Cleveland Cross Guy

On the Street Before Good Friday- 4/21/11

2011-04-22T17:26:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, I went out to my spot at Dover Center and Center Ridge in Westlake from about 6:50 to 8:00. I have been wanting to get back out on the streets- I have only been out a few days on the weekends. I saw a story on the news about a man who came up to Cleveland from Louisville, Ohio, dressed as Jesus and carried a cross around downtown for about two hours.

Seeing that really put a spark back in me and motivated me to get back out there. I didn't have any conversations last night, but these are probably people who have never seen my cross. I used to go out during the week for about two hour increments between 11 AM and 5 PM, but I now work (praise God for that!) and am not free during the day. I look forward to the warmer weather and being back out on the streets!

Sinagara Park in Lakewood - 3/20/2011

2011-03-22T21:23:00.006-04:00

Sunday, I went out to Sinagara Park in Lakewood with a brother from church, Ryan. For anyone following my blog, I'm sure you've noticed this is one of my favorite spots. We were out there from about 3 to 5. There was quite a bit of foot traffic even though it was a bit chilly.

Ryan was handing out tracts and as I've come to know in Lakewood, he was being met with some opposition. At one point during our fishing, a woman named Victoria walked by and Ryan engaged her in conversation. Victoria had a lot of time on her hands and she was very open to listen to the Gospel.

Ryan shared the Gospel with her and at one point she asked something along the lines of what she must do in response to the Gospel. I wasn't sure what Ryan was saying was answering her question, so I offered my past experience. I told Victoria that after reading the New Testament myself for the first time in 2008, I knew I wanted to be saved. I knew God existed, I knew there was a heaven and hell and I wanted to do what I must do to be saved.

I knew Jesus died for my sins, but how did I get the substitutionary atonement apply to me? It was my sin that stood in my way. The hardest thing was repenting (turning away from my sin) and the changes that it would mean to my life. I told Victoria that it would be a radical change in her life, but "what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:36).

Please be in prayer with me that Victoria makes the right decision, repents of her sins, and places her trust in the only One who can save her- Jesus Christ.

Back on the Street in Lakewood - 2/19/2011

2011-02-20T15:56:00.005-05:00

It's been a while since I've been on the street, but Saturday I went back out to Sinagra Park in Lakewood. A friend from church, Chris, joined up with me. I displayed my cross while Chris handed out tracts and engaged a few people in conversation as they passed by. As much as I like talking to people about Christ, I usually wait for them to come up to me- not the other way around- that is something I need to work on. I was glad to have someone alongside of me who took that initiative.

We arrived in Lakewood around 4:00 PM. Chris engaged a young man walking by who considered himself to be a good person, but Chris quickly took him through some of the commandments to show him how God viewed him.

Another young man who was 20 walked by and we engaged in conversation. He told he was on his way to his church for a youth activity. He told us his church was an Assembly of God church and there were about 30 youths in this group. Chris gave him about 30 tracts to distribute to the youth, which he said he would.

We got to talking a bit and he asked a few questions Chris and I really couldn't definitively answer. He asked about people having supernatural experiences where they were taken to heaven or hell. I told him I didn't really have an opinion on this because Scripture doesn't describe experiences like this. I told him I believed God has already revealed everything that is necessary for us in the Bible.

I offered one piece of advice when regarding revelation from God: Revelations 22:18-19: "I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book."

I made sure to ask the young man about repentance and his response concerned me a bit. Chris also asked this young man to go on YouTube and find Paul Washer's Shocking Message (to 5,000 youth). If you have never watched or listened to this message, please do. I also asked him to listen to Hell's Best Kept Secret. Chris wrote down this information on a tract and gave it to him.

Chris also engaged a man named Brendan in conversation while he was waiting for the bus. Brendan told us he attends mass regularly at a Catholic Church. Chris started off taking Brendan through the law and I remember at one point Brendan said, "But I haven't murdered anyone...' Chris asked him if he had ever hated anyone, and it was difficult to get him to admit to it. I'm sure Chris told him God views hate as murder in the heart. The conversation started going off on a tangent a little bit and Brendan had to leave to catch the bus.

Before Branden had come up, a group of youths passing by inquired about the cross and asked "ready for what?" I told them that it was appointed for man once to die and then comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27), and asked if they were ready to face God for judgment. One of them had some choice words for God that I will not repeat.

One analogy I made sure to always use in our conversations was the parachute analogy: if you were on a crashing plane and there was a parachute that could save you, just "believing" in the parachute doesn't save you. You have to strap on the parachute, trust the parachute with your life, and jump from the plane. In the same sense, you have to put on the Lord Jesus (Romans 13:14), trust Him with your life, and repent of your sins (turn away from them).

I'm not sure how often I will be able to go out on the streets- I'm hoping at least once a weekend now that it is getting warmer. I'm also thankful for some new faces in church who also have a heart for evangelism who will now join me.

Nudity in Art

2011-02-12T16:22:00.009-05:00

I have read a discussion on Facebook and even had one myself with a Christian about nudity in art. I have heard both sides of the discussion- that nudity is OK and not OK in art. I haven't really thought about this much until I heard Todd Friel talking about this week.

I am not going to go in depth with this, but I do believe nudity is not necessary nor should be permitted in art from a Christian perspective. I can't tell the world what to do or change its views, and I don't expect to.

In the beginning, before sin entered the world, Adam and Eve "were both naked and were not ashamed," (Genesis 2:25). What happened next in chapter 3? Eve is tempted by the serpent, ate the forbidden fruit and gave some to her husband to eat. Genesis 3:7 says, "Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths."

Clearly, they both knew they sinned and they knew being naked was something to be ashamed of. If you don't think so, just read the rest of chapter 3 and see God's response to their action.

Outside of marriage (1 Corinthians 7:2-7), Scripture clearly shows nudity is something to be ashamed of. There is no "exception rule" for art- and anyone saying there is, is shaking a fist at God.

I'm not saying the human body is something to be ashamed of- hardly- "But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband," (1 Corinthians 7:2). That's where God draws the line.

Actually, this is just like the Garden of Eden all over. God has given us an entire world to use as inspiration as art, and we want the one thing God has told us to stay away from.

Being Gay: Choice or Genetics?

2010-12-04T15:31:00.009-05:00

A few months ago, a young man walked up to me with my cross and asked, "Would it be a bad thing if I'm gay?" This had been the first time I had been asked about this subject on the street and I needed to handle it with extreme care.

I told this young man that I could only tell him what the Bible said about homosexuality. He asked if it said it was bad and he would burn in hell. I told him that it was true that if he looked in 1 Corinthians 6:9 that it does say no homosexual will inherit the kingdom of heaven (The ESV says kingdom of God, but they are interchangeable).

At this point, I was quick to point out the Bible also says that no fornicators, murders, or even liars would enter, either. The young man rightly pointed out that is everyone in the world. Paul points that out in Romans 3:23: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." The command to repent is just as universal: "No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3).

The fact is we are all born with a sin nature- the types of sin just differs based on the person. While some may have the sin of homosexuality to repent of, others may have the sin of sexual immorality (sex before marriage, adultery) or looking with lust (Matthews 5:27-28). The homosexual and the sexually immoral will find their selves in the same hell (as will liars, thieves and other unrepentant sinners).

All this said, I do not believe being homosexuality is in your genes. While one may have feelings toward the same sex, that does not make them natural. Recently, in Cleveland, there was the story about Anthony Sowell, who alleged murdered several women and buried their bodies on his property. No one would say this is natural. Neither are homosexual thoughts.

You may say to me these are two completely different things- murder and homosexuality, but the Apostle Paul talks about them in the same sentence in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. If this is the way Paul, who Jesus Himself commission to carry His name among the gentiles (Acts 9:15), it is the same way I will deal with it.

Just like any other sin, you must acknowledge your guilt before, apologize for it, and repent (turn from your sin and toward God) before God will take away your sinful nature. It is at this point that God will give you a new heart with new desires (Ezekiel 36:26). This is what God requires of you for salvation (John 3:3).

You may be saying that your feelings are too strong and they have to be natural. That isn't so. Salvation is a supernatural act of God and He will give you a new heart with new desires. I have experienced this myself- things I used to love I now have come to despise.

It will be the same for you- but God wants you to take the first step. I know it will be difficult at first and those desires will still be there, but each time you turn away from them, those desires decrease.

Someone asked me what I would do if I had a son that was gay. I tell him exactly what I said in this article and to the young man I met on the street- that he must repent of his homosexuality. I would also make it clear that God views us all as sinners, not just the homosexual, and we are all in danger of his wrath unless we repent. Anyone who tells you otherwise isn't telling you the truth.

In closing, I believe remaining homosexual is a choice one makes. It is a choice one makes not to repent of that sin (or any other sin). You may say you aren't strong enough to overcome the feelings- you aren't. You need the supernatural power of God- that way He gets all the credit. Just take the first step.

