July 15-22

"What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade." -Luke 17

7/15/09 Steve about 55
At our neighborhood weight room this morning I ran into Steve, who I have heard a lot about but never actually met in the 20 years I’ve lived here. Steve is a renovator and landlord, and people have told me “he owns half the neighborhood”. I figured now is my chance, since I probably won’t run into him for another 20 years, so after talking a while I told him I had a question he probably never expected to get asked while lifting weights. “What do you think happens to us after this life?” He told me he used to be a very devout Catholic, but said “I got tired of hearing the same sermons over and over. They all sounded the same.” He now believes that God is like an energy source, and our souls are energy and will join in with all energy when we die. I reminded him that the Bible teaches there is a day when we must give account to God, who has revealed the standard by which he will judge us in the Bible. Steve nervously said he needed to get back to his weights. In hindsight, a simple question – “What if the Bible IS true – how would you be judged?” has often helped conversations at this point. I don’t know why I didn’t think to ask it today. Maybe we will meet again sooner than in 20 years, and can continue to talk.

7/16/09 Nick about 25
There are opportunities for evangelism all around us. At Home Depot today I gave a million dollar track to a fellow shopper. Nick said “I had one of these on the wall at my store in New York.” “Did you read the back?” I asked. He hadn’t, so I proceeded to explain the message about our inability to be good enough to earn heaven because we have broken God’s laws. Nick agreed that on judgment day he would be found guilty of breaking God’s commandments, but felt that he would be forgiven if he confessed his sins everyday. I explained that a good judge doesn’t allow crime to go unpunished and neither does God. Sin has a tremendous price, which we can’t afford to pay, but fortunately God paid it himself through Jesus on the cross. Nick agreed to all this, and seemed to respond most to the analogy about the parachute – believing in a parachute won’t save you unless you put it on, and in the same way, many who say they “believe” in Jesus Christ haven’t really “put Him on” in their life. Those who really do trust in Jesus will be changed by Him. Nick was thankful for the conversation and will hopefully read the info I gave him.

7/17/09 Paul about 70
In the parking lot as I left Target I gave an elderly man named Paul a million dollar tract with a caricature of Barack Obama on the front. That was a mistake. Paul is very bitter toward Obama and his policies and he let me know it. When I finally got a word in edgewise to let him know that the tract wasn’t political but had a question on the back about eternity, he seemed apologetic, but not for long as he complained about the church and problems with priests. He agreed that we would all stand before God on judgment day, but as I asked how he felt he would be judged he changed the subject again to talk about declining morals in our society. Try as I might, Paul clearly wanted to blame others for everything he was unhappy about. His heart has clearly become calloused as I was reminded of in Ephesians 4: “They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.” Please pray for Paul, that God will soften his heart.

7/18/09 Sergio, 24
Coming down the sidewalk was a heavy-set young man with his pit bull. I asked him if I could ask an interesting question, which he agreed to. After befriending his dog, Thumper, I asked him what he thought was on the other side after this life. Sergio had been baptized in a Catholic Church and received his first communion, but said he had stopped believing in God during high school. He believes in a “higher power” but not a God with a personality as described in the Bible. Nonetheless, I asked him how he would be judged if God and judgment day DID exist. This helped to circumvent an argument about God’s existence and instead our conversation focused on the possibility of Sergio being held accountable for his attitudes and actions toward God. Sergio said that he works as a nurse and that God would say he is a good, but not perfect person. Through a long conversation he saw that our good deeds are rightfully expected of us, and our guilt for breaking God’s commandments won’t go away simply because we confess them. God’s justice requires a penalty for sin, and Sergio began to understand what Jesus has done on the cross for us. I didn’t sense heartfelt conviction, but I believe I saw the light of understanding on his face as we parted ways.

