8/31/10 Jerry, Fernando, Elmer, all 18
After work I met up witth Dave, a church brother, and we went to the park where we found two friends (Jerry and Fernando) sharing a marijuana joint. We engaged them in conversation by asking questions about their beliefs and had a good discussion going, especially about various sins and whether or not they were truly wrong. The main point was that they had their own opinions about morality and couldn't make the connection that any rejection of God's standards is rebellion on the level of Adam's original sin. They tenuously admitted their guilt and wanted to hear how they could be forgiven when another friend, Elmer rode his bike up to us and started voicing his opinions, that God doesn't even exist, or that the Bible can't be trusted. At first this seemed like an unwanted intrusion but as the discussion with Elmer went on I believe he inadvertently helped Jerry and Fernando see the logical outcome of their rebellion - a rejection of God and His involvement in their life. My presentation of the Savior wasn't as clear as I would have wanted, but the exposure of their need for a Savior was very clear.
Gospel conversations from the streets and marketplace....
8/30/10 Vido, about 65
The writer of Hebrews warns us against having an unbelieving heart lest we be "hardened by sin's deceitfulness" (Hebrews 3:13) I met an older man named Vido at the park today, a tough Italian from Chicago's original Maxwell street neighborhood who prides himself in "telling it like it is", profanity and all. He told of growing up Catholic and searching for God as a young man. The problem is that he said "I did it my way" and he has been doing it his way ever since. Now he is a bitter old man, angry and judgmental at the world, beaten down by the devil, having a very shallow and obviously false sense of humility, taking his chances and betting that the God he doesn't know will somehow forgive him. He has never read the Bible and isn't about to start now. Yet he views himself as being a religious man - "I'm just religious in my own way". He appreciated that I "told it like it is" - what the Bible says - right back at him, but I don't think he believed me or really even heard me.
The writer of Hebrews warns us against having an unbelieving heart lest we be "hardened by sin's deceitfulness" (Hebrews 3:13) I met an older man named Vido at the park today, a tough Italian from Chicago's original Maxwell street neighborhood who prides himself in "telling it like it is", profanity and all. He told of growing up Catholic and searching for God as a young man. The problem is that he said "I did it my way" and he has been doing it his way ever since. Now he is a bitter old man, angry and judgmental at the world, beaten down by the devil, having a very shallow and obviously false sense of humility, taking his chances and betting that the God he doesn't know will somehow forgive him. He has never read the Bible and isn't about to start now. Yet he views himself as being a religious man - "I'm just religious in my own way". He appreciated that I "told it like it is" - what the Bible says - right back at him, but I don't think he believed me or really even heard me.
8/29/10 Leonel, about 20, and Javier, about 25
I like witnessing at parks because if I'm not spiritually ready I have a nice place to pray first, which I did today at a bench in the shade. Instead of praying for boldness as I often do, I found myself praying for love, because "perfect love drives out fear" (1 John 4:18) I looked around and loved what I saw - parents playing with their children, couples in love, and the beauty of God's creation. Suddenly I heard someone climbing the tree behind me, so I went to talk to him. His name was Leonel and he was hiding from a dozen or so young cousins he was playing with. He only spoke Spanish so I asked if he would help me with mine, and we had a nice long conversation in which I was able to share much of God's word before his cousins called him away. He trusted in his own goodness but was able to admit his sins as we talked, and was interested in reading what I gave him as he left. Next I gave a "million dollar" gospel tract to a rough looking hombre (Javier) who promptly gave it to one of his three children saying "I don't need no religion". I asked if believes in God and he pointed to a rock and said "If I tripped over that rock, it's my fault, not God's." I explained that, just as we can't cover our eyes and expect not to get hit by an oncoming train by ignoring it, ignoring God won't make Him go away either. This caught his interest but he said "What about people who sit on the train tracks and pray the train won't hit them?" He was turned off by church people who try to use God for their own selfish purposes. Though he was distracted watching his kids, he had a surprising amount of insight and had many questions such as this. I could tell he was too busy for a real long conversation, so I offered to give him a Bible, saying I knew he would get a lot from it by reading it for himself. He looked genuinely surprised and grateful - "You would give that to me?" I challenged him to pay special attention to what it said about Jesus, "because if you want to know what God is like, just look at Jesus."
I like witnessing at parks because if I'm not spiritually ready I have a nice place to pray first, which I did today at a bench in the shade. Instead of praying for boldness as I often do, I found myself praying for love, because "perfect love drives out fear" (1 John 4:18) I looked around and loved what I saw - parents playing with their children, couples in love, and the beauty of God's creation. Suddenly I heard someone climbing the tree behind me, so I went to talk to him. His name was Leonel and he was hiding from a dozen or so young cousins he was playing with. He only spoke Spanish so I asked if he would help me with mine, and we had a nice long conversation in which I was able to share much of God's word before his cousins called him away. He trusted in his own goodness but was able to admit his sins as we talked, and was interested in reading what I gave him as he left. Next I gave a "million dollar" gospel tract to a rough looking hombre (Javier) who promptly gave it to one of his three children saying "I don't need no religion". I asked if believes in God and he pointed to a rock and said "If I tripped over that rock, it's my fault, not God's." I explained that, just as we can't cover our eyes and expect not to get hit by an oncoming train by ignoring it, ignoring God won't make Him go away either. This caught his interest but he said "What about people who sit on the train tracks and pray the train won't hit them?" He was turned off by church people who try to use God for their own selfish purposes. Though he was distracted watching his kids, he had a surprising amount of insight and had many questions such as this. I could tell he was too busy for a real long conversation, so I offered to give him a Bible, saying I knew he would get a lot from it by reading it for himself. He looked genuinely surprised and grateful - "You would give that to me?" I challenged him to pay special attention to what it said about Jesus, "because if you want to know what God is like, just look at Jesus."
8/28/10 Marvin, about 35
Out for a jog along Lake Michigan this morning with Marty, church elder, we talked about the importance of evangelism and then put our words into action by beginning a gospel conversation with Marvin, an African-American personal trainer. Before he knew our beliefs he told us he isn't sure if God exists and thinks that when we die we just cease to exist. He grew up with a strong Baptist mother and church background but now said that he can't believe in a God who would allow evil to run rampant in our world the way it does. I told him an analogy from C.S.Lewis' "Mere Christianity" about a mother who gave her child responsibility to clean her room. When the she returned to find a huge mess a week later it could be said that this mess was the mother's will because of the higher good of teaching responsibility to her child. Somehow the evil that God allows in this world will lead to a higher good than could be achieved if there was no evil - or human choice - involved. Many virtues, such as courage, honesty, perseverance, and loyalty simply couldn't be learned outside of the context of an evil environment. These may be deeply theological issues but we must learn simple ways to explain them, because people like Marvin are asking these questions.