Thanksgiving at My Place

2010-11-28T13:49:00.010-05:00

Trying not to have a repeat of Thanksgiving 2009 and Easter 2009, I pretty much kept my mouth closed at Thanksgiving this year in regards to religion. My relatives know my position and they've heard the Gospel from me before.

The Gospel, the Bible, and Jesus are my favorite things to talk about, so when my uncle started talking about my aunt being "church lady" by my uncle because of her involvement in her (Catholic) church, it was hard for me to bite my tongue, but I did.

It was mentioned that my aunt was still teaching CCD. If you read the two blog posts linked above (Thanksgiving 2009 and Easter 2009), you can find out what my aunt believes. Sitting here a few days later, I want to ask her if she is teaching what she believes or what the church believes. Either way, it is still heretical.

In defense of the Catholic Church, I have had it said to me in the past, "Everyone doesn't believe everything the Catholic Church teaches." Guess what? They aren't Catholic- just like I can't cherry pick in the Bible what I want to believe and be Christian. If you have read the posts above, you will see what I mean about my aunt's "doctrine."

One thing that I did notice is that through all this religion and church talk, not once did anyone bring up Jesus or what He did on the cross. Funny how "religion" does that. Your religion won't save you- only Jesus Christ.

Does God Accept Me?

2010-11-02T20:47:00.009-04:00

Someone recently posted a response to a status I had posted on Facebook that, "If Jesus is not love and accepting and if what you assert is true...then basking in His presence for all of eternity doesn't sound much more appealing then being sent to Hell." Let me unpack that statement.

First of all, while God is God of love, He also a God of wrath. How can this be? Simple. God displays His wrath toward unrepentant sinners by sending them to Hell as a penalty for their sins and God displays His love through sending His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins. Through our repentance (turning from sin) and placing our trust in Him (like a parachute), we can have eternal life- even though we deserve Hell for our sins.

To the second point- God as accepting. I am not going to even look at this from a Biblical standpoint initially, but a human perspective. The above comment was posted in response to me saying this: "I will be loving and accepting toward a homosexual in this lifetime- but when that person dies, they go to Hell. That isn't love- that's hate."

This society has been taught to accept homosexuals. Coming from that view, I can see how it is hard to understand why a homosexual deserves Hell. Let me make this abundantly clear, though. It is not just homosexuals who deserve Hell.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 says, "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." The list extends to a lot more than just homosexuals.

The question is, who should be accepted? Should homosexuals? Some would say yes. What about the sexually immoral- those who have sex outside of marriage? These are both sins, but a lot of people want to write these off as not severe enough to send one to Hell. In fact, as I will later show, we are all guilty.

What about Hitler? Should God accept Hitler? I have asked this to people on the street and it is at this point that a clear line is drawn in the sand. Obviously, not Hitler. He killed millions of people! This, by the way, is breaking the 2nd commandment- creating a false idol. Your "god" would never send a homosexual to Hell, but He would definitely send Hitler to Hell.

The problem is we measure people according to our standards. If someone is worse than our standards, they deserve Hell. If our standards allow for sexual immorality, then that is no longer a damnable sin.

Here is the problem: God is not grading you on a scale, as you are with the rest of society. If you want someone to compare yourself with- compare yourself to Jesus. He sinned not ONCE in thought, word, or deed. How do you look now? God made this very easy for us: He told us that "None is righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:23). There aren't a certain amount of good deeds that need to be done or a sin "limit" that can be reached- we are all guilty.

To sum this up, God doesn't accept ANYONE except through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. By repenting of our sins (not just admitting you are wrong, but turning from them) and placing our trust in Him, you can have eternal life. Not because you are a good person, not because you deserve it, but because you are a sinner justified in the eyes of God through the blood of Jesus Christ.

"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). By repenting and placing our trust in Jesus, God will take all of your sins and place them on Jesus on the cross. He paid the penalty for your sins. His righteousness, perfect and sinless, will then be imputed to you. This is the good news of Jesus Christ.

Sanctification

2010-10-28T21:58:00.001-04:00

I have been reading the first 8 chapters of First Corinthians lately in my effort to memorize Scripture and instead of reading all 8 chapters today, I read at a bit of a slower pace and only made it through the first chapter. I normally like to read 8 chapters or a block at a time because it really allows me to see Scripture in the context it belongs and not pick a verse and run with it as so many people like to do.

What has been sticking out to me lately is the issue of sanctification and how it plays a roll in our lives. I fully understand that sanctification is separate from justification. Our justification comes through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Similarly, people are not striving to hit a certain mark with their sanctification and then have earned salvation- this is not all what I am about to talk about.

The Apostle Paul addresses the Christians in Corinth in his first letter by saying, "to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints." Once we are saved, we will be sanctified in Christ Jesus. I take issue with those who say they are saved but continue to live life as they did before. We are called to be set apart, holy. Now, I'm not saying that a certain level of sanctification will save you- simply that it will be there as a result of being saved.

Verse 30 of chapter one goes on to say, "And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption." Christ became sanctification for us. How can we have the imputed righteousness of Christ applied to us, but not the sanctification?

I write this post in the same manner Paul wrote First Corinthians- as a rebuke. So many people who call themselves saved don't live changed lives. Again, I understand that our sanctification doesn't save us, but one can't go to the other of extreme, either. Just because one can't quantify the amount of sanctification doesn't give you the right to write it off.

I often times feel as the Apostle Paul does in the opening verse of Chapter 3: "But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ." Paul couldn't address people inside the church as "spiritual people." That still holds true today- many inside the church can't be addressed that way.

These would be your "fanatics" today. We are called such because there are so many people who profess the name of Christ but are lukewarm. We are the exception, not the norm.

Different things stick out to me at different times in Scripture, often in the same chapters of the same book. I'm not sure who I'm writing these for, but I wanted to pen my thoughts and publish them.

What I Used to Believe

2010-10-27T17:58:00.000-04:00

I wanted to post the difference between what I used to believe and what I now know to be true. I believe a lot of people hold the same beliefs that I used to.

As many who read this blog know, I grew up Ukrainian Byzantine Catholic. Up until my teen years, this is what I believed. I'm not sure if this is the perception most people in the Catholic Church have, but I believed that as long as I went to confession before I died, I was going to heaven. It didn't matter what sins I committed or my attitude- as long as I made it to confession before I died, I would be going to heaven.

I was also taught that I didn't have to go to confession for venial sins- only mortal sins. The Eucharist also had the ability to abolish venial sins. I thought I could live anyway I wanted and as long as I made it to confession, I was given a clean slate.

Here is what the Bible teaches: While we are called to confess our sins (1 John 1:9), you must be born again (John 3:3) to inherit the kingdom of God. It isn't about living your life as you want to and then "checking in" to get a clean slate. God requires repentance (Luke 13:3) and complete surrender of your life to Him (Matthew 16:25-26, John 12:25-26).

Playing this confession game, I also was never sure of my salvation. The Bible tells us the exact opposite- that we can be sure of our salvation (1 John 5:13, Romans 8:16).

I fear I also believed in "easy believism"- that by only believing I would be saved. I know there are many out there who also fall into this camp. I want to leave you with the words of the Apostle Paul:

"We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God" (2 Corinthians 5:20b).

2 Corinthians 5:21 describes the greatest thing that has ever happened for us: "For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." Repent and trust Jesus today for your salvation!

On the Street Before Church - 10/24/10

2010-10-24T20:16:00.004-04:00

Last Sunday, I had decided I was going to go out again before church. I ended up having a really hard time sleeping the night before and I was so tired and I didn't go out. I decided again that I would go out before church today and I had mentioned to my wife that something would probably happen to keep me up through the night again. It's amazing how many obstacles the devil will through your way when you try to share the Gospel.

My neighbor below me had turned on his exhaust fan in his bathroom around 2:00 AM and it was on for a solid hour before I finally went down to ask him to turn it off. I went outside to see if the lights were on in his apartment and they were, so I knocked on his door and asked him to turn it off. He apologized for leaving it on and then I went back upstairs and back to bed. At this point, though, I was awake.

I started listening to a sermon, hoping I would get tired and fall asleep. I ended up being up for another hour before finally falling asleep. I had trouble sleeping later in the morning again and I was again debating on whether or not to skip witnessing, but I knew it would be the same story next week if I didn't go out.

I ended up going to Rocky River High School, which is at the intersection of Wagar and Detroit. I stood on the north side of Detroit Road across from the track at the high school. Shortly after I arrived, someone who was jogging around the track said something to me, but I wasn't able to make out what he said. After he was done jogging, he came across the street and told me that no one respects extremists and that my sign sucked.

A little while later, Stephen pulled up to encourage me. He told me had he seen me about a year ago in Westlake and wanted to stop. He gave me some of his tracts and I gave him one of my Way of the Master tracts. He gave me his contact information and told me that he would stand with me if I wanted.