7/19/09 Two Lawyers about 30
I live near Cellular Field, and during today’s White Sox game I went to talk to people who were in the smoking area – an area outside the stadium enclosed by a low fence. I gave out “celebrity million” gospel tracts which have a movie star caricature on the front and make great souvenirs. This helped start a conversation with two ladies, one Methodist and one Catholic who asked “Are you one of those ‘born-again’ Christians?” I asked what the term meant to her and she said she knew people who said they were “born-again”, including an old boyfriend who lied, cheated, got drunk and abusive, etc. yet said they were going to heaven because they had prayed and accepted Jesus when they were young. She thought they were hypocrites and I agreed because that’s not what Jesus taught his followers to do. The Methodist woman was very proud of her welcoming attitude towards gays, believing herself to be a much better person than “those evangelicals” because of her “enlightened” beliefs that the Bible had not been translated accurately. I tried to focus on our accountability to follow the Ten Commandments – for Romans 3 says that “through the law we become conscious of sin” - but they both maintained very pious and self-righteous attitudes. “You know, we’re both lawyers” they told me, expecting this to silence any disagreement as they left to see the game. “Law to the proud” applied to them, but not “grace to the humble”.

7/21/09 Hugh about 60
I’m on vacation at a Minnesota lake, and began a conversation with two men at the end of the dock. One quickly left, and I think I know why. His friend, Hugh, talks too much. I soon found out the hard way that he loves to tell long pointless stories. When I finally shifted the conversation to his spiritual beliefs, I heard his many theories about end times from Nostradamus to the Mayan calendar. He believes way too much of what he sees on the Discovery channel and, though he told me his wife is an evangelist, he disregards much of the Bible. He told me of searching for hidden messages and codes in the scriptures. I challenged him to try to follow the clear teachings of the Bible and he won’t have time to theorize about any hidden ones. This was a long conversation that was hard to keep on a spiritual track, because I may have spent too much time on informal chit-chat, giving him the impression that he had a listener for his opinions on any topic that struck his fancy. I’m reminded that, although it’s important to be a good listener, I must also provide leadership and direction in witnessing conversations; otherwise people go off on any one of a variety of tangents. Pray for Hugh and his “evangelist” wife. He said “She gave up trying to convert me a long time ago.”

7/22/09 Phil, Zach, and 3 friends - all about 20
At the gas station I walked over to a group of “muscle car” guys hanging out by their cars and gave them million dollar tracts. I pointed out the million dollar question on the back and asked them if they believed in eternal life. All did except Phil, who said it would be like before we were born – we wouldn’t exist. The rest said they would be in heaven. I asked them what would happen if, God forbid, they died today, but then they weren’t so sure. Apparently they trust they will be good enough later on in life to make up for the way they live now. One said he had gone to Catholic school and has heard it all before and wasn’t interested. For a while he kept trying to change the subject but Phil said he wanted to hear what the Bible said, because he had no church or Bible background. Zach, puffing his cigarette, said “I go to church and I believe in God and all that, but I don’t talk about it to others”. I said “It took me a long time to get bold enough to talk to complete strangers about God, but you have to start somewhere, so do you read the Bible?” He said he didn’t. Phil kept asking great questions and was obviously very interested, so I took him through the “good person test” about the Ten Commandments. In the end he could see he would be guilty on judgment day, and that Jesus had taken the punishment that he deserved. He was glad to get more info and thanked me sincerely for the conversation.

July 8-14

"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes..." Romans 1:16

7/8/09 Sally about 50
As they sat on a park bench I asked Sally and her friend if I could interview them about their spiritual beliefs. Her friend, nervous about the beer in his hand, declined but Sally, who proclaimed herself to be a Christian, accepted. I wondered at the alcohol on her breath, especially that early in the day, and the cigarette in her hand, but I try not to judge people by lifestyle issues since the Ten Commandments are enough to convict anyone regardless of lifestyle. I asked about her beliefs and found that she believes in her own version of God who does not punish sin, but welcomes everyone into heaven with open arms. “And I forgive everyone too” she said, and in the course of our conversation she claimed to forgive a man who raped her in college, some girls who had mugged her, and the woman who stole her husband. Just as some people trust that they can do enough good deeds to earn their way to heaven, Sally trusts in her own forgiving attitude so much that she said God would see her as a VERY good person. She only reluctantly admitted to breaking some commandments, and saw no justifiable reason for herself or anyone to be punished. People aren’t “bad” they just “make mistakes” she claimed. I pray Sally can understand the true nature of sin, that it is so repulsive to God that only the atoning blood of Christ can satisfy the demands of His justice and wrath.

