When I say the word "Freak;" what do you think it means? 

According to dictionary.com, Freak means: any abnormal phenomenon or product or unusual object; anomaly; aberration. 2. a person or animal on exhibition as an example of a strange deviation from nature; monster. 3. a sudden and apparently causeless change or turn of events, the mind, etc.; an apparently capricious notion, occurrence, etc. 4. a person who acts or dresses in a markedly unconventional or strange way; (verb Freak in action) to become or make frightened, nervous, or wildly excited.

  I saw something disturbing: a webpage describing the youth group as Teen Jesus Freaks. I don't know about you, but according to that definition that came from dictionary.com; a freak is what I was before I came to know Jesus! I think using the term "Freaks" makes them sound negative and worldly - something we're suppose to be separate from as Christians - what's wrong with Teens for Jesus, or Christian Teens. Jesus is for teens; shouldn't teens be for Jesus? Mark 5 describes a "freak" before he met Jesus, but after getting to know Him he was found clothed and in his right mind. Not a freak any longer.

Hello to everyone out there!  I hope that this blessed season has everyone's spirits lifted.  We had a wonderful morning service yesterday, though many were out sick and some that were in attendance were feeling under the weather.  We decided to cancel the evening service due to the fact that so many people were feeling bad and that the weather channel was calling for icy weather; although we ended up getting mostly rain.

We will be having a special Christmas service on December 23, the morning service will begin at 11:00 followed by a pot luck dinner on the grounds.  The evening service will begin at 6:00 followed by snacks and fellowship for all.  We hope to see you there!  

We are holding a food drive for a needy local family.  If you have any non-perishables you would like to drop off, feel free to contact either myself or my wife and we can pick them up at the front desk.  (802)779-0300

Please remember to pray for those who are sick, those who are in hospitals, nursing homes and the like; and those who have suffered a loss - this time of year can be very depressing.  If you know someone who is down do something to lift their spirits - it doesn't need to be much, just show them you care.

If you have someone you would like us to pray for please contact us.  

Thank You and God Bless!

Merry CHRISTmas

humility is nothing but the disappearance of self in the vision that God is all. The holiest will be the humblest.

Humility is the bloom and the beauty of holiness.

Where the spirit of love is shed abroad in the heart, where the divine nature comes to a full birth where Christ the meek and lowly Lamb of God is truly formed within, there is given the power of a perfect love that forgets itself and finds its blessedness in blessing others, in bearing with them and honoring them, however feeble they be. Where this love enters, there God enters. And where God has entered in His power, and reveals Himself as All, there the creature becomes nothing. And where the creature becomes nothing before God; it cannot be anything but humble towards the fellow-creature.

Brethren, here is the path to the higher life. Down, lower down! This was what Jesus ever said to the disciples who were thinking of being great in the kingdom, and of sitting on His right hand and His left. Seek not, ask not for exaltation; that is God's work. Look to it that you abase and humble yourselves, and take no place before God or man but that of servant; that is your work; let that be your one purpose and prayer. God is faithful. Just as water ever seeks and fills the lowest place, so the moment God finds the creature abased and empty, His glory and power flow in to exalt and to bless. He that humbleth himself-that must be our one careshall be exalted; that is God's care; by His mighty power and in His great love He will do it.

Is it any wonder that the Christian life is so often feeble and fruitless, when the very root of the Christ life is neglected, is unknown? Is it any wonder that the joy of salvation is so little felt, when that in which Christ found it and brings it, is so little sought? Until a humility which will rest in nothing less than the end and death of self; which gives up all the honor of men as Jesus did, to seek the honor that comes from God alone; which absolutely makes and counts itself nothing, that God may be all, that the Lord alone may be exalted,-until such a humility be what we seek in Christ above our chief joy, and welcome at any price, there is very little hope of a religion that will conquer the world.

Thanksgiving expresses what ought never to be absent from any of our devotions. We should always be ready to express our grateful acknowledgement of past mercies as distinguished form the earnest seeking of future mercies.

Thank God, a another year God has blessed me,giving me the privilege to read his word from cover to cover. Please keep the church in your prayers,God is so good. Thanks, to all our  Friends, our church family, and visitors for making our 3rd year Anniversary! great, special thanks to God's man, for preaching.

HalloweenA Covenant with Death and HellTerry Watkins
Dial-the-Truth Ministries

(NOTE: This article is available as a printed booklet. Please contact Dial-the-Truth Ministries.)

When you hear the word "Halloween" what images appear? What "spirit" is invoked at the whisper of Halloween? Halloween openly promotes death, devils, witches and flagrant "appearances of evil" (1 Thessalonians 5:22 ). Halloween leaves most people scratching their heads questioning, "How and where did Halloween come from"? This article unearths the hellish tomb of Halloween to exhume its sinister "covenant with death and hell."
Halloween began over 2,000 years ago among the Celts and their pagan priests called the Druids. The Druids are, without question, history's king of the occult. Witchcraft, Satanism, paganism and virtually all facets of the occult acquire instruction from the Druids. From the popular jack-o'-lantern, trick-or-treat, costumes, to the pranks, ghoulish ghosts, demons, goblins and witches - Halloween owes its morbid birth to the Druids.
Halloween-the day itself is of Druidic origin . (Myers, Robert J. Celebrations: The Complete Book of American Holidays, p. 258)
The mystic rites and ceremonies with which Hallow'en was originally observed had their origin among the Druids... (Douglas, George William. The American Book of Days, p. 566) The Druids celebrated two special nights of the year: Beltane and Samhain. Beltane took place on May 1 and marked the birth of summer. Samhain occurred on November 1 and signified the death of summer. Samhain, a night celebrating death and hell, was the Druids most important ritual. It was a terrifying night of human sacrifices. And it was the original Halloween.
The Druids believed, during Samhain, the mystic veil separating the dead from the living opened. The Druids taught these roaming spirits loosed on Samhain went searching for a body to possess. The frightened Celts would masquerade as demons, evil spirits and ghosts, hoping to convince the roaming evil spirits, they were another evil spirit, and leave them alone. The Celts also prepared meals as "treats" to appease the evil spirits from "tricks" or malicious acts; hence our custom of "trick or treat." The Druids performed horrifying human sacrifices and other vile rituals during Samhain . Let there be no doubt-Samhain night was a terrifying "covenant with death, and with hell." And let there be no doubt - Samhain was the original Halloween night.
All histories of Halloween inevitably wind back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain ... (Skal, David J. Death Makes a Holiday: The Cultural History of Halloween, p. 20)
Halloween had its origins in the festival of Samhain among the Celts of ancient Britain and Ireland . (Encyclopedia Britannica 2005 "Halloween")
Halloween can be traced directly back to Samhain , the ancient Celtic harvest festival honoring the Lord of the Dead . (Thompson, Sue Ellen. Holiday Symbols and Customs, p. 251)
The rituals of the Druids reek from the deepest hell. Their most repulsive activities involve their human sacrifices of children on the night of Samhain or Halloween.
First-born sacrifices are mentioned in a poem in the Dindshenchas , which records that children were sacrificed each Samhain ... (Rogers, Nicholas. Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night , p. 17)
Halloween. That was the eve of Samhain ... firstborn children were sacrificed... Samhain eve was a night of dread and danger. ( National Geographic . May 1977, pp. 625-626)
The Druids would drink their victim's blood and eat their flesh.
They [Druids] sacrificed victims by shooting them with arrows, impaling them on stakes, stabbing them, slitting their throats over cauldrons (and then drinking the blood)... (Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. Harper's Encyclopedia of Mystical & Paranormal Experience , p. 167)
Therefore we cannot too highly appreciate our debt to the Romans for having put an end to this monstrous cult , whereby to murder a man was an act of the greatest devoutness, and to eat his flesh most beneficial. (Pliny, Natural History , xxx, 13)
The Druids "counted it an honourable thing" to eat their father's flesh and perform incest with their mothers and sisters.
...since they are man-eaters as well as heavy eaters, and since, further, they count it an honourable thing, when their fathers die, to devour them, and openly to have intercourse, not only with the other women, but also with their mothers and sisters ;... (Strabo, Geography )
May I remind you, this is what occurred on the original Halloween night! Today, Halloween lives and breathes with the foul stench of the diabolical Druids.
The Druids also celebrated the festival of Beltane. The word Beltane ( Beltaine, Beltinne, Beltain, Beiltein ) literally means the "fires of Bel." Bel is the same god called Baal, found over 80 times in the King James Bible. The Lord condemns Baal worship probably more than any other false "god."
...then the Druids lit the Baal-Tinne, the holy, goodly fire of Baal. (Wilde, Lady Francesca Speranza. Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms, and Superstitions of Ireland )
The god whom the Druids worshipped was Baal, as the blazing Baal-fires show, and... children were offered in sacrifice to Baal. (Hislop, Alexander. The Two Babylons , p. 232)

HALLOWEEN - BAAL WORSHIP

The original Halloween was a hellish night of Baal worship and child sacrifice. And most of our current Halloween customs derived directly from Baal rituals!

On November first was Samhain [Halloween]... Fires were built as a thanksgiving to Baal... (Kelley, Ruth Edna, The Book of Hallowe'en , Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Co. Boston, 1919)
The mystic rites and ceremonies with which Hallow'en was originally observed had their origin among the Druids... ancient Baal festivals from which many of the Hallow'en customs are derived. (Douglas, George William. The American Book of Days , p. 569)
Baal is also a synonym for the devil. (Burns, Cathy. Masonic and Occult Symbols Illustrated, p. 327)
Halloween glorifies death in worship to Baal or the devil!
The Druid festival of Samhain was a celebration of death. Strutting its hellish death images of skulls, skeletons, ghosts, demons, devils and incarnate evil - today's Halloween glorifies Death. David Skal titled his history of Halloween - Death Makes a Holiday :
The grand marshal of the Halloween parade is, and always has been, Death . (Skal, David J. Death Makes a Holiday: The Cultural History of Halloween, p. 18)
Halloween can be traced directly back to Samhain, the ancient Celtic harvest festival honoring the Lord of the Dead. (Thompson, Sue Ellen. Holiday Symbols and Customs, p. 251)
The Devil glorifies death. Hebrews 2:14 says, "...that through death he [Jesus] might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;" Proverbs 8:36 says all they that hate the Lord "... love death ." Revelation 6:8 says the rider of the antichrist's pale horse, "...and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him ."

