2/27/11 Wassin, about 30
I had to go to Home Depot to pick up a few items and on my way out a MDB gospel tract helped start an interesting conversation with Wassin, a Home Depot employee from Lebanon. He talked about some of the religious groups in Lebanon, placing himself in the Christian camp, but I found his spiritual beliefs were far from biblical Christianity. Wassin is of the opinion that there is no eternal heaven or hell, that they exist in this world right now, and that when he dies he will be reincarnated into another human being. He is a positive person, truly appreciating his new home and job here in Chicago, loves his wife and is excited to have their first child on the way. He said he feels he is in heaven right now. He feels every person should decide for themselves who God is. I referred to the 2nd commandment which warns against making false idols to explain how we have a human tendency to try to make a god for ourselves, one we are most comfortable with. Our ideas about God should come from outside ourselves, according to how He chooses to reveal Himself, and I explained that this is why we need to look to the Bible for that outside authority. This made some sense to Wassin and seemed to get his focus off of his own imaginary ideas about God and onto the authority of God's Word. He listened and I think he began to get convicted by exposure to the law as it revealed how he has been rebelling against God's authority in his life, even as he thought of himself as a "good person". Unfortunately, he was called back to work, but I think I definitely got his attention, enough for him to read what I gave him and check out the Bible for himself.
Gospel conversations from the streets and marketplace....
2/26/11 Jonathan, 20
At a park I met a young man named Jonathan on the sidewalk, asking if he had time to answer a few questions. "I'll try, but I've got a lot on my mind. I just got kicked out of the house and I don't know where to go". He was obviously very upset and overwhelmed about this, and I counseled him a while, finding out that he had moved to Chicago from Arizona a month ago to live with his girlfriend, and now had no money or job prospects. He had no idea why she kicked him out, but from what he told me it sounded like an old boyfriend had come back into the picture. Jonathan had some hard lessons to learn, both about the importance of doing things God's way and just about life and relationships in general. Distracted as he was by his anger and frustration I didn't think he would be able to hear the gospel, and I didn't want to come across as a self-righteous "I told you so" church guy or like those described in James who say "Go in peace, be warm and fed" without doing anything, yet I didn't see how I could help. I wanted to just counsel him and go on without bringing God into the conversation, because I felt like he would likely then get angry at Christians and God for not giving him a quick fix to his problems. But before I could go he asked "What were those questions you wanted to ask me?" We talked some about his beliefs but he really couldn't concentrate - his thoughts kept returning to his situation. I told him he needed to hang around a while to work things out, so he said he would go to a nearby library to read for a while, and I gave him just the book to read - "One Second After You...Die" by Mark Cahill. Should I have gotten further involved with this young man's problems? I may never know, but I pray that I did just enough.
At a park I met a young man named Jonathan on the sidewalk, asking if he had time to answer a few questions. "I'll try, but I've got a lot on my mind. I just got kicked out of the house and I don't know where to go". He was obviously very upset and overwhelmed about this, and I counseled him a while, finding out that he had moved to Chicago from Arizona a month ago to live with his girlfriend, and now had no money or job prospects. He had no idea why she kicked him out, but from what he told me it sounded like an old boyfriend had come back into the picture. Jonathan had some hard lessons to learn, both about the importance of doing things God's way and just about life and relationships in general. Distracted as he was by his anger and frustration I didn't think he would be able to hear the gospel, and I didn't want to come across as a self-righteous "I told you so" church guy or like those described in James who say "Go in peace, be warm and fed" without doing anything, yet I didn't see how I could help. I wanted to just counsel him and go on without bringing God into the conversation, because I felt like he would likely then get angry at Christians and God for not giving him a quick fix to his problems. But before I could go he asked "What were those questions you wanted to ask me?" We talked some about his beliefs but he really couldn't concentrate - his thoughts kept returning to his situation. I told him he needed to hang around a while to work things out, so he said he would go to a nearby library to read for a while, and I gave him just the book to read - "One Second After You...Die" by Mark Cahill. Should I have gotten further involved with this young man's problems? I may never know, but I pray that I did just enough.
