3/29/11 Earl, Al 50’s
Today at Starbucks two well dressed African American men graciously agreed to answer my questions. Since they both described themselves as ministers I turned my usual line of questions around and asked what they would tell me if I had asked them how I could be saved. This started a long interesting conversation revealing that Al is a Jehovah’s Witness and Earl a lay minister at a Baptist church. Though they have been lifetime friends and business partners, they have never really discussed their beliefs which are actually very different from one another. After 20 years of knocking on doors as a Witness, Earl was much more articulate about his beliefs and able to back them up with Scripture, leaving Al silently listening to our conversation. We talked about basic differences between orthodox Christianity and the Jehovah’s Witnesses, that Christians believe Jesus is the only begotten son of God, the creator, not a created being, and thus the only worthy sacrifice in place of the punishment we deserve for our sin against holy God. Instead of faith in Jesus the eternal son of God, the Witnesses have trivialized our sin against God as being forgiven by the sacrifice of a lesser, created being, or punished by annihilation rather than eternal hell. Jesus is the foundation of our faith, and errors in understanding his divine nature have implications for our entire understanding of what it means to be in a right relationship with our Creator. Neither of us convinced the other, but all three of us agreed we enjoyed and were sharpened by our conversation.
Gospel conversations from the streets and marketplace....
3/26/11 Raman, 26
At the IIT student center, after introducing myself and getting his permission to ask a few questions, I sat down to talk with a student there named Raman. He grew up in a Hindu family in India, with a devout mother and a father disinterested in religion, and has just graduated with his master’s degree in computer programming. Raman had followed his father’s non-religious path until only recently, when he started attending “Krishna Consciousness” (Hare Krishna, a sect of Hinduism) seminars at IIT on Fridays. After just two of these meetings he was becoming very interested in their beliefs. With this background it is easy to understand that Raman had a very different worldview than my own. He seemed passionate about his beliefs and explained what he knew of Krishna philosophy for a good amount of time. Then it was my turn, and I asked what his experiences were with Christianity. His only encounter had been attendance at a dinner given in celebration of an Indian holiday at a nearby church. Apparently all the IIT students from India had been invited. They didn’t share any Christian beliefs at the church so I asked if he’d like an explanation of them. He did, and after I had talked a while I began to notice that Raman, like so many of my listeners, began replacing his nods of affirmation that he understood with looking up and away in thought. This sort of body language usually means the person doesn’t agree with what I am saying and doesn’t want to keep nodding like he does, so I paused to say “I realize you may not agree with these beliefs, but do you understand what I am saying?” This gives my listeners freedom to listen without committing themselves to agreement, and allows me to share and answer questions freely, giving them the “big picture” of the gospel without getting bogged down in the details. We need to give our unbelieving friends – especially those with a very different world view – time to process what we are saying intellectually before we can expect them to receive it spiritually.
At the IIT student center, after introducing myself and getting his permission to ask a few questions, I sat down to talk with a student there named Raman. He grew up in a Hindu family in India, with a devout mother and a father disinterested in religion, and has just graduated with his master’s degree in computer programming. Raman had followed his father’s non-religious path until only recently, when he started attending “Krishna Consciousness” (Hare Krishna, a sect of Hinduism) seminars at IIT on Fridays. After just two of these meetings he was becoming very interested in their beliefs. With this background it is easy to understand that Raman had a very different worldview than my own. He seemed passionate about his beliefs and explained what he knew of Krishna philosophy for a good amount of time. Then it was my turn, and I asked what his experiences were with Christianity. His only encounter had been attendance at a dinner given in celebration of an Indian holiday at a nearby church. Apparently all the IIT students from India had been invited. They didn’t share any Christian beliefs at the church so I asked if he’d like an explanation of them. He did, and after I had talked a while I began to notice that Raman, like so many of my listeners, began replacing his nods of affirmation that he understood with looking up and away in thought. This sort of body language usually means the person doesn’t agree with what I am saying and doesn’t want to keep nodding like he does, so I paused to say “I realize you may not agree with these beliefs, but do you understand what I am saying?” This gives my listeners freedom to listen without committing themselves to agreement, and allows me to share and answer questions freely, giving them the “big picture” of the gospel without getting bogged down in the details. We need to give our unbelieving friends – especially those with a very different world view – time to process what we are saying intellectually before we can expect them to receive it spiritually.
