t be. Many are future stay-at-home moms. There also may be successful or not so successful business men amongst the faces of these individual human beings. These are people who are alive. My point? Each of them has hopes and dreams for the future. Again – they are living the life that GOD has so graciously given to those of us who breathe.

Secondly, please think for just a moment of the 1.2 to 1.3 million human being each year in America who will never have the opportunity to see their mother face to face. Think of those aborted millions who will never catch a ball thrown to them by their daddy. What about the fifty-seven million children killed in our country since 1973, little faces that we’ll never see, because they were unwanted – murdered in a country where it’s “legal” and accepted.

So as you watch as much of the video as you choose to watch, look into the faces of these human beings and think of the millions of faces you’ll never see because of abortion. I pray that you’re heart will be burdened to the degree that it shakes you from inactivity about the issue.

The means that GOD has used to stir my heart about the abortion issue is 180 Movie. If you’ve not seen this shocking documentary, please take the time to watch it for free today. Also share it with others.

And finally, when you look into the faces of these young individuals, remember this - each and every one of them, no matter how young or old they are - will one day die. At a time of GOD’s appointing (Heb 9:27). The thought of these people standing in judgment without the righteousness of Christ is a horrible thought indeed. It overwhelms me! One thing for sure, GOD will punish those who have lied, stolen, used His Name in vein, looked with lust (committing adultery in the heart), those who deny His existence – those who have broken His Law – the Ten Commandments. All have sinned!

These people are in a desperate position. The Just Judge of the entire Universe will do right and cast them into the Lake which burns with fire and brimstone for all of eternity!

Please Christian! Let this, in part, be a motivation to reach out to people with the gospel. Speak to them about the fact that they will die, stand before GOD and be judge by Him, by the standard of His moral Law. Reason with them about the reasonableness of Hell, the righteousness of GOD and the sinfulness of man – their personal sin against GOD.

But let the Person of Christ and His finished work - His glory - be your prime motivation. Because of His grace toward us, don’t be derelict in your duty to care for your neighbor (the millions of unborn babies). Don’t sit back in inactivity and do nothing to rescue the little children whose lives are on the line every day. May CHRIST and His glorious gospel be the central motive for coming to the aid of the unborn and reaching out to those who are lost, dying and Hell bound.

This video documents Project Heart Changer at Cal Poly State University. We had a wonderful time interacting with the students and faculty while distributing the one-thousand 180 Movie DVD's that Living Waters provided us for the outreach. We had many 1-2-1 conversations with the students about where they'll spend eternity. I had several conversations with students about abortion, pro-life, and pro-choice positions. I love the collage campus for this reason. Most of the students are open to this kind of conversation.

One of those students was a young man I met named Devon. He's a freshman at Cal Poly studying business. He's also an atheist. We had a quick intellectual ‘sword-fight’ about each other's world-view.

Because this video was already long enough, I really only present my world-view here. Devon did make his respective points but, because of the length of the video already, and because it’s my video, I chose to primarily present the Christian world-view – the right one.

The Christian worldview makes sense of life's experience. While the atheistic/evolutionary-worldview fails to provide what's known as the preconditions of intelligibility. That sounds smart uh? Me - not so much. I'm a bag-o-hammers and I'm really just learning how to use this ultimate proof for God's existence. Here it is in a nutshell – ‘Without GOD you couldn’t know anything at all.’

This is one of the first times I had the opportunity to present this argument. I was quite excited so say the least. I must admit – I was so excited that I'm ashamed to say that I talked over my new friend. Devon didn't get to respond very much. Sorry Devon! He was a good sport and I hope we'll get the chance to meet again soon.

180 Movie Clarity 2

2011-10-18T21:32:00.000-07:00

Last week I attempted to apply some of the 180 Movie tactics by putting Janie and Adrian through a few of the Holocaust scenarios. The scenarios Ray gave us in 180 have the ability to bring such clarity to the abortion issue.

During our discussion Janie and Adrian opened up and shared some of their personal abortion experiences with me. I wasn’t prepared for that at all. The effect their short stories had on me was quite profound. As they shared their experiences, my heart became very grieved. Adrian shared something with me that was very difficult to hear. But I believe that the Holy Spirit allowed me to hear their shameful acts that I might experience a greater degree of compassion for these two young people.

For the unregenerate person, so many of life’s choices are disappointing and regrettable. I think you’ll be able to sense the disappointment and shame in Adrian and Janie’s tone.

This is another good reason to use abortion as a spring board for the Law and Gospel. 57 million babies have been “legally” killed in our country since 1973. Not only are these babies being killed, but for each one of them, how many other lives are ripped apart because of that one abortion?

There are mothers, fathers, siblings, extended family, friends and the myriads of individuals who participated in the abortion through their council and/or support. I read somewhere that the estimates are around 200 million individuals in the US who have been affected by abortion. According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau there are approximately 312 million people living in the U.S.

That means that over 60% of the people in our country have been affected by abortion. It would seem to me that Christians would have compassion on these post-abortive individuals. It should be the Christians who understand what it is to be forgiven by a gracious GOD and because of His mercies, we, out of gratitude, would endeavor to bring about true healing for these 200 million people in our country. They are your next door neighbors!

So how do we promote the spiritual healing of these people? Convert them to be pro-life and religious? Absolutely not! As Ray demonstrates in the 180 Movie, we must press people up to the standard of GOD’s moral law to help them see they’re sin is exceedingly sinful before a Holy GOD and they are on their way to Hell. At that point we do our best to express the deep mercy, grace, and love of GOD for sinners in and through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Christian – 60% of our country has been affected by abortion. If you endeavor to talk to people about it, you’ll find out what I’m finding out – people are willing to share their experiences with you. Get out of your comfort zone, be obedient to Christ and proclaim the Law and Gospel to these hurting people.

It is true – the Bible is filled with examples of GOD’s people turning away from Him to idols – “a way that seems right to man.” The way that seems right to man always results in disappointment, shame, grief, and ultimately death and Hell. But GOD’s Word is also filled with stories of His great patience, mercy, grace, and love toward His people.

In Isaiah 54:1 God likens His unfaithful people to a barren woman. His people were to be a blessing to the nations but they failed miserably and instead became as a woman without a husband. The Holy Spirit calls it, “the reproach of your widowhood.” To be barren and without a husband in their society brought great reproach, disgrace, and shame to a woman and her family.

However, in spite of the fact these unbelieving, disobedient people turned away from the One True GOD to idols, He says this,

“Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed;
Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame;
For you will forget the shame of your youth,
And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.
For your Maker is your husband,
The Lord of hosts is His name;
And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel;
He is called the God of the whole earth.
For the Lord has called you
Like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit,
Like a youthful wife when you were refused,”
Says your God.
“For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,”
Says the Lord, your Redeemer.
Isaiah 54:4-8 (NKJV)

Christian, shouldn't we be heralding this GOOD NEWS? In spite of the fact that men and woman have sinned against GOD by breaking His moral law, GOD offers terms of peace. In spite of the fact that men and woman have brought great shame upon themselves through the act of abortion or assisting someone in the act, there is forgiveness of sins and right standing before GOD through the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. Love them, by telling them, with your mouth!

For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to
shame.” Romans 10:11 (NKJV)

180 Movie Clerity 2 Teaser

2011-10-17T09:41:00.000-07:00

I met Janie and Adrian on the Pismo Beach pier last night. We had a twenty minute conversation about the Holocaust, abortion, sin, righteousness, judgment, eternal life, and Jesus Christ.

Did Janie and Adrian change their mind about abortion? How did they respond to the call to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ? Watch these short clips and let them wet your appetite to come back to watch the full twenty minute encounter to follow.

Visit 180movie.com today!

180 Movie Clerity

2011-10-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday afternoon I had the privilege of seeing a young lady named Lauren make up her mind about how she felt about abortion. At the beginning of our encounter she indicated she was neither pro-life nor pro-choice – but undecided.

This video documents my first day out evangelizing where I endeavored to incorporate some of the tactics I learned from the 180 Movie. I also incorporated a series of small business card-sized photos depicting graphic Holocaust seines and aborted babies. To be honest, I was very uncomfortable because I’m still far from being an expert at defending my pro-life position. While it’s true there’s NO justification for any pro-choice argument, I’m still uneasy at the thought of entering into debate because I’m still learning how to give an answer to their arguments.

However, the parallel between the Holocaust and abortion (and slavery for that matter) is undeniable. And in the case with Lauren, it didn’t seem to matter that I didn’t have all my pro-life argumentation down pat.

This is just a thought and you tell me if I’m nuts. Is it possible that when helping a person see that the Holocaust of the 1940’s isn't much different than abortion, the person’s conscience is what’s being addressed and therefore the pro-choice arguments that are typically brought up are minimized in a conversation? Kind of like what we see when we use the Law in evangelism. Often times many of the typical arguments are circumvented because the person’s conscience is what’s being addressed as opposed to their intellect.

In the 180 Movie, when Ray Comfort tells the person being interviewed to finish his sentence, ”It’s ok to kill an innocent human being in the womb when..,” in a sense, he’s holding up the Mirror of the Law - specifically the Sixth Commandment to their conscience and asking them to tell him what they see. Remember God’s Word says, “Now we know that whatsoever things the law says, it says to them who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God.” Romans 3:19

It seems to me, this is what Ray’s question is getting at. The human conscience knows that it’s wrong to murder. And what do we see in the 180 Movie when Ray asks this question? Silence! This is what I experienced with Lauren as well. Silence, immediately followed by a confession of what they know is good and right. They say “Never…!”

“But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers…” 1 Timothy 1:8-9

The 180 Movie Clarity – The effectiveness of the 180 Movie and the clarity that it brings to the abortion issue is due to the fact that God’s Law is at work on the human conscience. When we employ the Holocaust/abortion parallel in talking about abortion, in a sense, we’re using the Sixth Commandment to bring about the knowledge of sin. It’s as God’s Word says, “the law is good, if a man use it lawfully…”?

Let me know what you think of my assessment.

Visit www.180movie.com

180 MOVIE

2011-09-26T11:18:00.000-07:00

If you are viewing my blog, you probably support adoption like our family does.