Note: We videotaped this 25 minute conversation and edited it down to about 14 minutes. To view this video, click here and please don't laugh at my wild hair!

7/9/09 Sherman, about 50
After a late afternoon errand I stopped at a Borders bookstore where lots of people were browsing the bookshelves. I used a million dollar tract to start a conversation with Sherman, who hasn’t been involved in church since childhood. He believed he would go to heaven “as long as I don’t do something so bad that it’s beyond God’s ability to forgive”. I asked if he meant something like murder, which he did, and I told him about a neighbor of mine who had stabbed someone to death as a teenager, did about 12 years in prison, and now seems like just a regular neighbor. An interesting discussion led to the question “how good does one have to be to make it to heaven?” After I gave him the “good person test” based on some of the 10 commandments Sherman humbly agreed that he is a lying thief, a murderer and adulterer at heart, that he would be guilty before God on judgment day, and that he deserves to be punished. He gladly and thankfully received the good news that Jesus had taken his punishment for him, and especially related to the idea that one need not live life wondering if they have been good enough for heaven, but instead we repent and serve God out of thankful obedience for God’s forgiveness in Christ. As we parted ways he profusely thanked me “for this enlightening conversation”.

7/10/09 Noe, about 45
Today was Bob’s memorial celebration, filled with his family and friends, co-workers, and his church family as we gathered together in agreement that Bob had left an awesome legacy of faith. The Lord has done much in and through his life since he committed his life to Jesus just about 6 years ago. Today I write about one of the many lives the Lord touched through Bob. Standing in front of Bob’s picture memorial, weeping, was a co-worker from the museum where Bob was a security guard. “This is the man who led me to the Lord. I miss him so much” Noe said through his tears. He told me how Bob used to talk to him everyday, encouraging him in his new faith. Today Noe is active in a church, is involved in an outreach to the homeless just as Bob was, and has started an after-school program. And Noe wasn’t alone; there must have been at least a dozen co-workers from the museum who gathered to honor Bob’s legacy. This was a side of Bob’s life that we in his church family didn’t know much about, though we could have expected as much. Bob faithfully served Jesus wherever he went, joyfully telling people around him about his Savior and what he had been saved from. Evangelism was everyday for Bob; it was just a part of who he was. For me, I need a daily goal to remind myself of my commitment to share the Gospel. Maybe someday it will just be a natural part of me like it was for Bob!

7/12/09 Tyler, Randy about 20
One aspect of Bob’s life that struck me at his memorial service yesterday was the persistence he had sharing his faith with people he saw on a regular basis. I find it easier to reach out to strangers who I may never see again; I trust I am just one part of a series of events that the Holy Spirit orchestrates to bring people to salvation and growth in their faith. But with people I know, I feel more responsible to follow up with continued ministry. I get overwhelmed with that task, though it still belongs to the Lord. So today as Tyler and Randy walked by my house, who I know as neighborhood “thugs”, I remembered Bob’s willingness to reach out to everyone around him, so I walked over to them and began a conversation by telling them I had a million dollar question. This got them curious, and I said “I hope you live to be 100, but the truth is 10 out of 10 people die, and we’re not guaranteed tomorrow, so what comes next?” They began to talk about ghosts and reincarnation. Randy declared he didn’t believe God exists. I asked what would happen if they stood in front of an oncoming truck and closed their eyes and pretended trucks didn’t exist. Reality would hit them hard no matter what they believed about it. They were very thoughtful about this, and Tyler said ‘That’s a good point, I never thought of it that way”. Just then a phone call let them know a friend was waiting, so they thanked me and went on their way. All I can say is “to be continued” - Lord willing!