At the corner of Wagar and Detroit across from the high school is a Christian Science church, and there is also a church that meets inside the high school. I made sure to stand far enough away from the Christian Science church so as not to be associated with it. I think this was a good location because there are at least two churches on Detroit Road (including the one I previously stood near a few weeks ago).

My intention is not to compete with the churches, just to get people who are in those churches to think about their salvation. I know I used to be one of those who went to church but was not saved and I am sure there are some in those churches in the same situation.

The Existence of God, Heaven and Hell

2010-10-21T20:58:00.007-04:00

I have never doubted the existence of God. I remember going to church for as long as I can remember, even if it was in Ukrainian and I couldn't understand it. When I entered my teen years, I started asking some questions about God and found myself drifting away from the Catholic church. Toward the end of my teen years, I had completely severed from the Catholic church and frequented a Baptist church, but I still wasn't saved.

In my early twenties, I didn't even go to church. It wasn't until I was 24 that the Lord saved me. Through all this, I never doubted the existence of God, but I never really seemed concerned about my eternal fate. Looking back, I know I should have been terrified had anything happened to me, but through this, I never doubted the existence of God. I wonder today how many people in the world are in this same situation. I know it is the entire population that isn't saved.

I have heard countless atheists deny the existence of God, but Romans 1:19-20a clearly tells us: "For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made."

Take the human eye, for example- it has 137 million light sensitive cells and that just happened to "evolve" as so many would tell you. God has clearly proven his existence to all human beings- some just "suppress the truth" as Romans 1:18 says.

Romans 1:20b-22: "So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things."

This leads me to the existence of Heaven and Hell. As well as I know that God exists, I know that both Heaven and Hell exist. At some point in 2008 this reality became amazingly clear to me for some reason. I knew I was headed for one or the other, and if you don't know you are going to heaven, then your eternity is going to spent in the only other option there is- Hell.

You may say this is an arrogant thing to say, but it is the truth. The Apostle John writes in his first letter, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 John 5:13).

I have also started to look at this life differently. James said in James 4:14, "You do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes." I know it may seem like your life is long, but compare that to eternity and see how long it really is. It indeed is just a vapor. Not only that, think about an eternity in Hell.

God, Heaven and Hell are all real. If you don't know that you will spend eternity in Heaven, please read "The Message of the Cross." Also, please remember that people aren't going to Hell because of their disbelief in Jesus. Romans 10:5 says "For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them." The problem is none of us have been able to keep the law perfectly.

God demands a payment for your sins. The Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:21, "For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." If you have never repented (turn from) of your sins and by faith have placed your trust in Jesus, please do so today.

A Mistake in Evangelism

2010-10-19T20:45:00.003-04:00

About a week and a half ago, I went out on a Sunday morning and stood near a church in Rocky River. I didn't stand on the sidewalk that was on their property, but I stood on the other side of a street facing the church to have all the people coming to church see my cross. This was the second Sunday morning I had gone out on the street.

The first time I stood at this corner, I was engaged in conversation by some young men and one who seemed to know parts well, but knowledge doesn't always save. I'm glad I had the chance to have this conversation, but I wonder at what cost. The second time I stood at this location, someone came out of the church and asked if I was affiliated with their church. I said I was not, and she told me it was interesting that I picked this location and that I should go somewhere else.

I reverted back to my rights as a U.S. citizen and said I stand in various place and I was standing on a side walk. Just because I have the right to do something doesn't always make it the right thing to do. While I won't be standing at this location again, I am grateful for the people's paths God brought me into. I had the conversation with the young men the first time and someone driving by on the second time asked about my cross. He said he was curious about it, and I directed him to my blog. I'm not sure whether or not he ever looked it up.

I know there are going to be a lot of people in the church who think they are saved and aren't. Jesus said in Matthew 7 21-23, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' "

My intention was to hopefully reach some of these people. Then I thought about how I would feel if someone stood outside my church holding a cross. The words of the Apostle Paul also stood out to me in my reading: "I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation" (Romans 15:20). I had never been inside this church and wasn't sure of what was being preached inside its walls.

I had picked my spot because of its strategic location- it was at the top of a dead end street which had the church's parking lot in it. The spot was the most appealing because I would hit traffic traveling from both east and west of the church instead of just one direction. Looking back, there was also the sidewalk across the street a block or so away. If I go back to this location, I will stand far enough away so as not to be associated with the church.

Whatever the outcome from being there, it is in God's hands. I hope He will use it to His glory.

A Key Point for Witnessing

2010-10-05T20:15:00.003-04:00

I was sharing the Gospel with someone at my work place today and I have a key point I wanted to share that I think is essential in witnessing. One thing that I feel is essential is telling people why they need Jesus. I think so many people are told to believe in Jesus but have no idea why they should.

First, imagine you are in a court of law with a million dollar fine in front of you. There is nothing you can do to pay the fine and the judge is about to send you to jail for the rest of your life. You plead with the judge that you are a good person, that you have done many good deeds.

"That may be so," says the judge, "but you have broken the law, and there must be payment for your actions." The judge is about to pass sentence on you when at the last second, someone comes in and places a million dollars in front of the judge.

The judge looks at you and says, "You are free to go. Not because you are a good person, not because you deserve it, but because your fine has been paid." That is what Jesus did for us on the cross. He lived a perfect, sinless life and died in our place. At His death on the cross, our sins were placed on Him and He paid the fine in our place.

After explaining substitutionary atonement, explain that people are not going to hell for their disbelief of Jesus. People are going to hell because they have sinned against God and God demands payment for their sins. There are two options for that payment- your soul in hell for eternity or the blood of Jesus on the cross.

At this point, you can also explain why all other religions do not provide for salvation. There is no payment for their sins- only Christianity provides a complete removal of sins through the blood of Jesus Christ.

I believe a big stumbling block preventing people from accepting the gospel is all the other "options" world religions offer to them. If you eliminate disbelief in Jesus, you have leveled the playing field. Once people understand Jesus is the payment for their sins, the gospel makes complete sense. This is the reason they need to repent and trust in Jesus.

God's Hand in My Job Situation

2010-10-03T15:49:00.011-04:00

The past few months have been pretty trying on me. In August, I took a position at a call center. There was a 3 week introductory training period and there was one other person training with me. On the first or second day, my new co-worker asked me what kind of movies or TV shows I like, and I said I really don't watch either. He asked what I do like to do, and I said I like to read- the Bible.

This was my swing from the natural realm to the spiritual realm. My co-worker had told me that he grew up with a Christian background but didn't currently go to church. He told me he was looking for something in between Christianity and either Buddhism or Hinduism (I can't remember exactly).

I'm not sure exactly what I shared with him about (it was over 2 months ago), but I do remember giving him a gospel tract and telling him to check out this blog and read the message of the cross on this blog (which has a gospel presentation). He told me he would, and no more than a day or two later, he was terminated because he showed up late twice.

Later on that week or early the next week, I gave my supervisor a gospel tract. She told me she knew God existed and that He loved her. After reading the tract, she told me what it said was scary. At this point, I clearly explained the gospel to her, including substitutionary atonement. She then told me she would like to talk about God daily.

On my third week at this job, I had to quit this job because they wanted me to violate my ethics. I don't want to go into detail about this, but I wasn't going to say what they wanted me to say. I decided on Wednesday, in my third week at this job, that I was going to quit. I called the attendance line on Thursday to report I was coming in and I sent my supervisor an email explaining why. I told her I hoped she would take to heart what I had explained to her about the gospel.

I quit this job without having anything else lined up, but I just knew I couldn't stay at this job and violate my ethics and conscience. My wife said she understood why I made the decision I made, but she was also frustrated. She told me if I didn't have a new job by the end of the week (and it was already Thursday) that I had to go to a temp agency. I was hoping to find a permanent, full time job, but if I had to, as a last resort, I told my wife I would go to a temp agency. Well, I was at my last resort.

I prayed a lot about the situation Thursday and I hadn't a clue what was going to happen next. Then on Friday, I saw a job posting for a marketing/sales job. I was offered an interview and went in that day. The president of the company asked me if I was working, and I told him that I had been, but I had to quit and why.

I knew this interview was my last chance and wasn't sure what was going to happen. The president of the company had me take a typing test, and after talking a bit more, offered me the job on the spot. After leaving, I called my wife, told her I got a job and I knew it was God that orchestrated it.

I started the following Monday, and after talking to the person I was taking over for, found out he was a Christian. I told him that I briefly had thoughts about going into ministry, and he told me he had had the same thoughts. More than that, he was leaving in a week to start a job at a call center. I couldn't believe the coincidences. He was taking this job as an entry point into a company and hopes to move up quickly.

He told me that he had tried sharing his faith with his co-workers previously. I didn't get into specifics about his method of sharing, but I did tell him I really liked Way of the Master. I felt a real urgency to share at my previous job and as it turns out for a good reason- my stay there was short.