3/25/11 Scott, 46
I walked by a home undergoing renovations and talked to one of the workers – Scott - as he rested from shoveling rock out front. He assured me he wasn’t paid by the hour and was glad to answer my questions about his beliefs. Scott has a non-denominational Christian background but is much more interested in constructing his own set of beliefs from a wide variety of religions. In the same way he has come to some very strong opinions about God, not based on the authority of the Bible, but from his own intellect and imagination. He has relatives still involved in church, but views them as hypocrites and an aunt who has tried to witness to him as being “too preachy”. Some strongly worded statements later in our conversation helped me understand why he has developed his own ideas about God: “Who does he think he is, that He would judge me?” I don’t fear God and will never bow down to Him and I don’t think He has the right to expect me to do so” “If he wants to judge me, have at it – I have a few questions for him myself” "I’d rather keep keep my sins here on earth than get bored in Heaven” Scott didn’t seem angry - just opinionated. He appreciated that I allowed for a two-way conversation rather than preaching at him. With his church background I think he probably expected me to beg him to accept Jesus - which I’m sure he has heard before - but my main point was simply that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” and without that reverent fear of God he wasn’t ready for the rest of what I had to tell him. He seemed surprised that I was leaving and even apologized for his opinionated tone, thanking me for stopping to talk and glad to get my contact info and the book I gave him – Cahill’s “Öne Second After You….Die”.
I walked by a home undergoing renovations and talked to one of the workers – Scott - as he rested from shoveling rock out front. He assured me he wasn’t paid by the hour and was glad to answer my questions about his beliefs. Scott has a non-denominational Christian background but is much more interested in constructing his own set of beliefs from a wide variety of religions. In the same way he has come to some very strong opinions about God, not based on the authority of the Bible, but from his own intellect and imagination. He has relatives still involved in church, but views them as hypocrites and an aunt who has tried to witness to him as being “too preachy”. Some strongly worded statements later in our conversation helped me understand why he has developed his own ideas about God: “Who does he think he is, that He would judge me?” I don’t fear God and will never bow down to Him and I don’t think He has the right to expect me to do so” “If he wants to judge me, have at it – I have a few questions for him myself” "I’d rather keep keep my sins here on earth than get bored in Heaven” Scott didn’t seem angry - just opinionated. He appreciated that I allowed for a two-way conversation rather than preaching at him. With his church background I think he probably expected me to beg him to accept Jesus - which I’m sure he has heard before - but my main point was simply that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” and without that reverent fear of God he wasn’t ready for the rest of what I had to tell him. He seemed surprised that I was leaving and even apologized for his opinionated tone, thanking me for stopping to talk and glad to get my contact info and the book I gave him – Cahill’s “Öne Second After You….Die”.
3/23/11 Linda, about 50
Today I spoke with Linda, a lady I met at McDonalds while she waited to go back to her job as a charter bus driver. As a Catholic and a strong believer in Jesus, she gave me an interesting perspective of us protestants. She told of her conversations with her grown children, all of whom have left the Catholic church to join protestant non-denominational churches. She worried, and I agreed with her, about the “easy believe-ism” of her children, as they seem to feel they can believe in Jesus and still continue in their life of sin. I talked about the role that John the Baptist had in preparing the way for Jesus, teaching the people how to prepare their hearts for the Messiah through repentance. “They don’t like Catholicism”, she said, “because they can’t stand the hypocrisy of confessing their sins to the priest without ever having any intention of changing their ways.” She believes protestant churches promote this sort of easy believe-ism. Unfortunately, I think in many cases she’s right.