This past month, I viewed an amazing documentary. I am excited to say it's available for the general public to view. Please take 30 minutes to sit down and watch this. I promise you 180Movie will be life-changing and you'll want to share it with everyone you know. It may cause your friends and family to make a 180 in their beliefs about abortion.

After watching it, I hope you'll post your comments here about who you shared it with. Share it with people you know that are not pro-life. Like the people in this documentary, they may do a 180 from being pro-choice to an unwavering pro-life view. To find out more about this amazing documentary, visit the 180 Movie."

Preaching Christ Through an Open Window at Planned Parenthood

2011-09-24T16:19:00.000-07:00

This was a day when ten to twelve young women were at Planned Parenthood for abortions. There was an open window in the waiting room where they and their supporters were seated - waiting to kill their babies. I took the opportunity to preach the Law and Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to them through this open window. To GOD alone be the glory!

visit 180movie.com

In Service of Planned Parenthood

2011-08-17T22:07:00.000-07:00

When a person decides to provide a service to Planned Parenthood they decide to indirectly participate in the murder of little babies. Many are self-deceived. They choose to believe that financial expediency is the most important consideration when deciding the kind of work they will do.

I recently had an encounter with this man at Planned Parenthood who attempted to justify himself in this way – ‘I have to feed my family’ (paraphrased). His attempt to justify himself reminded me of when the Jews cried out to Pontius Pilate to have Jesus Christ crucified.

Then the governor said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried out all the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified!” When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.” Matthew 27:23-24

Pilot said, “I am innocent of the blood of this Just Person…”

One can claim innocence when indirectly participating in wickedness, but again, the claim of innocence doesn’t minimize nor nullify ones actual guilt before GOD.

All are in desperate need of the righteousness and forgiveness that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repent and believe the gospel!

OPEN AIR PREACHING IS EFFECTIVE

2011-07-05T00:24:00.000-07:00

The effect of gospel preaching is threefold. On the one hand there are a few who hear the message of the Cross and receive it unto eternal life. There are many who hear the message and do not receive it, but stumble over it, and see it as foolishness, resulting in eternal death (2 Corinthians 2:14-17).

In the case with these two young ladies, it’s impossible to know how they will ultimately receive the preaching they hear throughout their life – unto eternal life or eternal death. Nevertheless, the preaching has GOD’s desired effect. It accomplishes exactly what He desires.

These young ladies listened to the preaching for at least twenty minutes before I engaged them. In the end, the gospel seeds were sewn. It’s up to our Sovereign Lord to do with them as He will – to eternal life or eternal death.

And that leads us to the third effect of gospel preaching – GOD IS GLORIFIED. No matter what, whether the lost person receives the preaching unto eternal life or eternal death, GOD is glorified in and through it all.

The Great Heart Changer!

2011-06-07T21:19:00.001-07:00

This is the last encounter I had at the 2011 Paso Robles Wine Festival. I feel so sorry for this lady. There are times that I come away from a witness encounter like this and feel rather hopeless. This lady’s idolatry has so clouded the true character and nature of GOD that I say, “Lord, how can she be saved? I’m not getting through to her!”

The Word GOD tells us that Christ responded to a similar question and said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27). Here our Lord Jesus is speaking of The Great Heart Changer.

No matter how earnest you might plead with a person, no matter how theologically sound you might be, no matter if you’re able to answers every question someone might bring up in a witnessing encounter - you and I cannot change the hearts of man. We cannot even convict the conscience of man (John 16:18).

I was greatly encouraged by a short tract that I read by J.C. Ryle. He said, “…they seem as hard and insensible as the nether mill-stone! But we remember the Holy Spirit, and what He has done. We remember the Holy Spirit, and consider that He has not changed. He can come down like fire and melt the hardest hearts; He can convert the worst man or woman among our hearers, and mold their whole character into a new shape. And so we preach on. We hope, because of the Holy Spirit.”

I also found this short C.H. Spurgeon audio that I pray will be an encouragement to you dear Christian soldier.

Grace Gems

Keep heralding Christ crucified to those who are hard-hearted. There is hope for them not because of our preaching but because of The Great Heart Changer.

PART 1

PART 2

A Police Officer's Idolitry

2011-06-04T13:19:00.000-07:00

This was our second stop around the perimeter of the fence at the Paso Robles Wine Festival. Brother Jeff addressed another group of people sitting in the shade behind the fence.

Make note that Brother Jeff is not "shouting." He is speaking with a gentle but firm tone. In spite of the fact that we were standing on public property (the middle of the street), and in spite of the gentle tone Jeff used in addressing these people, we were contacted by city law enforcement upon the request of event organizers because of a complaint of our volume.

It was quite aggravating to be honest. It seems that over the last four years that I've been involved in street preaching, police are shutting us down more and more. Why? In this case Officer Bigelow indicates we were not breaking any laws but that we just needed to leave the immediate area (the festival area which consisted of all the sidewalks and streets outside of the fenced off areas) if we were going to continue to preach.

If we chose to continue to preach in the area and in the manner we were, we could/would be arrested for "trespassing" and/or "public disturbance." I personally wasn't ready to die on this hill and go to jail -- especially since we had the option of continuing to reach people around the festival via tracting and 1-2-1 conversation.

Maybe we should have continued. Maybe our freedoms are being taken away because there isn’t enough of us challenging the law and taking these cases to court. I don’t have answers for what we should or shouldn’t do in instances like this. If you have an opinion, please let me know.

As you’ll see I did challenge the officer and asked to speak with his supervisor. In my mind I thought, “Why did you ask to talk with his supervisor?” I can't tell you even now what I planned on doing or even saying to Officer Bigelow’s supervisor. I knew we were fighting a loosing battle – we were done preaching there and speaking to his supervisor wasn’t going to change anything. But one good thing did come out of it. We had to wait for Officer Bigelow’s supervisor for approximately twenty-five minutes – giving us time to witness to Officer Rick.

In retrospect, it seems to me that the Holy Spirit orchestrated all of this for the glory of GOD (as always) and maybe even for the benefit of Officer Rick. Brother Jeff took Officer Rick through a few of the Ten Commandments. But Officer Rick didn’t seem to be humbled at all. Even though he admitted to breaking the Law of God, he figured since he confesses it in prayer – all is well and he’ll just continue to try to be a good person. But what you’ll hear come from Officer Rick (loud and clear) is his idolatry. His "god" isn't the God of the Bible.

One point of clarification I would like to make here. I responded to one of Officer Rick’s question about what GOD does or doesn’t do with young children who die. After watching the video, I wasn't very clear.

According to GOD’s nature He is absolutely merciful, gracious and kind. But according to nature of every human being, even children, no matter their age or level of understanding of GOD’s salvation plan, are sinners, deserving of death and Hell.

IF GOD RECEIVES AN INFANT OR YOUNG CHILD INTO HEAVEN IT WILL BE BY GRACE ALONE, THROUGH FAITH ALONE AND IN CHRIST ALONE. If God grants eternal life, forgives sins, and credits the righteousness of Christ to the account of a child, it will NOT be because the child is "innocent" and deserves it. I wish I would have made that clear as I responded to Officer Rick.

In the end officer Rick makes it clear that he despises the character and nature of the GOD of the Bible. Officer Rick seemed to have remained hard-hearted. I’ve thought about and prayed for Officer Rick many times since this encounter. My heart breaks for him and his family. If he remains in his sins, he is storing up for himself wrath in the day of wrath (Romans 2:4-9).

On the other hand there is much hope! I was very encouraged by this encounter because it may be that GOD will use is to save Officer Rick and set him free from the bondage of his sin. All this didn't happen by accident. GOD saved a wretch like me when I was dead in my sins and trespasses. I too was an idolater and He saved me in spite of who I was. Please pray that Christ would save Officer Rick to the praise of GOD’s glorious grace.

Don't forget to come back later and watch my last video encounter I had and the Paso Robles Wine Festival. Find out what the lady in this video means when she says, "I think of myself as a hollow 'L'."

Part 1

Part 2

Preaching to the Poor, Brokenhearted Captives

2011-06-01T11:48:00.000-07:00

And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. Luke 4:17-19 (KJV)

Brother Jeff, Brother Ben and I attended the 2011 Paso Robles Wine Festival. It was a beautiful sunny day and the park was full of people. I didn’t capture any footage of the size of the crowd within the event. I estimate there were no less than 800-1,000 people.

When we drove up to the event and saw the crowd gathered there, we were delighted. But we would soon find out that wouldn't even be able to get to them - at least in the manner we had planned.

We planned to enter the park and distribute Gospel tracts and engage people in 1-2-1 conversation – then finish the day out preaching on the streets near the event. However, the city had installed a temporary fence around the perimeter of the park. Needless to say our “plan” was altered by our Sovereign GOD.

Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that."
James 4:15 (NASB)

As you'll see, our plan was quickly abandoned and we started out the day preaching to the poor, brokenhearted captives through the fence. This entailed lifting up our voices so that people would hear the Good News. But lifting up our voices with the full counsel of GOD came with a price – being noticed by the wine festival organizers and ultimately city law enforcement.

Oh no!

But even this worked out to the glory of GOD. What follows is our initial effort reaching the people behind the fence with the Gospel.

Don’t miss my next blog entry because right after my preaching in this video, Bother Jeff preaches and the Holy Spirit orchestrates an a really cool encounter with an individual who was there to shut down our preaching.

2011 Paso Robles Wine Festival Outreach

2011-05-30T17:12:00.000-07:00

This is a serise of short clips from our outreach at the 2011 Paso Robles Wine Festival. Come back later to watch the entire serise of video I'm, Lord willing, going to upload.

SLO Earth Day Outreach 2011

2011-04-30T12:10:00.001-07:00

It was a joy to preach the gospel to the attendees of the 2011 SLO Earth Day event that took place at San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden (El Chorro Regional Park). Below is much of the video footage that I captured during the outreach. The first four videos document some of the bus stop preaching and the last video contains random clips from within the Earth Day event. Although the message we proclaimed wasn’t well received, we were very encouraged that many heard the Law and Gospel of Jesus Christ.