I haven't been as up-front about my faith at this job and I'm not sure why. Perhaps this is the reason: I seem to have sparked someone if not multiple people's curiosity where I work about my evangelism. I know at least one person, if not multiple people where I work have viewed my blog, read the message of the cross, and have even read the extended version at my church's website (or at least clicked the link to go there).

Not only that, but there are a lot of return visits. My hope is that they will continue to visit this blog and one day ask me about it. I also have the foundation laid before me. For here the saying holds true, "One sows and another reaps" (John 4:37).

I also hope I am not written off as fanatical- for, "What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes" (James 4:14). It may seem like we have a long time to live here on earth, but it will only be vapor compared to eternity. I hope those reading this will be spending eternity with our Lord. Eternity is a long time to spend in hell.

A co-worker asked me last week what I like to do (since I don't watch much TV) and I again said read the Bible. I'm not sure whether the fact that I am the "cross guy" is the 800 pound gorilla in the room that no one talks about or not. I do know this, though, I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16).

I am entering my fourth week at this job, and God-willing, I will be able to stay at this job. I had a temporary job in July at a marketing company that I hoped would turn into full time employment. No matter how hard I seemed to try at that job, I just could not seem to do what they expected of me. I prayed constantly about it and asked God to help me achieve success, but I ended up being released from the temporary job shortly after I started.

It was difficult for me at the time when I was let go, but looking back, I know had I stayed there I wouldn't have been able to share the gospel with the others that I have. The gospel is more important than any job I will ever have. At each job I have had, I try to do everything for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

I felt like my last job was a test to see if I was going to be obedient to God. Things seem to be clicking for me at this job. I only had a week to learn from my fore-runner what he learned in about 3 months. I've had to ask for some help along the way until I fully get a hold of things, but things look bright.

You most likely won't see me on the street during the week anymore, but I hope to set aside time on the weekends- if nothing else, Sunday mornings before service. Perhaps next year when it stays light until 9 I will be out on weeknights. It was pouring rain this morning and I wasn't out there, but hopefully next Sunday I will be.

On the Street Sunday Morning Before Church - A Conversation with Brian

2010-09-26T15:43:00.009-04:00

My time on the streets has been very limited recently, and I want to change that moving forward. This morning, I left my apartment around 8:45 and headed to Detroit Road in Rocky River. I started out at Wright and Detroit in Rocky River at 9:00.

I stood nearby a coffee shop which had a steady flow of customers coming and go. After about 20 minutes, I walked east down to Detroit across from Rocky River United Methodist Church. A man in a large truck pulled up a minute later and completely blocked my cross, so I went across the street to face traffic pulling into the parking lot of the church.

The church parking lot is located down a dead-end street, so anyone headed to the parking lot saw my cross. I had one woman ask what my sign said, and she said she was ready. I wasn't sure if this was something I wanted to do or if I would be associated with the church, but I got to thinking of Matthew 7: 21-23: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' "

I know there are some who may criticize me for standing outside a church, but Jesus Himself said there will be many false converts. I, myself, used to be one of them. Around 10:00, as service inside the Rocky River United Methodist Church was starting, three young men passed by me and one stopped to ask me some questions. One of their names' was Brian.

One question Brian had was about how we can have free will, yet God knows ahead of time what will happen. This is one area I really haven't given too much thought to- it is something I just more accept, although I don't understand it. I explained to them that it wasn't something I understood, just like when a creationist will say, "God created the world," and the return question will be, "Well, who created God?" I will say that we live in the dimension of time and God exists outside that dimension.

Either Brian or one of his friends replied that no one created God- he always existed, which is something to take into consideration- am I talking to a believer or an unbeliever? I didn't talk to Brian long, but from the short time I talked to him, he seemed to know parts of the Bible well. He asked if Jesus knew ahead of time what would happen to Him on the cross. I said He did. He asked why Jesus would pray to the Father to let this cup pass if He knew that it wasn't possible.

I responded that I believed it was an example of prayer for us because I have prayed it myself. I was talking to someone in church about this and they told me that it shows the humanness of Jesus. Although he was fully God, he will also fully human. Brian's friend asked about original sin and whether or not it was absolved at baptism. I didn't get the chance to answer that question because Brian asked something else.

Into our brief conversation, Brian asked if any sin he committed was already forgiven. I didn't get the chance to really elaborate, but I did explain that the Bible does says that "unless you repent, you will perish" (Luke 13:3) and that one must repent (turn from their sins) and place their trust in Jesus. I also very quickly explained substitutionary atonement to them.

I did make sure I mentioned that I can't recall all the questions Brian asked, but he left with a gospel tract. It was now about 10:10 and I headed off to my church's services that started at 10:30. Please be in prayer for Brian and his friends. I hope to make Sunday morning a regular time to be on the street with the cross.

A Quote From John MacArthur

2010-09-20T19:24:00.006-04:00

"It is not faith plus obedience [that] equals salvation. No, it is an obedient faith [that] equals salvation." -John MacArthur, from his sermon on Romans 1:4-7 on March 29, 1981, "The Provision, Proclamation, Privilege, and Purpose of the Good News."

I Haven't Forgotten You, North Olmsted - 9/12/2010

2010-09-12T16:10:00.002-04:00

Today, I went back to a spot I haven't been to in a while- Dover Center and Lorain Road in North Olmsted. I was out from 2:40 to 3:45 and a lot of people in their cars got to see the cross, but I didn't have any conversations. I am have a full time job now and won't be able to go out as much as I used to, but I hope to still go out on the weekends a bit. I need to hit up all the old spots I used to go to- I've been in Lakewood a lot recently.

I Wish I Could Start Today Over

2010-08-28T23:28:00.008-04:00

The weather today was beautiful- wall to wall sunshine with not a cloud in the sky and in the upper 70's to low 80's. My wife and I had breakfast this morning and after wards went to Wal-Mart as we always do on Saturdays. After that, we headed over to church to help out with the 2nd annual 2010 Evangelism Boot Camp my pastor was presenting.

I took some pictures and my wife and I assisted cleaning up after the teams headed out for the streets. We then came home and I headed back out to Lakewood with my cross from about 3:30 to 4:45. For dinner, we grilled out at a park on Lake Erie and watched the sun set. We went to Dairy Queen after that and then came home. It was the first weekend I wasn't stressed out about not having a job, as I just started one last Monday. Although it was a busy day, it was a nice day.

Then, around 10:00 PM, the phone rang. It was one of my wife's coworkers. Another coworker's husband had suddenly died today. He was at the prime of his life, about 35 years old. Had I known what was to take place today, I would have gone through this day completely different. My wife and I were even invited to a party that this coworker and her husband attended today but we did not.

While I was out with my cross today, I had a conversation with a man named John. He was happy to see me out on the streets spreading the Gospel. I shared some of the Way of the Master analogies with him and mentioned that 150,000 people die every day, most without knowing Christ. He said that was a good statistic to use- little did I know that my wife's coworker's husband would become a part of that statistic.

I wish I could start today over and go to that party. I would have pleaded with this man to repent of his sins and to place his trust in Jesus Christ for his salvation and would not left until he had. This also makes me reanalyze the way I interact with everyone else in life. Why don't I have this urgency all the time?

God demanded payment to be made for this man's sins today. It is either his soul in hell for eternity or the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. If it is the latter, he will spend eternity with his Savior in heaven. None of us really know for sure of another person's salvation, but I hope the penalty for his sins was already paid for by the perfect sacrifice of Jesus' life's blood.

If you do not know where you are going when you die or you aren't saved, please read "The Message of the Cross" blog post and get right with God today. You may not have tomorrow.

Going Back to Work - 8/20/2010

2010-08-20T16:45:00.004-04:00

On Monday, I start a new job at a call center taking inbound customer service calls. This is not what I went to school, but if this is what God wants me to do right now, I will be obedient. Aside from working for the U.S. Census, some very limited side work, and a temporary job that last less than two weeks, this is the only real door that has opened up for me.

I would still like to go out with my cross, but my street evangelism will most likely be limited to the weekends, now. I'm not quite sure where I am headed right now, but I am trying to follow what the Apostle Paul said in Colossians 3:1-2: "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."

Dover Center and Detroit in Westlake - 8/16/2010

2010-08-17T09:44:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I returned to a spot I used to frequent a lot but have neglected for the past months as I have hit Lakewood hard: Dover Center and Detroit in Westlake. I have neglected the spots I used to frequent in favor of Lakewood for the past months, but I need to come back to those spots. I didn't hand out any tracts (although I had the opportunity to hand out a few, fear came over me- which it does at times) and was out from 3:45 to 4:45.

Professing "Christians"

2010-07-30T12:21:00.015-04:00

I have been carrying the cross in some shape or form for just over a year now. Countless thousands have seen the cross, my largest viewing probably at the Komen Race for the Cure in 2009 in Downtown Cleveland.