2/23/11 Lacy, about 23
I was at McDonalds where a young African-American woman named Lacy was studying her college textbook over fast food. She agreed to answer my questions and told me about her Pentecostal upbringing. "My mom is all into church, speaking in tongues and all that, but I can't relate. It's boring to me" She believes in God, believes she is saved, but explained that she feels like she's heard it all, that she doesn't feel she would learn anything new by attending church anymore. Lacy became a mother at a young age, and now takes care of her 8 year old daughter at her own apartment along with her younger brother. She had her second child 3 years ago, but he died (I'm not sure how) and she went through a period of mourning and anger at God. Now she works, takes college classes toward becoming a nurse, and is unexpectedly pregnant again by a "good friend". "How can you be sure you will go to heaven?" I asked eventually. "I'm not" she told me. Her eyes filled with tears as she told me how she considered aborting this latest pregnancy but feared she would go to hell for killing her child. I tried to encourage her, telling her she had made the right decision, but I also knew that despite claiming faith in Christ for salvation her trust was really in her own good works, a trust that would come and go depending on how good she perceived herself at different times. After a phone call she said she had to get going soon so I knew I didn't have much time to talk and would need to sum things up rather quickly. I warned her about the fact that, despite the emphasis on faith, too many churched people still rely on their good works - their church involvement, for example, rather than the cross of Jesus. I ended by encouraging her as a young mom and praying for blessing on her life.
I was at McDonalds where a young African-American woman named Lacy was studying her college textbook over fast food. She agreed to answer my questions and told me about her Pentecostal upbringing. "My mom is all into church, speaking in tongues and all that, but I can't relate. It's boring to me" She believes in God, believes she is saved, but explained that she feels like she's heard it all, that she doesn't feel she would learn anything new by attending church anymore. Lacy became a mother at a young age, and now takes care of her 8 year old daughter at her own apartment along with her younger brother. She had her second child 3 years ago, but he died (I'm not sure how) and she went through a period of mourning and anger at God. Now she works, takes college classes toward becoming a nurse, and is unexpectedly pregnant again by a "good friend". "How can you be sure you will go to heaven?" I asked eventually. "I'm not" she told me. Her eyes filled with tears as she told me how she considered aborting this latest pregnancy but feared she would go to hell for killing her child. I tried to encourage her, telling her she had made the right decision, but I also knew that despite claiming faith in Christ for salvation her trust was really in her own good works, a trust that would come and go depending on how good she perceived herself at different times. After a phone call she said she had to get going soon so I knew I didn't have much time to talk and would need to sum things up rather quickly. I warned her about the fact that, despite the emphasis on faith, too many churched people still rely on their good works - their church involvement, for example, rather than the cross of Jesus. I ended by encouraging her as a young mom and praying for blessing on her life.
2/22/11 William, about 50
I happened upon a man named William at a laundromat who was more than happy to talk about his beliefs as he did his laundry. He seemed a little confused at first, and I wasn't sure if he was really understanding much so I almost cut the conversation short. But then he asked "If God is so good, why would He let so many bad things happen in the world?" We talked about this a while, and he asked other questions, each initiating more good quality conversation - "Why did God give us the Ten Commandments if He knew we would break them?" "Why are we blamed for Adam and Eve's sin?" "What happens to little babies who die before they have a chance to believe?" and so on. I've been asked questions like this before, but usually with the purpose of trying to discredit the Bible or Christianity. William seemed to really want to know, and was willing to talk through my answers for each one. I can usually tell about a person's involvement in a conversation by the quality of the questions they ask. I'm glad I didn't dismiss William too quickly as being unable to understand.
I happened upon a man named William at a laundromat who was more than happy to talk about his beliefs as he did his laundry. He seemed a little confused at first, and I wasn't sure if he was really understanding much so I almost cut the conversation short. But then he asked "If God is so good, why would He let so many bad things happen in the world?" We talked about this a while, and he asked other questions, each initiating more good quality conversation - "Why did God give us the Ten Commandments if He knew we would break them?" "Why are we blamed for Adam and Eve's sin?" "What happens to little babies who die before they have a chance to believe?" and so on. I've been asked questions like this before, but usually with the purpose of trying to discredit the Bible or Christianity. William seemed to really want to know, and was willing to talk through my answers for each one. I can usually tell about a person's involvement in a conversation by the quality of the questions they ask. I'm glad I didn't dismiss William too quickly as being unable to understand.
