Showing posts with label Gospel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gospel. Show all posts

Monday, October 31, 2011

180 Movie - Project Heart Changer - Cal Poly SLO

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.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

180 Movie Clerity

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

Monday, September 26, 2011

180 MOVIE

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."

Friday, April 1, 2011

Austin Believes in Science NOT Creator GOD

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.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Open Air Flip Chart


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.






Saturday, April 17, 2010

One Sunday Afternoon

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.







Sunday, February 21, 2010

A Wooden Cross

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!

Saturday, February 20, 2010

The Cross - What It Is All About?

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

Sunday, February 7, 2010

CROSS BEARING SERVANT

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.