I've had quite a few conversations over the past year, including the Catholic Church, the Church of Christ, Baptismal Regeneration, and the list goes on. I've also had a lot of witnessing encounters and passed out many tracts. Shortly after I started going out with the cross, I successfully branded myself as the "Cleveland Cross Guy." I wanted people who saw my cross, with a reference to doing a search on Google for "Cleveland Cross Guy" to be able to find this blog and find out what the message behind it was.

A year after I started going out with the cross, I realize I have effectively done the branding, but at times I feel it has been to my detriment. During or after several job interviews I have had, prospective employers have found this blog by searching for my name.

I have often times considered taking down this blog for that very reason, but Jesus' words echo in my ears: "For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels" (Mark 8:38).

I know I am viewed as one of the "fanatics." I see the odd stares and hear the blasphemies and curses riddled toward me. One person thought my cross was in reference to the shutting down of some local Catholic churches as he walked by me one day. I know I am the "fanatic," but I want to turn the tables.

It is the rest of America that has it wrong. A recent survey (from 2008) has 76% of Americans professing to be Christians. That is 3 out of every 4 people in the U.S. With those kind of numbers, our highways and byways should be flooded with traffic on Sunday mornings, but that is when traffic flows the easiest. What creates traffic jams in Downtown Cleveland? Four things come to mind: rush hour traffic, Indians games, Cavs games and Browns games.

Jesus told His disciples in Mark 16:15 to "go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." Considering 76% of Americans claim to be Christians and that is our command from our Lord and Savior, every 3 out of 4 people should be telling you about how Jesus died on the cross for your sins. I am guilty of not doing it myself- why should I be afraid to talk about Jesus in public when 3 out of 4 people are Christian? Perhaps because they aren't.

“Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness'" (Matthew 7:21-23).

If you read that previous paragraph and are one of those who "think" you are a Christian because you merely profess it, please scroll up above and click on "I have seen the cross. What does it mean?" It is the most important message you will ever read.

In Lakewood - 7/27/10

2010-07-27T16:53:00.011-04:00

Today, around 11:30 I went to Lakewood to meet up with Rob and we stood at Sinagra Park in Downtown Lakewood. I had met Rob a while ago and he adheres to the King James Only philosophy, but we decided today was for witnessing. Rob and I both passed out tracts- I handed out million dollar bills from Way of the Master while Rob had his own tracts.

I was telling Rob about a conversation I had had with a man named Ron who is Catholic. Shortly thereafter, Ron walked by. I had decided that I wasn't going to get into any doctrinal conversations and just do what Jesus said- "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation" (Mark 16:15). While there is a place for honest questions and doctrinal debates, that is not what I am out on the streets for.

Ron was criticizing me for not handing out the abortion tracts he had previously given me. I told him that I was doing what Jesus told us to do in His Word- to spread the Gospel. Ron is very passionate against abortion and accused me of not caring about it. I tried to tell him I was against abortion, also, but that it is not the Gospel. He responded with Jeremiah 1:5: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you."

At this point, Ron got Rob going in a dialogue about the Bible and the Catholic church. Being down this road before with Ron, I just stayed out of the way. Their conversation lasted for a while- what seemed like 30 minutes or more to me. Ron left telling Rob he would be back with his Bible verses and his questions for Rob.

At one point during the day, Jim from the Lakewood Observer came by and asked to take our picture. I had my cross and Rob also had a cross with a serpent behind it and John 3:14-15 on it.

Jim didn't believe the Bible was written by God. I tried reasoning with him by asking him if he wrote something with a pen, who is it that is the author? It is the pen that is actually doing the writing. In the same sense, God used men on earth to pen His Word.

I was hoping I could point out that we did have God in human form on earth (Jesus) and have His recorded words. Jim had trouble believing the Bible was God's Word, but I wanted to point out that Jesus was God in human form. If I could get Jim to read the four gospels, which record Jesus' (God the Son) words, he could find out to be saved. I asked Jim if he believed that Jesus was God. He replied he did not.

Later on in the afternoon, Lamar came by. Lamar is a Youth Minister at a church on the east side of town. Rob asked Lamar what he must do to be saved, and Lamar responded confessing your sins and praying the sinners prayer. I wasn't hearing the word "repentance" coming from him, so Rob and I grilled him a little bit.

I told Lamar that Jesus said in Luke 13 that "unless you repent, you will perish" (Luke 13:3). He said that repentance was necessary- so we asked him what repentance was, and he said it was feeling sorry. We had to make it clear that repentance includes a turning from sin.

Lamar was interested in doing evangelism with Rob and I and gave us his contact information. Lamar was saying the right things about salvation and using the correct terminology and quoting Scripture, but Rob and I were both concerned that his message didn't include the repentance part. I would be interested in doing evangelism with him, but I need to know his message includes repentance.

Rob and I stayed until about 4:15 today. It was a very productive day, handing out tracts and even having a few conversations. My temporary position at the previous company I was at ended about a week and a half ago, but I am waiting to hear back from another company for a job I interviewed for on Friday. Please pray that it be in God's will that I get this job and that His will be done!

The Last Week or So - 7/11/10

2010-07-11T17:38:00.002-04:00

I recently started a new job last week, which hopefully turns into permanent full time employment for myself. My schedule will become a lot tighter and I still hope to go out on the weekends and maybe even possibly a few weeknights. My church has an evangelism booth at a local festival next weekend that I will be attending- your prayers for that and that I be hired permanently at this company would be appreciated! Thanks to my visitors!

A Question About Homosexuality - 6/21/10

2010-06-24T14:38:00.008-04:00

Monday, I went to Sinagra Park in Lakewood around 1:30. Shortly after arriving, a young man approached me and asked me, "Would it be a bad thing if I'm gay?"

This is the first time I have been asked about this subject on the street and I need to handle it with extreme care.

I told this young man that I could only tell him what the Bible said about homosexuality. He asked if it said it was bad and he would burn in hell. I told him that it was true that if he looked in 1 Corinthians 6:9 that it does say no homosexual will inherit the kingdom of heaven (The ESV says kingdom of God, but they are interchangeable).

At this point, I was quick to point out the Bible also says that no fornicators, murders, or even liars would enter, either. The young man rightly pointed out that is everyone in the world.

I told him the message wasn't geared for a specific group of people- we all need Jesus. I asked him if he was familiar with the Ten Commandments and he said, "I believe so." I told the young man this law was given to show us that none of us can keep it.

I asked him if he was familiar with Jesus at all and he brought up the issue of forgiveness.

I asked him if would consider himself to be a Christian, to which he replied, "Yea."

I asked him, "If I were to come up to you and ask you, 'How do I become a Christian?' What would you say to me?"

He replied, "Probably say, 'By being a good person.' "

At this point I asked him, "Would you consider yourself to be a good person?"

He said he would. I asked him if he had ever told a lie or stolen anything. He responded he had. I also told him that Jesus considers calling someone a "fool" the same as murder in the heart. I told the young man, "So, by your own admission, I'm not judging you- you're a lying thief, and a murderer at heart."

To which he replied, "OK, well, so are you!"

To which I said, "Absolutely! Absolutely! And we all need to face God on Judgment Day. So based on those three commandments, would he find you guilty or innocent of breaking His law?"

He responded guilty, and I immediately pointed out that I am guilty, also. I asked him if God found him guilty, should He send him to heaven or hell? He responded hell. I asked him if that concerned him. He replied, "Not at the present moment." I asked him if he knew what hell was described as. I told him it was a lake of fire, where the worm never dies- eternal torment.

The young man asked me how we could know how bad it is if none of us have been there. I responded that we have Jesus' words in the Bible.

I asked him if he knew what Jesus did for us on the cross so we don't have to go to hell. I explained that Jesus died in place of us- for our sins. I explained that a legal transaction took place- we broke God's law, but He died and took the penalty for our sins.

I told him it was like being in a court of law with a fine of $1 million in front of you or life in prison. You can't pay the fine and the judge is about to pass sentence and at the last second, someone comes in and puts down $1 million on the judge's desk and says, "Here, I'm paying the fine." The judge looks over at you and says, "You're free to go. Not because you are innocent, not because you deserve it, but because your fine has been paid." That's what Jesus has done on the cross.

I told the young man that what Jesus commands us to do is repent of our sins- turn away from them, and trust in Him like a parachute. I explained how merely believing in a parachute on a crashing plane won't save anyone- you must strap the parachute on, trust the parachute, and jump from the plane. In the same sense, we need to strap on the Lord Jesus, trust Him, and abandon our sins- repent.

I confessed to the young man that my big thing before I came to Christ was dealing with lust. I told him that Jesus said, "Whoever looks with lust is guilty of adultery in the heart." I said to him that I didn't need to tell him how bad it was out in public with all the temptation.

I quickly explain imputed righteousness again to him and told him to look at the back side of the gospel tract I had given him- that it talked about the things we talked about. I asked him if he had a Bible at home, and he said, "I think, somewhere." I encouraged him to look at the Gospel of John and don't take my word for it- read the Bible yourself and see if what I am telling you is the truth.