Out for a jog along Lake Michigan this morning with Marty, church elder, we talked about the importance of evangelism and then put our words into action by beginning a gospel conversation with Marvin, an African-American personal trainer. Before he knew our beliefs he told us he isn't sure if God exists and thinks that when we die we just cease to exist. He grew up with a strong Baptist mother and church background but now said that he can't believe in a God who would allow evil to run rampant in our world the way it does. I told him an analogy from C.S.Lewis' "Mere Christianity" about a mother who gave her child responsibility to clean her room. When the she returned to find a huge mess a week later it could be said that this mess was the mother's will because of the higher good of teaching responsibility to her child. Somehow the evil that God allows in this world will lead to a higher good than could be achieved if there was no evil - or human choice - involved. Many virtues, such as courage, honesty, perseverance, and loyalty simply couldn't be learned outside of the context of an evil environment. These may be deeply theological issues but we must learn simple ways to explain them, because people like Marvin are asking these questions.
8/27/10 Neal, 22 and Mike, about 35
Outside the Sox-Yankees game tonight I went up to the smoking area outside the stadium which is surrounded by a low fence, making it easy to talk to people with a little spare time on their hands. I asked two smokers who seemed like they knew each other, Neal and Mike, if I could ask an interesting question. "What do you think happens after this life? What comes next?" "You mean after we die?" Neal asked and said "I'm going to heaven of course!" "So you believe in God?" I asked. "Of course i believe in God! Don't you?" he asked with well-meaning enthusiasm. I turned to Mike. "How about you?" and he answered "I think I've lived another life before this one." He said he thinks we are reincarnated after we die and went on to tell how he had grown up Catholic but lost his faith when his kids started asking questions he couldn't answer, citing the rule against women in the priesthood, the priest/child abuse scandals, and "the many wars that have happened because of religion." I asked Neal what he would say to Mike to help him know how he could go to heaven. "You need to admit your mistakes, and go to confession, and do whatever penance they give you" As we talked further Mike respectfully bowed out of the conversation. Neal's general belief was that "we are supposed to be sorry and God is supposed to forgive" and he truly believes he is a good enough person to deserve that forgiveness. He doesn't read the Bible or see any reason why he should. His attitude was very positive and open, but as he was about to go back to the game and I asked if I could give him something to read about this, he suddenly seemed negative and defensive and turned to go.
Outside the Sox-Yankees game tonight I went up to the smoking area outside the stadium which is surrounded by a low fence, making it easy to talk to people with a little spare time on their hands. I asked two smokers who seemed like they knew each other, Neal and Mike, if I could ask an interesting question. "What do you think happens after this life? What comes next?" "You mean after we die?" Neal asked and said "I'm going to heaven of course!" "So you believe in God?" I asked. "Of course i believe in God! Don't you?" he asked with well-meaning enthusiasm. I turned to Mike. "How about you?" and he answered "I think I've lived another life before this one." He said he thinks we are reincarnated after we die and went on to tell how he had grown up Catholic but lost his faith when his kids started asking questions he couldn't answer, citing the rule against women in the priesthood, the priest/child abuse scandals, and "the many wars that have happened because of religion." I asked Neal what he would say to Mike to help him know how he could go to heaven. "You need to admit your mistakes, and go to confession, and do whatever penance they give you" As we talked further Mike respectfully bowed out of the conversation. Neal's general belief was that "we are supposed to be sorry and God is supposed to forgive" and he truly believes he is a good enough person to deserve that forgiveness. He doesn't read the Bible or see any reason why he should. His attitude was very positive and open, but as he was about to go back to the game and I asked if I could give him something to read about this, he suddenly seemed negative and defensive and turned to go.
8/26/10 Victor, about 45
After work today I picked up Tony, a church brother, and we went out to be like the Kings servants in Jesus' parable that were to "Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find." (Matthew 22:9) We went to a nearby park and spoke with many people including several men out drinking beer in the empty bleachers. This group included a man named Victor, his two friends, and an ice cream vender who stopped by. We began sharing the gospel in a friendly but earnest conversational style. After five minutes the ice cream vendor left to go sell more ice cream; five minutes later another friend left to go use the bathroom; and five minutes later the last friend left us and his beer to go stand in the sunlight because he felt cold in the shade. Were these excuses on the same lame level as of those invited guests in Jesus' wedding banquet parable? I think so. People will always be able to find excuses to ignore God's call on their life. Tony and I could have been discouraged by the three who left. But we were encouraged by the one who stayed. Though Victor believes like so many that he can earn God's heavenly favor, he did stay and he is seeking God, and "He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6)
After work today I picked up Tony, a church brother, and we went out to be like the Kings servants in Jesus' parable that were to "Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find." (Matthew 22:9) We went to a nearby park and spoke with many people including several men out drinking beer in the empty bleachers. This group included a man named Victor, his two friends, and an ice cream vender who stopped by. We began sharing the gospel in a friendly but earnest conversational style. After five minutes the ice cream vendor left to go sell more ice cream; five minutes later another friend left to go use the bathroom; and five minutes later the last friend left us and his beer to go stand in the sunlight because he felt cold in the shade. Were these excuses on the same lame level as of those invited guests in Jesus' wedding banquet parable? I think so. People will always be able to find excuses to ignore God's call on their life. Tony and I could have been discouraged by the three who left. But we were encouraged by the one who stayed. Though Victor believes like so many that he can earn God's heavenly favor, he did stay and he is seeking God, and "He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6)
8/25/10 Jose, about 35
At the park today I began a conversation with a Latino man (Jose) by asking if he would help me practice my Spanish. He agreed and as it turned out he is taking English lessons and wanted to practice his English so we took turns in each language for an hour and a half. Jose had grown up in Mexico, and his Catholic catechism classes had met twice weekly for five years. He seemed enamored with the book of Revelation in the Bible but was familiar with little else. He believes in God but has doubts about heaven, choosing instead to believe that our spirits wander the earth after we die. He gave two reasons for this belief,, one being that his native American ancestors believe in much the same thing. The other reason was because he has had a series of four visions or experiences with a ghostly figure appearing to him, speaking and touching his head or tugging on his clothes. This happened during his teenage years and even involved his friends. At first he thought it was his deceased mother but later thought it was the spirit of a girl who had died in his house years before. He didn't know whether these experience were bad or good but as he told of them I could tell they dominate his thinking and beliefs about spiritual things. I told him about 2 Corinthians 11:14 which tells us that even the demons "masquerade as angels of light" The result of this unhealthy fascination with the spirit world is that it is causing much distraction from the true things of God, and that can't ever be good.