2/20/11 Zack, graduate student
After church this morning I went with Anan, a believer from India and IIT student, to the student center there where we met Zack, a graduate student from Ghana, West Africa. Zack grew up in a nominally Christian family, attending a traditional protestant church at times. Although he seemed confident that God would find him to be a good person on judgment day, his real hope for salvation seemed to be in his ability to confess his sins and ask for forgiveness. "Jesus told his disciples that they must forgive others 70 times 7 times for their sins, and I believe God will do the same for me". I told Zack that he was confusing Jesus' instructions for one forgiven sinner to forgive another with God, who is under no obligation to forgive us for our sins against Himself. What separates a sinner who is heaven bound from a sinner who is hell bound? Some would say it has to do with their heart, that they do good works. Others would say it is their head, that they were smart enough to choose to "get saved". Zack seemed to be saying its his humility, that he asks for forgivenes continually. I tried to explain that faith in ones own humility is no better than faith in ones decisions or good works. People in all three categories are still, in fact, sinners. No amount of good deeds, past, present, or future, can erase that fact. What we need, though, is to become forgiven sinners, and that can only come through faith in Jesus. Judging from his enthusiastic agreement as I explained this more clearly, it seemed to me that Zack does indeed have that faith, though he is confused by our human default mode of trusting in our own goodness or abilities. Whether he is truly born-again or not isn't for me to decide, but my hope is that Zack now has a better understanding of the faith he claims.
After church this morning I went with Anan, a believer from India and IIT student, to the student center there where we met Zack, a graduate student from Ghana, West Africa. Zack grew up in a nominally Christian family, attending a traditional protestant church at times. Although he seemed confident that God would find him to be a good person on judgment day, his real hope for salvation seemed to be in his ability to confess his sins and ask for forgiveness. "Jesus told his disciples that they must forgive others 70 times 7 times for their sins, and I believe God will do the same for me". I told Zack that he was confusing Jesus' instructions for one forgiven sinner to forgive another with God, who is under no obligation to forgive us for our sins against Himself. What separates a sinner who is heaven bound from a sinner who is hell bound? Some would say it has to do with their heart, that they do good works. Others would say it is their head, that they were smart enough to choose to "get saved". Zack seemed to be saying its his humility, that he asks for forgivenes continually. I tried to explain that faith in ones own humility is no better than faith in ones decisions or good works. People in all three categories are still, in fact, sinners. No amount of good deeds, past, present, or future, can erase that fact. What we need, though, is to become forgiven sinners, and that can only come through faith in Jesus. Judging from his enthusiastic agreement as I explained this more clearly, it seemed to me that Zack does indeed have that faith, though he is confused by our human default mode of trusting in our own goodness or abilities. Whether he is truly born-again or not isn't for me to decide, but my hope is that Zack now has a better understanding of the faith he claims.
2/17/11 Luis, 60
In contrast to Carlos the day before who needed to hear from John the Baptist about his need for repentance rather than being ready to hear about Jesus, I met a man named Luis who was totally ready and wanting to hear about Jesus. He was waiting to pick up his young daughter from ballet lessons when I pulled up next to him in the parking lot at the park. When he found out the million dollar bill I gave him was a Christian tract he excitedly told me about attending church for the first time in his life over the past month and his new desire to seek God. He has owned a bar for many years and recently sold it, has a young child (his oldest is in his 40's!) and believes it is time to take God seriously. I believe the church he has been attending is Jesus-centered and biblically based, but he really hasn't heard the Gospel clearly in the month he has been there (or maybe he wasn't listening) and he was excited to hear it from me. Though he probably would have prayed the "sinner's prayer" with me, this is something I don't find in the Bible and believe he needs to do for himself as the Spirit leads. What I regret not doing, however, is I forgot to give Luis my contact information in case he had further questions and I also think I could have invited him out for a follow-up conversation, something that probably would have been very helpful for him. I think I may need to have a higher level of expectation and readiness to help people like Luis in this way, though I also trust that I am just a small part of the body of Christ which exists to do this very thing.