I told him I know it's a hard message because it was hard for me. I let him know that I really struggled with turning away from my sin and that I still struggle with lust at times.

I asked him if he had a home church and he replied with the name of it and I asked if it was a Catholic Church. He replied it was and I said I wouldn't get into about the Catholic Church, but to remember this: Jesus said, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." I told him God cares about our hearts, not just externalizations.

If you doubt that standing on the street with a cross isn't effective, I hope this post shows you that it can and does draw people in. This young man knew what the Bible says about homosexuality, yet he wanted someone to talk to about it. He may have been afraid to talk to someone at church or someone he knew about homosexuality, but he was able to talk to me about it. I may never see this young man again, but he will be on my heart and I pray that God grants him repentance and salvation.

A Conversation with Jason and John - 6/17/10

2010-06-24T14:22:00.004-04:00

Last Thursday, I went to my spot in Lakewood- Sinagra Park in front of the City Center. I stood near the traffic light next to Chipotle. I was handing out tracts and Jason approached me. Jason told me he wanted to offer me encouragement and pray for me. Our conversation lasted for quite a while and Jason did end up praying for me.

Towards the end of our conversation, two young men approached us and one of them, John, asked about the cross. Shortly after getting into the law and John realizing his sinfulness, Jason took over. The two young men were involved in some activities that Jason had been involved in previously. I am glad Jason was there to take over the conversation I had started, because he was able to relate to these young men a way I could not. Jason ended up giving the one young man his number and invited him to an outreach.

I ended up seeing John again the following Monday and he recalled his conversation with Jason. I think I ended up giving John a gospel tract and told him it went over the things Jason had spoken to him about. Please be in prayer for John.

A Conversation With Ron - 6/10/10

2010-06-12T14:38:00.003-04:00

Thursday, I went out to Lakewood with my cross around 1:00. Shortly after I arrived, a woman asked me what the cross was about. She told me she was a very religious person and spoke of what her "god" would and would not do. She was very self righteous- only admitting to a white lie, never stealing anything, although she did admit to and did blaspheme in front of me. I told her she was guilty of idolatry at which point she told me our conversation wasn't going to go anywhere and she walked away.

Shortly thereafter, a man named Ron came up to me and started asking me questions about my beliefs. After a while, Ron admitted he was Catholic and wanted to prove to me that the Catholic Church was the ultimate authority here on earth. While he was talking to me, another man got into a verbal argument with Ron, which got very heated at some points- to the point of physical violence being threatened. The situation eventually diffused itself and I am thankful for that.

I went to leave at 3:30 and after putting my cross away and as I was about to shut the door to my car, Rob pulled up. I had met Rob exactly a week prior to this (see this post). Rob is a King James Only Bible believer. Rob asked if I was leaving already and if I wanted to go pass out some tracts with him. We started talking and he asked me if I wanted to go get a coffee and talk. I ended up agreeing and we went to a local fast food restaurant, got something to drink and began to talk.

Rob spent about an hour trying to convince me the King James Bible is the infallible Word of God and other translations do not honor God. Specifically, he has been going after the ESV, which I very much like. I had already told myself I wasn't going to get involved in discussions like this, but yet again, I did.

Repentance - Change of Heart Only or Also Turning From Sin?

2010-06-04T20:25:00.026-04:00

Yesterday, I went out to Sinagra Park in Downtown Lakewood. Shortly after I arrived, Rob came up to me and engaged me in a discussion. Rob is King James only and was trying to convert me to be the same.

I told Rob that one must repent and trust Jesus to be saved and he asked me what "repent" meant. I told him it is a turning away from sin. Our conversation went on from here about errors in current translations of the Bible and he ended up getting me a few books- one of them a book about errors in modern translations and another a King James Bible. Just for the record, I have nothing against the King James Bible.

I was told from another King James only friend that the meaning of the word "repent" simply means a "change of heart" and does not involve a turning away from sin. I do not know if this is the majority stance of King James Only or just this particular person. The reason for this comes from the first use of the word in the Bible in Genesis 6:6 (KJV): "And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at his heart." Using the second phrase of the sentence to define "repent," the definition here is that it "grieved" Him. I support using Scripture to define Scripture, and I will use this method.

Using the Strong's Concordance, the definition of the word "repent" in the Hebrew is indeed "to be sorry, rue, suffer grief." The problem is that when Jesus told people they must repent, he spoke in Greek. The Strong's Concordance defines "repent" in Greek "to change one's mind."

It is more than just a change of one's mind, though.

When I tell people to "repent," I define it as a "turning from sin." Look at what Jesus said in Matthew 12:41: "The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here."

This is what Jesus was talking about in Jonah 3:8b- where the King said, "Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands." Verse 10 adds: "When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that He had said he would do to them, and he did not do it."

What did the people do? They turned from their evil way. They repented.

Verse 9 does say, "Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish," but Jesus said in Matthew 12:41 that the men of Nineveh repented - not God.

Jesus said in Luke 13:3 that "Unless you repent, you will perish" and in Luke 24:47 "that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations."

When I started reading the Bible for the first time in 2008, I started out reading the Gospels. I want to say I read them in order, but I am not 100% sure. One passage that concerned me was reading the Sermon on the Mount- that Jesus viewed lust the same as adultery and that whoever is angry with his brother is liable to the hell of fire. Another passage that concerned me was reading Luke 13:3, that "unless you repent, you will perish." Then I read John 3:3, where Jesus said "unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

It was at this point that I asked my pastor what it meant to be born again. I did not want to be one of the people who would not see the kingdom of God.

I have been taken to task by a member in my family over the fact that I push repentance too hard. I find it ironic that I am now debating again this topic, the very one that saved me.

In Lakewood (5/30/10) and the Importance of Reading God's Word Daily

2010-06-01T13:22:00.010-04:00

Sunday, I went out to Lakewood with my cross from about 1:00 to 2:30- the first time in a little over a month. I feel the rust has started to form a bit and needs to be sanded off.

My wife bought me the John MacArthur Study Bible for my birthday (mid October) and I started reading it shortly thereafter. I started with the New Testament and when I finished that, I read the Old Testament. I finished the entire Study Bible about a month and a half ago. At that point, I wanted to follow MacArthur's reading plan to memorize the New Testament.

He suggests reading the same portions of the NT for about a month straight and if you divide it up correctly, you will have read through the entire NT in three years and really know it. He also recommends making note cards for each chapter of a book and writing down the main themes of it. I did that for my first portion of reading, but haven't done it for the second portion.

Five weeks ago, I read Matthew, chapters 1 through 7, almost every day for four weeks. In the beginning I made the note cards and I believe I initially read the accompanying notes in the Study Bible. I also have been listening to John MacArthur's sermons on the related text during that time (although I am now on to my section portion of Scripture and am still listening to sermons from the first portion).

Reading the same thing for four weeks can be tough, but I want to give this a real go. A week ago, I moved on to Matthew, chapters 8 to 14, but I wasn't reading through all 7 chapters every day. I was reading one to two chapters chronologically in John MacArthur's Study Bible and then when I read chapters 8 to 14 in MacArthur's Study Bible, I read those 7 in the ESV Study Bible.

I noticed last week that something was different about my reading and that I wasn't quite retaining it as I had the first 7 chapters. Then I went out on the street on Sunday with my cross and met an atheist and his friend. I found myself stumbling over a lot of the questions being presented to me.

Yesterday, I read straight through chapters 8 to 14 in Matthew and realized I would have been much better prepared had I been reading the entire 7 chapters every day, instead of one or two chapters a day. I am not saying that the accompanying notes and commentary do not have their place (indeed, I need to read them to understand the text), but there is something to be said about the continuity of the way the Gospels are organized. When I am going through reading the notes, I need to read the entire portion I have set aside, not just a chapter or two.

Back to the two young men I met on the street. Initially, they had walked past me earlier and one of them looked at my cross and said he was ready. On their way back, Steve and Jeff stopped and engaged me in conversation and inquired further about the cross. Turns out one of them was an atheist, and I was getting the same vibe from his friend.

To start off, the one young man did not believe in God. I told him he had all of creation to testify to the existence of God, and he rebutted with evolution. Paul said in Romans 1:20: "For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse."

I told him evolution was just a theory, to which he countered it was fact. He also told me the human eye, which has 137 million light cells, just evolved by chance.

The young man denied the miracles of Jesus and eventually came to outright deny Jesus even existed- they were just stories passed down through the years- "the greatest story ever told." Another hanging point seemed to be that the Bible was written by man. I told him it was written by God, through man.