At the park today I began a conversation with a Latino man (Jose) by asking if he would help me practice my Spanish. He agreed and as it turned out he is taking English lessons and wanted to practice his English so we took turns in each language for an hour and a half. Jose had grown up in Mexico, and his Catholic catechism classes had met twice weekly for five years. He seemed enamored with the book of Revelation in the Bible but was familiar with little else. He believes in God but has doubts about heaven, choosing instead to believe that our spirits wander the earth after we die. He gave two reasons for this belief,, one being that his native American ancestors believe in much the same thing. The other reason was because he has had a series of four visions or experiences with a ghostly figure appearing to him, speaking and touching his head or tugging on his clothes. This happened during his teenage years and even involved his friends. At first he thought it was his deceased mother but later thought it was the spirit of a girl who had died in his house years before. He didn't know whether these experience were bad or good but as he told of them I could tell they dominate his thinking and beliefs about spiritual things. I told him about 2 Corinthians 11:14 which tells us that even the demons "masquerade as angels of light" The result of this unhealthy fascination with the spirit world is that it is causing much distraction from the true things of God, and that can't ever be good.
8/24/10 "Cheryl" about 35
Out for a bike ride I ran into "Cheryl" (not her real name), who turned out to be yet another person who can't give up the idea that we are good people whom a good God must surely send to heaven. But "Cheryl" goes to my church and has listened to solid Gospel preaching for years! Our conversation was lighthearted when we happened to meet at a stoplight, until she asked what I was doing and I told her I was out looking to begin a gospel conversation. "Oh I could never do that, I wouldn't know what to say" she said so I told her that anyone who has a relationship with Jesus has something to tell those who don't. "Maybe I'm the one you should be talking to" she said, so for the next hour there at that stoplight I explained in as many ways as I could how we are sinners deserving God's wrath, but that God in His mercy gave His Son for us. At times she would "get it" but it seemed like some invisible force kept drawing her back to her default belief in her own goodness and ability to earn and deserve God's favor. I don't know how else to say it except that she needs to be born again - something that only the Holy Spirit can do.(John 3:7-8) I'm reminded that salvation is by Christ alone so that the glory will also be His alone.
Out for a bike ride I ran into "Cheryl" (not her real name), who turned out to be yet another person who can't give up the idea that we are good people whom a good God must surely send to heaven. But "Cheryl" goes to my church and has listened to solid Gospel preaching for years! Our conversation was lighthearted when we happened to meet at a stoplight, until she asked what I was doing and I told her I was out looking to begin a gospel conversation. "Oh I could never do that, I wouldn't know what to say" she said so I told her that anyone who has a relationship with Jesus has something to tell those who don't. "Maybe I'm the one you should be talking to" she said, so for the next hour there at that stoplight I explained in as many ways as I could how we are sinners deserving God's wrath, but that God in His mercy gave His Son for us. At times she would "get it" but it seemed like some invisible force kept drawing her back to her default belief in her own goodness and ability to earn and deserve God's favor. I don't know how else to say it except that she needs to be born again - something that only the Holy Spirit can do.(John 3:7-8) I'm reminded that salvation is by Christ alone so that the glory will also be His alone.
8/23/10 Jose, about 35
Today I met with Jim (from my church) at a park for a "fishing' expedition. We met and talked with Jose who was there with his young son. Jose is a nominal Catholic who at first said he is unsure of salvation. Like many people, his lack of certainty has more to do with his lack of commitment to absolute truth rather than feeling he is undeserving of salvation. "Its not important what you believe, just that you feel good about it" he told us. We tried to share the truth of salvation in Christ alone, but although Jose said he agreed he kept returning to a works based mindset.
Witnessing with a fellow believer from church like I did today reminds me of the different styles of evangelism. Its always good to question our approach as to whether it is biblical or simply traditional. For example, is it necessary to have a Bible in hand when witnessing? Or can it simply be shared from the heart? It must always be our authoritative guide but speaking it from the heart as opposed to reading it to our hearers can mark the difference between having a conversation and doing a presentation. I know God's word "shall not return empty" (Isaiah 55:11) but I also know that unbelievers have no spiritual discernment (1 Cor. 2:14) and how can they hear without a preacher? (Romans 10:14) Jesus used parables his hearers could relate to, and Paul "reasoned in the marketplace" (Acts 17) with his hearers. Another example of an evangelism tradition could be the possible overuse of Romans 3:23 which says "For all have sinned" - yet I feel this is actually assuring to most people because they reason that there is safety in numbers - ("surely God wouldn't send everyone to hell?") - without the personal conviction of sin that comes with exposure to the Ten Commandments. A better verse to focus on might be James 2:10 - " For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it." How about the "sinners prayer" which isn't even found in scripture? What do YOU think?
Today I met with Jim (from my church) at a park for a "fishing' expedition. We met and talked with Jose who was there with his young son. Jose is a nominal Catholic who at first said he is unsure of salvation. Like many people, his lack of certainty has more to do with his lack of commitment to absolute truth rather than feeling he is undeserving of salvation. "Its not important what you believe, just that you feel good about it" he told us. We tried to share the truth of salvation in Christ alone, but although Jose said he agreed he kept returning to a works based mindset.
Witnessing with a fellow believer from church like I did today reminds me of the different styles of evangelism. Its always good to question our approach as to whether it is biblical or simply traditional. For example, is it necessary to have a Bible in hand when witnessing? Or can it simply be shared from the heart? It must always be our authoritative guide but speaking it from the heart as opposed to reading it to our hearers can mark the difference between having a conversation and doing a presentation. I know God's word "shall not return empty" (Isaiah 55:11) but I also know that unbelievers have no spiritual discernment (1 Cor. 2:14) and how can they hear without a preacher? (Romans 10:14) Jesus used parables his hearers could relate to, and Paul "reasoned in the marketplace" (Acts 17) with his hearers. Another example of an evangelism tradition could be the possible overuse of Romans 3:23 which says "For all have sinned" - yet I feel this is actually assuring to most people because they reason that there is safety in numbers - ("surely God wouldn't send everyone to hell?") - without the personal conviction of sin that comes with exposure to the Ten Commandments. A better verse to focus on might be James 2:10 - " For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it." How about the "sinners prayer" which isn't even found in scripture? What do YOU think?