As the blog entry and video I posted earlier this we indicated, the folks there were kind of snarky with us. But Christian, when the world resists you because of Who you represent, don’t be discouraged. When they don’t want to hear the Good News about Jesus Christ, don’t be surprised. The world hated our Lord, do you think you’ll be treated any different?

[Jesus Christ] was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name… John 1:10-13 (also read Matthew 10:16-30)

Share your faith today and don’t quit!

What Happened at SLO Earth Day 2011?

2011-04-26T12:12:00.001-07:00

Last year I attended the 2010 San Luis Obispo Earth Day event to pass out tracts and evangelize 1-2-1. Only to find out that speaking of Jesus Christ wasn’t appreciated by some. If you remember, I was pretty much booted from a booth that I was invited into by Jarrod, a Jewish rabbi. The booth was there to promote “religious tolerance.” But when Jarrod began to disagree with the Jesus of the Bible I was presenting, a reverend lady got upset with my being there and ran me off.

My Brother in Christ Jeff Harrison and I attended the 2011 SLO Earth Day event last Saturday. Our intention was to go into the event and pass out as many gospel tracts as we could. Then just before leaving the event, we where going to read aloud, open-air style, from Matthew 26-28, participating in the Project Ezra: Mission Good Friday outreach.

But when we arrived in the parking lot, we found 20-25 people standing on the sidewalk waiting for a shuttle to take them into the Earth Day event. Our plans changed quickly and we decided to remain by the shuttle pick up point and preach open air to the groups of people that would form every 10-15 minutes. We did this for quite some time. We had the privilege of sharing the Law and Gospel to maybe a hundred people. Praise be to GOD! This video gives some indication as to how well we were received by them.

At some point we decided to go ahead up into the festival. It was interesting and sad. The blatant idolatry expressed there was appalling. It grieved me to see it - not to mention the witchcraft.

The summation of the outreach is this. These people desperately need Jesus Christ – just as I still do today. Thirteen years back, I would have been at this festival partaking in all manner of sin. Apart from the grace that I received through faith in Jesus Christ, I too would resist the Gospel and GOD’s people’s pleadings.

I’m always blown away just how irrational a sinner can be though. Lost folk might promote religious tolerance, or even say, “make love not war” or “give peace a chance,” while at the same time, gnash their teeth at you in hatred of the Light that you’re trying to share with them in hopes they’ll be saved. Wow some of these folks are snarky and intolerant of us sharing our faith.

By GOD’s grace, we persevered in the face of their resistance and we pray GOD was glorified and that these people were convicted of sin, or righteousness, and judgment and that they'll see their need for Christ Jesus.

Lord willing, later this week I’ll be uploading the videos from this evangelism effort.

Mission Good Friday 2011

2011-04-25T19:46:00.000-07:00

Brother Jeff Harrison and I participated in the Project Ezra: Mission Good Friday outreach. What is Mission Good Friday you ask?

On Good Friday through Easter, Christians from all over the world went into the public-square, stood atop their “soap-box,” opened up their Bibles, and read aloud from Matthew 26-28. Brother Jeff and I had the privilege of reading and preaching to those gathered at Pismo Beach Pier on Good Friday.

This video includes segments of the reading. Please forgive my poor video editing. I think I was too tired when I edited this so some of the transitions are weak. Please also forgive the poor audio quality. It was windy at the coast - that always makes it tough to capture clean open air audio.

Christian, I hope you’re encouraged by this! You may not be an “evangelist.” But you can do this. You don’t have to be “gifted” to read aloud from the Bible. Just pray, grab your Bible, find public place where people gather, stand atop a planter, bench, or bring your own box, open up your mouth and read aloud from the Word of God. That’s it – simple. Like the rest of us who engage in the public reading of Scripture, you’ll be surprised how our LORD will use you to reach out to lost people. It’s a true joy!

In addition to reading aloud from the Bible, Jeff and I both preached (I’ll try to upload some of that footage later this week). At one point when I was atop the box, a young man named Jason approached me (at approximately 8:46) and we engaged in a 1-2-1 open air encounter. Many people, on and off camera, listened to our simple exchange. Because Jason’s family/friends began calling for him at the end, the encounter was a bit rushed. However, I’m positive this young man and others who stood listening, heard exactly what our Lord wanted them to hear at that time. I’m praying that GOD will convict this young man of sin, righteousness, and judgment – that Jason would see the beauty of the crucified and risen Christ, and be born again.

What is Easter?

2011-04-16T15:17:00.000-07:00

I’m sure it’s not an original idea – using the holiday Easter as a springboard to talking with people about the things of eternity. In fact, I’ve heard Todd Friel, from Wretched Radio, do it many times. If you’re not a regular listener of Wretched Radio, here is a link to a free segment of the show where Todd uses Easter as a springboard into talking to people about the things of GOD.

This video is a collection of clips of recent encounters where I was asking people about Easter. This is an easy way to move from the natural to the spiritual. I thank GOD that most of these individuals heard the Law and Gospel using the holiday Easter. Christian, you can do this too. Don’t let Easter week go by without asking unsaved family members, friends, or strangers, “What is Easter?” And then share the Law and Gospel with them. Preach Christ crucified!

I hope this video encourages you to go for it.

Austin Believes in Science NOT Creator GOD

2011-04-01T11:49:00.000-07:00

I met a very nice young man named Austin in Pismo Beach the other day. It was a beautiful day – in the High 80’s. There were people all over Pismo and Austin was out to show off his “Parkour” skills.

“What is Parkour,” you ask? Wikipeia says,

Parkour (sometimes abbreviated to PK) is a utilitarian discipline based upon the successful, swift and energy-efficient traversing of one's surrounding environment via the practical application of techniques, based around the concept of self-preservation and the ability to help others. It is a non-competitive, physical discipline of French origin in which participants run along a route, attempting to negotiate obstacles in the most efficient way possible, using only their bodies. Skills such as jumping, climbing, vaulting, rolling, swinging and wall scaling are employed. Parkour can be practiced anywhere, but areas dense with obstacles are preferable and it is most commonly practiced in urban areas.

In this interview I used the dangerous nature of the tricks I saw Austin perform to springboard into talking about the surety of death and the afterlife.

As you watch this interview, notice how Austin takes a position that he doesn’t believe in Creator GOD but instead “science” (at the beginning of the interview). But after opening up the Ten Commandments to him, we found a place of agreement in his conscience. He acknowledged his guilt before GOD and Austin’s eternal destiny if he died in his sins.

Christian, don’t forsake the use of what GOD has given us to speak the truth in love to lost people. Use the Law to bring about the knowledge of sin. Speak of the character and nature of GOD. Speak of the torments of Hell. Do your best to make Hell reasonable to them so that you can preach the Good News of Jesus Christ. More often than not, like Austin, a person will move from denying the existence of GOD to acknowledging their sin, guilt and the existence of GOD.

But ultimately, all of this is the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of a sinner. It is He who must save. So trust Him to use you and share your faith today.

The Lord of the Harvest

2010-09-02T00:10:00.000-07:00

Now that we are at the end of summer, by God’s grace, we look forward to another season – autumn. Harvest time is just ahead! I love this time of year. The upcoming autumn harvest reminded me of a memorable encounter I captured during Ambassadors’ Academy 16, back in June 2010.

We were at Santa Monica Ca, 3rd Street Promenade. In the video you’ll see Steve Sanchez from stonethepreacher.com deliver the Law and the Gospel to a group of teenagers. As you watch this video keep in mind that I edited out approximately eight minutes of the footage. Steve had to do a considerable amount of wrangling, reasoning, repeating and recapping, in order to help these teens understand their eternal destiny without Christ. It was a rather difficult encounter. I hope you’ll be encouraged by watching this faithful laborer of Christ push through in spite of how difficult the encounter was. If you’ve been at it for any length of time, that is, being a witness for Christ, you’ll know that it can be hard work at times.

Christian Soldier – Don’t Quit! Faithfully proclaim the Law and Gospel. Tell sinners about the Person of Christ. Call them to repentance from sin and faith in Jesus Christ. Plead with them! Be motivated by the infinitely perfect labor of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who secured for us our eternal salvation – “to us who believe in Him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” Romans 4:24-25

There is another thing that came to mind as I watched the video and thought about the many texts in the Bible where God likens us to laborers, workers, slaves, etc (see Luke 10:2-12; 1 Cor 3:6-9; Matt 20:1-16 and look at Paul’s labor in Acts 18:4-11). I must free acknowledge and confess the truth that being an Ambassador for Christ laborious – joyous for sure but laborious nevertheless.

With that being said, I must also confess my weakness and total dependence of GOD to be my strength in laboring for His glory. He says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

SDG!

Preaching to the Choir

2010-07-31T16:13:00.000-07:00

As evangelists we often times think in terms of heralding the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to lost souls, with the goal of loving GOD and loving lost people. AMEN! But I’ve seen it happen too that our preaching also has it’s affects on the people of GOD.

It was Independence Day 2010 when I met Anthony. He is a very nice young man who, as I began to take him through the good person test, revealed that he was a professing Christian. I was thankful that Anthony sensed that he had stepped into a position that wasn’t only about him but also about those who were listening. He graciously allowed me to bounce the “good person” questions off of him without argument.

I had a short conversation with Anthony after the crowd dispersed and he expressed that he was very encouraged by the preaching, specifically the way the gospel was presented. I had just met Anthony so I can’t tell you if he is a Christian or not, but he professed to be a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. I give him the benefit of the doubt.

As you know, Christians do stop and listen to our preaching. I also understand that all too often professing Christians are some of the most difficult people to deal with when preaching. Nevertheless, by the power of the Holy Spirit, our preaching also reaches out to the Christian and/or church attendees that are being saved.

Remember,

“Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”” Matthew 9:35-38

Let’s expect GOD to answer our prayers for more laborers. I used to think in terms of GOD answering my prayer for laborer(s) that He might send some to labor with me(selfish). But I’m not the “Lord of the harvest,” GOD is. He raises them up. It is not my harvest it is, “his harvest.” Let Him send them where He desires.