At some point, I asked him if he considered himself to be a good person. He responded he would, and I asked him if he thought he had kept the Ten Commandments. He responded he hadn't and that no one has. I skipped over the part of asking specific questions (Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever stolen anything? Have you ever looked with lust [which is the same as adultery]? Have you ever hated [which is the same as murder]?), which I think was a mistake. I skipped to saying we would all be guilty before God on Judgment Day, to which he agreed. I asked what God should do to us if we are guilty (heaven or hell), and he asked, "Doesn't He forgive people?" He admitted hell and I was able to explain the cross- how Jesus bore the penalty for our sins and the necessity of repentance.

Our conversation spun off into a host of different things, among them about how much harm religion has done. I told him those aren't true Christians who are doing harm. We also talked about the existence of life outside of the earth, where heaven and hell physically were, and the age of the earth.

This young man also wanted a "sign" from God. This is where remembering Matthew 12 would have been useful. Jesus said in Matthew 12: 39-40, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." I told him he had the miracles of Jesus, but he doesn't believe Jesus existed, so we are back to square one.

One question I asked was if hell existed, was there something someone could do to deserve hell. The one young man responded he didn't believe in hell so I proposed it as a question that if hell exists (even though I know it does), is there anything one could do to deserve hell- for example, what about Hitler? Does Hitler deserve to be in hell? He responded yes. I like to ask this type of question to show people that they do draw a line in the sand- except whose line is it- theirs or God's?

Our conversation went in to some other things and looking back, I now wish I would have said certain things in rebuttal. I also wish I would have pressed the real reason he was not going to heaven and headed for hell- because he had sinned against a holy God and deserved His wrath. I feel I failed to make that abundantly clear by not going through the Law. It's been over a month since I had been out on the street and I can definitely tell by reviewing our conversation.

What should have been a witnessing encountered turned into a friendly discussion about my beliefs. I have noticed this before- people seem to be interested in probing me to find out what exactly I believe and that becomes the theme of the conversation. I have to really make sure the focus stays on Jesus Christ, the cross, and His death and resurrection. Apologetics have their place, but the number one focus has to be Jesus.

The Last Few Weeks - 5/16/2010

2010-05-16T14:59:00.022-04:00

It's been a couple of weeks- actually, just a few days shy of a month - that I have been out with the cross. Towards the end of April, I started a temporary job with the U.S. Census as an enumerator. I have been working almost every day (including Saturday and Sunday) for the past three weeks. Things have taken a different turn the last few weeks.

Three weeks ago, I finished reading the John MacArthur Study Bible (NAS version). I started reading the New Testament (with commentary) towards the end of October or beginning of November and after finishing the New Testament, I moved on to the Old Testament.

Starting three weeks ago, I developed a plan (based on John MacArthur's advice in his study bible) to memorize the New Testament. I will be reading a portion of the Scripture every day for 4 weeks and then move on to the next portion. For the past three weeks, I have been reading Matthew, chapter 1 to 7, almost every night. I was also listening to John MacArthur's sermons on the corresponding texts.

I also wanted to start rereading the Old Testament alongside the portion of the New Testament I would be reading daily. I've been really occupied with my temporary job for the past three weeks and I haven't kept up with that. I've been working really sporadic hours- often a few hours at a time, but totaling up to 8 in a day. I've noticed my mind is very occupied with work and I haven't been nearly as devoted as I was just a few weeks prior. I definitely need to make an adjustment. I have found myself trying to rely on Scripture references but have been coming up blank.

On another note, I had an interview last Thursday for a full time position that I am really hopeful about landing. When one of the interviewers searched for me on the Internet, they found this blog. The thought actually crossed my mind of taking this blog down, but Jesus' words soon reigned in my mind: "For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels" (Mark 8:38).

I feel this blog says a lot about me, but I also feel like it has hurt my chances of employment. I know other prospective employers have found this blog upon searching for me on the Internet and have never contacted me. I think people looking at me from the outside, seeing a "religious zealot" is one thing, but standing on the street with a cross is another thing.

For the record, I do not consider myself to be a "legalist" or "religious." While I do call myself Christian, I do not have a set of external rules that I must abide by outside of biblical teachings. Granted, I follow and obey the Bible, but there is a difference between what Jesus and his disciples taught and the teachings of the likes of some modern religions. There is a big difference between going through ceremonies in an attempt to be right with God versus a right heart.

Regardless, I cannot and will not feel ashamed for what I believe and know to be true. I am hopeful that employers will see my skills and abilities. As Jesus said, "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul?"
I have to trust that God is in control of my job situation and He will place me where I belong.

It is appropriate that I have been reading the Sermon on the Mount for the past three weeks. Since becoming a Christian, I have been trying to follow Matthew 6:33: "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." It hasn't always been that easy. The following verse is hard for me also: “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

I do not know what is next after this temporary position, but I need to trust that God will provide. I'm not sure how that will manifest itself, but I need to stay faithful to Him and His Word.

Status Update 5/01/10

2010-05-01T14:03:00.005-04:00

I haven't been out with the cross for about a week and a half now. I landed a part time, temporary job that required me to be in training most of last week. I will go back to having late weekday mornings available and I hope to hit the streets at least a few times a week until I find permanent full time works. Please pray that I would find a permanent full time job before my current temporary job ends! Thanks to all my visitors!

A Conversation With Jeff - 4/20/10

2010-04-20T18:22:00.006-04:00

Last Thursday, I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Detroit in Westlake. A young man stopped and asked if he could pray for me, which was definitely appreciated.

Today, I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Lorain in North Olmsted from 3:15 to 4:45. Around 4:00, a young man named Jeff (not my new fishing buddy) approached me and asked about the cross. I said to him, "The Bible says, 'It is appointed for a man once to die, and then comes judgment.' So, if you were to die today, are you ready to face God?"

After a second, he replied he was. I asked him if he could say for certain if he was going to heaven. He said he couldn't say for certain.

After this, our conversation went into a lot of different areas. I made sure to tell Jeff about the necessity of repentance and the parachute analogy. I made sure to define the difference between repentance and confession- confession is merely admitting guilt and repentance is a turning away from sin.

At this point, I used the analogy of being in a court of law with a fine that you cannot pay. The judge is about to sentence you to life in prison when someone comes in and pays your fine. You are no longer under the demands of the law, not because you are innocent, but because your fine has been paid and justice has been served. This is what Jesus did on the cross- he bore our sins in our place and took upon our punishment on the cross.

Jeff asked about different Bible versions. I told him that modern versions like the ESV and NASB are very accurate to the original Greek and Hebrew and offered an example of a difference in translations. One translation may say "gird up your loins" while another may say "clothe yourself," but they both mean the same thing. He had mentioned he thought his Bible at home was King James, and I told him that this version would have "thou, thee, thine, etc." in it- just different language of a different time.

At one point, Jeff told me that his girlfriend was moving away from God and asked if I had any ideas on bringing her back to God. I directed Jeff to LivingWaters.com and encouraged him to listen to Hell's Best Kept Secret. I told him the reason we need Jesus is not to make our lives better, but because we have all fallen short of the glory of God. We are all sinners that need a Savior.

Unless we repent and place our trust in Him, we are going to go to hell. It's not about having your "best life now." I recommended that he take his girlfriend through the law to show her sinfulness and her need for a Savior.

I started going through the law and I must have hit a nerve with Jeff. He asked me about a specific sin and what the Bible said about it. I had read earlier from 1 Corinthians 6 and was brutally honest about what the Bible says. I think at this point Jeff realized that his salvation was in jeopardy. I had the same experience myself when I first started reading the Word of God. I read John 3 and the necessity of being born again and Luke 13 about the necessity of repentance.

I asked Jeff if he had a Bible and he said he did. I encouraged him to read the gospel of John. Jeff has some tough decisions ahead of him. Please pray that he makes the right decisions.

Akron Tea Party - 4/14/10

2010-04-16T19:34:00.026-04:00

Wednesday, Jeff Utzler (left in top picture) and I went to the Akron Tea Party in Downtown Akron, Ohio. We encountered a lot of people who said they were Christians and an entire gamut of people with different beliefs. We found a lot of people that wanted to argue doctrine with us and I feel that took away from our potential witnessing time.

In the above photo, Jeff is talking to some guys who believe 9/11 was a conspiracy. Jeff left these comments: "I walked up to these three men talking about the World Trade Centers. It was the two men on my right vs. the man on my left holding the poster. I had to educate the machanical engineer on my right with the blue shirt that buildings that have a structural failure don't fall at the rate of gravity into their own footprint unless there were demolitions involved."

Jeff: "Whether the guy realizes 9/11 was an inside job or not doesn't matter if he's burning in hell, so I quickly used the topic of 9/11 and the 3,497 who died that day to swing the conversation to the spiritual. We had a good talk on the law and the Gospel, but unfortunately he was counting on the sacraments to save him. Catholic heresy! I explained to him that it was finished on the cross and there was no good work or ritual precondition needed to save him. I left him with several different gospel tracts. "

Jeff was caught up in a conversation with this man about the rapture.
Jeff: "This guy had some debatable interpretations of Scripture that he felt necessary to preach."