8/22/10 Ralph, about 30
Outside a singles bar in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood, a young man (Ralph) stepped out for a smoke. I asked if he would mind if I asked him an unusual question, and he was immediately curious. I could tell he was somewhat inebriated because he had lost his sense of proper personal space, and, being much taller than myself, towered over me. He also dropped the "F-bomb" in everything he said. "What do you think happens after you die?" I asked. "Oh, I don't know, I think my energy just travels on and takes some other form. Why are you asking this anyway?" "Oh, I'm just working on a project" I told him. "What kind of a project?" "It's called the Great Commission" "Huh?" "Its a religious thing. So, did you have any sort of religious upbringing?" "Catholic" he told me. "I take it you're not Catholic anymore?" I asked. "Oh I am, I mean, I still have the same values, and I'm going to marry a Catholic girl someday and raise my kids in the church." He told me he doesn't believe in God and thinks church is just a big business scam. "I'm a salesman, and I see all the sales techniques I use on the job being used in church" he said. I asked how his future children might react to a parent who doesn't believe in God but insists that they go to church. "Don't you think they'll see the hypocrisy in that?" He didn't seem to be concerned. I asked some other challenging questions, and I believe I won his respect enough for him to read what I gave him and ask them of himself when he is more sober minded.
Outside a singles bar in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood, a young man (Ralph) stepped out for a smoke. I asked if he would mind if I asked him an unusual question, and he was immediately curious. I could tell he was somewhat inebriated because he had lost his sense of proper personal space, and, being much taller than myself, towered over me. He also dropped the "F-bomb" in everything he said. "What do you think happens after you die?" I asked. "Oh, I don't know, I think my energy just travels on and takes some other form. Why are you asking this anyway?" "Oh, I'm just working on a project" I told him. "What kind of a project?" "It's called the Great Commission" "Huh?" "Its a religious thing. So, did you have any sort of religious upbringing?" "Catholic" he told me. "I take it you're not Catholic anymore?" I asked. "Oh I am, I mean, I still have the same values, and I'm going to marry a Catholic girl someday and raise my kids in the church." He told me he doesn't believe in God and thinks church is just a big business scam. "I'm a salesman, and I see all the sales techniques I use on the job being used in church" he said. I asked how his future children might react to a parent who doesn't believe in God but insists that they go to church. "Don't you think they'll see the hypocrisy in that?" He didn't seem to be concerned. I asked some other challenging questions, and I believe I won his respect enough for him to read what I gave him and ask them of himself when he is more sober minded.
8/21/10 Casey, about 25
I'm glad I've been doing my homework. I was about to pass by a young man on the sidewalk (Casey) but I stopped him by asking if I could ask him an interesting question. As it turned out, over the next 40 minutes he had many interesting questions for me. He asked "Isn't the Bible just written by man?" Weren't the words of Jesus written long after He spoke them? How do we know if He really spoke them?" "Do you believe in dinosaurs and why aren't they mentioned in the Bible?" "Do you believe in evolution?" "You don't believe Jonah was swallowed by a whale, do you?" ":Haven't there been more wars done in the name of religion than for any other reason?" "Aren't 'good' and 'bad' relative terms?" "Weren't we born sinful already?" "Do we really have free will?" "How could it be fair of God to make us and then send us to hell?" "Do you think they should be allowed to build a mosque at ground zero?" Most people I've spoken with lately haven't asked these kinds of questions. But I'm glad I have done my homework and had satisfactory answers that, given the limited time we had to discuss them, were enough to allow me to continue on to share the gospel. Judging from the quality of his questions, Casey has been searching for truth for a long time, and today he finally heard it.
I'm glad I've been doing my homework. I was about to pass by a young man on the sidewalk (Casey) but I stopped him by asking if I could ask him an interesting question. As it turned out, over the next 40 minutes he had many interesting questions for me. He asked "Isn't the Bible just written by man?" Weren't the words of Jesus written long after He spoke them? How do we know if He really spoke them?" "Do you believe in dinosaurs and why aren't they mentioned in the Bible?" "Do you believe in evolution?" "You don't believe Jonah was swallowed by a whale, do you?" ":Haven't there been more wars done in the name of religion than for any other reason?" "Aren't 'good' and 'bad' relative terms?" "Weren't we born sinful already?" "Do we really have free will?" "How could it be fair of God to make us and then send us to hell?" "Do you think they should be allowed to build a mosque at ground zero?" Most people I've spoken with lately haven't asked these kinds of questions. But I'm glad I have done my homework and had satisfactory answers that, given the limited time we had to discuss them, were enough to allow me to continue on to share the gospel. Judging from the quality of his questions, Casey has been searching for truth for a long time, and today he finally heard it.
8/20/10 Asente and Carla, both about 25
On my way home after work I stopped at a Burger King to initiate a gospel conversation. A young man who couldn't speak English (Asente? -not sure of spelling) agreed to help me practice my Spanish and answer my questions. He was patient and seemed to agree with all the points I made, though the language difficulties often make it easier to simply agree rather than try to express a different opinion. Finally his girlfriend (Carla) sat down with us, and she could speak English well. It was so much easier to talk to her but she didn't bother to interpret for Asente. He did nod at certain points like he agreed so it may have been that he could understand English more than he could speak it. Carla was in full agreement about her sin, her accountability to God on judgment day, His righteous justice in response to sin, and now she agreed that only Jesus would be a worthy sacrifice in place of the punishment we deserve. She grew up Catholic, and I really felt like her background had helped prepare her to hear the gospel, but she had never understood it. Like the good soil in the parable of the seed sower, her heart has been prepared by her church upbringing. On the other hand, so many church people seem to have hearts of hardened or rocky soil, having learned only those parts of the gospel that are easier to accept. They don't truly understand their sin and desperate need for a savior. Carla received the gospel, at least intellectually, and I now trust the Holy Spirit to bring the rebirth that will transform her heart. As for Asente, he was thankful for the Spanish Bible I gave him,and I trust that God's word will not return void.
On my way home after work I stopped at a Burger King to initiate a gospel conversation. A young man who couldn't speak English (Asente? -not sure of spelling) agreed to help me practice my Spanish and answer my questions. He was patient and seemed to agree with all the points I made, though the language difficulties often make it easier to simply agree rather than try to express a different opinion. Finally his girlfriend (Carla) sat down with us, and she could speak English well. It was so much easier to talk to her but she didn't bother to interpret for Asente. He did nod at certain points like he agreed so it may have been that he could understand English more than he could speak it. Carla was in full agreement about her sin, her accountability to God on judgment day, His righteous justice in response to sin, and now she agreed that only Jesus would be a worthy sacrifice in place of the punishment we deserve. She grew up Catholic, and I really felt like her background had helped prepare her to hear the gospel, but she had never understood it. Like the good soil in the parable of the seed sower, her heart has been prepared by her church upbringing. On the other hand, so many church people seem to have hearts of hardened or rocky soil, having learned only those parts of the gospel that are easier to accept. They don't truly understand their sin and desperate need for a savior. Carla received the gospel, at least intellectually, and I now trust the Holy Spirit to bring the rebirth that will transform her heart. As for Asente, he was thankful for the Spanish Bible I gave him,and I trust that God's word will not return void.