One of the affects of our,“preaching to the choir” is that GOD may use it as a means to raise up laborers to send out into the harvest. I believe Anthony lives in the Central Valley. I pray that this encounter was the means GOD used to stir this young man up to obedience to preach the Gospel in his home town.

There are other times when we preach that church attendees are listening. This is the case with the last two videos. You’ll hear the father of this family make a profession of faith in the third video. Again, I don’t know him other than from what I know of him from our short encounter. I give this gentleman the benefit of the doubt when he says he’s a Christian.

In the video you’ll hear the father name the church they attend. I can only pray that this church preaches the law, gospel, repentance and faith. But as you know, many evangelical “churches” these days fail in bringing the full council of GOD, but instead entertain lost people to keep them coming back.

Again, from time to time our preaching is for professing Christians that GOD is saving in spite of the bad churches they attend. In the video, you’ll also hear the rest of this dear family profess that they are not sure if their saved.

With all that being said dear Christian, I know I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know but, don’t quit. Just because a person makes a profession of faith, trust in our Sovereign Lord of the Harvest that He has, by His providence, designed this encounter – every encounter. Rest assured, in and through it all He’s working.

GOD doesn’t need you (He need’s nothing from anyone) but you might be the means He uses to save some, draw some, harden some, send some – HE IS THE LORD OF THE HARVEST.

So preach the law, gospel, repentance, faith and exalt the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Preach to an Audience of One. Preach to the lost. Preach to the professing Christian. But also never underestimate what GOD may be doing when you “Preach to the Choir.”

SDG!

Open Air Flip Chart

2010-07-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

Lately I’ve been using a flipchart and easel when I go to Pismo Beach Pier to evangelize. I’ve used it a bit in the past but lately, it’s been very effective in getting people interested to stop and engage in conversation. Ultimately I know that it is the Holy Spirit who draws these people in. Our Sovereign LORD has all these details worked out.

When I’ve used the flipchart in the past, I’ve used it for open air preaching. And over the 3rd and 4th of July, that is exactly what I did. However, just recently I've noticed that my voice hasn’t been holding out as long as what it has in the past. I’ve been really bummed out about it and would appreciate your prayers. After preaching for thirty minutes or so I need to give my voice a break.

While I’m giving my pipes a rest, I’ve found myself standing in front of this flip chart just passing out tracts. As I said above, GOD has provided many encounters with people during these rest periods in my preaching.

It’s happened a couple of times now where I’ve had groups of 10-20 people stand there and listen to the Law and Gospel preached (a mini-open air) after going through the “Intelligence Test” and Three Triangles test.

Typically what’s been happening is two or three people stop and want take the “Intelligence Test” – then before I know it, there are 4-8 people standing there listening and engaging in answering the questions. One small group after another stops and hears the Law and Gospel! I’ve really been blown away by how GOD has used this. As soon as one group leaves (after hearing the law and gospel) another couple stops and again, before I know it, I’m preaching to another group of people (and this goes on all afternoon).

Below are a few videos from my preaching on the box from July 3rd, 2010 in Pismo Beach. In the days to come, Lord willing, I’ll edit and upload some of the video footage of what I’m talking about above from my efforts on the 4th of July.

Christian, during these warm sunny days, when people are on vacation, taking things a bit slower, take advantage of it, be deliberate, glorify GOD and share the gospel of Jesus Christ with lost people.

A Young Atheist

2010-05-08T00:08:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I had the privilege of reading the Word of God aloud and heralding the law and Gospel of Jesus Christ. I packed my open air box, the wooden cross, and my tracts and bible and headed to Pismo Pier. I arrived and setup near the mouth of the pier at around 3:30 PM. There was a fair amount of foot traffic. But I also know that the closer it is to sunset the more people come out to enjoy it.

Direct interaction with people while preaching was minimal for the first couple of hours. I read from Psalms, Romans and from the book of Acts. I preached the law and Gospel and did my best to speak of the Person of Jesus Christ – not only what He did to save sinners but also who He is.

As I said, as sunset draws closer more people come out. This day was no different. There was a group of 10 -12 teenage boys riding around near where I was preaching. I’ve had conversations with many of them before but this day I met a young man I’d never met before. As these guys rode around, a young man named Kevin yapped at me about “ramming religion down our throats.” This twenty-seven minute audio is an excerpt of the open air.

I believe GOD used this open air, and Kevin’s loud voice and opinions to draw in a group of people who stood around waiting for the sun to set.

WARNING: There is a lot of profanity in this audio.

One other side note: there were no Christians there. It was just the pagans gathered and myself. Maybe there were Christians there listening or praying but they didn’t make themselves known to me. But something that always blows me away is when unregenerate people defend me. When things heat up between Kevin, me and one other guy, several unregenerate people standing just behind me step up and come to my defense.

There is one other unexpected twist to this story – nothing earth shattering – but it also blows me away. You’ll hear me offer Kevin some tracts at the end of the audio. He was upset and just road off on his bike. A little while later I had the opportunity to spend a few more minutes with him and give him, “The Atheist Test” tract and one other old Evolution tract that Living Waters used to sell. God gave me the opportunity to reiterate some of the truths I had shared with Kevin during the open air. Except this time, with gentleness and a pleading concern for his soul. I put my hand on Kevin’s shoulder and looked him in the eye and said, “Kevin, I care about you. Please turn from your sin and trust in Jesus Christ. It’s time to get right with GOD.” He calmed down and talked quietly for a few more minutes. We even shook hands before he left. I thank GOD that He gave me those few minutes with Kevin.

Fast-forward to Thursday night (last night): I attended a local Farmer’s Market in San Luis Obispo. SLOtown is approximately eighteen miles north of Pismo Pier. It was around 9:45 PM. Another Brother and I were witnessing to the numerous high school kids that gathered just outside of Jamba Juice (a great place for 1-2-1 witnessing). I was in conversation with three fourteen year old young ladies when I heard a guy say, “Hey, I know you.” I didn’t think much of it because I didn’t think the guy was talking to me. He dropped his bike and came walking up to me and held out his hand. He said, “What’s up? Are you here doing the same thing you were doing in Pismo.” It was Kevin and he held out his hand to shake my hand again. I don’t know what GOD is doing in the hearts of people but Kevin was smiling and seemed genuinely glad to see me, even wanting to go over some of the things we had talked about on Sunday. Please pray for this young man.

I must leave you with two things. First, just because things might get heated in either a witnessing encounter or during open air, hang in there, GOD works during those times too. You never really know whose being disturbed or even called to repentance by the Holy Spirit. I’m not saying Kevin is saved by any stretch of the imagination, but it seems from my limited perspective, the Holy Spirit is doing something there. So don’t shy away from the heat of a passionate discussion and plead with them to repent and believe the gospel. Plead with them, preach the law and the gospel to them and don’t quit.

Secondly, after the open air kind of died down, maybe fifteen people or so stood around for another hour discussing spiritual matters, GOD, the Bible, Jesus Christ, etc. Sad to say, but I was all these pagans had. There were no other Christians there to minister to these people who GOD had brought there to hear the gospel. I’m not exaggerating, I had a girl asking me sincere questions and at the same time a guy who was just as sincere asked me questions about the Bible and GOD. Many of the others had questions and wanted to hear more too. I wasn’t able to talk at length with all of them. At one point, I had to tell the one young lady who had a ton of questions that I couldn’t have a conversation with her and the guy I was currently talking to. This really grieved me.

Chrsitian - If you are not engaged in regular, deliberate evangelism, not only are you disobedient to our Lord’s command but you're missing out on the joy of spreading His fame – preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Earth Day with Jared and the Reverend

2010-05-01T02:08:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I had the opportunity to attend the 2010 Earth Day celebration that took place at Mission Plaza, San Luis Obispo. It was a beautiful Spring day – the sun was out and so were the people.

My objective in attending this event was to communicate the law and the gospel to as many individuals as I could (glorifying GOD and loving people). I passed out tracts and engaged several people in gospel conversation.

After a couple of hours I ended up walking by one of the booths that I took a photo of earlier. I must admit, I was curious about what kind of literature they were offering. But still, I had no intention of engaging the people in the booth. I walked up the booth, grabbed a piece of their literature and started to step away.

Note the sign over their booth. The subheading of the sign states: “The San Luis Obispo Ministerial Association provides collegiality and spiritual support for religious leaders and builds bridges of understanding among our diverse traditions and in our pluralistic community.”

As I was stepping away from the table reading this piece of literature, from behind the booth table, a very soft-spoken gentleman asked me if he could answer any questions. I told him that I was just looking at their materials and expressed that the materials were "interesting." I then added that I too was attending the Earth Day celebration to engage people in conversations about spiritual matters. He asked me what "group" I was part of. I told him that I attend such and such a local church.

At this point, I'm not sure but it seemed that he jumped to conclusions about me rather quickly. I believe he thought I represented a church or organization and was interested in their "services".

So as not to add to the confusion, I reiterated who I was and what I was doing there that day. But I still didn’t tip my hat that I was a born again believer sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with those who are on their way to Hell in hopes that they would turn from their sin and trust in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ so they can be forgiven and have eternal life and enjoy GOD forever.

The gentleman’s name is Jared. He's a local Para-Rabi. Jared invited me to come behind the table and sit and chat with him. I chose not to sit in the chair he offered me but instead knelt down on one knee and leaned on the table just outside their booth.

If God was giving me the opportunity to witness to this man, I thought it best to not only speak humbly but physically lower my position so as not to give him any reason to feel I was standing over him - looking down on him. Then I asked him permission to record our conversation. He said “yes.”

I teased you with a snippet of this video in a blog post earlier this week. In it you’ll remember a reverend lady chases me away from their booth. She asks me to leave several times. Eventually I do but not before a small verbal struggle with her.

As you’ll see from the video, it was Jared and I who were having the conversation. The reverend wasn’t part of it. She, in my opinion, very rudely kept interrupting us. Note that each time she attempts to stop our conversation is when Jared ever-so-slightly raises his voice. I think it made her uncomfortable because these “teachers” (Jared) were there to promote “understanding among our diverse traditions.” But with the conversation Jared and I were having, it was clear that Jared wasn’t being very understanding about his personal sin or especially Jesus being the ONLY way to GOD. This was really what was upsetting Jarrod – sound familiar?