In contrast to Carlos the day before who needed to hear from John the Baptist about his need for repentance rather than being ready to hear about Jesus, I met a man named Luis who was totally ready and wanting to hear about Jesus. He was waiting to pick up his young daughter from ballet lessons when I pulled up next to him in the parking lot at the park. When he found out the million dollar bill I gave him was a Christian tract he excitedly told me about attending church for the first time in his life over the past month and his new desire to seek God. He has owned a bar for many years and recently sold it, has a young child (his oldest is in his 40's!) and believes it is time to take God seriously. I believe the church he has been attending is Jesus-centered and biblically based, but he really hasn't heard the Gospel clearly in the month he has been there (or maybe he wasn't listening) and he was excited to hear it from me. Though he probably would have prayed the "sinner's prayer" with me, this is something I don't find in the Bible and believe he needs to do for himself as the Spirit leads. What I regret not doing, however, is I forgot to give Luis my contact information in case he had further questions and I also think I could have invited him out for a follow-up conversation, something that probably would have been very helpful for him. I think I may need to have a higher level of expectation and readiness to help people like Luis in this way, though I also trust that I am just a small part of the body of Christ which exists to do this very thing.
2/16/11 Carlos, early 20's
Walking down the sidewalk I came upon a young man named Carlos, hanging out in front of his house. I asked him about his beliefs, and although he had attended church as a kid and said he believes in God he wasn't really sure about eternal life. He said he really didn't care, either. He was busy watching his cell phone, waiting for a call and watching the world go by. I decided to assume the role of a prophet, like John the Baptist, not concerned if Carlos liked me as a person but just warning him of his accountability to God and the judgment to come. I asked him how he would be judged by God's standard, the Ten Commandments, and after asking about a few he could see that he would be found guilty on Judgment Day. "Is that something to be concerned about?" "Yes, but not right now. Maybe in a few years" he answered. Of course I wanted to tell him the good news about Jesus, but not today.
Walking down the sidewalk I came upon a young man named Carlos, hanging out in front of his house. I asked him about his beliefs, and although he had attended church as a kid and said he believes in God he wasn't really sure about eternal life. He said he really didn't care, either. He was busy watching his cell phone, waiting for a call and watching the world go by. I decided to assume the role of a prophet, like John the Baptist, not concerned if Carlos liked me as a person but just warning him of his accountability to God and the judgment to come. I asked him how he would be judged by God's standard, the Ten Commandments, and after asking about a few he could see that he would be found guilty on Judgment Day. "Is that something to be concerned about?" "Yes, but not right now. Maybe in a few years" he answered. Of course I wanted to tell him the good news about Jesus, but not today.
2/14/11 Salvador, about 45
On this warm and sunny day I was walking down the sidewalk when I met a man named Salvador as he came out of a Walgreens. I used a million dollar gospel tract as a conversation starter, and found out that Salvador believes in God, attends his Catholic church, and prays daily, not just for himself but for others. He believes in heaven and hell, and understands that he will be held accountable to God on the Day of Judgment. Yet he knows he is far from perfect and isn't sure if he will go to heaven when he dies, wondering how anyone could if God's standard is perfection. A few more questions helped me understand what I believe is the problem - Salvador never reads the Bible for himself. Instead, he has been surrounded by many religious symbols and traditions that have distracted him from the truths of scripture. I tried to explain how and why salvation can only be found through faith in Jesus, but my limited Spanish could only take me so far. I went on to give him a copy of John's Gospel (en espanól) and spent some time emphasizing his need to read the Bible for himself. Salvador was very grateful and wanted to find out more about my church, which fortunately has some Spanish-language locations.