8/19/2010 Jose, 22
A young man was walking down the sidewalk with headphones on, lost in his own world, but as I have seen time after time a friendly wave and eye contact convinced him to stop and take off the headphones to see what I wanted. This is what I mean by "intitiative" evangelism - if I waited for people like this to stop to talk to me for some reason or for a conversation to just "happen" I'd be waiting a long time - and wasting a lot of time in the process. It may sound spiritual to wait for those "holy appointments" people often talk about, but why would it be any less spiritual to obey Jesus and GO into all the world to initiate conversations? This is what happened with Jose and today he heard the gospel for the first time. It wasn't my idea to talk to Jose today. The Holy Spirit orchestrated every detail.
A young man was walking down the sidewalk with headphones on, lost in his own world, but as I have seen time after time a friendly wave and eye contact convinced him to stop and take off the headphones to see what I wanted. This is what I mean by "intitiative" evangelism - if I waited for people like this to stop to talk to me for some reason or for a conversation to just "happen" I'd be waiting a long time - and wasting a lot of time in the process. It may sound spiritual to wait for those "holy appointments" people often talk about, but why would it be any less spiritual to obey Jesus and GO into all the world to initiate conversations? This is what happened with Jose and today he heard the gospel for the first time. It wasn't my idea to talk to Jose today. The Holy Spirit orchestrated every detail.
8/18/10 Sean, about 25
The heavy-set, stern-looking security guard (Sean) wouldn't even return my friendly greeting on the way into the grocery store, so on the way out I made it a point to talk to him. He turned out to be very friendly, just not used to being polite with the general public. Sean, an African-American, told me he believes in God and goes to church, so I asked "If I came up to you and asked how I can be sure I will go to heaven, what would you tell me?" "That's a hard question" he answered, looking puzzled, so I asked "What do they tell you at church?" "I guess you have to be really good to everyone" was his guess. "Are you sure you didn't fall asleep at church during the important part?" "Maybe I did", he shrugged. "Are you a perfect person?" "No" "So how good do you have to be?" This playful exchange really had Sean's interest, and he soon was almost begging me to tell him the answers. As it turned out, he knew all the church rhetoric for trusting in Jesus but had applied it only to temporal things, like paying the bills or getting a job, or having clothes on his back. As far as he knew, heaven was something he had to earn by being very good and extremely sorry for his sins. I encouraged him to read his Bible and pay attention in church, both so that he could be sure of his own salvation and to be able to share it with others.
The heavy-set, stern-looking security guard (Sean) wouldn't even return my friendly greeting on the way into the grocery store, so on the way out I made it a point to talk to him. He turned out to be very friendly, just not used to being polite with the general public. Sean, an African-American, told me he believes in God and goes to church, so I asked "If I came up to you and asked how I can be sure I will go to heaven, what would you tell me?" "That's a hard question" he answered, looking puzzled, so I asked "What do they tell you at church?" "I guess you have to be really good to everyone" was his guess. "Are you sure you didn't fall asleep at church during the important part?" "Maybe I did", he shrugged. "Are you a perfect person?" "No" "So how good do you have to be?" This playful exchange really had Sean's interest, and he soon was almost begging me to tell him the answers. As it turned out, he knew all the church rhetoric for trusting in Jesus but had applied it only to temporal things, like paying the bills or getting a job, or having clothes on his back. As far as he knew, heaven was something he had to earn by being very good and extremely sorry for his sins. I encouraged him to read his Bible and pay attention in church, both so that he could be sure of his own salvation and to be able to share it with others.
8/17/10 Jack, about 70
This morning I went to a park where some parents were watching their sons practice with the catholic high school football team. I asked an older, dignified looking gentleman (Jack) if he had any relatives on the team, and found out he was there to watch his grandson. As we carried on a light-hearted conversation, many people greeted him by name and I could see he was well-respected and highly esteemed within his sphere of influence. I, on the other hand, was not, so I needed to maintain a balance between maintaining my credibility as someone he would continue a conversation with, and sharing the gospel, which can be offensive. I believe the gospel is offensive to proud people who believe in their own goodness, because we have to help them see that compared to God's standard they are not, in fact, good. Yet I think we must do this in a winsome way so that we don't add to the offense with our own prideful or judgmental attitude, whether it is real or falsely perceived by our hearers. In this conversation I feel I maintained that winsome balance in several ways. 1.) I talked about various non-spiritual topics of interest to Jack, both before our spiritual conversation and for short times during as we sometimes got off on a tangent or when other people would greet him and he introduced me to them; 2.) I applied the good person questions to him, but after a certain point of discomfort applied them to myself also, and he could continue to see his own guilt by comparison; 3.) My line of reasoning was logical and made sense to him, and he was intrigued by my questions, even bringing them up to friends who came by; 4.) He could see I was bold in asking him some hard questions, yet not rigid like I was following some sort of script. He knew I truly listened as I responded to his questions and comments; 5.) I was simply planting seeds of truth, not trying to force him to be converted there on the spot. In the end, Jack is another church person to whom I gave a friendly reminder that Jesus died for sinners, not for "good" people.
This morning I went to a park where some parents were watching their sons practice with the catholic high school football team. I asked an older, dignified looking gentleman (Jack) if he had any relatives on the team, and found out he was there to watch his grandson. As we carried on a light-hearted conversation, many people greeted him by name and I could see he was well-respected and highly esteemed within his sphere of influence. I, on the other hand, was not, so I needed to maintain a balance between maintaining my credibility as someone he would continue a conversation with, and sharing the gospel, which can be offensive. I believe the gospel is offensive to proud people who believe in their own goodness, because we have to help them see that compared to God's standard they are not, in fact, good. Yet I think we must do this in a winsome way so that we don't add to the offense with our own prideful or judgmental attitude, whether it is real or falsely perceived by our hearers. In this conversation I feel I maintained that winsome balance in several ways. 1.) I talked about various non-spiritual topics of interest to Jack, both before our spiritual conversation and for short times during as we sometimes got off on a tangent or when other people would greet him and he introduced me to them; 2.) I applied the good person questions to him, but after a certain point of discomfort applied them to myself also, and he could continue to see his own guilt by comparison; 3.) My line of reasoning was logical and made sense to him, and he was intrigued by my questions, even bringing them up to friends who came by; 4.) He could see I was bold in asking him some hard questions, yet not rigid like I was following some sort of script. He knew I truly listened as I responded to his questions and comments; 5.) I was simply planting seeds of truth, not trying to force him to be converted there on the spot. In the end, Jack is another church person to whom I gave a friendly reminder that Jesus died for sinners, not for "good" people.