At some point the reverend sensed that I was trying to “proselytize.” That’s when she had enough and decided to engage me face to face.

Note that Jared never once asked me to leave. Had he, I would have left in a heart-beat (as I’ve done in countless witness encounters where a person asks me to leave them alone).

The only reason I stayed as long as I did is because the discussion I was having was with Jared and NOT the reverend. Yes – she repeatedly asked me to stop/leave. And maybe I resisted longer than I should have but my motive was to speak more with Jared – not to resist her.

In the end I really don’t know what to think about this strange encounter. I’ve thought and prayed about it all week. Did I do and say the right thing? What would you have done/said if you were in my position?

I know that as I was walking away from this encounter, OT Scriptures began to pour into my mind. "Why didn't you use that passage," I thought to myself. Then tons of NT passages came to mind. "Oh Allen, why didn't you quote that verse to Jarrod?" At the same time, I trust that the Holy Spirit was working in and through it all and ultimately, "salvation is of the Lord." He alone is in control of these matters. Still I do want to improve in my evangelism endeavors. So please, if you have something you think might help me for next time, leave your comments.

Earth Day 2010 - Rob

2010-04-28T09:46:00.000-07:00

I met a very nice man named Rob at Earth Day SLO. He gave me a few minutes of his time and allowed me to capture his thoughts on Earth Day in this on camera interview. Then our conversation bridged over to discussing matters of morality (right and wrong); and then on to the Law and the Gospel.

The problem with these on camera interviews is I always feel the need to keep it short – in order to respect the person and their generosity in granting me a few minutes of their time. The good thing is that our conversation didn't end once the camera was turned off. As best I could, I expounded upon the truths of the gospel more fully to Rob and pleaded with Him to turn from sin and trust the Lord Jesus Christ.

Please remember to pray for Rob.

What Happened to Tolerance at Earth Day SLO?

2010-04-25T21:43:00.000-07:00

What happened at the Earth Day Celebration at Mission Plaza, SLO when I was invited behind a booth to sit and chat about spiritual matters? Watch this 28 second teaser to find out.

Why was the Reverend unhappy with me? Come back later this week to find out.

Is this what you would call building bridges of understanding among diverse traditions?

Organic Congregations

2010-04-17T12:42:00.001-07:00

Stone the Preacher is a blog written by Steve Sanchez. In regard to evangelism, his is one of the most encouraging blogs that I follow. Over the years I've read about his experiences in evangelism. Some of the most memorable though are his encounters while preaching open air to "Organic Congregations." I'll let him describe to you what an organic congregation is in detail if you're interested. But basically it's a captive audience. People line up outside of stores, sporting events, restaurants, etc. - and there just standing there waiting. People like Steve Sanchez take advantage of this Organic Congregation and preach the gospel to them.

Splash Cafe' in Pismo Beach, CA makes a famous Clam Chowder Bread Bowl. On weekends, there may be twenty to thirty people standing in line outside (wrapped around the side of the building) waiting to get their clam chowder. About every ten minutes or so there is a fresh bunch of ears just standing there waiting. This is our organic congregation.

On Palm Sunday 2010, Brother Al Martinez and Sister Kristi Walker came and spent the afternoon with me evangelizing in Pismo Beach. Upon arriving in Pismo we decided to take advantage of the crowd gathered outside of Splash Cafe'.

To GOD alone be the glory!

One Sunday Afternoon

2010-04-17T11:01:00.000-07:00

Two videos that capture several gospel conversations I had with different people on the corner of Oak Park Blvd. and Grand Ave. in Grover Beach - one Sunday afternoon.

A few of these encounters seem to have no conclusion - like there's missing footage. Bummer! The battery on my camera gave out. So why include the footage? I wanted to demonstrate the variety of people and conversations you can have with them. In just a few short hours many heard a Biblical message that glorifies GOD. In just a few short hours many heard the message that our gracious GOD may use as a means to sovereignty, inwardly call them to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.

There is nothing that hinders the sovereignty of GOD – nothing! His purposes will not be frustrated in the least, even if I’m derelict when it comes to evangelism. In fact, He doesn’t need me at all.

However, there is one thing that is hindered – our joy in Him. The Christian experiences great joy in Him when we’re obeying Him. When we are unwilling to obey we suffer the loss of the joy that comes from fulfilling the Great Commission – “GO.”

There is great joy to be had in obeying our Master. Evangelism is a labor too but primarily it’s a joy because in it you’ll experience Him. He is our joy! If you’re not experiencing the joy that Christians experience when evangelizing, I pray that you would begin to take steps to change that.

Christian, our Master gave us the Gospel. When was the last time you were obedient to His call to "preach the Gospel to every creature"? I’m not proclaiming that I’m Mr. Obedient here. I confess that I have tendencies to disobey the Lord Jesus and shy away from doing what I know I should. What I am trying to do is encourage you.

MY CHALLENGE TO YOU: Prayerfully set aside just one hour out of one Sunday afternoon for intentional evangelism. Glorify GOD and love people by being an obedient servant to the one who laid His life down for you.

The emphasis of the first video is sin, righteousness, and judgment (the context of the gospel). Then in the second video you'll notice the emphasis is on the Good News and a call to repent and believe.

THE PRECIOUS BLOOD

2010-04-03T09:43:00.000-07:00

Before thy cross I kneel and see
the heinousness of my sin
my iniquity that caused thee to be 'made a curse',
the evil that excites the severity of divine wrath.

Show me the enormity of my guilt by
the crown of thorns,
the pierced hands and feet,
the bruised body,
thy dying cries.

Thy blood is the blood of incarnate GOD,
its worth infinite, its value beyond all thought.
Infinite must be the evil and guilt that demands such a price.
Sin is my malady, my monster, my foe, my viper,
born in my birth,
alive in my life,
strong in my character,
dominating my faculties, following me as a shadow,
intermingling with my every thought,
my chain that holds me captive in the empire of my soul.

Sinner that I am, why should the sun give me light,
the air supply breath,
the earth bear my tread,
its fruits nourish me,
its creatures subserve my ends?

Yet thy compassions yearn over me,
thy heart hastens to my rescue,
thy love endured my curse,
thy mercy bore my deserved stripes.

Let me walk humbly in the lowest depths of humiliation,
bathed in thy blood,
tender of conscience,
triumphing gloriously as an heir of salvation.

taken from The Valley of Vision

Propitiation

2010-03-18T23:27:00.000-07:00

What is propitiation? (n) prō-pi-shē-ā-shən

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3:21-26

Cross Encounter with Alice

2010-03-15T18:47:00.000-07:00

A couple of Sundays ago I took the cross out to the corner of Sixteenth Street and Grand Ave. in Grover Beach. As I approached the corner, I could see a person dressed up as the Statue of Liberty. This is Alice. Alice is dressed up as the Statue of Liberty because Alice works for one of those tax preparation companies that hire sign-holders to advertise for them. This is my cross encounter with Alice.

Please remember to offer up prayer for Alice in the days, weeks, and months to come. Alice is one of those people who I will never forget. I pray that you too will not soon forget Alice.

ATONEMENT: SCRIPTURE ON PENAL SUBSTITUTION

2010-03-03T21:41:00.000-08:00

Below is an outstanding audio lecture seris on Penal Substitution from The Master's Seminary.

Christian - The Lord Jeusus is our treasure. Learn to treasure Him more through going deeper into the theology that is at the center of the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord. SDG!

Series Overview
Dr. Richard Mayhue

Penal Substitution in the OT
Dr. William Barrick

Penal Substitution in the NT
Professor Paul Felix

Penal Substitution in Church History
Dr. Michael Vlach

Penal Substitution in Worship
Dr. Andrew Snider

Audio Source

Cross Encounter with Nathan

2010-02-28T22:28:00.000-08:00

In my first blog entry I said that I would be sharing some of my evangelism experiences with you. I pray that by sharing these experiences you might be encouraged and reminded that time is short. Remember our Lord Jesus will soon return! Be encouraged to love GOD and glorify Him by obeying His command to love man. How?

“Go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15

Lord willing, this is the first of many entries entitled, “Cross Encounter.” These entries document an experience I’ve had with taking the wooden cross out on the streets and engaging individuals in 1-2-1 conversation about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This isn’t about having material to put on this blog. These are real people who matter to me. I pray that the individual(s) I’m talking to can see/hear how much I care for them. But I also hope you too will be able to sense my love for them as you listen/watch.

I love them because my Lord Jesus Christ first loved me and gave Himself to die the death I deserve. He bore my sin and absorbed the full wrath of the Father. Though He was/is perfectly holy and without sin, He stood in my place, as my Substitute, and satisfied the demands of GOD’s perfect justice for all my law breaking. ALL the work that was required to save my soul? Jesus said, “IT IS FINISHED!” He died and three days later He arose from the dead and ascended back up into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah. Ps 24:7-10
We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone.

THIS IS GOOD NEWS! And it was this good news that I so wanted to deliver to a young man named Nathan. This is my Cross Encounter with Nathan.

Man of Sorrows

2010-02-23T22:11:00.000-08:00

Recently I read a section of Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology to my wife. I read from chapter twenty-seven – The Atonement.

The more I read the more I felt deep emotions of sorrow. Sorrow over my sinfulness and sorrow for over what my sin brought upon Jesus - sorrow over what my Lord Jesus willingly endured for me.

As I read and contemplated my Lord’s cross-bearing in my place, I was so overcome with this strong sense of sorrow that I began to weep bitter tears. It was difficult to read each sentence as I fought back the painful tears. But out of those bitter tears, in the morning, came a greater sense of gratitude, joy, and worship of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. All praise to Him who reigns on high! SDG!