THE ORDINATION OF HALLOWEEN

Understanding the hellish history of Halloween - why in the world did decent people so embrace it? What magic "trick" transformed rancid Samhain into the giddy Halloween?

As the Catholic missionaries swarmed Britain and Ireland seeking the mass conversion to Catholicism their orders from Pope Gregory in 601 A.D. was to cunningly convert the Druid rituals into Catholic rituals. The Catholics converted the ritual of Samhain into the festival of All Saint's Day, a day of celebration and prayer to dead "Saints."
Halloween begins well over 2,000 years ago in the British Isles . Here, we find the holiday stripped to its most essential element: a night when Celtic tribes communed with the spirits of the ancestral dead. These grand and glorious pagan celebrations were assimilated by the Catholic church... Rather than extinguish old customs, the church leaders provided Christian versions of them: from the Middles Ages on, All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day replaced the ancient Celtic celebrations of the dead. (Bannatyne, Lesley Pratt, Halloween: An American Holiday, an American History , Facts on File, Inc., New York, 1990 p. x)
The Catholic festival of All Saints Day was also known as All Hallows Day, with the word "hallow" replacing "saints." The day before All Hallows Day (October 31) was recognized as All Hallows Eve. Eventually, All Hallows Eve became Hallows Eve; hallow'even; hallow'en and ultimately today's Halloween.
All Saints' Day perpetuated the pagan Samhain of November Eve. (Bonwick, James, Irish Druids and Old Irish Religions , Dorset Press, 1984 (1986ed), p.87)
Many traditional beliefs and customs associated with Samhain...continued to be practiced on 31 October, known as the Eve of All Saints, the Eve of All Hallows, or Hallows Even. It is the glossing of the name Hallow Even that has given us the name Hallowe'en . (Santino, Jack editor, Halloween and Other Festivals of Death and Life , The University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, TN 1994 p. xvi)
In 835, Pope Gregory IV "blessed" All Saint's Day as a sacred "day of obligation," consequently on that day, the Catholic Church officially "ordained" Halloween. Halloween owes its very life and breath to the "blessing" of the Catholic Church. Samhain would have breathed its last breath many years ago if not for the "ordination" of the Catholic Church.
Few holidays have a stranger or more paradoxical history than Halloween. Technically, it is the vigil of All Saints Day, observed by Roman Catholics . .. Halloween has clear connections with the rites of the druidic priests... (Douglas, George William, revised by Helene Douglas Compton, The American Book of Days , The H.W. Wilson Company, New York, 1948, p. 741)
A perverse and blasphemous twist to Halloween concerns the name "Halloween." The word "hallow" means "holy, sanctify or consecrate." The popular Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:9 begins with, "...Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name ..." The label "hallow" belongs to God the Father - Hallowed be thy name . Halloween was a night sacrificing young children to the worship of Baal. It is no accident that the name of history's most hellish night, glorifying "death and hell," wears God the Father's holy name of "hallow." The blasphemous name of "Halloween" clearly bears the fingerprints of Lucifer as found in Isaiah 14:12, "...I will be like the most High."

THE OCCULT - HALLOWEEN

While Halloween masquerades as childish fun and frolic, it's serious business in the occult world. Witchcraft, Wicca, Satanism and paganism believe, on the night of Halloween, devils and spirits are unleashed. They perform their most hideous and potent rituals on the night of Halloween.

Samhain: This is the "Witch's New Year" and the primary Sabbat from which all others flow . (RavenWolf, Silver. Teen Witch , p. 42)
Halloween is one of the four major Sabbats celebrated by the modern Witch, and it is by far the most popular and important of the eight that are observed...Witches regard Halloween as their New Year's Eve, celebrating it with sacred rituals... (Dunwich, Gerina. The Pagan Book of Halloween, p. 120)
Halloween is also among Satanism's most cherished days. Anton LaVey, founder of The Church of Satan and author of The Satanic Bible writes:
After one's own birthday, the two major Satanic holidays are Walpurgisnacht (May 1st) and Halloween. (LaVey, Anton Szandor. The Satanic Bible , p. 96)
Satanic High Priestess Blanche Barton, on The Church of Satan web site, praises Halloween:
It [Halloween] gives even the most mundane people the opportunity to taste wickedness for one night. They have a chance to dance with the Devil...I see Satanists all over the world meeting in small groups this night and Hallowe'ens 500 years hence, to raise a glass to the Infernal Hosts...
The Satanic Calendar decrees for Halloween: "One of the two most important nights of the year...Blood and sexual rituals. Sexual association with demons . Animal and human sacrifice - male or female ."
Former occultist Johanna Michaelsen reveals, " Halloween is also a prime recruiting season for Satanists." (Michaelsen, Johanna. Like Lambs to the Slaughter , p. 192)

THE ORNAMENTS OF HALLOWEEN

The ornaments decorating Halloween came directly from the Druids and the occult.

The popular associations of Halloween are derived from ancient Celtic and Druid pagan religious customs. (Mather, George A. and Larry A. Nichols. Dictionary of Cults, Sects, Religions and the Occult , p. 237)
Samhain was a vital part of Celtic culture, its rituals were passed from generation to generation through the oral tradition of the Druids. The genesis of many of America 's Halloween traditions can be found in these ancient celebrations ... (Bannatyne, Lesley Pratt , Halloween: An American Holiday, an American History , Facts on File, Inc., New York, 1990 p. 6)
WITCHES are the reigning Queen of Halloween. If you've been lullabied by the gospel of Halloween that witches are harmless folks, wake up, witches worship the devil:
In many instances, according to the confessions of the witches, besides their direct worship of the devil, they were obliged to show their abhorrence of the faith they had deserted by trampling on the cross, and blaspheming the saints, and by other profanations. (Spence, Lewis. An Encyclopedia of Occultism , p. 433)
The witches held a party at Hallowe'en and the women... sold their soul to the devil, would put a stick in their beds anointed with the fat of murdered babies ... (Douglas, George William. The American Book of Days , p. 569)
Although witches vigorously protest they have no dealings with the devil, under the heading, "A Witch's God," the popular witch's training manual, Witchcraft: Theory and Practice , plainly states:
A Witch's God...He is... Lord of the Underworld [Hell] ... He is named... Baphomet...Lucifer...Baal. (Angeles, Ly de. Witchcraft: Theory and Practice , p. 60)
The Lord God's judgment upon witches should not be taken lightly.
Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live . Exodus 22:18
JACK-O'-LANTERN: If Witches are the Queen of Halloween, the smiling jack-o'-lantern is the King. The demonic jack-o'-lantern leaves most historians baffled tracing its spooky origin. One popular tale, tells of Jack who tricked the devil in a deal for his soul. But the origin of the jack-o'-lantern is much more sinister. It arrives from the Druid's ghastly reverence of the severed human head! They proudly decorated their houses and temples with bloody severed heads. The Druids believed the head housed the soul, hence the light or candle in the skull. The original jack-o'-lantern was not a pumpkin or turnip, but a severed human head!
Trophy, charm, or ornament, the human head figured prominently in Celtic life. Warriors hung enemy heads on their houses as a show of prowess, and Druids, believing that the head harbored the soul, placed skulls in sanctuaries to ward off evil. ( National Geographic , May 1977, p. 603)
... they hang the heads of their enemies from the necks of their horses , and, when they have brought them home, nail the spectacle to the entrances of their homes : (Strabo, Geography )
It is believed that faces, rather than other images or symbols, were originally carved onto the pumpkin because they gave the jack-o'-lantern the look of a head . The Celts of ancient times believed that the head was the most sacred part of the human body, for it housed a person's immortal soul . (Dunwich, Gerina. The Pagan Book of Halloween, p. 32)
...the jack-o'-lantern is generally presented in its traditional form as a festive euphemism for the death's-head, the triangular nose hole and rictus grin being the "dead" giveaways. (Skal, David J. Death Makes a Holiday: The Cultural History of Halloween, p. 38)
Carved and illuminated by a candle, they are symbolic of death and the spirit world . (Thompson, Sue Ellen. Holiday Symbols and Customs, p. 256)
TRICK OR TREAT is another Druid inspired custom.
Every year on Halloween, many children throughout the world dress up in costumes and go door to door in a ritual known as trick or treating... unaware that their innocent masquerade is actually the remnants of a Druidic religious practice from times most ancient. (Dunwich, Gerina. The Pagan Book of Halloween, p. 11)
Whatever the wrinkles, the root assumption is the same: trick or treat had its beginning in the Celtic dawn. (Santino, Jack. Halloween and Other Festivals of Death and Life , p. 82)
MASKS & COSTUMES: Masks and costumes carry a long history in the occult and demon possession. Masks are contacts to the spirit world to invite the spirit to "possess" them.
In rituals, a person wearing a mask of a god or spirit often feels possessed by the supernatural being ... (World Book 2005, p. 263)
The person wearing the mask feels internally transformed and takes on temporarily the qualities of the god or demon represented by the mask . (Biedermann, Hans. Dictionary of Symbolism , p. 218)
BAT: "One of the animal shapes commonly used by these demons (or "familiars," as they were often called) was the bat . Bats and their blood were also used in the casting of spells (especially those of black magick), the brewing of potions..." (Dunwich, Gerina. The Pagan Book of Halloween, p. 29)
OWL: "On Halloween night, demons in the form of owls were said to have traveled with Witches and their cats ... some were even believed to be Witches in disguise . . . (Interestingly, the owl was called a strix by the Romans-a word that means "Witch.")" (Dunwich, Gerina. The Pagan Book of Halloween, p. 43)
"BLACK CATS were associated with darkness and death... they embodied demons who performed the witches' task of maleficia against their neighbors... Black cats are said to be the devil himself ." (Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. The Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft , p. 49)
APPLES: " The practice of bobbing for apples at a Halloween party comes form our Pagan ancestors, who highly valued apple magick." (RavenWolf, Silver. Teen Witch , p. 42)
SKULL: "An interesting symbol, the skull... It is prominent in Witchcraft and Demon worship as a celebration of death ." (Burns, Cathy. Masonic and Occult Symbols Illustrated, p. 388)

THE OBSCENE IN HALLOWEEN

Halloween has always wallowed in the obscene. Its horrid history is paved with vandalism, destruction and wickedness. The sickening depravity of razor blades in apples and poisoned candies of the 1970's was a clear testimony to the evil of Halloween.