On this warm and sunny day I was walking down the sidewalk when I met a man named Salvador as he came out of a Walgreens. I used a million dollar gospel tract as a conversation starter, and found out that Salvador believes in God, attends his Catholic church, and prays daily, not just for himself but for others. He believes in heaven and hell, and understands that he will be held accountable to God on the Day of Judgment. Yet he knows he is far from perfect and isn't sure if he will go to heaven when he dies, wondering how anyone could if God's standard is perfection. A few more questions helped me understand what I believe is the problem - Salvador never reads the Bible for himself. Instead, he has been surrounded by many religious symbols and traditions that have distracted him from the truths of scripture. I tried to explain how and why salvation can only be found through faith in Jesus, but my limited Spanish could only take me so far. I went on to give him a copy of John's Gospel (en espanól) and spent some time emphasizing his need to read the Bible for himself. Salvador was very grateful and wanted to find out more about my church, which fortunately has some Spanish-language locations.
2/12/11 Jeff, about 60, Wallace, 67 Lamont, 50's
Today Luke and I went to a McDonalds in "Bronzeville" - an African-American neighborhood just next to our mostly white neighborhood on Chicago's highly segregated southside. I found myself talking to three older African American men who were all very different from one another - Jeff, who is an intellectual type who believes in a sort of universal higher power for everyone; Wallace, a retired cop who believes racist whites are to blame for most of the problems in the world; and Lamont, a sort of street hustler who seemed to have some belief in God even though he was preoccupied with the world. As we talked my questions sparked debate between these men, and their arguments with each other began to go in all sorts of directions. I struggled to find something they all had in common. Finally I asked "If there is a God like the Bible says, what do we deserve? What does He owe us?" Our prideful human tendency is to believe we are good enough to deserve rewards and to blame God when we feel cheated or mistreated, and these men began to go there, but they also started to see my point - we deserve condemnation, and He owes us punishment. Do we really want justice, or do we need His mercy instead? I'm not sure but I think this truth kind of took the fun out of their debate, because they all seemed to have to get going for various reasons.
Today Luke and I went to a McDonalds in "Bronzeville" - an African-American neighborhood just next to our mostly white neighborhood on Chicago's highly segregated southside. I found myself talking to three older African American men who were all very different from one another - Jeff, who is an intellectual type who believes in a sort of universal higher power for everyone; Wallace, a retired cop who believes racist whites are to blame for most of the problems in the world; and Lamont, a sort of street hustler who seemed to have some belief in God even though he was preoccupied with the world. As we talked my questions sparked debate between these men, and their arguments with each other began to go in all sorts of directions. I struggled to find something they all had in common. Finally I asked "If there is a God like the Bible says, what do we deserve? What does He owe us?" Our prideful human tendency is to believe we are good enough to deserve rewards and to blame God when we feel cheated or mistreated, and these men began to go there, but they also started to see my point - we deserve condemnation, and He owes us punishment. Do we really want justice, or do we need His mercy instead? I'm not sure but I think this truth kind of took the fun out of their debate, because they all seemed to have to get going for various reasons.
2/9/11 Habib, about 45
At a McDonald's I asked a professionally dressed man if I could ask him a few questions, and he graciously agreed. He had a middle-eastern accent so I asked where he was from and he told me he grew up in Istanbul, Turkey, and moved to Chicago seventeen years ago. He is a Muslim, though he seemed kind of moderate in his beliefs, saying he doesn't observe the practice of daily prayers, and was quick to point out many things he feels Christianity and Islam have in common. I asked many questions about his faith, wondering if it is more formal, like an obligation or set of rules to follow, or is it more informal, like a personal relationship. We talked a lot about King David's relationship with God as reflected in the Psalms, many of which were very intimate and emotional. Habib, seems to have a more personal approach to God than other Muslims I've talked to. I asked what the Quran teaches about the authority of the Old and New Testaments. He said they are considered sacred texts and held in high regard, without error. We began to talk about the biblical claims about Jesus' divinity, and he said he just chooses to ignore them, not believing it possible for anyone to share God's divine nature. At this point, I had reached a certain level of trust, simply through asking questions and listening to Habib's point of view. He was now willing to hear more about Christianity, not because I was convincing him of anything but simply for the sake of having mutual understanding of one another's beliefs. Unfortunately, Habib was on a break and had to get back to work, so I gave him a "Why Christianity" booklet that compares Christianity to other religions, which he gladly received, and left the rest up to the Lord.