Below is the excerpt from Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology (pages 570-577) that I read to my wife. Christian, slow down, take some quiet time today and think deeply about what your Lord and Savior has borne for you. I pray that you too will be overcome with deep sorrow over your sin and the sufferings of your cross-bearing Savior who died in your place. I pray that the result will be that you would have a greater sense of gratitude, joy, and worship of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Nature of the Atonement

In this section we consider two aspects of Christ’s work: (1) Christ’s obedience for us, in which he obeyed the requirements of the law in our place and was perfectly obedient to the will of God the Father as our representative, and (2) Christ’s sufferings for us, in which he took the penalty due for our sins and as a result died for our sins.

It is important to notice that in both of these categories the primary emphasis and the primary influence of Christ’s work of redemption is not on us, but on God the Father. Jesus obeyed the Father in our place and perfectly met the demands of the law. And he suffered in our place, receiving in himself the penalty that God the Father would have visited upon us. In both cases, the atonement is viewed as objective; that is, something that has primary influence directly on God himself. Only secondarily does it have application to us, and this is only because there was a definite event in the relationship between God the Father and God the Son that secured our salvation.

1. Christ’s Obedience for Us (Sometimes Called His “Active Obedience”). If Christ had only earned forgiveness for sins for us, then we would not merit heaven. Out guilt would have been removed, but we would simply be in the position of Adam and Eve before they had done anything good or bad and before they had passed a time of probation successfully. To be established in righteousness forever and to have their fellowship with God made sure forever, Adam and Eve had to obey God perfectly over a period of time. Then God would have looked on their faithful obedience with pleasure and delight, and they would have lived with him in fellowship forever.

For this reason, Christ had to live a life of perfect obedience to God in order to earn righteousness for us. He had to obey the law for his whole life on our behalf so that the positive merits of his perfect obedience would be counted for us. Sometimes this is called Christ’s “active obedience,” while the suffering and dying for our sins is called his “passive obedience.” Paul says his goal is that he may be found in Christ, “not having a righteousness of [his] own, based on the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith” (Phil. 3:9). It is not just moral neutrality that Paul knows he needs from Christ (that is, a clean slate with sins forgiven), but a positive moral righteousness. And he know that that cannot come from himself, but must come thought faith in Christ. Similarly, Paul says that Christ has been made “our righteousness” (1 Cor. 1:30). And he quite explicitly says, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous” (Rom. 5:19).

2. Christ’s Sufferings for Us (Sometimes Called His “Passive Obedience”). In addition to obeying the law perfectly for his whole life on our behalf, Christ also took on himself the sufferings necessary to pay the penalty for our sins.

a. Suffering for His Whole Life: In a broad sense the penalty Christ bore in paying for our sins was suffering in both his body and soul throughout his life. Though Christ’s sufferings culminated in his death on the cross (see below), his whole life in a fallen world involved suffering. For example, Jesus endured tremendous suffering during the temptation in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1-11), when he was assaulted for forty days by the attacks of Satan. He also suffered in growing to maturity, “Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered” (Heb. 5:8). He knew suffering in the intense opposition he faced from Jewish leaders throughout much of his earthly ministry (Heb. 12:3-4). We may suppose too that he experienced suffering and grief at the death of his earthly father, and certainly he experienced grief at the death of his close friend Lazarus (John 11:35). In predicting the coming of the Messiah, Isaiah said he would be “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3).

b. The Pain of the Cross: The sufferings of Jesus intensified as he drew near to the cross. He told his disciples of something of the agony he was going through when he said, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death” (Matt. 26:38). It was especially on the cross that Jesus’ sufferings for us reached their climax, for it was there that he bore the penalty for our sin and died in our place. Scripture teaches us that there were four different aspects of the pain that Jesus experienced:

(1) Physical Pain and Death

We do not need to hold that Jesus suffered more physical pain than any human being has ever suffered, for the Bible nowhere makes such a claim. But we still must not forget that death by crucifixion was one of the most horrible forms of execution ever devised by man.

Many readers of the Gospels in the ancient world would have witnessed crucifixions and thus would have had a painfully vivid mental picture upon reading the simple words “And they crucified him” (Mark 15:24). A criminal who was crucified was essentially forced to inflict upon himself a very slow death by suffocation. When the criminal’s arm’s were outstretched and fastened by nails to the cross, he had to support most of the weight of his body with his arms. The chest cavity would be pulled upward and outward, making it difficult to exhale in order to be able to draw a fresh breath. But when the victim’s longing for oxygen became unbearable, he would have to push himself up with his feet, thus giving more natural support to the weight of his body, releasing some of the weight from his arms, and enabling his chest cavity to contract more normally. By pushing himself upward in this way the criminal could fend off suffocation, but it was extremely painful because it required putting the body’s weight on the nails holding the feet, and bending the elbows and pulling upward on the nails driven through the wrists. The criminal’s back, which had been torn open repeatedly by a previous flogging, would scrape against the wooden cross with each breath. Thus Seneca (first century A.D.) spoke of a crucified man “drawing the breath of life amid long-drawn-out agony” (Epistle 101, to Lucilius, section 14).

A physician writing in the Journal for the American Medical Association in 1986 explained the pain that would have been experienced in death by crucifixion:

Adequate exhalation required lifting the body by pushing up on the feet and by flexing the elbows…. However, this maneuver would place the entire weight of the body on the tarsals and would produce searing pain. Furthermore, flexion of the elbows would cause rotation of the writs about the iron nails and cause fiery pain along the damaged median nerves…. Muscle cramps and paresthesias of the outstretched and uplifted arms would add to the discomfort. As a result, each respiratory effort would become agonizing and tiring and lead eventually to asphyxia.

In some cases, crucified men would survive for several days, nearly suffocating but not quite dying. This was why the executioners would sometimes break the legs of a criminal, so that death would come quickly, as we see in John 19:31-33.

Since it was the day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross on the sabbath (for that sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him; but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.

(2) The Pain of Bearing Sin

More awful than the pain of physical suffering that Jesus endured was the psychological pain of bearing the guilt for our sin. In our own experience as Christians we know something of the anguish we feel when we know we have sinned. The weight of guilt is heavy on our hearts, and there is a bitter sense of separation from all that is right in the universe, an awareness of something that in a very deep sense ought not to be. In fact, the more we grow in holiness as God’s children, the more intensely we feel this instinctive revulsion against evil.

Now Jesus was perfectly holy. He hated sin with his entire being. The thought of evil, of sin, contradicted everything in his character. Far more than we do, Jesus instinctively rebelled against evil. Yet in obedience to the Father, and out of love for us, Jesus took on himself all the sins of those who would someday be saved. Taking on himself all the evil against which his soul rebelled created deep revulsion in the center of his being. All that he hated most deeply was poured out fully upon him.

Scripture frequently says that our sins were put on Christ: “the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isa. 53:6), and “He bore the sin of many” (Isa. 53:12). John the Baptist calls Jesus “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Paul declares that God made Christ “to be sin” (2 Cor. 5:21) and that Christ became “a curse for us” (Gal. 3:13). The author of Hebrews says that Christ was “offered once to bear the sins of many” (Heb. 9:28). And Peter says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24).

The passage from 2 Corinthians quoted above, together with the verses from Isaiah, indicate that it was God the Father who put our sins on Christ. How could that be? In the same way in which Adam’s sins were imputed to us, so God imputed our sins to Christ; that is, he thought of them as belonging to Christ, and, since God is the ultimate judge and definer of what really is in the universe, when God thought of our sins as belonging to Christ then in fact they actually did belong to Christ. This does not mean that God thought that Christ had himself committed the sins, (that is, the liability to punishment) was thought of by God as belonging to Christ rather than to us.

Some have objected that it was not fair for God to do this, to transfer the guilt of sin from us to an innocent person, Christ. Yet we must remember that Christ voluntarily took on himself the guilt for our sins, so this objection loses much of its force. Moreover, God himself (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is the ultimate standard of what is just and fair in the universe, and he decreed that the atonement would take place in this way, and that it did in fact satisfy the demands of his own righteousness and justice.

(3) Abandonment

The physical pain of crucifixion and the pain of taking on himself the absolute evil of our sins were aggravated by the fact that Jesus faced this pain alone. In the Garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus took with him Peter, James and John, he confided something of his agony to them: “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch” (Mark 26:56).

Here also there is a very faint analogy in our experience, for we cannot live long without tasting the inward ache of rejection, whether it be rejection by a close friend, by a parent or child, or by a wife or husband. Yet in all those cases there is at least a sense that we could have done something differently, that at least in small part we may be at fault. It was not so with Jesus and the disciples, for, “having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” (John 13:1). He had done nothing but love them; in return, they all abandoned him.

But far worse than desertion by even the closest of human friends was the fact that Jesus was deprived of the closeness to the Father that had been the deepest joy of his heart for all his earthy life. When Jesus cried, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46), he showed that he was finally cut off from the sweet fellowship with his heavenly Father that had been the unfailing source of his inward strength and the element of greatest joy in a life filled with sorrow. As Jesus bore our sins on the cross, he was abandoned by his heavenly Father, who is “of purer eyes than to behold evil” (Hab. 1:13). He faced the weight of the guilt of millions of sins alone.

(4) Bearing the Wrath of God

Yet more difficult than these three previous aspects of Jesus’ pain was the pain of bearing the wrath of God upon himself. As Jesus bore the guilt of our sins alone, God the Father, the mighty Creator, the Lord of the universe, poured out on Jesus the fury of his wrath: Jesus became the object of the intense hatred of sin and vengeance against sin which God had patiently stored up since the beginning of the world.

Romans 3:23 tells us that God put forward Christ as a “propitiation” (NASB) a word that means “a sacrifice that bears God’s wrath to the end and in so doing changes God’s wrath to favor.” Paul tells us that “That this was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies him who has faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:25-26). God had not simply forgiven sin and forgotten about the punishment in generations past. He had forgiven sins and stored up his righteous anger against those sins. But at the cross the fury of all that stored-up wrath against sin was unleashed against God’s own Son.

Many theologians outside the evangelical world have strongly objected to the idea that Jesus bore the wrath of God against sin. Their basic assumption is that since God is a God of love, it would be inconsistent with his character to show wrath against the human beings he has created and for whom he is a loving Father. But evangelical scholars have convincingly argued that the idea of the wrath of God is solidly rooted in both the Old and New Testaments: “the whole of the argument of the opening part of Romans is that all men, Gentiles and Jews alike, are sinners, and that they come under the wrath and the condemnation of God.”