Some say that Halloween brings out the evil side of human nature in certain individuals . The number of vandalism acts committed each year on Halloween certainly seems to support this... (Dunwich, Gerina. The Pagan Book of Halloween, p. 23)
Halloween has always been a night of perversion and inversion-a night where misrule rules and decadence masquerades as decency. Halloween's "best kept secret" is its romantic love affair with homosexuals. Halloween was the golden key that unlocked the homosexual's closet of perversion. Halloween's spirit of inversion, bestowed the homosexuals one utopian night to publicly flaunt their decadence and perversion.
It is an opportunity to act out one's desires or fantasies... Halloween is unquestionably a night of inversion . (Rogers, Nicholas. Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night , p. 137)
Halloween has always been a night of misrule and the outrageous. In recent years, it has been adopted by the gay community in America ... (Morgan, Sheena. The Real Halloween , p. 42)
The Halloween machine turns the world upside down. One's identity can be discarded with impunity. Men dress as women, and vice versa. Authority can be mocked and circumvented . (Skal, David J. Death Makes a Holiday: The Cultural History of Halloween p. 17)
Halloween has done more for the current acceptance of homosexuality than any other event. Years of huge homosexual Halloween street parades of gaudy perversion and decadence in New York 's Greenwich Village , Washington , D.C,'s Georgetown , New Orleans 's French Quarter and the infamous Castro Street in San Francisco almost single handily detonated the current homosexual explosion.
Greenwich Village has a long, albeit erratic, history of impromptu Halloween celebrations, and there is undoubtedly a link between the recent emergence of such carnivalesque celebrations and the increasingly public nature of gay culture . .. (Santino, Jack. Halloween and Other Festivals of Death and Life , p. 194)
Yet it has been the gay community that has most flamboyantly exploited Halloween's potential as a transgressive festival... Indeed, it is the gay community that has been arguably more responsible for Halloween's adult rejuvenation. (Rogers, Nicholas. Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night , p. 132)
For gay people, Halloween is a moment of utopian wishfulness... 11

THE OMEN OF HALLOWEN

While many deem Halloween as harmless fun and fantasy, Halloween subtlety disarms our (and especially our children) discernment of witches and the occult. Halloween's magic potion of "fun and frolic" transformed witches, demons, devils and evil incarnate into "fine folks." Over 1.2 million practicing and proud witches live in America. Witchcraft currently is the fastest growing religion in America. At some time, nearly every little girl becomes a witch on Halloween. Witch RavenWolf delights when a vulnerable little girl dresses as a witch on Halloween:

Today, just about every little girl in our society, at one time or another, has chosen to costume herself as a Witch ... If you choose a Witch's costume this Halloween... Hold your head up and wear your Witch's garb proudly in their honor. (RavenWolf, Silver. Halloween: Customs, Recipes & Spells , p. 64)
Occult historian Jean Markale discloses Halloween bids more than childish dress-up. It is a pagan "initiatory journey" guided by someone [Satan] "hidden in the shadows," and none "return from Halloween innocent":
The passage into the world of Halloween is truly an initiatory journey. One does not return from it an innocent. But making the journey alone does not mean there was no guide, no initiator, someone who prompted the quest and who, sometimes hidden in the shadows, watches over the comings and goings of the neophyte through this labyrinth that is the Other World . (Markale, Jean. The Pagan Mysteries of Halloween, p. 127)
Dr. David Enoch, former senior consultant psychiatrist at the Royal Liverpool Hospital and the University of Liverpool, states:
Halloween practices open the door to the occult and can introduce forces into people's lives that they do not understand and often cannot combat ... (Parker, Russ. Battling the Occult , p. 35)

OPPORTUNITIES OF HALLOWEEN

Halloween is the soul winner's dream. Rather than going to a wicked rock concert, or Mardi Gras, or a parade to witness - on Halloween they come to you! On Halloween lost children (and parents!) come to your door for a treat! Give them a real treat - the gospel of Jesus Christ! As you hand them some candy, give them a tract.

The frightful night of Halloween can be a fruitful night for Bible believing churches! Parents are looking for a safe alternative to Halloween. Have a real "Fall Harvest"! Advertise it; build it up; put some time and prayer into it! Encourage kids to dress up as "Bible characters." Have games and goodies for the kids. And here's the harvest part : Provide some tables and refreshments for the parents. Have some covert "soul winners" quietly mingle among the parents to converse and tell them of the wonderful Lord Jesus!
Some may object to such tactics on Halloween as "partaker of his evil deeds" (2 John 1:11 ), but Christian friend, Satan is "the god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4); and "the whole world lieth in wickedness" (1 John 5:19 ) - not just the one night of Halloween! Our days of the week wear the names of pagan gods: Moon-day, Zues-day, Woden's-day. Thor's-day, Freyja-day, Saturn-day, Sun-day. Ever look on that dollar bill displaying the satanic all-seeing "eye of Lucifer" in the pyramid? This earth is the devil's turf (Luke 4:6). You can't escape his wicked influence. But as David took Goliath's own sword and cut his head off (1 Samuel 17:51 ), we can take one of Satan's "swords" and cut some souls from hell.
Use this Halloween as an opportunity for the Lord Jesus.
". . . The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;" Matthew 9:37
"And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire. . ." Jude 1:23
Friend, I want to ask you the most important question you'll ever answer:
Have you ever received Jesus Christ as your Savior?

Not joining a church, not religion, not baptism, not good works, not sacraments - but trusted Jesus Christ and Him alone, as your Savior. If not, Friend you could be - one year, one month, one hour, one minute, one heartbeat - away from eternity in a lake of fire!
Revelation 20:15 says, "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
Friend, God does not want you to go to hell. 2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is...not willing that any should perish..." Jesus loved you so much He died on a rugged cross, to pay for YOUR sin, and to keep YOU out of hell! Revelation 1:5 says, "...Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood."
Friend, don't EXIT this message, until you MAKE SURE you have received Jesus Christ!

I assure you - if you die without Jesus Christ - it'll be the biggest mistake you'll ever make!
DO NOT TAKE THE CHANCE!

Friend, if you've never been saved, don't wait another minute!

The End Time: Beth Moore says God lifted her into another dimension & showed her the church through Jesus's eyes

The End Time: Beth Moore says God lifted her into another dimension & showed her the church through Jesus's eyes

The Friday Church News Notes is designed for use in churches and is published by Way of Life Literature’s Fundamental Baptist Information Service. Unless otherwise stated, the Notes are written by David Cloud. Of necessity we quote from a wide variety of sources, but this does not imply an endorsement. For instructions on how to unsubscribe to this list or to change mailing addresses, please consult the information paragraph at the end.

BETH MOORE BUILDING THE ONE-WORLD CHURCH (Friday Church News Notes, January 13, 2012, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Beth Moore is one of the most popular female Christian speakers and authors. Her Bible-study books have sold multiplied millions of copies. Her Living Proof Live conferences, hosted by LifeWay (Southern Baptist), have drawn thousands of attendees. Moore’s meetings are attended by people from “every denomination,” because she “doesn’t get caught up in divisive doctrinal issues” and “steers clear of topics that could widen existing rifts between different streams in the body of Christ” (Charisma, June 2003). This is the unscriptural “positive-only” ecumenical philosophy that is so helpful in furthering end time apostasy and building the apostate one-world church. Paul exhorted Timothy not to allow any other doctrine (1 Tim. 1:3) and warned the brethren to avoid those who teach error, but Mrs. Moore knows better than to be so ridiculously intolerant and narrow-minded. Moore’s worship leader, Travis Cottrell, “has a uniquely fresh approach to worship that brings the church together,” an approach “that permeates every denominational wall” (LifeWay Christian Resources web site). In a conference in Houston, Texas, Moore had women sit on the platform to represent a hodge-podge of doctrine. She said, “We are a very interdenominational group; I can’t tell you how much I love that diversity.” The groups she specifically highlighted were United Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Baptist, Charismatic, and Roman Catholic. Moore is the blind leading the blind. She ignores the Bible’s solemn warning about the multiplication of false teachers and the explosion of end-time apostasy. She ignores the fact that within the “denominational diversity” she “loves” is found a bewildering variety of heresies, such as baptismal regeneration, infant baptism, sacramentalism, Mariolatry, veneration of relics, popery, antinomianism, universalism, contemplative mysticism, theological modernism, and The Shack’s female goddessism, to name a few. We are living in the midst of rampant end time apostasy as prophesied in the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3-4). It is not time to “permeate” denominational walls; it is time to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints and to raise up walls of biblical separation as a godly protection from error and worldliness. Romans 16:17 and Jude 3 and similar commandments are commonly ignored by popular evangelical speakers, but they will not be ignored at the judgment seat of Christ (assuming these people are truly born again). For a video clip of Moore praising the different denominations see http://apprising.org/2011/12/22/beth-moore-gods-vision-for-the-church-includes-the-roman-catholic-church-denomination/

Our church along with the Audet family went on an outing September 22, 2012 to Wellwood Orchard. We had a really good time together picking apples, watching the children playing among the trees, climbing the huge rock and jumping off. The view was magnificant and the weather beautiful!