Today I spoke with Linda, a lady I met at McDonalds while she waited to go back to her job as a charter bus driver. As a Catholic and a strong believer in Jesus, she gave me an interesting perspective of us protestants. She told of her conversations with her grown children, all of whom have left the Catholic church to join protestant non-denominational churches. She worried, and I agreed with her, about the “easy believe-ism” of her children, as they seem to feel they can believe in Jesus and still continue in their life of sin. I talked about the role that John the Baptist had in preparing the way for Jesus, teaching the people how to prepare their hearts for the Messiah through repentance. “They don’t like Catholicism”, she said, “because they can’t stand the hypocrisy of confessing their sins to the priest without ever having any intention of changing their ways.” She believes protestant churches promote this sort of easy believe-ism. Unfortunately, I think in many cases she’s right.
3/21/11 Art, early 20’s
To many in the unbelieving world, the most well-known Bible verse is no longer “For God so loved the world…” but rather “Judge not that you be not judged”. This was true of Art, a man I talked with while he walked his dogs at the park today. Art expressed a wide range of religious interests, from wanting to party with the Devil in hell to wanting to become Amish, and he had many questions about the many different religious traditions and beliefs in between. His main point seemed to be that there are too many religions to choose from, and who am I to make a judgment that any one of them are better than the another? One point that made sense to him was to talk about the strategy of Satan, who usually doesn’t try to attract people by exposing who he really is but instead tries to masquerade as God. He has done this from the Garden of Eden – questioning God’s authority and claiming people can be like God – and he has been doing it ever since, even to the point of establishing false religions that bear the name of Jesus. Often when I witness I bring a variety of literature and I decide what would be the biggest help to people based on our conversation. For Art it was a “Why Christianity” booklet that compares the major world religions and shows how only biblical Christianity offers forgiveness from the sin that separates us from God, and also my church and contact info that Art was asking for…
To many in the unbelieving world, the most well-known Bible verse is no longer “For God so loved the world…” but rather “Judge not that you be not judged”. This was true of Art, a man I talked with while he walked his dogs at the park today. Art expressed a wide range of religious interests, from wanting to party with the Devil in hell to wanting to become Amish, and he had many questions about the many different religious traditions and beliefs in between. His main point seemed to be that there are too many religions to choose from, and who am I to make a judgment that any one of them are better than the another? One point that made sense to him was to talk about the strategy of Satan, who usually doesn’t try to attract people by exposing who he really is but instead tries to masquerade as God. He has done this from the Garden of Eden – questioning God’s authority and claiming people can be like God – and he has been doing it ever since, even to the point of establishing false religions that bear the name of Jesus. Often when I witness I bring a variety of literature and I decide what would be the biggest help to people based on our conversation. For Art it was a “Why Christianity” booklet that compares the major world religions and shows how only biblical Christianity offers forgiveness from the sin that separates us from God, and also my church and contact info that Art was asking for…
3/20/11 Juan, about 30
Even a routine errand to the auto parts store can be an adventure with the Lord! I handed a MDB gospel tract to another customer (Juan) as we left the store, explaining what the questions on the back were about. “Do you ever think about eternal things, what will happen after we die?” I asked. Juan said he didn’t and I really felt from the way he answered that he wasn’t trying to avoid these kind of questions but was really just caught up in the busy-ness of day to day life. I talked about this for some time – the fact that in a million years our short time here in this life will seem like the snap of fingers; that when we do face our own death we will feel the same way (as happened to me a few years ago when I thought I was about to be accidently killed); that we aren’t guaranteed our next breath and could die at anytime (as happen just two days ago to a church family member): how all the things that seem so important to us now will seem trivial to us then much like the difference in view from the runway of the airport and the view minutes later from 20,000 feet up; and how our problems and various forms of entertainment keep us safely away from thinking about such things. Juan agreed that he really did need to take eternal concerns seriously and was very attentive as I shared the bad and goods news of the gospel, both law and grace. I believe the way we frame the gospel at the start of a witnessing conversation – putting it in the context of eternity – can be a real key in getting the attention of pre-believers.