At a McDonald's I asked a professionally dressed man if I could ask him a few questions, and he graciously agreed. He had a middle-eastern accent so I asked where he was from and he told me he grew up in Istanbul, Turkey, and moved to Chicago seventeen years ago. He is a Muslim, though he seemed kind of moderate in his beliefs, saying he doesn't observe the practice of daily prayers, and was quick to point out many things he feels Christianity and Islam have in common. I asked many questions about his faith, wondering if it is more formal, like an obligation or set of rules to follow, or is it more informal, like a personal relationship. We talked a lot about King David's relationship with God as reflected in the Psalms, many of which were very intimate and emotional. Habib, seems to have a more personal approach to God than other Muslims I've talked to. I asked what the Quran teaches about the authority of the Old and New Testaments. He said they are considered sacred texts and held in high regard, without error. We began to talk about the biblical claims about Jesus' divinity, and he said he just chooses to ignore them, not believing it possible for anyone to share God's divine nature. At this point, I had reached a certain level of trust, simply through asking questions and listening to Habib's point of view. He was now willing to hear more about Christianity, not because I was convincing him of anything but simply for the sake of having mutual understanding of one another's beliefs. Unfortunately, Habib was on a break and had to get back to work, so I gave him a "Why Christianity" booklet that compares Christianity to other religions, which he gladly received, and left the rest up to the Lord.
2/8/11 Nicole, early 20's
At a Dunkin' Donuts I asked an attractive young lady if she had time to answer a few questions. She had seen me sharing my faith with Robert, a young man at a table near hers and she probably overheard some of what I had said so I believe she knew I wasn't just some creepy older man trying to pick her up. She said she was waiting for a cab and about to leave, but when I gave her a million dollar gospel tract and told her about the questions about heaven on the back, it caught her interest and she asked what church I go to. It turned out that she has been attending my multi-site church at another location, as well as another well-known non-denominational church in Chicago. She had grown up Catholic but started attending evangelical churches with friends after leaving home. Since she now sees herself as a Christian I asked what she would have told me if I had asked her how one can be sure of eternal life. "I would have no idea" she said. "So many of my friends act religious at church but don't live it out the rest of the week. I can't judge them because I'm not perfect either. Sometimes I feel guilty for every little mistake I make and other times I feel like God forgives everything so it doesn't matter how I act. My boyfriend and I wonder about this a lot" She didn't mention anything about Jesus - hers was clearly a works-based religion - so I went on to tell her about the right relationship we can have with God through repentance and faith in Christ. Before leaving I prayed for her and her boyfriend, that God will answer their questions and grant them the faith that brings eternal life.
At a Dunkin' Donuts I asked an attractive young lady if she had time to answer a few questions. She had seen me sharing my faith with Robert, a young man at a table near hers and she probably overheard some of what I had said so I believe she knew I wasn't just some creepy older man trying to pick her up. She said she was waiting for a cab and about to leave, but when I gave her a million dollar gospel tract and told her about the questions about heaven on the back, it caught her interest and she asked what church I go to. It turned out that she has been attending my multi-site church at another location, as well as another well-known non-denominational church in Chicago. She had grown up Catholic but started attending evangelical churches with friends after leaving home. Since she now sees herself as a Christian I asked what she would have told me if I had asked her how one can be sure of eternal life. "I would have no idea" she said. "So many of my friends act religious at church but don't live it out the rest of the week. I can't judge them because I'm not perfect either. Sometimes I feel guilty for every little mistake I make and other times I feel like God forgives everything so it doesn't matter how I act. My boyfriend and I wonder about this a lot" She didn't mention anything about Jesus - hers was clearly a works-based religion - so I went on to tell her about the right relationship we can have with God through repentance and faith in Christ. Before leaving I prayed for her and her boyfriend, that God will answer their questions and grant them the faith that brings eternal life.