7/13/09 John, 42
John is well known in my neighborhood as a community activist and leader. I’ve known him for many years but never shared my faith with him, until today. We were talking at the park about school and community issues. Finally I told him I had a serious question to ask. “But first I want to ask you this,” I began. “Suppose I was diagnosed with a fatal disease, but found a miraculous cure. If I then believed my friend had the disease, what should I do?” “Tell him about it and the cure, of course” John said. “What if he gets mad at me and doesn’t want to hear it?” John agreed that I should still tell him if I am a real friend. “Well that’s the spirit in which I ask this question, so here goes. What do you believe happens when we die?” I asked. John told about how he was at a crossroads in his Catholic beliefs, though he felt God would judge him to be a good person. I helped him see that God has every right to expect us to do good with what he has given us and to punish those who break His laws. I shared both the law and gospel. He had to leave before I could explain it as completely as I wanted to, but he said he’d like to talk more and gladly received the info I gave him.

7/14/09 Mary about 55
I’ve been more intentional about reaching out in my neighborhood where I know a lot of people, and today talked to Mary on the sidewalk, who did daycare for our children when they were young. She talked of the pain and sorrow she still has after losing her father three years ago, leading her to two massive heart attacks. I saw the tears in her eyes as she thought of him, and wondered how I could compassionately but frankly talk of spiritual matters. I believed I might really upset her by talking about what happens after we die, possibly casting doubt on her father’s salvation. I just decided to start by asking about her beliefs to see where it would lead, so I said, “I’ve known you for years, and you’ve known my faith is important to me, and I’m sorry I’ve never asked you until now, but I’m just wondering what your spiritual beliefs are.” She answered, “I’d like to think there is more beyond this life and everything happens for a reason.” She said if there is an afterlife she believes in heaven and purgatory for people who need to be punished. I let her know that purgatory really isn’t taught in the Bible and that if there was some other way for people to be saved then God wouldn’t have allowed his Son to suffer and die on the cross. “Our good works can’t save us, but are done as a response to what Christ has done for us.” She agreed wholeheartedly, and was so much more willing to talk about her beliefs than I gave her credit for. What was I thinking?

July 1 - 7

I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. Philemon 6

7/01/09 Craig about 45
For most of my life in Christ I have believed that I should live in such a way that unbelievers would feel compelled to ask me about my Christian faith, but I found it rarely happened that way. Craig was a semi-homeless and alcoholic man in my neighborhood who I talked with and on occasion gave odd jobs and a few handouts to, but he never asked me why I was such a “nice” person. Today, after an absence of three years, Craig showed up on my front porch. I brought out some lunch and we sat down to talk. Witnessing to strangers has really helped with my original goal - to be better able to witness to people I already know - and I found it so easy and natural to ask about Craig’s beliefs and to share biblical truths. Craig grew up in a black Pentecostal church but never took any ownership of his own faith. His life was on a downward spiral until he entered an alcohol detox and recovery program. His attitude now shows humility and submission to God, compared to the manipulative lies and hard-luck stories I heard from him a few years ago, and I believe he now has a saving faith in Jesus. Please pray for Craig; he still has many struggles but I believe he is heading in the right direction.

7/2/09 Ed, Freddy, and Garren about 40,25,30
As I headed in to Dominick’s for groceries I began talking with Ed and Freddy who were sitting out front. They initially responded with interest to my questions about spiritual things, until Ed changed the subject to his wife who he believed was cheating on him. I tried to listen and offer counsel, but he seemed to get more angry and animated as he went on. After he left for a phone call I talked with Freddy, who had many alternative theories about the beginnings of the universe and what happens after we die. He had to leave with a friend and that good conversation was cut short. I was able to give him some info on what the Bible teaches, but in hindsight I wish I had been more assertive in directing these conversations toward biblical truth. It’s hard to know how much time one has in a conversation before it is interrupted. Inside Dominick’s I talked with Garren, who grew up as a Methodist in Jamaica A few initial questions showed he believes people “create their own heaven or hell”, and that one could outweigh their sins on God’s scale of justice by doing good deeds. I pointed out that since it is God who gives us the ability to do good, to believe we can “pay” for our sins by doing good is like expecting a judge in a courtroom to be willing to take a bribe to ignore someone’s guilt, even though the money for the bribe belonged to the judge in the first place! Later in the checkout line Garren told me he doesn’t have a church home and hopes to visit New Life.