Even a routine errand to the auto parts store can be an adventure with the Lord! I handed a MDB gospel tract to another customer (Juan) as we left the store, explaining what the questions on the back were about. “Do you ever think about eternal things, what will happen after we die?” I asked. Juan said he didn’t and I really felt from the way he answered that he wasn’t trying to avoid these kind of questions but was really just caught up in the busy-ness of day to day life. I talked about this for some time – the fact that in a million years our short time here in this life will seem like the snap of fingers; that when we do face our own death we will feel the same way (as happened to me a few years ago when I thought I was about to be accidently killed); that we aren’t guaranteed our next breath and could die at anytime (as happen just two days ago to a church family member): how all the things that seem so important to us now will seem trivial to us then much like the difference in view from the runway of the airport and the view minutes later from 20,000 feet up; and how our problems and various forms of entertainment keep us safely away from thinking about such things. Juan agreed that he really did need to take eternal concerns seriously and was very attentive as I shared the bad and goods news of the gospel, both law and grace. I believe the way we frame the gospel at the start of a witnessing conversation – putting it in the context of eternity – can be a real key in getting the attention of pre-believers.
3/17/11 Sandra, mid 50’s
On my way home from visiting a church brother in the hospital, I stopped at a laundromat to talked with some people and met a woman there named Sandra. We had a lot in common, both of us having grown up in mainline Protestant denominations and worked with non-profit organizations, so after a nice chat I asked about her faith and hope of heaven. “”I think God would say I’m a pretty good person” she began as she went on to list a variety of impressive ways in which she has helped the poor, getting misty eyed as she told of her concerns. I asked what she believes about Jesus – “Why did he die on the cross?” She thought he had been trapped politically. I asked “How could he have allowed that to happen?” and she went on to explain that he was setting an example for us of self-sacrifice and love, an example that we should follow. Atonement for our sin was never mentioned because in her mind she was a good person, not needing the forgiveness that only comes through faith in Jesus. I’ve heard this theory lately – it’s called the “exemplar” model of atonement – from many Catholics and mainline Protestants that I’ve witnessed to. And now it is being taught by “Pastor” Rob Bell in his new book, “”Love Wins” . He writes that Jesus' "giving act on the cross" shows us that "he is the source, the strength, the example, and the assurance that this pattern of death and rebirth is the way into the only kind of life that actually sustains and inspires." The emphasis of Bell and many liberal protestants is that the cross is our “inspiration”, a deception based on truth – we should be inspired – but ignoring our hopeless sinful condition and need for a savior from the condemnation we deserve.
On my way home from visiting a church brother in the hospital, I stopped at a laundromat to talked with some people and met a woman there named Sandra. We had a lot in common, both of us having grown up in mainline Protestant denominations and worked with non-profit organizations, so after a nice chat I asked about her faith and hope of heaven. “”I think God would say I’m a pretty good person” she began as she went on to list a variety of impressive ways in which she has helped the poor, getting misty eyed as she told of her concerns. I asked what she believes about Jesus – “Why did he die on the cross?” She thought he had been trapped politically. I asked “How could he have allowed that to happen?” and she went on to explain that he was setting an example for us of self-sacrifice and love, an example that we should follow. Atonement for our sin was never mentioned because in her mind she was a good person, not needing the forgiveness that only comes through faith in Jesus. I’ve heard this theory lately – it’s called the “exemplar” model of atonement – from many Catholics and mainline Protestants that I’ve witnessed to. And now it is being taught by “Pastor” Rob Bell in his new book, “”Love Wins” . He writes that Jesus' "giving act on the cross" shows us that "he is the source, the strength, the example, and the assurance that this pattern of death and rebirth is the way into the only kind of life that actually sustains and inspires." The emphasis of Bell and many liberal protestants is that the cross is our “inspiration”, a deception based on truth – we should be inspired – but ignoring our hopeless sinful condition and need for a savior from the condemnation we deserve.