David was the greatest singer in the Bible. He had a song for everything. David knew God. David believed God. David loved God. David sang about God. David had a lot to be thankful for. God was merciful to him and David never forgot it. David sinned in committing adultery and murder and deserved to die because of it but God spared him because he exhibited true repentance. David truly was thankful for all God did for him. David's songs give us a description of what God was to him and what God can be to us if we allow Him to. What God was to David Psalm 18 my strength, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my God, my buckler, my high tower, my stay, the horn of my salvation Psalm 23 my shepherd Psalm 27 my light, my help, the strength of my life, my salvation Psalm 28 my shield Psalm 30 my helper Psalm 31 my strong rock Psalm 32 my hiding place Psalm 35 my Lord Psalm 43 the health of my countenance Psalm 44 my King, a present help in trouble Psalm 48 our guide even unto death Psalm 59 my defense, the God of my Lord Psalm 61 a shelter, a strong tower Psalm 62 my rock, my glory, the rock of my strength, my refuge Psalm 68 a father of the fatherless, a judge of the widows Psalm 71 my strong habitation, my hope, my trust, my strong refuge Psalm 75 the judge Psalm 79 God of our salvation Psalm 80 Shepherd of Israel, Lord God of hosts Psalm 84 a sun and a shield Psalm 88 Lord God of my salvation Psalm 89 my father, my God and the rock of my salvation Psalm 91 my refuge and my fortress Psalm 92 my rock Psalm 94 my defense, the rock of my refuge Psalm 95 the rock of our salvation, a great God, a great King Psalm 96 great, and greatly to be praised, to be feared above all gods Psalm 99 holy Psalm 100 good Psalm 119 my hiding place and my shield Psalm 121 thy keeper, thy shade Psalm 144 my strength, my goodness, my fortress, my high tower, my deliverer, my shield

We had a good service today in God's house,preached on the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Please pray for Mrs. Williams and also the Young family as they go through many health problems.
these poignant words regarding the effect that the truth of the Bridegroom's imminent return should have on His Bride, the Church...

For believers the hope of the imminent return of Christ has practical implications of vast significance.

1. It should have a purifying influence on our lives (1Thessalonians 5:23; 1 Jn. 3:3).

2. It should burden us to pray and work for the salvation of the lost (Gen. 19:14; Ezek. 33:6; Jude 21-23).

3. It should encourage us to persevere in spite of persecution and trial (Romans 8:18; 2 Cor. 4:17; 1Thessalonians 4:13-18).

4. It should make us reduce our holdings of material possessions; their value declines as His coming approaches (see Lev 25:8-10, 14-16).

5. It should constrain us to apologize to anyone we have wronged and to make restitution where necessary (Matthew 5:24; Ja 5:16).

6. It should inspire us to diligent service knowing that the night is coming when no one can work (Jn 9:4; 1Thessalonians 1:9; 1:10).

7. It should keep us in the attitude of expectancy (Luke 12:36) and abiding in Him so we will not be ashamed before Him as His coming (1 Jn. 2:28).

8. It should make us bold to confess Christ (Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26).

9. It should prove to be a comforting hope (John 14:1-3, 28; 1Thessalonians 4:18; 2 Thes 1:7; 2 Timothy 2:12).

10. It should be an encouragement to moderation, gentleness, and sweet reasonableness (Philippians 4:5).

11. It should be a motive for unity and love (1Thessalonians 3:12; 13).

12. It should encourage an other-worldly attitude (Colossians 3:1-4).

13. It should be a reminder of coming review and reward (Romans 14:10-12; 1 Cor 3:11-15; 2 Cor 5:10).

14. It should be used as a powerful appeal in preaching the gospel (Acts 3:19-21; Revelation 3:3).

For those who are not believers, the truth of Christ’s return should lead them to repent of their sins and make a full commitment of their lives to him as Lord and Savior. Only those who are in Christ will go to be with Him at the Rapture. The rest will be left behind for judgment

Please pray for the Manuel family as we serve: "May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of his suffering" 

July 31

"Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

Wherever there is faith, there is desire; and as faith embraces heavenly realities, desire embraces that of which faith testifies. Now as the soul is wrought upon by a divine power, and faith is drawn forth into blessed exercise upon the promises of which it is persuaded and which it embraces, desire is kindled for their enjoyment.

True religion is not a burdensome, painful, melancholy, wearisome, and toilsome task or employment as many think. It has indeed its trials, temptations, afflictions, cutting griefs, and depressing sorrows; but it has its sweetness, its peace, its delights, and its enjoyments. And it is the sweetness that we feel, the enjoyment that we have, and the delighting ourselves in the things of God, which hold our head up and encourage us still to persevere and travel on through the wilderness.

It is not all bondage, nor distress of mind, nor sorrow of heart, nor perplexity of soul which the heirs of promise feel. There are sips and tastes, drops and crumbs, and momentary enjoyments, if not long nor lasting, yet sweet when they come, sweet while they last, and sweet in the recollection when they are gone. The Lord gives that which encourages, strengthens, comforts, and delights, and enables us to see that there is that beauty, blessedness, and glory in him which we have tasted, felt, and handled, and which we would not part with for a thousand worlds.

Glory to God, what a Saviour, we serve.Looking forward to the Lord's day, a day of preaching,singing,praying,and testifying can't wait to see all my brothers and sister's in the Lord.
Job is going well,please pray that my back continues to stay strong.We have had a lot of visitors in the last few weeks,pray that they will stay a while,and give us a chance to teach them the word of God.I want to leave you with a few good thoughts.  Bro. Larry Manuel  2Tim1:7

A man was late to church. As he rushed in the people were coming out.
He asked "Oh, is it all over?"
someone answered, "No it's just begun.
We're going out now to practice what has been preached!

"Faith in God is not just belief that God exists,
but also willingness to be controlled by His principles."

"The character of your children tomorrow
depends on what you put into their hearts today."

Praise God, we had a great day Sunday in the house of God;we had (17) in the A.M service,we had no (P.m) service due to sickness.
Keep us in your prayers.                        Admiring God
By A.W. Tozer

The dictionary says that to admire is ?to regard with wondering esteem accompanied by pleasure and delight; to look at or upon with an elevated feeling of pleasure.? According to this definition, God has few admirers among Christians today. Many are they who are grateful for His goodness in providing salvation. At Thanksgiving time the churches ring with songs of gratitude that ?all is safely gathered in.? Testimony meetings are mostly devoted to recitations of incidents where someone got into trouble and got out again in answer to prayer. To decry this would be uncharitable and unscriptural for there is much of the same thing in the Book of Psalms. It is good and right to render unto God thanksgiving for all His mercies to us. But God?s admirers, where are they? The simple truth is that worship is elementary until it begins to take on the quality of admiration. Just as long as the worshiper is engrossed with himself and his good fortune, he is a babe. We begin to grow up when our worship passes from thanksgiving to admiration. As our hearts rise to God in lofty esteem for that which He is (?I AM THAT I AM?), we begin to share a little of the selfless pleasure which is the portion of the blessed in heaven.

Accepting Christ Means Rejecting All Else
By A.W. Tozer

The notion that we enter the Christian life by an act of acceptance is true, but that is not all the truth. There is much more to it than that. Christianity involves an acceptance and a repudiation, an affirmation and a denial. And this not only at the moment of conversion but continually thereafter day by day in all the battle of life till the great conflict is over and the Christian is home from the wars. To live a life wholly positive is, fortunately, impossible. Were any man able to do such a thing it could be only for a moment. Living positively would be like inhaling continuously without exhaling. Aside from its being impossible, it would be fatal. Exhalation is as necessary to life as inhalation. To accept Christ it is necessary that we reject whatever is contrary to Him. This is a fact often overlooked by eager evangelists bent on getting results. Like the salesman who talks up the good points of his product and conceals its disadvantages, the badly informed soulwinner stresses the positive side of things at the expense of the negative.

A LIBEL AGAINST GOD
By A.W. Tozer

Human sin began with loss of faith in God! When our mother Eve listened to Satan's sly innuendoes against the character of God, she began to entertain a doubt of His integrity-and right there the doors were opened to the incoming of every possible evil, and darkness settled upon the world. Relationship between moral beings is by confidence, and confidence rests upon character which is a guarantee of conduct. God is a being of supreme moral excellence, possessing in infinite perfection all the qualities that constitute holy character. He deserves and invites the unreserved confidence of every moral creature, including man. Any proper relation to Him must be by confidence, that is, faith. Idolatry is the supreme sin and unbelief is the child of idolatry. Both are libels on the Most High and Most Holy. John wrote: "He that believeth not God hath made Him a liar." A God who would lie is a God without character. Repentance is a man's sincere apology for distrusting God for so long, and faith is throwing oneself upon Christ in complete confidence. Thus by faith reconciliation is achieved between God and man!

A.W.Tozer:
What is the worst enemy the church faces today? This is where a lot of unreality and unconscious hyprocrisy enters. Many are ready to say, "The liberals are our worst enemy." But the simple fact is that the average evangelical church does not have too much trouble with liberalism. Nobody gets up in our churches and claims that the first five books of Moses are just myths. Nobody says that the story of creation is simply religious mythology. Nobody denies that Christ walked on the water or that He rose from the grave. Nobody gets up in our churches and claims that Jesus Christ is not the Son of God or that He isn't coming back again. Nobody denies the validity of the Scriptures. We just cannot hide behind liberalism and say that it is our worst enemy. We believe that evangelical Christians are trying to hold on to the truth given to us, the faith of our fathers, so the liberals are not our worst enemy. Neither do we have a problem with the government. People in our country can do just about whatever they please and the government pays no attention. We can hold prayer meetings all night if we want, and the government would never bother us or question us. There is no secret police breathing down our backs watching our every move. We live in a free land, and we ought to thank God every day for that privilege. The treacherous enemy facing the church of Jesus Christ today is the dictatorship of the routine, when the routine becomes "lord" in the life of the church. Programs are organized and the prevailing conditions are accepted as normal. Anyone can predict next Sunday's service and what will happen. This seems to be the most deadly threat in the church today. When we come to the place where everything can be predicted and nobody expects anything unusual from God, we are in a rut. The routine dictates, and we can tell not only what will happen next Sunday, but what will occur next month and, if things do not improve, what will take place next year. Then we have reached the place where what has been determines what is, and what is determines what will be.