8/16/10 Fernando, about 45
At the park I felt led to talk to a man (Fernando) sitting on a bench. I greeted him and asked if he spoke English. "Of course, why do you ask?" "I wonder if I could run some questions by you" "What about?" "Well, I'm from a church nearby and I like to ask random people about their beliefs." He brightened up and asked "Which church?" I quickly found out he has attended the main location of my church (a non- denominational community church) after he was born in Mexico and grew up in a Pentecostal family. When he married he fell away from church, got involved in gangs and drugs, divorced, and is now back attending his parents Pentecostal church. Though he really seemed to be a believer I wanted to be sure so after we talked a while I asked "I need to ask you this question - How can you be sure you'll go to heaven when you die? I ask this of a lot of church people and get a wide variety of answers. I just want to be sure I'll see you in heaven one day". Fernando smiled and gave me the works-based answer I feared he would give: "Well I'm a pretty good person. I don't drink or smoke anymore. I don't gangbang. I help people all the time" Now, I can understand it when believers sometimes get confused between the results of salvation and the way of salvation, but Fernando mentioned nothing about Jesus. I went on to help him see his sin, God's justice, and his need for a Savior. I asked, "If you could get to heaven by being good enough, why did Jesus die on the cross?" I framed this question as a friendly reminder of something I hope and pray he already knew.
At the park I felt led to talk to a man (Fernando) sitting on a bench. I greeted him and asked if he spoke English. "Of course, why do you ask?" "I wonder if I could run some questions by you" "What about?" "Well, I'm from a church nearby and I like to ask random people about their beliefs." He brightened up and asked "Which church?" I quickly found out he has attended the main location of my church (a non- denominational community church) after he was born in Mexico and grew up in a Pentecostal family. When he married he fell away from church, got involved in gangs and drugs, divorced, and is now back attending his parents Pentecostal church. Though he really seemed to be a believer I wanted to be sure so after we talked a while I asked "I need to ask you this question - How can you be sure you'll go to heaven when you die? I ask this of a lot of church people and get a wide variety of answers. I just want to be sure I'll see you in heaven one day". Fernando smiled and gave me the works-based answer I feared he would give: "Well I'm a pretty good person. I don't drink or smoke anymore. I don't gangbang. I help people all the time" Now, I can understand it when believers sometimes get confused between the results of salvation and the way of salvation, but Fernando mentioned nothing about Jesus. I went on to help him see his sin, God's justice, and his need for a Savior. I asked, "If you could get to heaven by being good enough, why did Jesus die on the cross?" I framed this question as a friendly reminder of something I hope and pray he already knew.
8/15/10 Armando, mid 50's
At the park today I ran into Florentino, a believer I wrote about several weeks ago and have run into several times since. He keeps encouraging me to "keep up the good work". He wondered where I've been so I told him about my recent trip to Monterrey. Another man (Armando) who was sitting nearby was familiar with Monterrey which we talked about, and I went on to ask him about his beliefs. I would call him an atheist, though not so much by conscious decision but by neglect. He left school after second grade at age seven to begin working, and said he has been working ever since, though he has been laid off for the last year. I could tell my intellectual arguments for God's existance would mean little to him, so I, and Florentino, just stuck with a "what if "argument - "what if God does exist and the Bible is true?" "What if there is a judgment day and we will be held accountable for our actions?" I think this got Armando thinking, but he didn't know how to respond, grew uneasy, and stood up as if to walk away so I asked if he would like a few things to read. He did, but was unsure if he could. I gave him a Spanish Gospel of John, and he said he'd give it a try.
At the park today I ran into Florentino, a believer I wrote about several weeks ago and have run into several times since. He keeps encouraging me to "keep up the good work". He wondered where I've been so I told him about my recent trip to Monterrey. Another man (Armando) who was sitting nearby was familiar with Monterrey which we talked about, and I went on to ask him about his beliefs. I would call him an atheist, though not so much by conscious decision but by neglect. He left school after second grade at age seven to begin working, and said he has been working ever since, though he has been laid off for the last year. I could tell my intellectual arguments for God's existance would mean little to him, so I, and Florentino, just stuck with a "what if "argument - "what if God does exist and the Bible is true?" "What if there is a judgment day and we will be held accountable for our actions?" I think this got Armando thinking, but he didn't know how to respond, grew uneasy, and stood up as if to walk away so I asked if he would like a few things to read. He did, but was unsure if he could. I gave him a Spanish Gospel of John, and he said he'd give it a try.
8/9/10 Marco, about 30
Like much of the rest of the city, the central plaza of Monterrey has numerous street vendors selling food and gifts. One young man (Marco) had spread out a rug and was selling homemade jewelry, different from others we had seen because much of it was made from Indian artifacts such as arrowheads. Marco is a psychiatry professor(?) at the university and could speak English fairly well so we had a longer conversation about his beliefs. He describes himself as a "free thinker" which I know to be a term that atheists use to descibe themselves, and he had grown up with atheist parents. If he did believe in a religion he said that Buddhism seems the most attractive to him. When I talked about some of the basic beliefs of Christianity, such as sin or our accountability to God or Jesus' claims to be the Son of God, he dismissed each point with a lot of religious-sounding rhetoric, mainly based on the idea that "everyone interprets the Bible differently." He seemed to be a classic example of post-moderism, which rejects absolute truth and claims that truth is relative, that "if that's what works for you I'm happy for you, and you should be happy about whatever works for me, but I will not tolerate your claims of absolute truth". The discussion seemed to be getting nowhere, so we went on our way.
Like much of the rest of the city, the central plaza of Monterrey has numerous street vendors selling food and gifts. One young man (Marco) had spread out a rug and was selling homemade jewelry, different from others we had seen because much of it was made from Indian artifacts such as arrowheads. Marco is a psychiatry professor(?) at the university and could speak English fairly well so we had a longer conversation about his beliefs. He describes himself as a "free thinker" which I know to be a term that atheists use to descibe themselves, and he had grown up with atheist parents. If he did believe in a religion he said that Buddhism seems the most attractive to him. When I talked about some of the basic beliefs of Christianity, such as sin or our accountability to God or Jesus' claims to be the Son of God, he dismissed each point with a lot of religious-sounding rhetoric, mainly based on the idea that "everyone interprets the Bible differently." He seemed to be a classic example of post-moderism, which rejects absolute truth and claims that truth is relative, that "if that's what works for you I'm happy for you, and you should be happy about whatever works for me, but I will not tolerate your claims of absolute truth". The discussion seemed to be getting nowhere, so we went on our way.