3/17/11 Marvin, mid 30’s
I stopped by my favorite park for “fishing” yesterday. I like it because it’s on my way home from work, it’s big enough that there are usually new people to witness to, but small enough that I might run into people I’ve talked to before. I talked to a few interesting characters, and one was Marvin whom I had talked to on July 29th of 2010. He remembered talking to me, so I asked him if he remembered much of the conversation. “You talked about religion, but that’s really all I remember” he said. My further questions revealed he didn’t remember any of the main points I had tried to make either. I guess I could be discouraged by this but I think it underscores an important point in witnessing - we may feel sorry for people who are ignorant of the things of God, that they never had the knowledge to act upon and can’t be blamed for unbelief, but it may very likely be that they have rejected what they heard in the past, shutting it out of their mind to the point that it seems like they never heard it in the first place Does that mean we give up trying to reach them? Of course not! This may just be the very reason God put Marvin in my path again yesterday…
I stopped by my favorite park for “fishing” yesterday. I like it because it’s on my way home from work, it’s big enough that there are usually new people to witness to, but small enough that I might run into people I’ve talked to before. I talked to a few interesting characters, and one was Marvin whom I had talked to on July 29th of 2010. He remembered talking to me, so I asked him if he remembered much of the conversation. “You talked about religion, but that’s really all I remember” he said. My further questions revealed he didn’t remember any of the main points I had tried to make either. I guess I could be discouraged by this but I think it underscores an important point in witnessing - we may feel sorry for people who are ignorant of the things of God, that they never had the knowledge to act upon and can’t be blamed for unbelief, but it may very likely be that they have rejected what they heard in the past, shutting it out of their mind to the point that it seems like they never heard it in the first place Does that mean we give up trying to reach them? Of course not! This may just be the very reason God put Marvin in my path again yesterday…
3/14/11 Chris, early 20’s
A young man – Chris - was at the park, taking pictures of the geese at the pond, when I told him I had an interesting question for him. “What comes after this life? In a million years, where will you have spent the vast majority of your time?” Chris agreed that that this is indeed an important question. He said his theory is that his spirit’s energy will merge back with all the energy of the universe, but he has also been interested lately in Native American spirituality. He was very glad to talk about such things, saying that just this week his spiritual search was renewed by a documentary he saw on TV in which people were asked these types of questions. I used some simple logic to help him see the errors of some of his theories. If there are laws regarding our “energy”, who is the lawgiver? For every religion that teaches about rewards in the life to come, who is the judge? We can’t escape the fact of being held accountable to our Creator, and the question “How good is good enough?” led Chris to listen to both the law and grace of the gospel. Although he was very open-minded and humble, It was a lot for Chris to take in at once. He said he loves to read and gladly received the New Testament and other books I gave him.
A young man – Chris - was at the park, taking pictures of the geese at the pond, when I told him I had an interesting question for him. “What comes after this life? In a million years, where will you have spent the vast majority of your time?” Chris agreed that that this is indeed an important question. He said his theory is that his spirit’s energy will merge back with all the energy of the universe, but he has also been interested lately in Native American spirituality. He was very glad to talk about such things, saying that just this week his spiritual search was renewed by a documentary he saw on TV in which people were asked these types of questions. I used some simple logic to help him see the errors of some of his theories. If there are laws regarding our “energy”, who is the lawgiver? For every religion that teaches about rewards in the life to come, who is the judge? We can’t escape the fact of being held accountable to our Creator, and the question “How good is good enough?” led Chris to listen to both the law and grace of the gospel. Although he was very open-minded and humble, It was a lot for Chris to take in at once. He said he loves to read and gladly received the New Testament and other books I gave him.
3/12/11 Steve, late 20’s
On my way home after our Men’s Breakfast at church this morning I wanted to reach out to someone with the gospel but didn’t know where to go on such a cold, dreary day. My huge “to do” pile at home was waiting for me so I really didn’t want to go somewhere where I would sit down for a long conversation with someone. I didn’t need any groceries, but decided to stop at the grocery store, push a cart around with the rest of the shoppers, and give out five MDB gospel tracts to see what would come of it. Two of the five I gave them to were strong believers and we ended up strongly encouraging each other, a third person refused to talk to me, the fourth was a Catholic who felt very comfortable in his faith and didn’t see the need to talk any further. The fifth was Steve, a recovering heroin addict who has chosen God as his “higher power” at his AA meetings. The trouble is, he has been making up his own ideas about God rather than go to the Bible, the main place where God has chosen to reveal Himself. I explained the way of salvation clearly to Steve, and he clearly wanted to hear what I had to say, and began asking about my church. Although he is groggy from some anti-depressant medication his doctor prescribed him, he assured me he really enjoyed our conversation and wants to learn more. I prayed over him, gave him more to read and my contact information, and I do hope I’ll hear from him again.