Three other crucial passages in the New Testament refer to Jesus’ death as a “propitiation”: Hebrews 2:17; 1 John 2:2; and 4:10. The Greek terms (the verb hilaskomai, “to make propitiation” and the noun hilasmos, “a sacrifice of propitiation”) used in these passages have the sense of “a sacrifice that turns away the wrath of God – and thereby makes God propitious (or favorable) toward us.” This is the consistent meaning of these words outside of the Bible where they were well understood in reference to pagan Greek religions. These verses simply mean that Jesus bore the wrath of God against sin.

It is important to insist on this fact, because it is the heart of the doctrine of the atonement. It means that there is an eternal, unchangeable requirement in the holiness and justice of God that sin be paid for. Furthermore, before the atonement ever could have an effect on our subjective consciousness, it first had an effect on God and his relation to the sinners he planned to redeem. Apart from this central truth, the death of Christ really cannot be adequately understood.

Although we must be cautious in suggesting any analogies to the experience Christ went through (for his experience was and always will be without precedent or comparison), nonetheless, all our understanding of Jesus’ suffering comes in some sense by way of analogous experiences in our life – for that is how God teaches us in Scripture. Once again our human experience provides a very faint analogy that helps us understand what it means to bear the wrath of God. Perhaps as children we have faced the wrath of a human father when we have done wrong, or perhaps as adults we have known the anger of an employer because of a mistake we have made. We are inwardly shaken, disturbed by the crashing of another personality, filled with displeasure, into our very selves, and we tremble. We can hardly imagine the personal disintegration that would threaten if the outpouring of wrath came not from some finite human being but from Almighty God. If even the presence of God when he does not manifest wrath arouses fear and trembling in people (cf. Heb. 12:21, 28-29), how terrible it must be to face the presence of a wrathful God (Heb. 10:31).

With this in mind, we are now better able to understand Jesus’ cry of desolation, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46b). The question does not mean, “Why have you left me forever?” for Jesus knew that he was leaving the world, that he was going to the Father (John 14:28; 16:10, 17). Jesus knew that he would rise again (John 2:19; Luke 18:33; Mark 9:31; et al.). It was “for the joy that was set before him” that Jesus “endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 12:2). Jesus knew that he could still call God “my God.” This cry of desolation is not a cry of total despair. Furthermore, “Why have you forsaken me?” does not imply that Jesus wondered why he was dying. He had said, “The Son of man also cam not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Jesus knew that he was dying for our sins.

Jesus’ cry is a quotation form Psalm 22:1, a psalm in which the psalmist asks why God is so far from helping him, why God delays in rescuing him:

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer;
and by night, but find no rest. (Ps. 22:1-2).

Yet the psalmist was eventually rescued by God, and his cry of desolation turned into a hymn of praise (vv.22-31). Jesus, who knew the words for Scripture as his own, knew well the context of Psalm 22. In quoting the psalm, he is quoting a cry of desolation that also has implicit in its context an unremitting faith in the God who will ultimately deliver him. Nevertheless, it remains a very real cry of anguish because the suffering has gone on so long and no release is in sight.

With this context for the quotation it is better to understand the question, “Why have you forsaken me?” as meaning, “Why have you forsaken me for so long?” This is the sense it has in Psalm 22. Jesus, in his human nature, knew he would have to bear our sins, to suffer and to die. But, in his human consciousness, he probably did not know how long this suffering would take. Yet to bear the guilt of millions of sins even for a moment would cause the greatest anguish of soul. To face the deep and furious wrath of an infinite God even for an instant would cause the most profound fear. But Jesus’ suffering was not over in a minute – or two – or ten. When would it end? Could there be yet more weight of sin? Yet more wrath of God? Hour after hour it went on – the dark weight of sin and the deep wrath of God poured over Jesus in wave after wave. Jesus at last cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Why must suffering go on so long? Oh God, my God, will you ever bring it to an end?

Then at last Jesus knew his suffering was nearing completion. He knew he had consciously borne all the wrath of the Father against our sins, for God’s anger had abated and the awful heaviness of sin was being removed. He knew that all that remained was to yield up his spirit to his heavenly Father and die. With a shout of victory Jesus cried out, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). Then with a loud voice he once more cried out, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” (Luke 23:46). And then he voluntarily gave up the life that no one could take from him (John 10:17-18), and he died. As Isaiah had predicted, “he poured out his soul to death” and “bore the sin of many” (Isa. 53:12). God the Father saw “the fruit of the travail of his soul” and was “satisfied” (Isa. 53:11).

Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine Wayne Grudem (Author)

SDG!

Are You Ready?

2010-02-22T23:08:00.000-08:00

When I made the decision to incorporate a cross into my evangelism endeavors, I wasn't sure how I was going to go about getting my hands on one. Many of my Brothers and Sisters in Christ posted their own versions (specifications) of the crosses that they made. In the end I chose to use the dimensions that Tony Miano provided in one of his blog entries.

I found several woodshops in my local area and sent out emails to these shops describing what I wanted. Below is part of what I emailed.

Please quote your best price and delivery of one wooden cross with the specifications as follows:

• 4' vertical beam
• 2.5' horizontal beam
• Each beam 6.5" wide and 1.5" thick
• All edges rounded with a 3/8” or 1/2" radius
• Pine or Poplar
• Dark Walnut Stain & finished with clear lacquer

I’m not really sure why but no body responded. Maybe I shouldn’t have described to them what I wanted to do with the cross. Or maybe none of the woodshops I requested quotes from appreciates the cross. Either way, I had no takers. I began to search the web for cross manufacturers. I found maybe a half dozen or so and emailed them my request for their best price and delivery of one cross meeting the specifications above.

Saturday morning I got up and checked my email, not really expecting to see any responses to my request for quotations. However, I received the simple response below:

Good morning, Thank you for your email. I can build the flat traditional pine cross according to your dimensions stained dark walnut and clear lacquer finish shipped to California for [$$$]
May the Lord bless you today

Kenny

Just taking a guess, but the packaging alone probably weighs at least 3-4 lbs. So I’m estimating that this cross weighs 19-20 lbs.

In parallel with ordering the cross I still needed to figure out how I was going to get the, “Are You Ready?” question written across the crossbeam. I looked where I might get some single letters that would fit. I wanted the lettering to come about 1” from ether end and about ½” from the top edge and bottom edge of the face of the crossbeam. The other thing that I was sure that I wanted to do was to have the letters be relfelctive. Reflective letters will come in handy when it gets dark. I looked around on the web and found another really easy company to order from: Custom-Vinyl-Lettering.

They have a very simple custom label creator where you specify what you want the on the label, its size, its color, and what type of material (white reflective in my case). Watch this short video to see how the decal is applied.

Here is a snapshot of the specific label and its dimensions that I ordered.

Within 5-6 days after ordering it, I had my custom, “Are You Ready?” label. Actually, I received my custom label on the same day I received my cross.

After I unpackaged the cross, I carefully laid out my label and had it installed within 10-15 minutes.

Here’s a few pictures of the finished cross.

Kenny at Crossmember Crosses does high quality work. I highly recommend his work to anyone who is interested. Please at least give him a chance at quoting you a price. His website is:

http://www.crossmembercrosses.com/index.html

If you want to get a custom vinyl label made, you can use:

http://www.custom-vinyl-lettering.net/

A Wooden Cross

2010-02-21T16:46:00.000-08:00

Last year (2009) I read many blog entries, listened to audio, and watch videos of how my Brothers and Sisters in Christ have incorporated the use of a simple wooden cross in their evangelism endeavors. They use the crosses they carry as tool to start one on one spiritual conversations with people.

It’s nothing new. We’ve all seen people over the years carrying and holding up crosses. However, this group of brothers and sisters are doing something a bit different – at least I’ve never seen it.

Brother Tony Miano from The Lawman Chronicles started carrying a cross with, “Are You Ready?” written on the crossbeam. You can watch one of his videos here where he explains what inspired him.

GOD used Brother Tony to inspire many other believers to make their own crosses. As I said, I read about, listened to, and watched videos of these faithful servants of Christ out on the street, using their crosses to start spiritual conversations – leading to the communicating the Law and the Gospel to lost souls.

In December 09, I watch two videos that really encouraged me. So much so that I too decided that, in 2010, I would incorporate a cross into my evangelism endeavors. Below are the two videos from The Word Street Journal that blessed me and I pray that they will bless you too.

Here are a few more sites/blogs that inspired me to get a cross.
http://bythebloodofchrist.blogspot.com
http://lovethelost.org
http://www.clevelandcross.blogspot.com
http://justtruth.net
http://www.unlessyourepent.com

In my next post I'll put up a few pictures of my cross, its specifications and where I got it. Glory of GOD alone! SDG!

The Cross - What It Is All About?

2010-02-20T11:40:00.000-08:00

Cross Bearing Servant from Allen Peek on Vimeo.

Who has believed what he has heard from us?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
And they made his grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
he has put him to grief…
Isaiah 53:1-10a

CROSS BEARING SERVANT

2010-02-07T19:47:00.000-08:00

When I survey the wondrous Cross
On which the Prince of Glory died
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride

Forbid it Lord that I should boast
Save in the death of Christ my God
All the vain things that charm me most
I sacrifice them to His blood

See from His head His hands His feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down
Did ere such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown

Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far too small
Love so amazing so divine
Demands my soul
My life my all
When I survey the wondrous Cross - by Isaac Watts

When I contemplate the Cross of my Lord Jesus Christ I’m overwhelmed by two things. The holy hatred of GOD toward sin and the deep love of GOD demonstrated toward sinners.

“My richest gain…my pride…all the vain things that charm me most…” Isaac Watts, like me, was all too familiar with his own sin – before and after his union with Christ. Before my conversion, “my richest gain,” manifest itself in all manner of sin. I not only failed to do the things I knew were good and right, but I rebelled against all of GOD’s commandments. I desired things that didn’t belong to me – covetousness/greed. I stole things that didn’t belong to me. I told many lies to save my skin. I did everything I could to “save” my life (so I could seek my pleasure) while all along my soul was lost, lame, blind – DEAD. I was spiritually dead toward GOD and under His wrath because I rebelled against Him. In all truth I was unable to respond rightly toward GOD or man.