8/6/10 Ramiro, about 25
The city park near the greyhound station in Laredo, TX was filled with a mixture of homeless people, street hustlers and genuine bus travelors. I gave out some Spanish gospel tracts and shared what I could of the gospel in Spanish with several people. One young man (Ramiro) could speak some broken English and appeared to me to fit in the "street hustler" category. My questions about eternity caught his attention and I think he was no longer just sizing me up as an easy victim. I looked him in the eyes and told him I wanted to see him in heaven one day, and he smiled but said he thought he would go to hell for all the bad he has done. He then quickly turned the attention from himself, asking if I believe in reincarnation. I couldn't really get him to talk about it much more than this, but he seemed glad I had talked with him and sincerely warned us about some of the dangers of traveling as a tourist in Mexico. Our trip turned out to be very safe nonetheless, but I took his warning as a sign that he appreciated my efforts to help him know the way of salvation.
The city park near the greyhound station in Laredo, TX was filled with a mixture of homeless people, street hustlers and genuine bus travelors. I gave out some Spanish gospel tracts and shared what I could of the gospel in Spanish with several people. One young man (Ramiro) could speak some broken English and appeared to me to fit in the "street hustler" category. My questions about eternity caught his attention and I think he was no longer just sizing me up as an easy victim. I looked him in the eyes and told him I wanted to see him in heaven one day, and he smiled but said he thought he would go to hell for all the bad he has done. He then quickly turned the attention from himself, asking if I believe in reincarnation. I couldn't really get him to talk about it much more than this, but he seemed glad I had talked with him and sincerely warned us about some of the dangers of traveling as a tourist in Mexico. Our trip turned out to be very safe nonetheless, but I took his warning as a sign that he appreciated my efforts to help him know the way of salvation.
8/5/10 Dale, about 50
At a truckstop somewhere in Missouri, I talked with Dale, a rough looking trucker who turned out to be a solid believer. He had a strong understanding that only Jesus' blood shed on the cross in his place could save him from the eternal consequences of his sin. He had recently been witnessing to his dispatcher, and after I came out from the truck stop he stopped me to ask how he should answer some of her questions. She had asked him how he could be sure Christianity is the one true religion. We talked a while about this and before I left I asked him how I could pray for him. He asked that I pray for some family concerns and for his dispatcher so I did right there in the parking lot.
At a truckstop somewhere in Missouri, I talked with Dale, a rough looking trucker who turned out to be a solid believer. He had a strong understanding that only Jesus' blood shed on the cross in his place could save him from the eternal consequences of his sin. He had recently been witnessing to his dispatcher, and after I came out from the truck stop he stopped me to ask how he should answer some of her questions. She had asked him how he could be sure Christianity is the one true religion. We talked a while about this and before I left I asked him how I could pray for him. He asked that I pray for some family concerns and for his dispatcher so I did right there in the parking lot.
Back from Monterrey, Mexico
Had a great trip to Monterrey with Hannah, mainly because of the generous hospitality of the family we stayed with. We spent most of our week learning about the language and the culture. I was glad to be able to share about Jesus and the importance of the Bible as God's word with our friends, a traditional Catholic family, and as I've written elsewhere one benefit of sharing the Gospel regularly with strangers is that it makes it easier to share with those I know and love, and this was the case this past week. I'll keep these conversations private. I did have three good conversations with strangers during the week, and will write short summaries of them after this.
Had a great trip to Monterrey with Hannah, mainly because of the generous hospitality of the family we stayed with. We spent most of our week learning about the language and the culture. I was glad to be able to share about Jesus and the importance of the Bible as God's word with our friends, a traditional Catholic family, and as I've written elsewhere one benefit of sharing the Gospel regularly with strangers is that it makes it easier to share with those I know and love, and this was the case this past week. I'll keep these conversations private. I did have three good conversations with strangers during the week, and will write short summaries of them after this.
Dear Reader...
Just a note to let you know my daughter, Hannah, 16, and I will be traveling to Monterrey, Mexico for the next week. We look forward to traveling together and want to learn more about the language and culture of Mexico. I hope to continue with my goal of having at least one Gospel conversation each day, but I don't plan to post any stories until I get back. Please keep us in your prayers! Jeff
Just a note to let you know my daughter, Hannah, 16, and I will be traveling to Monterrey, Mexico for the next week. We look forward to traveling together and want to learn more about the language and culture of Mexico. I hope to continue with my goal of having at least one Gospel conversation each day, but I don't plan to post any stories until I get back. Please keep us in your prayers! Jeff
8/4/10 Kelly, 59 and Bill, about 50
Today at the park I talked to two men, both Catholic, and as far as I could tell one is a believer and one was not. Kelly, an African-American prison guard, is very secure in his faith in Jesus as his hope for salvation. He reads his Bible regularly and shares his faith at the prison where he works, but has seen many prisoners profess faith only to turn back to drugs, gangs, and crime once they got out of prison. Bill, on the other hand, attends his Catholic church but was caught up in the idea that his religious activities made him a good person, somehow earning his way to heaven. When I helped him see his guilt by the standard of the Ten Commandments and God's love and mercy in Jesus, Bill responded with joy. He said, "It seems like I've heard this in church, but it didn't make sense. Thank you, you've given me a lot to think about today".
Today at the park I talked to two men, both Catholic, and as far as I could tell one is a believer and one was not. Kelly, an African-American prison guard, is very secure in his faith in Jesus as his hope for salvation. He reads his Bible regularly and shares his faith at the prison where he works, but has seen many prisoners profess faith only to turn back to drugs, gangs, and crime once they got out of prison. Bill, on the other hand, attends his Catholic church but was caught up in the idea that his religious activities made him a good person, somehow earning his way to heaven. When I helped him see his guilt by the standard of the Ten Commandments and God's love and mercy in Jesus, Bill responded with joy. He said, "It seems like I've heard this in church, but it didn't make sense. Thank you, you've given me a lot to think about today".