On my way home after our Men’s Breakfast at church this morning I wanted to reach out to someone with the gospel but didn’t know where to go on such a cold, dreary day. My huge “to do” pile at home was waiting for me so I really didn’t want to go somewhere where I would sit down for a long conversation with someone. I didn’t need any groceries, but decided to stop at the grocery store, push a cart around with the rest of the shoppers, and give out five MDB gospel tracts to see what would come of it. Two of the five I gave them to were strong believers and we ended up strongly encouraging each other, a third person refused to talk to me, the fourth was a Catholic who felt very comfortable in his faith and didn’t see the need to talk any further. The fifth was Steve, a recovering heroin addict who has chosen God as his “higher power” at his AA meetings. The trouble is, he has been making up his own ideas about God rather than go to the Bible, the main place where God has chosen to reveal Himself. I explained the way of salvation clearly to Steve, and he clearly wanted to hear what I had to say, and began asking about my church. Although he is groggy from some anti-depressant medication his doctor prescribed him, he assured me he really enjoyed our conversation and wants to learn more. I prayed over him, gave him more to read and my contact information, and I do hope I’ll hear from him again.
3/10/11 April, 24
A young lady at Starbucks working on her laptop agreed to answer my questions. She had a strict church upbringing, and says she is a strong believer, though she hasn’t been involved in church throughout college and now in graduate school. “I just get too busy with school” she said. After we talked a while I asked about her beliefs about eternal life, heaven and hell. She hesitated, not sure if she really believes they exist. Yet when I asked later why she believes she would go to heaven if it does exist, she was quick to talk about her trust in Jesus for forgiveness of her sins. She talked further and seemed to have some solid biblical theology about Jesus, but can a person have saving faith in Jesus if they don’t really believe in eternal life? How does that work? What kind of Jesus does she believe in? I think her strict church upbringing may have given her some biblical teaching and the right words to say, but her busy college studies without continued Bible teaching and fellowship have left her confused. I encouraged her to get involved in a church fellowship and asked how I could pray for her. She became very thoughtful, her eyes welling with tears, but didn’t seem to want to talk about any particular problems so I just prayed for her church involvement, her family, and for God’s blessings on her life.
A young lady at Starbucks working on her laptop agreed to answer my questions. She had a strict church upbringing, and says she is a strong believer, though she hasn’t been involved in church throughout college and now in graduate school. “I just get too busy with school” she said. After we talked a while I asked about her beliefs about eternal life, heaven and hell. She hesitated, not sure if she really believes they exist. Yet when I asked later why she believes she would go to heaven if it does exist, she was quick to talk about her trust in Jesus for forgiveness of her sins. She talked further and seemed to have some solid biblical theology about Jesus, but can a person have saving faith in Jesus if they don’t really believe in eternal life? How does that work? What kind of Jesus does she believe in? I think her strict church upbringing may have given her some biblical teaching and the right words to say, but her busy college studies without continued Bible teaching and fellowship have left her confused. I encouraged her to get involved in a church fellowship and asked how I could pray for her. She became very thoughtful, her eyes welling with tears, but didn’t seem to want to talk about any particular problems so I just prayed for her church involvement, her family, and for God’s blessings on her life.