2/5/11 Nick and Carrie, both about 25
At a McDonalds at a large central table with tall barstool type chairs I stood talking comfortably at eye level with a young man named Nick, while his girlfriend Carrie was on her phone. He grew up in the UK and later moved to Djibouti. He really didn't know much about religion except for some Muslim friends growing up and some visits to church here in Chicago. Near the start of our conversation he asked if I was trying to convert him to Christianity, a question surprisingly few people ever ask me. I said, yes, that would be cool, but I would also be happy to just have a sincere conversation about our beliefs. I say this honestly, because I know that the Holy Spirit can use any truth that might be shared in a conversation as a seed that may sprout to eternal life. Nick warned me that I wouldn't like what he has to say about Christianity, and I reassured him that I welcome any questions or criticisms because they help me to seek the truth even further. His basic criticism of Christianity as he has experienced it is that it offers "cheap forgiveness". He feels Christians are just fooling themselves if they think they can be forgiven just by confessing their sins. He likes Islam and Judaism better because they take sin more seriously and live more pious lives (yet he doesn't follow these religions either) I agreed with him that sin is an offense against a holy God and should never be taken lightly, but I took it a step further - there is in fact nothing we can do to be forgiven no matter how hard we work for forgiveness. His girlfriend Carrie was now just quietly listening in as we talked. I explained their need for the perfect sacrifice - Jesus - to take the penalty of their sin but Nick proudly said that he would allow no one to take responsibility for his sin but himself. He refused any further literature I offered him, saying he was too busy with his work and studies to read it. Another man came up to me with some questions, having overheard our conversation, so Nick and I pretty much had to leave it at that, both appreciating the conversation but agreeing to disagree.
At a McDonalds at a large central table with tall barstool type chairs I stood talking comfortably at eye level with a young man named Nick, while his girlfriend Carrie was on her phone. He grew up in the UK and later moved to Djibouti. He really didn't know much about religion except for some Muslim friends growing up and some visits to church here in Chicago. Near the start of our conversation he asked if I was trying to convert him to Christianity, a question surprisingly few people ever ask me. I said, yes, that would be cool, but I would also be happy to just have a sincere conversation about our beliefs. I say this honestly, because I know that the Holy Spirit can use any truth that might be shared in a conversation as a seed that may sprout to eternal life. Nick warned me that I wouldn't like what he has to say about Christianity, and I reassured him that I welcome any questions or criticisms because they help me to seek the truth even further. His basic criticism of Christianity as he has experienced it is that it offers "cheap forgiveness". He feels Christians are just fooling themselves if they think they can be forgiven just by confessing their sins. He likes Islam and Judaism better because they take sin more seriously and live more pious lives (yet he doesn't follow these religions either) I agreed with him that sin is an offense against a holy God and should never be taken lightly, but I took it a step further - there is in fact nothing we can do to be forgiven no matter how hard we work for forgiveness. His girlfriend Carrie was now just quietly listening in as we talked. I explained their need for the perfect sacrifice - Jesus - to take the penalty of their sin but Nick proudly said that he would allow no one to take responsibility for his sin but himself. He refused any further literature I offered him, saying he was too busy with his work and studies to read it. Another man came up to me with some questions, having overheard our conversation, so Nick and I pretty much had to leave it at that, both appreciating the conversation but agreeing to disagree.
2/4/11 Will, about 45
Does a person have to know the details of the digestion process in order to benefit from eating? Likewise, does a man need to understand the details of the cross and atonement for his sins in order to benefit from trusting Jesus? I asked this of myself today after talking to Will, a man I met while handing out million-dollar gospel tracts at a laundromat. Will was glad to tell how he had become a Christian in 2004 while attending a well-known Chicago-area church. Over the years and even as recently as just a few months ago he has had vivid dreams about Satan and God fighting for his soul, and he seems to most closely relate to stories of Jesus casting out demons when he reads the Bible. Will clearly trusts his soul to Jesus in these struggles, and for salvation as well. Yet when I asked about the meaning of the cross and Jesus' death and resurrection, Will confessed he had no idea what it was all about. I tried my best to explain, but it seemed like Will had a hard time holding different thoughts in his mind long enough to put them all together to get the big picture. I thank God for Will's simple, childlike faith in Jesus and encouraged him to keep attending church and to read his Biible regularly.