7/04/09 Ray about 45
As I parked outside Lowes Home Store to tie up some lumber I had just bought, I greeted an incoming shopper and handed him a million dollar tract, but gave him a Spanish version by mistake. I began to explain what it said in English and he was glad to talk about his views on religion and eternity. Ray is a high school science teacher and an atheist. Throughout our long conversation I could tell that Ray had put much thought into denying the existence of God from every angle. He had grown up attending church and said he had believed in God and was baptized as a boy. I asked at what point he began to doubt God and he said it was during a college science class. He had talked with his professor outside of class who convinced him to doubt that the Bible was God’s word. From there I could tell he had been on a slippery slope to unbelief as he had explored other religions and has finally come to the conclusion that “God is an invention of our imagination”. Ray was so enthusiastic about his “enlightened” beliefs; it was hard to get a word in edgewise, and when I did he would just dismiss it as religiously biased thinking. Pray for Ray and all the students in his classes whom he is able to influence on a daily basis.

7/5/09 Lois, about 50
Bob, 54, was our much loved brother in Christ and a faithful witness to the end in his victorious fight against lung cancer. During his last hours in the hospice I was glad to be able to carry on his legacy by sharing God’s law and the good news of Jesus with Bob’s sister Lois, whom he hadn’t seen in some time. Lois told me she has really no church or Bible background, and I found that she was more than ready to hear the truths of God’s word that her brother had shared with so many people. Later on, a wave of people from our church arrived – a real testimony to Bob’s impact on our lives. Lois not only heard the Word of God, she saw the Word of God in action as the Body of Christ gathered around Bob and his family. I feel privileged to be just one part of the still unfolding plan God is orchestrating as an answer to Bob’s prayers for his family and friends.

7/6/09 Denny and friends late teens
Bob passed away today, faithful to the end. Through Jesus he was victorious over sin, cancer and death. Despite the news, I continued my witnessing goal. What better way to honor Bob than to be a witness for his Lord? On my bike, I stopped outside a local tavern where 5 patrons were outside smoking. One didn’t believe in God; the other four believed themselves to be good people and headed for heaven, but thought twice about my “good person test” and excused themselves to go back inside. Down the street I stopped to talk to a group of teens on some front steps. Denny was the main one who responded to my questions. At first he said that he was going to hell because of all the bad he had done, but when I questioned him about it he admitted he really believes he is “better than average” and that God would say he is a good person. Our conversation competed with distractions, from friends driving by or coming in and out of their building, cell phones ringing, motorcycles drowning us out, and others in the group changing the subject. Denny and a couple friends, including Jeremy and Shaun who I had talked to a few weeks ago, patiently sat through it all, but what really got their attention was when I told them about Bob’s faithfulness in his final days. How he could barely talk, but kept pointing up to His Lord, and how his last words to me were to tell me not to say “goodbye”, but to say “see you later”. Bob’s testimony continues to point others to Jesus!

7/7/09 Tom about 40
Tom is a student in an education class I am taking. During a casual conversation in the parking lot after class today I switched from talking about the natural to the spiritual by asking about his religious background and current beliefs. His father is an army chaplain but he has many alternative theories about God, ranging from reincarnation to an idea that “god is the sum total of our collective consciousness”. I feel I earned his trust and respect as we discussed this for awhile, and then I posed the question “What if the Bible IS true – what if there is a God who created us and will hold us accountable on judgment day? How would you be judged?” Although Tom initially said that he was guilty and not worthy of heaven – he was thinking more about his drinking and bad treatment of his wife – I found that talking about the commandments individually really drove home the point – especially because he had broken some that very day. The focus shifted from crazy theories to the timeless truths of redemption in Christ. Tom was amazed, because just last night his wife had shown interest in religion for the first time. Tom truly appreciated our conversation, and so did I.