A.W.Tozer:
This may sound like heresy in some quarters, but I have come to this conclusion-that there are far too many among us who have thought that they accepted Christ, but nothing has come of it within their own lives and desires and habits! This kind of philosophy in soul-winning-the idea that it is "the easiest thing in the world to accept Jesus"-permits the man or woman to accept Christ by an impulse of the mind or of the emotions. It allows us to gulp twice and sense an emotional feeling that has come over us, and then say, "I have accepted Christ." These are spiritual matters about which we must be legitimately honest and in which we must seek the discernment of the Holy Spirit. These are things about which we cannot afford to be wrong; to be wrong is still to be lost and far from God. Let us never forget that the Word of God stresses the importance of conviction and concern and repentance when it comes to conversion, spiritual regeneration, being born from above by the Spirit of God!

July 8

"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1

There is not a more blessed declaration than this in the whole word of truth. It is the sweetest note sounded by the gospel trumpet, for it is the very crown of the whole jubilee. Is not condemnation the bitterest drop in the cup of trembling? the most chilling, piercing note of that terrible trumpet which sounded so long and so loud from Sinai's blazing top that all the people that were in the camp trembled? (Exod. 19:13, 16.) Condemnation is the final execution of God's righteous law, and therefore carries with it all that arms death with its sting and the grave with its terror.

The apprehension of this; the dread and fear of being banished forever from the presence of God; of being lost, and that without remedy; of sinking under the blazing indignation of him who is a consuming fire, has filled thousands of hearts with horror. And it must be so as long as the law speaks in its thunders, as long as conscience re-echoes its verdict, and as long as the wrath of God burns to the lowest hell. O the blessedness, then, of that word of grace and truth, worthy to be sounded through heaven and earth by the voice of cherubim and seraphim, "There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus!"

 

July 4

"Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good." Jeremiah 32:41

God rejoices as much in saving your soul as you can rejoice in your soul being saved. Say I "as much?" His joy is infinite, and yours is finite; his the joy of God, and yours but the joy of man. Do you believe that God rejoices to save, delights in saving? Why else would he have given his dear Son? Do the angels rejoice over repenting sinners? Is there no joy then in the bosom of God to save a sinner too? How this takes us up, as it were, into the very realms of bliss, and reveals to us the wondrous character of God in his Trinity of persons and Unity of essence, that there is a rejoicing in the salvation of the Church, so that God himself, so to speak, is filled with eternal joy in the salvation of his people.

When his dear Son offered himself as a sacrifice for sin, and thus put away the transgressions and iniquities of the Church by his own blood-shedding and death, overcame death and hell, and washed us in his blood from all our filth and guilt and shame, God, so to speak; rejoiced with infinite joy in the completion of the work of his dear Son. It was the fulfillment of his eternal purposes of wisdom and grace. It was the manifestation of his glory to men and angels. It was the triumph of good over evil, of holiness over sin, of mercy over judgment, of love over enmity, of wisdom over deceit, of the counsels of God over the devices of man, and, above all, of the Son of God in his weakness over Satan in his might. It was peopling heaven with an innumerable multitude of saints by whom eternal anthems of praise should be sung to God and the Lamb. Thus we may see how the God of heaven even now rejoices with holy joy over every one whom he brings to the enjoyment of a salvation so free, so great, so glorious.

 

Hello everyone!  June was quite a month for us personally and for our church.  We as a family and church participated in the Rutland County Relay for Life.  Sandy Turco donated time and materials for our bake sale, she also made a Raggedy Ann and Andy to auction off for part of our fundraiser, we also auctioned off a Rock of Ages KJV Bible.  Thank You so much Sandy for all you do for our family and our church.  If there were more Christians like you this world it would be a brighter place.  Last Sunday, July 1,  we had 11 people in the morning service and we had 21 people in the evening service.  We had a surprise visit from our friends the Audet family.  God bless this beautiful family.  Through our witnessing at the Relay for Life, we met a lovely lady Sindee who has started joining us, she also won the Bible that was auctioned off.

Prayer List:
Robin Young - started treatment for Hep. C; she is dealing with much sickness, though her viral load is getting much lower.  Praise God!
Don Young - had a negative reaction to blood medication and has heart problems, also unemployed.
Carl De Long - arthritis, has to deal with a lot of pain on a daily basis and is an over-the-road truck driver.
Karen De Long - had a seizure last month, tests didn't show anything, has to see a neurologist.
Linda Jamieson (Pastor Larry's mom) - had to have surgery to remove a mass in her abdomen, just found out last night that the mass was cancerous.  She will be having to take chemo treatments.  She is lost and needs Jesus.
Pastor Larry Manuel - back issues, financial needs.
Sandy Turco - family and health needs
Rachel Manuel - school
Lighthouse Church - that our church will grow and be a light in this dark community, that we will serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and we will always give Him the honor and glory He so richly deserves.
Rutland City and County
USA & her leaders
Lost Family members
Chuck Ellis - found his brother dead
Jimmy Farrell - bladder cancer
Jerry Manuel - health issues
Cremer Manuel - strength to care for Jerry
Special Requests


Praise Report:
Pastor Larry got a job working for Lincare in Rutland.  Please pray his back will allow him to continue this job, it is full-time and year round.  He hasn't worked since the beginning of March.  Although, God has seen to all our needs.  Thanks be to Jesus!
Joshua Manuel started working for our neighbor weeding her yard.
Elizabeth Manuel will be getting special inserts and shoes to help her feet and we found our insurance covers it all.

Birthdays:  Joshua Manuel 7/11  &  Pastor Larry 7/21

We had (10)people in the (AM) service,and we didnot have a(pm)serviceMay27,2012.
Please pray for our church,and also the Young family,along with the Turco family.

Had a great day Sunday in God's house, we had (14) in the (a.m) service and (11) in the (pm) service.
Please pray for the Young family, God, knows the situation there. we have a praise report, my father in law(Carl De long) is cancer free; also Mrs.Kathleen, got to come to church for the first time after her stroke,GOD is great!!!! Please pray for the street preaching this Saturday,we are seeing some results.

My Pastor, always said you make much of God he will make much of you.  

Lord, help us to be what You want us to be
In character, actions, and will,
For You are the potter and we are the clay—
Your purposes we would fulfill. —Fitzhugh

Children's ears may be closed to advice,
but their eyes are open to example.

Street preaching.

Cliff and Nick had the opportunity again this Friday to do some street preaching with Pastor M. They were able to talk to quite a few people and hand out tracts. We ran some errands and enjoyed having Elizabeth M along with us. The girls especially enjoyed the time :). Joe snapped this picture when we drove by them. We were thankful for the red light so we could get a good one.

We had a good day in God's house Sunday we had (10) in the A.M service and (6) in the P.M.service.
Thanks be to God, we had a man come in to the A.M service who received a gospel witness from us on the street Friday. Thanks to all who went out and to all who prayed  for us.

The Benefits of Public Ministry

The following is an edited version of a sermon preached by Brother James at The National Street

Preacher’s Convention, hosted by the Bible Baptist Church, Marysville, California, February, 1999.

For a verse of Scripture to get started, look at Luke chapter sixteen. Here is the rich man, speaking

from hell. In Luke 16:27-28,

Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him

to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come

into this place of torment.

How about that for a commission?! As far as I know, this is the only case

in the Bible where a man is permitted to speak from hell. What he requested was not salvation for

himself. What he requested was not a second chance. But what that man asked was that someone go

and tell his family, so they didn’t have to join him in the place of torment.

Obviously, there was not a party going on down there. There was not a crowd having a big time,

drinking and carrying on. When that fellow got to hell, he didn’t want anyone else to go there. So he

asked that a witness be sent to his relatives. Will you be used of God to answer a prayer from hell?

Some time ago I received a questionnaire. It asked:

1. How has public ministry benefited you?

2. How has public ministry benefited your town?

3. How has public ministry benefited your church?

I want to go over some of the answers that I sent in response.

In March, 1987, we started a church in Deland, Florida. In part, it grew out of street preaching.

We had been preaching on the streets in that town for close to two years, at the end of which time we

had a small nucleus of people, rented a building, and began regular services. So I admit that our church

is unlike what some men experience when they try to introduce something as radical as public

preaching to a congregation of people who have never done it. We started from public ministry and

grew from there. So I realize our situation is a little different.

[In the discussion that follows public ministry is used in its broadest sense. The term includes holding

signs and banners, distributing tracts, entering parades, etc. as well as preaching the word.]

How Has Public Ministry Benefited You?

First, it has helped me to preach through any and all distractions. You will find, especially you

young men who are getting started, that if you can learn to preach with hecklers, traffic, and people

walking about, you can stand in any church pulpit and preach through people falling asleep and

dropping hymnals, through teenagers passing notes, and through children playing with toys. It will

help you to learn to concentrate on your message and the delivery of your message, and not be

sidetracked by all the little things that are going on around you.

Second, public preaching has made me free to teach Biblical, New Testament Christianity without

condemning myself. How could I preach and teach through the gospels, where Jesus sent the disciples

out into public places to give the good news to everyone with whom they came in contact if I was not

doing the same? How could I teach through the book of Acts, talk about those missionary journeys,

those trips into the theater, those confrontations with crowds and authorities, if I was unwilling to go

out and do the very same thing? I would be a very compromised preacher in the pulpit of my church

were I not at least trying to do what every prophet, every true disciple and every apostle in the pages of

the Bible had done. I could not teach the whole Bible without embarrassing myself.

Third, public ministry has helped teach me the importance of proper speech and clarity of

pronunciation. Whether it is on a cassette tape, the radio, or from a pulpit, you will be able to hear and

understand every word that is spoken by a man who regularly preaches on the streets. Such men have

learned to speak to an audience that isn’t listening very carefully. They have learned to make certain

every vowel and consonant is spoken, so a hearer can grasp it. If you bring grandma to hear a street

preacher, you can be sure she will know what he said. That is great. What is the point of getting up

and preaching, if no one is going to grasp half of what you have spoken because you mutter and peep,

or holler and hack? Making every vowel understood over traffic and in the wind will greatly aid the

delivery of the Sunday morning message to the lady in row fifteen.