3/9/11 Barb and Deon, mid 30’s
Today I met with Brad from church and we went to a “Jason’s Deli” restaurant to share Jesus. We went up to a table where an African American couple – Barb and Deon - were just finishing up their meal and I asked if they would be willing to answer some questions about their beliefs. We talked for close to an hour. They had grown up attending both Baptist and non-denominational Bible churches, and although they no longer attend church they seemed confident in their faith. However, their faith unfortunately was in their own goodness rather than in Jesus. Deon in particular went on and on about his ideas about what it means to be “good” and how he definitely fits his own description. I was finally able to get his attention when I told him that the vast majority of people I talk to believe that they, too, are good. “How is it that so many people could be good if the world is in the condition it is in?” They both believed that many people mistakenly believe they are good, but it never occurred to them that they themselves might be making the same mistake. “I might not always do the right thing, but God knows my heart. I mean well, and He knows I’m a good person” Deon said. Law to the proud, grace to the humble, so I went on to use the 10 commandments to reveal their sin and their need for salvation. They responded with genuine concern about their own salvation and need for forgiveness. Please pray for them, they are not far from the Kingdom.
Today I met with Brad from church and we went to a “Jason’s Deli” restaurant to share Jesus. We went up to a table where an African American couple – Barb and Deon - were just finishing up their meal and I asked if they would be willing to answer some questions about their beliefs. We talked for close to an hour. They had grown up attending both Baptist and non-denominational Bible churches, and although they no longer attend church they seemed confident in their faith. However, their faith unfortunately was in their own goodness rather than in Jesus. Deon in particular went on and on about his ideas about what it means to be “good” and how he definitely fits his own description. I was finally able to get his attention when I told him that the vast majority of people I talk to believe that they, too, are good. “How is it that so many people could be good if the world is in the condition it is in?” They both believed that many people mistakenly believe they are good, but it never occurred to them that they themselves might be making the same mistake. “I might not always do the right thing, but God knows my heart. I mean well, and He knows I’m a good person” Deon said. Law to the proud, grace to the humble, so I went on to use the 10 commandments to reveal their sin and their need for salvation. They responded with genuine concern about their own salvation and need for forgiveness. Please pray for them, they are not far from the Kingdom.
Here's a ministry/website I just found that I want to recommend. They promote a reasonable and healthy mix of different styles of evangelism. Check out the PDF "Creating a Culture of Evangelism" for teaching about promoting evangelism at your church - PROCLAIM.com
3-7-11 Dave, late 20´s
Walking by a Subway Sandwich shop I saw a young man at a table finishing his meal, and I went inside to ask if he had time to answer a few questions. I did this with a big smile like I was his best friend, and when I do this most people smile back and seem to think to themselves ¨Where do I know this guy from?” I asked if he had any spiritual beliefs, such as a belief in a higher power of any sort. Dave told me he grew up attending Catholic schools and had abandoned all belief years ago. I asked if there was any one reason for this, and he began to list many typical questions such as evolution, atrocities done in the name of religion, the reliability of the Bible, etc. It was a little overwhelming, and I asked if I could sit down to talk about it. “Well I really have to get to work soon, but I think I have about three minutes” Dave told me. I told him I had worked through these questions myself, and there are reasonable explanations for all of them but I knew we didn’t have time to talk them through. “But let me ask one key question – if there is a God and we are accountable to Him like the Bible says, how would He judge you? This got Dave’s attention and we talked another ten minutes, but he did have to go. He told me he had been approached by some other Christians recently, saying “I think they were trying to get me to convert” I said “Well, I truly believe heaven exists and I want to see you there one day. Fair enough?” He took some additional info I had, gave me a sincere handshake and thanked me for the conversation.
Walking by a Subway Sandwich shop I saw a young man at a table finishing his meal, and I went inside to ask if he had time to answer a few questions. I did this with a big smile like I was his best friend, and when I do this most people smile back and seem to think to themselves ¨Where do I know this guy from?” I asked if he had any spiritual beliefs, such as a belief in a higher power of any sort. Dave told me he grew up attending Catholic schools and had abandoned all belief years ago. I asked if there was any one reason for this, and he began to list many typical questions such as evolution, atrocities done in the name of religion, the reliability of the Bible, etc. It was a little overwhelming, and I asked if I could sit down to talk about it. “Well I really have to get to work soon, but I think I have about three minutes” Dave told me. I told him I had worked through these questions myself, and there are reasonable explanations for all of them but I knew we didn’t have time to talk them through. “But let me ask one key question – if there is a God and we are accountable to Him like the Bible says, how would He judge you? This got Dave’s attention and we talked another ten minutes, but he did have to go. He told me he had been approached by some other Christians recently, saying “I think they were trying to get me to convert” I said “Well, I truly believe heaven exists and I want to see you there one day. Fair enough?” He took some additional info I had, gave me a sincere handshake and thanked me for the conversation.