Does a person have to know the details of the digestion process in order to benefit from eating? Likewise, does a man need to understand the details of the cross and atonement for his sins in order to benefit from trusting Jesus? I asked this of myself today after talking to Will, a man I met while handing out million-dollar gospel tracts at a laundromat. Will was glad to tell how he had become a Christian in 2004 while attending a well-known Chicago-area church. Over the years and even as recently as just a few months ago he has had vivid dreams about Satan and God fighting for his soul, and he seems to most closely relate to stories of Jesus casting out demons when he reads the Bible. Will clearly trusts his soul to Jesus in these struggles, and for salvation as well. Yet when I asked about the meaning of the cross and Jesus' death and resurrection, Will confessed he had no idea what it was all about. I tried my best to explain, but it seemed like Will had a hard time holding different thoughts in his mind long enough to put them all together to get the big picture. I thank God for Will's simple, childlike faith in Jesus and encouraged him to keep attending church and to read his Biible regularly.
2/2/11 Abraham and Jose, both about 30
The great Chicago blizzard of 2011 kept me from witnessing yesterday and I didn't want to let it happen again, so after a long day of shoveling snow I headed out to a McDonalds where I was blessed with a good conversation with two Mexican immigrants, Abraham and José. Abraham is a licensed psychologist in Mexico, but must work at a factory here in Chicago. After they figured out I was not some sort of cop, they relaxed and we talked about how to be in a right relationship with the Lord. They both grew up Catholic but appreciated my emphasis on following the Bible rather than man's tradition. Halfway through the conversation, Abraham had some questions about my views on the new immigration law in Arizona. Normally I try not to let side questions distract me from the gospel message for too long, but I could tell Abraham wasn't trying to use this as an excuse not to talk about the Lord. I gave him what I think is a reasonable and godly response to this issue and the proposed "Dream Act", and I believe this won him over to take my salvation message more seriously. This just serves to remind me of the importance of keeping informed on current issues and news events in order to present ourselves as reasonable witnesses of the best news ever.
The great Chicago blizzard of 2011 kept me from witnessing yesterday and I didn't want to let it happen again, so after a long day of shoveling snow I headed out to a McDonalds where I was blessed with a good conversation with two Mexican immigrants, Abraham and José. Abraham is a licensed psychologist in Mexico, but must work at a factory here in Chicago. After they figured out I was not some sort of cop, they relaxed and we talked about how to be in a right relationship with the Lord. They both grew up Catholic but appreciated my emphasis on following the Bible rather than man's tradition. Halfway through the conversation, Abraham had some questions about my views on the new immigration law in Arizona. Normally I try not to let side questions distract me from the gospel message for too long, but I could tell Abraham wasn't trying to use this as an excuse not to talk about the Lord. I gave him what I think is a reasonable and godly response to this issue and the proposed "Dream Act", and I believe this won him over to take my salvation message more seriously. This just serves to remind me of the importance of keeping informed on current issues and news events in order to present ourselves as reasonable witnesses of the best news ever.
2/1/11 A Few Changes...
January was a good month for prayer and reflection. By God's grace I was able to meet my daily witnessing goal through my time of fasting and enjoyed feeling a little more free and spirit-led in my conversations, not needing to remember all the details in order to write about them later. Still, I enjoy writing and feel my stories may be a help to others and a reminder to pray, so I've decided that although I will continue with my daily witnessing goal I will only set a goal of writing a witnessing story every other day. Another change I feel led to is just an increased emphasis on including others from my church with me while witnessing.
January was a good month for prayer and reflection. By God's grace I was able to meet my daily witnessing goal through my time of fasting and enjoyed feeling a little more free and spirit-led in my conversations, not needing to remember all the details in order to write about them later. Still, I enjoy writing and feel my stories may be a help to others and a reminder to pray, so I've decided that although I will continue with my daily witnessing goal I will only set a goal of writing a witnessing story every other day. Another change I feel led to is just an increased emphasis on including others from my church with me while witnessing.
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