Fourth, public ministry keeps me mindful that the old man is still very much alive. If I was to

speak of my unwillingness, my hang-ups, my reservations about going out to street preach, most of you

would probably have the same ones. In the church-house situation people are patting you on the back,

saying, “Boy, that was a great sermon. We sure love our pastor.” After awhile you get to thinking you

kind of deserve that credit. Maybe you are worthy of a little praise. “Bless God, I am a man of God,

and I...”

Street preaching will really help keep you in your place. It is healthy to be surrounded by people

who don’t care what you have to say, don’t think you are important and would rather see you drop dead

than say another word. That is necessary for a minister. It is good for you. You can say what you will

about the Bakkers, the Swaggerts and all that crowd, what ruined those men was the fact that they were

surrounded for decades by people who only told them what they wanted to hear. They were surrounded

by people who would agree with everything they said and backed them every time they made a

suggestion. If Jim Bakker had made a few trips to downtown Charlotte and heard some people speak

from the other side of the aisle, it would have helped him stay closer to God.

How Has Public Ministry Benefited Your Town?

Street preaching has forced the people in our community to confront their attitude regarding the

gospel. You see, Marysville, California does not care what goes on in Bible Baptist Church. They do

not care what your pastor preaches and teaches. They don’t care what your convictions are. They

don’t care what your standards are. You can do anything you want here. You can sprinkle. You can

pour. You can dunk. You can baptize them three times frontward, in Jesus’ name or in the name of the

Trinity. They could not care less. They don’t care if people are getting born again. They don’t care if

you have a cult here and are cutting off the head of a chicken. AS LONG AS YOU KEEP IT IN THE

CHURCH they don’t have to deal with it. But when you go to their shopping centers, into their

neighborhoods and occupy their intersections, you force them to examine their opinion of Jesus Christ

the Word of God, and that is healthy.

None of us got saved until we fell under conviction. None of us fell under conviction until we

were confronted with the facts of the gospel. The reason we don’t see people getting under conviction

and getting genuinely saved is because we are not confronting them with the facts of the gospel.

We are fond o

f Romans 10:13, and with good reason. Here the Bible says: For whosoever shall

c

all upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

But we cannot divorce that verse from its context.

How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?

They will not! and how shall they

believe in him of whom they have not heard?

They can not! and how shall they hear without a

preacher?

They won’t! And how shall they preach except they be sent? Oh, but we have been sent!

Every saved man and woman is commissioned (Acts 1:8; 1:15) and empowered (Acts 2:1-4) to preach

the good news to the world.

Next, public ministry has benefited our town because it has forced the city attorney to take laws off

the books that were prohibiting the distribution of religious literature.

When we went to Deland there was a Southern Baptist college that has been there since the 1880s.

In the Deland area there are probably a dozen large Baptist churches. In addition there are a dozen

fundamental churches. There are a number of conservative Presbyterian churches, and conservative

charismatic churches. If you have a pro-life rally, you get a big crowd in our town. It is a very

conservative community. And yet, on the law books in Deland, Florida was a city ordinance

prohibiting the distribution of religious literature.

Now, you know they can’t make that law stick. You know that law is unconstitutional. But for

over fifty years no one ever challenged that law to get it off the books. So the governmental powers in

our community were allowed to pass and legislate unconstitutional laws, simply because no one would

stand up and force them to do what was right. Public ministry has benefited our town because now

anyone, from any church, who gets excited about Jesus Christ and wants to hand someone a gospel

tract, may do so without having to answer to anyone, without having the police called, without going to

visit the city attorney’s office, or be harassed for five seconds. We have set at liberty everyone in our

community who decides they want to do something for Jesus Christ, just because we took the truth

outside the walls of the church and forced the issue.

We weren’t ugly. We weren’t obnoxious. The first time a police officer told us about the law we

said, “All right. We will stop for today. But tomorrow we will be at the city attorney’s office to get a

copy of the ordinance. We want a meeting with the city attorney.”

Three months later, we got a copy of a letter from the city attorney to the mayor and to the chief of

police, stating that the law was unconstitutional and is not to be enforced. That unjust law would still

be there, hovering over the heads of any teenage boy who got excited about living for Jesus, had

someone not taken the light outside the church building.

Along those same lines, public ministry has benefited our town because it has kept the police and

city council mindful of our first amendment rights. They know what our rights are. They learned them

in law school or at the police academy. But people tend to forget. Given a little power people tend to

grow abusive over time. In every area of life we see that evolution is a lie. Unless an active force

intervenes, the greatest liberties will erode as years go by. Thus, it is a blessing to know that every man

or woman who is hired on the police force in our town must, as part of their initiation, have explained

to them the rules and regulations regarding the public preaching of the word of God.

What a blessing to know that every young recruit must sit in the commander’s office and be told,

“Now, on Friday afternoon, you are going to get some calls from some merchants complaining about

noisy preachers. Here is how you respond to those calls. Here is how you must deal with those

people. And don’t bother them because they are doing it right.”

What a blessing! It ought to be that way in every town in America.

So you say, “Bless God, we have a legal right to do what we are doing.” Yes, but the legal crowd

doesn’t know that. “Bless God, we have a right to be protected for what we are doing.” But the police

don’t know that. If you will be a constant presence on the streets of your town, they will know it and

will not be able to forget it. In time, they will come to be your greatest allies. The police in Deland are

on our side. They go to bat for us. Most of them are not saved. They are not believers. They don’t

even agree with what we are doing. But they know we are doing it right. They know we have been

faithful. They know we have been consistent, and they stand between the merchants and our little

band.

I have been in meetings with the head of the merchants’ associations, or the mayor, or the city

attorney, and representatives from the police department. I have watched the representative of the

police department stand against the powers to be, and side with us, even though he does not believe

what we are preaching, because he knows, legally, we are doing what we are allowed to be doing, and

he knows, morally, we are doing what we are supposed to be doing. And that is the way it ought to be.

In addition, (everyone would not consider this a benefit) public ministry has rid downtown of six

businesses. All went under after trying to shut down our preaching. Ours is a small, southern, county

seat town. At the main intersection two highways cross. Both of them are only two lanes. At that

intersection was a J. C. Penney department store. When we began our street preaching, the manager of

the store who testified that he was saved and loved the Lord. Almost everyone in our town claims to

love the Lord – they just hate the Bible and hate for anyone to hear about Jesus Christ. We get far more

opposition from professing Christians than we do from Satanists or atheists. Anyway, this “saved”

store manager would send his employees, on the clock, to park cars in front of our preachers and turn

up their stereos in an attempt to drown out the word of God..

What did we do? Well, we couldn’t preach over the noise, so we instructed our men to walk over, lean

in the window and preach to the fellows sitting in the cars. “

Glad you came out today. Not everyone

wants to stop and listen to the Gospel. It sure is a blessing to have you pull over here, so I could tell

you about Jesus Christ.

” Those fellows earned their money. Between the stereos blaring behind them

and the preachers blaring in their ear, they earned their money.

Then, after hours, when all the businesses were shut down, we went back downtown and got on

our face before God. On that sidewalk we would pray, “God, change their hearts, or remove their

business. We will not interfere with their right to earn a living, but we cannot allow these people to

silence the preaching of the gospel.”

Six times: with Woolworth, Office Supply Store, Bikini Shop, and every other business that has

ever tried to shut down the street preaching we have taken this approach. No picketing, no boycotts, no

lying down in the doorway, no harassment of the customers: just prayer. Every single time God has

either turned the heart of that merchant and he or she has given up, or God has shut the place down.

They have a right to do business. But you need to firmly let such people know, “Sir, if you want

mall privileges, you are going to have to pay mall prices. You don’t get mall protection on the strip or

along the highway. This is public property. If you want private property where you don’t have to hear

street preaching, you have to go pay rent at the mall.”

We have store managers come out with a yardstick, get down on their knees and measure three feet

from their building, with the lease agreement in their hand, and draw a chalk line and say, “You cross

that chalk line, I’ll have you arrested.” And we tell everyone, “Don’t cross that chalk line. That is his

property.”

When the police say to stay clear of the traffic flow we warn everyone, “Don’t go off the curb and

get in the road.”

But if you will do it right, the law has to back you. They don’t want to pay for a new fellowship

hall. They don’t want to fund the paving of your parking lot.

God may leave hateful merchants to throw stones like Shimei, or He may shut them down. Preach

on!

Last under this heading, we have provoked other churches and individuals to enter the public arena

for Jesus Christ.

When we first entered a float in the Christmas parade, (and there is no better chance to reach the

majority of people in your town than to run a float in a parade). The first year we did it, no other

church was entered. Last year, eight years after our first entry, there were

fourteen churches that had

floats in the Christmas parade. It was like the gospel on wheels. Here came the A. M. E. church. Here

came the Methodist church, the Assembly of God, the Baptist church. I wish there were a hundred of

them.

Listen to the crowd muttering, “Hey man, what is all this Jesus stuff at Christmas time? What is

all this babe in the manger stuff? This is supposed to be a Christmas parade. What is all this Jesus

business everywhere?” I’ll tell you what it is. It is someone going first. So maybe some of the other

churches, out of strife or envy, said, “We better get out there before they do.” Some may use them for

an advertising tool. But for whatever reason, I’m glad last year there were fourteen floats in the

Christmas parade and four churches out there, passing out tracts to the crowd – because someone went

first.

Let me tell you about some of the floats we have entered in the Christmas parade. On one we had

an empty manger at the front and a bloody cross in the middle. On the back we had a big throne with

Jesus sitting on it, a scepter in His and His foot resting on a globe. On the side of the float it said, “HE

IS NOT A BABY ANY MORE.” That gets the message across.

One year we had people dressed in costumes from many different periods of history. All of them

were facing a manger. This one read, “AGES CHANGE BUT WISE MEN STILL SEEK HIM.”