3/5/11 Mike, about 55
I was on an elevator with a group of strangers when an older African-American man – Mike – got on at another floor. He livened up the atmosphere with some funny comments and after we got off I found we were walking the same direction so I handed him a trillion dollar bill gospel tract. After a few laughs and an explanation of what it was I asked about his spiritual beliefs. “Oh, sure, I believe in God. Have you ever heard of Joel Olsteen? What do you think of him?” he asked me. I told him Joel Olsteen is very positive and encouraging, but that the good news of the gospel that he shares doesn’t make much sense without the bad news of our sin and the punishment we deserve. Mike agreed but it was more for the sake of being friendly and agreeable. Further conversation showed that he views his own sin as something from the past – in his rebellious 20’s – and he has now settled into being a better person. He said “After all, Jesus didn’t begin his ministry until He was 30” Mike based his current good standing with God on his own positive attitude, his ability to brighten up other people, and his regular confession of sin. He mentioned past involvement in the Bahai religion, which I know to be a universalist, “all religion is the same” belief, so I talked some about the importance of faith in Christ, not our own goodness, as our basis for salvation.
I was on an elevator with a group of strangers when an older African-American man – Mike – got on at another floor. He livened up the atmosphere with some funny comments and after we got off I found we were walking the same direction so I handed him a trillion dollar bill gospel tract. After a few laughs and an explanation of what it was I asked about his spiritual beliefs. “Oh, sure, I believe in God. Have you ever heard of Joel Olsteen? What do you think of him?” he asked me. I told him Joel Olsteen is very positive and encouraging, but that the good news of the gospel that he shares doesn’t make much sense without the bad news of our sin and the punishment we deserve. Mike agreed but it was more for the sake of being friendly and agreeable. Further conversation showed that he views his own sin as something from the past – in his rebellious 20’s – and he has now settled into being a better person. He said “After all, Jesus didn’t begin his ministry until He was 30” Mike based his current good standing with God on his own positive attitude, his ability to brighten up other people, and his regular confession of sin. He mentioned past involvement in the Bahai religion, which I know to be a universalist, “all religion is the same” belief, so I talked some about the importance of faith in Christ, not our own goodness, as our basis for salvation.
3/4/11 Salvador, 22
It was warm out today so I went for a walk at the park on my way home from work. I found a young man – Salvador – standing out on a fishing dock and also enjoying the outdoors. I asked if he had time to talk but he indicated he only speaks Spanish. A year ago this would have prevented a Gospel conversation, but by God’s grace I didn’t have to let that stop me this time. I told him that I am learning Spanish and would like some practice. Salvador is from Mexico and has only been in Chicago for 3 months. He has read from the Bible before but has no church involvement. Although he believes in God he didn't believe in the idea of life after death, though he was open to the idea. We went on to a good conversation about our sin and need of salvation found through faith in Jesus – something Salvador understood for possibly the first time. Later, on my way home I thought about the fact that here in Chicago we have the world coming to us. We can “go into all the world” as Jesus commands simply by going for a walk in the park.
It was warm out today so I went for a walk at the park on my way home from work. I found a young man – Salvador – standing out on a fishing dock and also enjoying the outdoors. I asked if he had time to talk but he indicated he only speaks Spanish. A year ago this would have prevented a Gospel conversation, but by God’s grace I didn’t have to let that stop me this time. I told him that I am learning Spanish and would like some practice. Salvador is from Mexico and has only been in Chicago for 3 months. He has read from the Bible before but has no church involvement. Although he believes in God he didn't believe in the idea of life after death, though he was open to the idea. We went on to a good conversation about our sin and need of salvation found through faith in Jesus – something Salvador understood for possibly the first time. Later, on my way home I thought about the fact that here in Chicago we have the world coming to us. We can “go into all the world” as Jesus commands simply by going for a walk in the park.
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