I shook my puny little fist at Him, so to speak, by using His name in a disrespectful vile manner. Indeed, I was an enemy of GOD. The life that I lived before my union with Christ was one of self-seeking, self-exaltation, self-worship and my pride. Not only did I sin through acts of outward rebellion; violating His law at every turn, but the vain things that charmed me most was heart-sin against GOD. In my heart I committed adultery by looking with lust. I committed murder in my heart each time I harbored bitterness, anger, or hatred toward another person. I never thanked GOD for air, food, water, family and I didn’t give Him the honor, praise, and worship that are due to Him alone. I was guilty and deserved to be punished as a guilty criminal who had violated the law.

According to God’s character and nature: holiness, goodness, righteousness and justice – this guilty sinner deserved to be punished for the crimes I’d committed against this infinatly perfect Being and Judge of all of the universe. The punishment that the Creator of the universe has ascribed is punishment in Hell.

But, in spite of my sin, by His grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone, GOD set me free from the power of sin and death. Jesus Christ lived a perfect life - not for His own sake but in order to merit righteousness for His people. When this perfect God-man hung on the Cross, the sins of His people were placed on Him and God the Father made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us and He punished Jesus in the place of His people. He poured out His just wrath on Jesus instead of us - as our Substitute. Jesus bore the wrath of God and died on the Cross. He was placed in a tomb and three days later He rose from the dead, proving that God the Father accepted the ransom payment that Jesus made for His people.

AMAZING LOVE! See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are!

Through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ I’ve been reconciled to GOD and have a new relationship with Him. I am His child and no longer a slave to sin. However, the more I know Him the more I know myself and see in myself this falleness. Positionally God has declared me righteous in His site. Relationally I am a child of God. Transformationally the Person of the Holy Spirit is at work sanctifying me in Christlikeness - desires, habits and character. I count myself dead to sin. However, when I get a glimps of the holiness of GOD, while in this body, I still say with the prophet Isaiah, “Woe is me, for I am undone!”

In the saving of sinners GOD takes pleasure and is glorified. The death of His Son was no mistake! It was the plan and purpose of the Triune Godhead from all eternity past.

This blog, “Cross Bearing Servant” is a response to the Person and work of Jesus Christ, The Cross Bearing Servant, in my life. Out of gratitude for what He’s done and doing in me, I desire to make much of Him here and everywhere. The love of Christ compels me to love Him, His people who have been saved and those who have not yet come into the fold and all people everywhere!

There is a multitude that GOD has planned to save. It is my desire and pleasure to speak the Gospel to all people everywhere – without discrimination. Along with a local church, I'm so excited to be a witness and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Why? Because I have no doubts that GOD will save those whom Christ died for and He will be glorified in and through it all. We proclaim the gospel to all people - the outward call of the gospel. But GOD will inwardly summons those individuals who Chirst died for and they will come – all the way to glory!

By way of further explaining what exactly I believe about the atonement of Jesus Christ, please read the statements below. These are glorious truths that will make your heart glad in Christ.

I didn’t write the statements below. I took them from Bethlehem Baptist Church’s website. However, I do hold firmly to these truths. I’ve edited these statements a bit in that I’ve removed the “We believe” portion at the beginning of each statement.

Fix your eyes on THE CROSS BEARING SERVANT!

God, from all eternity, in order to display the full extent of His glory for the eternal and ever-increasing enjoyment of all who love Him, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His will, freely and unchangeably ordain and foreknow whatever comes to pass.

God upholds and governs all things – from galaxies to subatomic particles, from the forces of nature to the movements of nations, and from the public plans of politicians to the secret acts of solitary persons – all in accord with His eternal, all-wise purposes to glorify Himself, yet in such a way that He never sins, nor ever condemns a person unjustly; but that His ordaining and governing all things is compatible with the moral accountability of all persons created in His image.

God‘s election is an unconditional act of free grace which was given through His Son Christ Jesus before the world began. By this act God chose, before the foundation of the world, those who would be delivered from bondage to sin and brought to repentance and saving faith in His Son Christ Jesus.

Although God created man morally upright, he was led astray from God‘s Word and wisdom by the subtlety of Satan‘s deceit, and chose to take what was forbidden, and thus declare his independence from, distrust for, and disobedience toward his all-good and gracious Creator. Thus, our first parents, by this sin, fell from their original innocence and communion with God.

As the head of the human race, Adam‘s fall became the fall of all his posterity, in such a way that corruption, guilt, death, and condemnation belong properly to every person. All persons are thus corrupt by nature, enslaved to sin, and morally unable to delight in God and overcome their own proud preference for the fleeting pleasures of self-rule.

God has subjected the creation to futility, and the entire human family is made justly liable to untold miseries of sickness, decay, calamity, and loss. Thus all the adversity and suffering in the world is an echo and a witness of the exceedingly great evil of moral depravity in the heart of mankind; and every new day of life is a God-given, merciful reprieve from imminent judgment, pointing to repentance.

In the fullness of time God sent forth His eternal Son as Jesus the Messiah, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary. When the eternal Son became flesh, He took on a fully human nature, so that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures were inseparably joined together in one Person, without confusion or mixture. Thus the Person, Jesus Christ, was and is truly God and truly man, yet one Christ and the only Mediator between God and man.

Jesus Christ lived without sin, though He endured the common infirmities and temptations of human life. He preached and taught with truth and authority unparalleled in human history. He worked miracles, demonstrating His divine right and power over all creation: dispatching demons, healing the sick, raising the dead, stilling the storm, walking on water, multiplying loaves, and foreknowing what would befall Him and His disciples, including the betrayal of Judas and the denial, restoration, and eventual martyrdom of Peter.

His life was governed by His Father‘s providence with a view to fulfilling all Old Testament prophecies concerning the One who was to come, such as the Seed of the woman, the Prophet like Moses, the Priest after the order of Melchizedek, the Son of David, and the Suffering Servant.

Jesus Christ suffered voluntarily in fulfillment of God‘s redemptive plan, that He was crucified under Pontius Pilate, that He died, was buried and on the third day rose from the dead to vindicate the saving work of His life and death and to take His place as the invincible, everlasting Lord of glory. During forty days after His resurrection, He gave many compelling evidences of His bodily resurrection and then ascended bodily into heaven, where He is seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding for His people on the basis of His all-sufficient sacrifice for sin, and reigning until He puts all His enemies under His feet.

By His perfect obedience to God and by His suffering and death as the immaculate Lamb of God, Jesus Christ obtained forgiveness of sins and the gift of perfect righteousness for all who trusted in God prior to the cross and all who would trust in Christ thereafter. Through living a perfect life and dying instead, the just for the unjust, Christ absorbed our punishment, appeased the wrath of God against us, vindicated the righteousness of God in our justification, and removed the condemnation of the law against us.

The atonement of Christ for sin warrants and impels a universal offering of the gospel to all persons, so that to every person it may be truly said, ―God gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him might not perish but have eternal life. Whosoever will may come for cleansing at this fountain, and whoever does come, Jesus will not cast out.

The death of Christ did obtain more than the bona fide offer of the gospel for all; it also obtained the omnipotent New Covenant mercy of repentance and faith for God‘s elect. Christ died for all, but not for all in the same way. In His death, Christ expressed a special covenant love to His friends, His sheep, His bride. For them He obtained the infallible and effectual working of the Spirit to triumph over their resistance and bring them to saving faith.

Why Another Blog?

2010-01-28T21:00:00.000-08:00

Why another blog? I’ll answer that question by asking another from the Shorter Westminster Catechism. “What is the chief end of man?” ANSWER: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.”

It’s true! My highest purpose (and yours) as a Christian is to be totally absorbed by the Person and work of GOD the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. No matter what I set my hand to do, it is my desire that GOD remain central and receive all the honor, praise and adoration for who He is, what He's doing, and what He has done. He alone is my greatest treasure and joy – He alone is worthy.

It is impossible that anything I could say here would add anything to GOD’s glory. All glory already belongs to Him because of Who He is. But with that being said, it is altogether possible (and it is my motive) to blog in such a way that He is pleased and that He alone is honored, receiving all the credit for any and all good fruit. I say with the Reformers' that in all things “Soli Deo Gloria!” Soli Deo Gloria - Latin meaning Glory to God alone. SDG!

By the grace of GOD, my, although imperfect (heart, mind, soul, strength) love for the glory of GOD is the taproot for my love of mankind.

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:10-11, 19

Out of the love that GOD has, “poured out” in my heart by the Holy Spirit, I will attempt to blog in such a way that expresses my love for GOD’s people – my Brothers and Sisters in Christ and for lost people. Remember - concerning the command to love GOD and man, Jesus said, “there is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12).

In First Thessalonians chapter four, the Apostle Paul instructs the Church concerning GOD’s command to brotherly love. In verse nine he urges the Church to, “do this more and more.” He then provides the Church with more practical instruction and exhortation about how to live (vv.10-12). Then he turns his attention to encouraging them about the glories of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and provides them (us) with a detailed teaching about what happens to Christians who die (vv.13-17). In verse eighteen he says, “Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

I want to make the Apostle Paul’s aim in writing these words to the Church my own aim in this blog. In everything I blog about here, I pray it will be with an eye on loving you my Brother and Sister in Christ. I’ll do my best, by the grace of GOD, to encourage you of this simple truth - Time is short! Our Lord will soon return! Love GOD and glorify Him by obeying His command to love man. How? “Go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15

In the weeks, months, (years Lord willing) to come, I’ll be posting my experiences in evangelism. I pray it honors Christ Jesus our Lord and encourages you Christian. In addition to text, you’ll see/hear audio, video, and photos of my evangelism endeavors.

"Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you…" 2 Thessalonians 3:1

The title of the Blog “Cross Bearing Servant”??? I’ll explain it in my next post.

SDG!