Another featured a family sitting around a tree, presents were piled high, a TV was blaring. Mom

was talking on the phone, and dad sitting there watching the magic box. Then we had a wall, door and

windows, and on the outside was Jesus knocking on the door. On the side of the float it said, “IS

THERE STILL NO ROOM FOR HIM IN THE INN?”

My personal favorite had Jesus sitting on a big rock and little children gathered around Him. On

the other end of the float was Santa on a big seat like the ones at the mall – with no children near him.

The float said, “CHOOSE YOU THIS DAY WHOM YE WILL SERVE.” It did not win any awards.

It seems everyone in town is coming to the parade, because their little girl is twirling a baton, or

their son is marching with the Boy Scouts wearing his Rudolph nose. The whole town is there; so we

are there. It is a great opportunity. You can give out more tracts at a Christmas parade and Fourth of

July fireworks show than you will all year long downtown trying to give one or two to people who are

shopping.

We have become a part of such events. We often hear comments like, “We knew you people would

show up,” or “He we go again.” That’s good. That’s very good.

During the political season it seems every intersection is filled with campaign signs.

Bush-Gore in

2004

or Hillary’s Great in 2008. So we have signs made up. In small letters across the top is “Your

best choice.” Then in big letters: “Jesus Christ.” And on the bottom is Romans 6:23, Acts 16:31.

Everywhere there is a campaign sign we stop and put up one of ours. And do you want to know

something? The first time we tried this there was no church name on the signs, but people all over

town were calling our church wanting to know where they could get some of them. Isn’t it funny that

they didn’t call Saint Peter’s? Isn’t it funny that they didn’t call Trinity Lutheran? Why did they call

our church?

This is what street preaching does for your town. When people decide they want to do something

for Jesus, when they decide they want to find Jesus, they won’t need the Yellow Pages. They will know

who to call.

Our signs, preaching and floats have made the newspapers several times. In each case, photos or

quotations of the Bible verses were in the paper. You cannot buy advertising space on the front page of

a daily newspaper. Inside, you can’t buy ad space on the top half of the page. Did you know that no

matter how much money a church raised they could not put “Ye must be born again” on the front page.

You could not buy three column inches on page 1 to tell your community “Ye must be born again.”

Yet, thousands of people going into restaurants this morning saw, “Ye must be born again” on the front

of the Sacramento paper. Everyone checking out of the motel across the street saw, “Ye must be born

again.” Every kid throwing newspapers saw, “Ye must be born again.” Every man or woman who

opened their copy this morning saw, “Ye must be born again.” You can’t buy that kind of advertising.

All those people saw, “Ye must be born again,” just because someone took the gospel outside the

church. What is that worth in dollars? You can’t put a price on it. What a blessing!

How Has Public Ministry Benefited Your Church?

Number one, public ministry has given everyone an opportunity to be actively involved in the

work of the gospel. Everyone is not equipped to teach a Sunday school class. Everyone does not

qualify for the office of a deacon. Everyone cannot stand in the pulpit and preach or sing. Everyone

cannot play a musical instrument. But we don’t have one person in our church that cannot hold a sign

in their hand and thereby tell thousands of people about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our teenagers enjoy going out on the streets to distribute gospel tracts. It is something they want

to do. Will all the young men grow up to be pastors? Probably not. Will all the young ladies travel

one day to the foreign field? Probably not. But every one of them is already an evangelist and a

missionary.

One day someone will be driving through our town thinking, “Those wicked public schools are

ruining my kids. These gangs, I’m so scared for my kids. I wonder what I’m going to do with my son

or my daughter?” Suppose they see a bunch of clean, well-dressed, happy boys and girls, out standing

up for Jesus Christ. Is it not possible they will think, “You know, I’m not much for that Bible stuff.

I’ve heard a lot about that preacher down there, but there has to be something good going on there and

we better check it out.”

Second, public ministry has kept us mindful of how the world and most professing Christians

really feel about Jesus Christ. Gentlemen, you can stand in your pulpit and preach until you are blue in

the face, telling your people that the world hates Jesus Christ and has no use for the Bible. Even some

of your best members will consider that just your narrow minded, bigoted opinion about their friends

and neighbors and good people with whom they work. But let them go out there and stand with a Bible

in their hand and say, “Jesus is wonderful! Don’t you think so?” They will find out in a hurry that their

town is populated by a bunch of self-righteous hypocrites who hate Jesus Christ and the gospel. That is

something your church members need to see. It is good for a church.

Third, public ministry has enabled us to find out which men are called to the ministry, and which

ones simply want a position in the church. “Well preacher, I think I’m called to preach.” Do you mean

you think you are called to take over someone’s pulpit, or you think you are called to preach? If you

are called to preach, you will preach. You won’t sit around, doing nothing, waiting for an opportunity

to preach to people who will agree with you. An active ministry on the streets will enable you to find

out which men really have the fire in their bones. It will help you make those choices and decisions.

Fourth, and please take this the right way, Jesus Christ is the builder of His church (Matthew

16:18), but we are to build with Him (1 Corinthians 3:9-11). With Jesus’ help, we want to build a

church that is moving forward and doing something for Him; something that we hope will make a mark

in this world. There are churches in town for activities. There are churches in town for social affairs.

There are churches in town to get a little dose of the Bible. I understand that. But there needs to be a

place in every town for people who want to sell out and live for Jesus Christ.

So I am going to say this, after much careful consideration, public ministry has benefited our

church, because it has kept the carnal babies away. Over the course of decades, do not underestimate

the importance of keeping the wrong kind of people away from the right kind of church. I wish

everyone in our area was saved, believed the Bible, was washed in the blood, loved the Lord and was

part of our church. But if everyone is not saved, not washed in the blood, does not believe the Bible

and love the Lord, all they are going to bring with them is trouble. Such people will put a drag on what

we are trying to do.

The carnal crowd is not going to be drawn to the street preaching church, because they don’t want

to stand at the water cooler on their job and hear, “You mean, you go to

THAT church? I heard they

were some kind of cult. I’m really surprised you would go to a place like

THAT.”

The person who will back down at that water cooler confrontation isn’t going to last in your church

anyway. There are plenty of churches for a man who will place job considerations over the commands

of Christ. But those aren’t the men to build a strong church around. So a public ministry will send

them on down the road to the Barney and Mister Rogers’ church, where they will be more comfortable.

Number five. Public ministry has kept us too busy fighting the world to think of fighting each

other. For some reason, Bible believing people just naturally find enemies. It seems Bible believing

people instinctively want to fight about something. So if you can keep your fighting with the liquor

crowd, the bar traffic and the dance hall bunch, if you can keep your folks fighting together against the

world, the flesh and the devil, that will diffuse their natural tendency to fight each other.

If you are a Bible believing, King James, independent church, your people are going to fight. I

don’t know why, but they are going to fight. And you have to keep them fighting the world, or they

will be fighting each other. If you can have a common enemy at the occult shop, or a common enemy

at the dirty-book shop, or a common enemy at the strip joint, they can unite and fight the world, instead

of divide and fight each other.

Next, street work has helped us raise a church of young people who will have childhood memories

of tract distribution and downtown gospel singing with their friends. They will grow up with the

blessed privilege of thinking it is natural to spend the day with friends, telling the lost about Jesus

Christ. Do you know what our trouble is? We grew up making fun of Christians. We grew up

ridiculing the gospel. And you can’t ever get away from that. Every time you go out there, you think,

“Man, they are making fun of me. They are giving me a hard time,” because that is how we treated

Christian witnesses in the times of our ignorance. What a blessing to know our children will think,

“Man to go out there is the best time I ever had. That is where all my precious memories are. That is

where the best days of my life were spent.” They won’t have to overcome what you and I had to

overcome. Praise God!

Finally, public ministry keeps me from being invited to the ministerial association, Promise

Keepers and other such ecumenical cupcake parties. I don’t like to say no. It is rude. When you

preach on the street, you don’t have to say no as often, because you don’t get asked. It is a great time

saver for those busy in the ministry.

Some Vital Lessons

Here are the most important lessons we have learned through our years in a small town.

1. Don’t expect results. Our purpose is to make Christ known to a community that does not want to

know Him, so that when they do come under conviction, they will know where to go for help. In

fourteen years of street preaching almost every week in downtown Deland, Florida, we have never seen

one person bow their knees and trust Christ as their Savior. In all those years we have seen one man

and his wife come and join our church because of the street preaching. That’s it.

So what good does it do? Probably a third of our congregation, the first time they walked through

the church door had had no one visit to their house. No one had handed them a tract. No one had

called them on the telephone. They just showed up. How many people did God send to our church in

reward for our faithful proclamation of the gospel? You cannot count or measure the results, because

the Lord puts every piece of the building and every living stone where He sees fit. Over here He sees a

family that is looking for the right kind of church. Over here He has some people on the street looking

for the right kind of people, and they don’t meet up until God brings them together. You cannot

measure the results. You just have to be faithful to do what God has told you to do.

2. Be at every major function. Be consistent. Attend every art show, every fireworks show, every

music festival, every outdoor concert and be a witness. Over time, you will actually be recognized as

part of the activity. Opposition from authorities will all but vanish, and reception will greatly increase.

When groups are planning their events they will have to take into consideration the presence of the

tracts, the signs, and the street preachers. They will accommodate you. They will plan for you. They

will stop harassing you. They will accept you as a part of whatever they are doing.

As we put out tracts on the Fourth of July, do you know what we hear? We will walk through the

crowd and won’t even have to say anything. “Oh, what do you have for us this year?” “Oh, you have a

new one?” They seldom call the police anymore. The art show directors no longer worry about us

tearing up their exhibits or knocking down their paintings. They know we are not going to do that.

They know we are orderly and well mannered. That doesn’t happen in a year, two years, three years.

You have to be there every time. Eventually, you will become part of the landscape.

3. Don’t stop what you are doing to argue or debate. Satan will always send someone who will not

hear a word you say to keep you from talking to those who will hear what you have to say. I cannot

think of a single verse of scripture that obligates me to argue.