8/3/10 Joe, about 25
I had a quick conversation with a young father (Joe) who was at the grocery store with his wife and daughter. I got his attention by giving him a million dollar gospel tract and asked if he had any spiritual beliefs. He said he believes in God, thinks about what might happen in 2012, and hopes there will be a heaven after we die, but beyond that he had no church upbringing or current involvement. I told him I'm from a nearby church and that I wanted him to know that the Bible teaches that there is a heaven and hell and a day of judgment. I asked "How do you think God would judge you?" Joe answered "Well, I'm not perfect, but people are always surprised at how helpful I am. I'd say I'm above average." I asked if he had heard of the Ten Commandments and he had, probably from seeing the Charlton Heston movie, so I encouraged him to test himself with the questions on the back of the tract to see how he'd be judged according to God's commandments. I said "I failed it myself!" and this put a look of curiosity on his face. I could see he didn't have time for a long conversation with his family there, so I left it at that.
I had a quick conversation with a young father (Joe) who was at the grocery store with his wife and daughter. I got his attention by giving him a million dollar gospel tract and asked if he had any spiritual beliefs. He said he believes in God, thinks about what might happen in 2012, and hopes there will be a heaven after we die, but beyond that he had no church upbringing or current involvement. I told him I'm from a nearby church and that I wanted him to know that the Bible teaches that there is a heaven and hell and a day of judgment. I asked "How do you think God would judge you?" Joe answered "Well, I'm not perfect, but people are always surprised at how helpful I am. I'd say I'm above average." I asked if he had heard of the Ten Commandments and he had, probably from seeing the Charlton Heston movie, so I encouraged him to test himself with the questions on the back of the tract to see how he'd be judged according to God's commandments. I said "I failed it myself!" and this put a look of curiosity on his face. I could see he didn't have time for a long conversation with his family there, so I left it at that.
8/2/10 Jonathan, 17
I met a young man (Jonathan) on the sidewalk and got his attention by telling him I had an interesting question for him: "What do you think comes next after we check out of this life. Do you think there is more out there or do we just turn into worm food?" Jonathan said he had a lot of ideas about this but no way to be sure which one was true. I asked "If you had your choice, which do you hope would be true?" He said he hopes there is a heaven, because he wants to be with his family. At this point I found out a little about Jonathan, that he has dropped out of two high schools because of behavior problems and has vague hopes of joining the job corps and the army. His family has no church affiliation and he had no knowledge of the Bible. I told him the Bible teaches that there is a day of judgment after we die and asked how he thinks he would be judged: "Well, I never killed anyone so I think I'd do okay." I gave him some questions based on the Ten Commandments and he saw himself, possibly for the first time, through the mirror of God''s law. I explained why a holy God will and must punish sin. Jonathan seemed truly concerned about this and wanted to hear about how he could be saved from the consequences of his sins. After I told about salvation through faith in Jesus he excitedly told me that just yesterday a stranger had told him on the sidewalk that he needed to be saved. I shared my testimony in becoming a Christian and what it has been like to walk with Jesus, challenging him to begin a right relationship with God and to get back in school as one way to live for the Lord.
I met a young man (Jonathan) on the sidewalk and got his attention by telling him I had an interesting question for him: "What do you think comes next after we check out of this life. Do you think there is more out there or do we just turn into worm food?" Jonathan said he had a lot of ideas about this but no way to be sure which one was true. I asked "If you had your choice, which do you hope would be true?" He said he hopes there is a heaven, because he wants to be with his family. At this point I found out a little about Jonathan, that he has dropped out of two high schools because of behavior problems and has vague hopes of joining the job corps and the army. His family has no church affiliation and he had no knowledge of the Bible. I told him the Bible teaches that there is a day of judgment after we die and asked how he thinks he would be judged: "Well, I never killed anyone so I think I'd do okay." I gave him some questions based on the Ten Commandments and he saw himself, possibly for the first time, through the mirror of God''s law. I explained why a holy God will and must punish sin. Jonathan seemed truly concerned about this and wanted to hear about how he could be saved from the consequences of his sins. After I told about salvation through faith in Jesus he excitedly told me that just yesterday a stranger had told him on the sidewalk that he needed to be saved. I shared my testimony in becoming a Christian and what it has been like to walk with Jesus, challenging him to begin a right relationship with God and to get back in school as one way to live for the Lord.
8/1/10 Tim, 20
A young man (Tim) was fishing at the park today and it was natural to start a conversation with him because we both like to fish and hunt. After a while I asked about his spiritual beliefs. He had been involved as a kid at a very large conservative Baptist church with a busing ministry that serves Chicago neighborhoods, has read the Bible through twice and memorized various scripture verses, and yet now says he doesn't believe in a particular god because there are so many religions. Tim favors the idea that people are reincarnated in the next life. I asked "If that is so, who sets the rules? Who judges what we will be reincarnated into? This still implies that there is a higher power to whom we will be accountable, much like the God of the Bible." Tim agreed and this led naturally to the "good person" questions based on the Ten Commandments. After realizing his guilty standing before God, Tim began to say that he does indeed believe in God, though he was vague about what that meant. I tried to explain what true saving faith looks like by comparing it to the difference between a person who merely says he believes in parachutes when jumping out of an airplane, and one who drops everything to actually put the parachute on. (Romans 13:14) When I said that this is what it is like to become a Christian, Tim suddenly said "I've done that. I prayed to accept Jesus when I was going to church." Whether he has or not isn't for me to judge but I went on to talk about what it means to live in daily fellowship with God, and Tim readily admitted that this is what he has been missing out on.
A young man (Tim) was fishing at the park today and it was natural to start a conversation with him because we both like to fish and hunt. After a while I asked about his spiritual beliefs. He had been involved as a kid at a very large conservative Baptist church with a busing ministry that serves Chicago neighborhoods, has read the Bible through twice and memorized various scripture verses, and yet now says he doesn't believe in a particular god because there are so many religions. Tim favors the idea that people are reincarnated in the next life. I asked "If that is so, who sets the rules? Who judges what we will be reincarnated into? This still implies that there is a higher power to whom we will be accountable, much like the God of the Bible." Tim agreed and this led naturally to the "good person" questions based on the Ten Commandments. After realizing his guilty standing before God, Tim began to say that he does indeed believe in God, though he was vague about what that meant. I tried to explain what true saving faith looks like by comparing it to the difference between a person who merely says he believes in parachutes when jumping out of an airplane, and one who drops everything to actually put the parachute on. (Romans 13:14) When I said that this is what it is like to become a Christian, Tim suddenly said "I've done that. I prayed to accept Jesus when I was going to church." Whether he has or not isn't for me to judge but I went on to talk about what it means to live in daily fellowship with God, and Tim readily admitted that this is what he has been missing out on.
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