Say a belligerent man comes along and wants to fight with you about Acts 2:38 and at the same

time there are fifty people waiting to board a city bus. Should you lose the opportunity to give the

multitude the truth while you throw verses back and forth with a man who is no more likely to accept

your position than you are to accept his? No. Kindly tell him, “I will be finished preaching in about an

hour. At that time, if you wish to calmly and politely discuss the Bible we can do so. Right now I have

work to do.” And ignore him.

4. Do not allow rude people to drag you down to their level or rob you of your good testimony. A

polite response to a rejected tract today may result in an accepted tract next month. “May I give you a

gospel tract?” “No.” “Well, if you want to go to hell, then go ahead and burn. See if I care.” That

may satisfy your flesh, or it may be a nervous reaction, but it is not going to bring that woman any

closer to receiving Jesus Christ.

The news media, Hollywood, Satan, and past experience have convinced people that a bold

Christian is a brute beast. Change their opinion. “May I give you a gospel tract?” “No, I don’t want

it.” “Okay, have a great day. Good to see you.” When they realize you are not a rude, belligerent jerk,

but are just a nice person who really does care about them, there may well be a payoff. It may be six

months, it may be a year, or two years, but one of these days, when the husband has left, or one of these

days when the kids are flunking ninth grade, or when dad has been in a car wreck, they are going to

take that tract, because Christians have won their confidence by faithful, consistent, charitable

behavior.

5. It is their world. We don’t belong here. They are free to drink. They are free to smoke. They are

free to cuss. They are free to wear black paint, to put rings in their nose, and to do cartwheels in the

middle of the street if they want to. It is their world. You wouldn’t go on visitation, walk into

someone’s house and throw away their ashtrays and put your foot through their television. You

wouldn’t dare do that. Why? It is their house.

Are we not citizens of heaven? Are we not ambassadors in a foreign country? It is their world.

They have a right to listen to any kind of music they want to, to wear any kind of clothes they want to,

to marry anyone they want to, or shack up if they don’t want to get married. It is their world.

Be a polite guest. Be on the street in the role of a public witness, as you would be in a living room on a

house to house visitation program.

I have relatives who are not interested in the gospel. I want so badly for someone to reach them. I

know who is not going to reach your sister; the one who calls here a whore or rails on her clothing or

says she is a devil lover. That person is not going to reach her. I know the one who is not going to

reach your brother, the one who calls him everything but a man. I want someone on the street corner to

speak to my kin the same way they would speak to them in their living room. I don’t care how weird

that guy looks, he is someone’s little boy. That is some grandmother’s prayer burden.

And such were

some of you.

When I had been saved two or three months, I began to load a bicycle basket with tracts and ride

through my hometown from dusk to midnight, looking for people to whom I could witness. Not long

after that, a friend and I thought about making signs to hold at intersections or to put up around town.

We would spend time painting Bible verses on bed sheets and go and hang them from the walls of the

Masonic Lodge. We hung them from overpasses. We hung them off bridges. We went at night and put

tracts in all the lockers at the high school.

I’ve done a lot of things I wouldn’t do today. On Saturday nights we would stop by the grotto at

the Sacred Heart Church and put cigarettes in the two uplifted fingers of the Mary statue. We preached

in the parking lots of the Catholic Church after midnight mass or in the parking lot of the Elks Lodge

when they had a big dance going on. I did a lot of things I wouldn’t recommend. I’ve gone to

Christian Science testimony meetings, got up and testified. “Would someone else like to testify about

their healing?” “Yes sir, I was sick with sin,” and I would go right through the gospel. I’ve gone to

Pentecostal revivals and when they would ask for testimonies about how people got the gift of the Holy

Ghost I got up and told them how I got the gift of the Holy Ghost. Anywhere we thought there might

be a group of people there we would go. We would find out where the high school drinking party

would be on Saturday night, and we would go to the drinking party and sing, testify and preach until

they ran us off. We would preach at boardwalks, fishing piers, art shows and such. We would make a

huge banner, carry it in all wrapped up on sticks and go to the homecoming football game. At half time

we would unfurl that banner. And it didn’t say, “Go Bulldogs.” It would say, “Ye must be born

again.” Hey, there is always a big crowd at the home coming game.

None of these things were done to show off or build a church. We weren’t preachers and were

soon to be booted from the church we attended, because of such practices (our zeal without knowledge

probably made this necessary for all parties involved). In time, there were seven of us tearing up our

hometown for Jesus. All the while, church leaders and professing Christians, kept hammering away,

trying to calm the fanaticism, to save the “good reputation” of the church. Of those seven young men

only two of us are even in church today. The other five are out of church all together. I’m not

bragging. I’m sad. As far as I know, I’m the only one who is still making signs, causing trouble,

preaching in public places. The others did not drop out because of the world, it was not because they

fell into sins of the flesh, and it was not because of the devil. What killed those other guys were fellow

church members who claimed to love Jesus Christ, who beat the desire to fervently serve God right out

of them.

As I was growing up my dad drilled something into my heart. It seems he said it a thousand

times. “Son, if you are right, it doesn’t matter if anyone else agrees with you.”

The man who took me under his wing and discipled me put me through a routine every morning.

First, he made me quote Romans 3:4

, God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar. Then I

would have to repeat 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 and he would tell me, “It is not your gift, it is not your ability,

it is God’s blessing and God’s power that matters.” Then he made me look him in the eye and say,

“Watch out for the Christians.” I hate that he had to tell me that. But I’m so glad he did.

I’ve seen a lot of young people in the last twenty some years get excited and zealous, do some

things wrong, say some things wrong, go over the borderline if you will, but with God helping me, I’ll

never throw a bucket of ice water on them. With God helping me, I’ll never break that spirit or that

desire. If I can redirect it, if I can guide it, if I can mold it, I’ll do so. And if I can’t redirect it, guide it,

and mold it without breaking it, I’ll just get out of the way and let God produce a little temperance in

them somewhere down the road. I don’t want to stand before the Lord and explain my part in driving a

young soldier from the army.

When you get saved, you get zeal but no knowledge. Then you get knowledge and lose the zeal.

It seems we spend the rest of our lives trying to get the zeal back. May we do everything we can to let

people enjoy that zeal just as long as they possibly can!

A Final Thought

In Proverbs 11:30 the Bible says,

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth

souls is wise.

Let me ask you a series of questions. Who is righteous? By partaking of whose fruit

may one obtain life? If you answered Jesus Christ, we are in agreement. Then, who is the “soul

winner” in this verse?

Suppose a man moves to our town. He gets up in the morning he gets in his car to go to work.

Not being familiar with the area stations, he is scanning the radio dial to find his favorite style of

music. As the scanner pauses over the local religious station he hears a preacher say, “Believe on the

Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” That sure isn’t what he is looking for, and he lets the

device pass to the next station.

There is a car in front of him with a bumper sticker (and human nature being so curious, people

must read bumper stickers). It says: BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND THOU SHALT

BE SAVED. He considers this an odd coincidence.

When he gets to work, it is Friday. In Florida many business allow their employees to dress

casually on Fridays. (Florida is always casual, Friday is often abominable). T-shirts and shorts are the

norm today, but one man stands out. His T-shirt says, across the front and back, Believe On The Lord

Jesus Christ and Thou Shalt Be Saved. (By the way, Jesus endorses such messages on one’s attire in

Revelation 19:16. For messages on caps and hats see Revelation 14:1.) Our newcomer is getting a bit

spooked.

After work he must go to the bank. He makes his way downtown, parks his car, and as he steps

onto the sidewalk he hears a couple of men shouting. They are surrounded by smiling youngsters and

ladies holding placards. It must be some kind of protest, he thinks, as he makes his way toward the

scene. The a sort of terror grips him as he sees in the hand of one of the men – a Bible. The fellow

holds it high and cries out;

BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND THOU SHALT BE

SAVED

. He feels as though some one hit him. He grows angry.

A very nice lady, modestly dressed, smiles, reaches a piece of paper in his direction and says, “Hi.

May I give you some good news about Jesus Christ?”

“NO!!! I don’t want that,” he says as he hangs his head and ducks into the bank. (He exits out the

side door so he won’t have to face that woman again).

On the way home he asks himself why a grown man would be angry with and then afraid of a nice

woman with a piece of paper. Why had that Bible frightened him as though it were a gun?

Turning the corner he sees a sign stuck right in the middle of someone’s front yard with that very

same “Jesus thing” on it. He wonders what in the world is going on.

That evening as he settles down for another boring round of flipping channels someone knocks at

his door. He just moved to town. He doesn’t know anyone. This is odd.

“Hi. We are from the church down the street. We are out visiting tonight hoping we can tell

someone about our wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ.”

This is too much. He doesn’t know why but he lets them in. They talk. They show him things in

the Bible. He doesn’t really hear anything they say. He doesn’t see what they are trying to point out in

that book. All he knows is that God must really be trying to tell him something.

“Would you like to be saved right now, sir.”

“What? Saved? Ah, I don’t know. I’d like to think about it.”

Not willing to close the sale but lose the soul, these men pray for the man and arrange for someone

to pick him up Sunday morning and bring him to church.

The next day people are busy mowing the grass at the church house. Others are cleaning

restrooms, vacuuming carpets, and putting song books in their proper place. That night many pray for

the lost, for their preacher, for God’s blessing upon the services.

The driver picks up the man, he is warmly greeted at the church door by many happy people, the

congregation sings heartily as unto the Lord, the preacher proclaims the word, the Holy Spirit touches a

believing heart and opens blinded eyes. At the close of the message our newcomer walks the aisle,

bows his knee, and BELIEVES ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND IS SAVED.

Now let me ask you again: who is the soul winner?

Is it the person with the bumper sticker, T-shirt or tract? The radio preacher, those who paid for the

program, the street preacher, or the visitation team? The kid that cut the grass, the lady who cleaned,

the choir member who sang with a smile, the driver, the musician, the preacher, or the one who prayed.

JESUS CHRIST saves souls through the ministry of every single member of His body.

There is some part in this great work for you.

Will you play your part so others can be saved?