Jeff: "This is J.J., a John Darby dispensationalist heretic. We debated for a few moments about his heresy."

Jeff: "I talked to every single political candidate at this tea party, but this is the conversation I was praying for. This gentlemen was just an average guy protesting taxes at the tea party and I explained to him that 'You can cheat taxes (i.e. rightfully not pay), but you can't cheat death.' I took him through the law and he became genuinely scared of dying and going to hell. I explained to him the gospel and he asked me, 'What if I was saved when I was 8 years old?' I asked him if he really called on Jesus Christ to save him from his sins when he was 8 or if he just recited a prayer in Sunday school. He admitted to the latter and then I explained to him true and false conversion and told him to read the gospel of John. I forget his name, but he said he was going to seriously consider what we talked about. Please pray for him!"

Jeff: "This sweet lady and I talked. She said she was a Christian, but said she was good enough to go to heaven. I'm here taking her through the law."

Heresy alert! This woman was trying to convince us of a healing gospel. The cover of her magazine says "Bloodless Gospel." I didn't get one, but I know that a bloodless gospel is no gospel at all. Jeff told the deceived woman that Ernest Angley is a wolf in sheep's clothing who will burn in hell unless he repents.

To the right of Jeff in this picture is a pastor who spoke at the rally. I offered him a gospel tract and he declined it. I asked him if I had 3 minutes to live, what would he tell me. He told me to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. I asked him about repentance and told him Jesus commanded us to preach repentance and the forgiveness of sins. He held on to my bicep with a snug grip and he told me that I was quoting scripture and that he was doing the same. I didn't take it any further to dialogue with him.

Jeff: "This is Lance Reed running for House of Representatives- District 41. When I asked him what guides his political decisions he said, 'I listen to what the people want.' WRONG ANSWER! 'For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.' -Mark 7:21-22. I suggested to him that maybe the constitution (the law of the land) should guide his political decisions which are founded on the Biblical Law, which I used to swing the conversation to the spiritual. The conversation went really well after that when Lance was humbled by the law which helped him understand the gospel. I wouldn't give Lance my political endorsement, but do pray for him."

"Over all it was a great night of witnessing. We need more Christians out here evangelizing, because most of the people at these tea parties have a Christian background, but lack the understanding of what the Gospel is. Also, most of these political candidates and tea party leaders are warmonger and need to be educated that it's a contradiction to have small government and at the same time have a large powerful military."

Dover Center and Lorain in North Olmsted - 4/10/10

2010-04-12T21:30:00.004-04:00

Saturday, I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Lorain in North Olmsted for a little over an hour in the afternoon. One person that drove by yelled out that Satan was coming- I'm not sure people understand what they are doing when they say things like that. I also got a thumbs up or two. I didn't hand out any tracts or have any conversations, but there was a lot of vehicle traffic.

On Detroit in Lakewood - 4/03/10

2010-04-09T16:48:00.008-04:00

Last weekend, I had the privilege of being joined by Jeff Utlzer from Akron (on my left) and Patrick Weimer (on my right) of Mansfield. We met up at Lakewood Park and then came over to the area in front of the city center in Lakewood (Sinagra Park).

Patrick and I stayed at Sinagra Park. Both Patrick (seen above) and I both read from Scripture and passed out tracts.

Jeff was all over Detroit road passing out tracts and having conversations. This is Jeff's description of the conversation he had with this young man:

"His name is Raymon. From what he told me, he is a 20 year old senior in high school who has a basketball scholarship to I believe it was Michigan. He told me he has been shot at 4 times (He showed me the scares to prove it). He was quite receptive of my explanation of the Gospel and fearful of going to hell and even told his buddy about it, who later confronted me and we talked. Pray for them."

On Detroit in Lakewood - 4/01/10

2010-04-02T10:01:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was not a dull day in Lakewood. I was out from 3:45 to 5:45- this is the first time I have been out anywhere past 5:00. I started out in Sinagra Park on Detroit Road and shortly after arriving moved to the corner of Warren and Detroit. This is a very busy intersection with both foot and vehicular traffic. Very soon after arriving at this intersection, a Lakewood Police officer stopped to talk to me (and this is the first time I got the privilege of having the lights on top of the car turned on for me).

"What are you doing?" he asked.

I responded, "Trying to spread the Gospel."

He told me I was a distraction and could cause an accident. I asked him where I could go, and he responded he didn't know, but I couldn't stand here. He offered the park in front of the city center (where I started out), so in the interest of peace, I went over to that area. I have two friends coming up to Lakewood Saturday to do open air preaching and after standing at this location, I was thinking about using this spot, but now I may run into some problems.

After moving back over to Sinagra Park, I stood in front of a group of youths sittings on the benches that were talking very loudly and using countless profanities. My pastor had open air preached at this spot one time before and didn't have any problems with the police and I am hoping for the same. If these youths can scream and use profanities, we should be allowed to preach.

A man named Glenn came up to me and wanted to encourage me. He told me he had previously been a pastor at a church in the area but had to leave because they started going into a different direction. That sounds all too familiar.

I also had 3 or 4 people make references to Satan yesterday, including one "Hail Satan." I also encountered some youth that were curious about my sign and when I tried giving one of them a Gospel tract, one said he wasn't Christian and another said God and Jesus didn't exist.

A Conversation with Jeff - 3/31/10

2010-04-01T14:10:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Center Ridge in Westlake from 3:30 to 5:00. I remembered to stand in the shade this time to avoid the sunburn I got last week. The weather is absolutely beautiful this week (upper 60's and 70's) and there were a lot of middle school kids walking home. One asked me if I had any more of the money tracts, and I told him I did and gave him and his friends a tract. I handed out 11 tracts to students passing by.

Around 4:00, Jeff pulled up and told me he wanted to offer me encouragement for what I was doing. He wanted to show me his tattoo- along with a graphic, he had John 12:25 etched into his skin- just the reference, not the actual verse. John 12:25 is, "Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."

I gave Jeff a tract and it turns out he already reads Ray Comfort's blog, but wasn't familiar with Hell's Best Kept Secret. He said he may have heard of it, but I encouraged him to listen to it. I made sure to share the parachute analogy with him and stress the importance of repentance, which he refreshingly already knew.

Message for Good Friday

2010-03-28T14:35:00.007-04:00

Hebrews 9:27 says, “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” If you were to die today and God judged you, would you go to heaven or hell?

What is it that makes you a Christian and assures you of your salvation? Are you relying on your profession of faith? Did you pray a prayer to accept Jesus into your heart and then you were saved? Did you pray this prayer but continue to live the same way you did before you prayed this prayer? Was it your baptism?

Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” These are people who called their selves Christians. They were people who prophesied in Jesus’ name, cast out demons in His name, and did many mighty works in His name- yet they will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Not everyone who calls their self a Christian is saved!

Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Does praying a prayer to accept Jesus into your heart and then continuing to live the way you did before sound narrow to you? Does that sound like a hard way? You may look to people who are “consumed” by Jesus and call them fanatics for Jesus. Jesus said those who enter are few. Let me ask you- who are there fewer of? People who made a profession of faith, “accepted Jesus into their hearts” and continue to live the same way they did before- or the fanatics? Remember- Jesus said few will enter- not a majority. Majority does not equate with validity here!

Jesus commands us to surrender our lives to Him. Luke 17:33 says: “Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.” If you seek to hold on to your life and control it, you will lose it, but if you surrender your life to Jesus, you will gain eternal life. Once you give your life to Jesus, you won’t have any more decisions to make- they are all up to God.

From Luke 9:59-62: To another He (Jesus) said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

When you surrender your life to Jesus, you have to completely abandon your old ways and not look back. Jesus tells us that if we look back, we are not fit for the kingdom of God. In 2008, I thought I had surrendered my life to Jesus, but I realized I was far from it. I believed Jesus was my savior and I repented of some of my sins- the ones I was comfortable with. There were sins I thought I couldn’t overcome- and as long as I thought that- I never did.

When you surrender your life to Jesus, you need to repent of all your known sins- not just the ones you are comfortable with. It will be different for each of us- perhaps for you it is lust, dirty language, dirty TV shows and movies, gossiping, lying, coveting, and the list goes on.

So, what must one do to inherit eternal life? In John 3:3, Jesus tells us that we must be born again to enter the kingdom of heaven. What does it mean to be born again? It is to completely surrender your life to Jesus, repent of your sins, and place your faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone. Jesus makes it clear in Luke 13:3 that unless you repent, you will perish. When you are born again, God will give you a new heart that will no longer desire your old ways and will desire to worship and praise Him. Your heart wants to serve Jesus. Not only do you read the Word of God, but you delight in it.

Jesus says in Matthew 7: 24-27, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” The foundation of rock here is repentance and surrendering one’s heart to Jesus. A profession of faith lacking repentance and surrendering one’s heart to Jesus is the sand. How many Christians, when they come under personal attack for their faith, back down and succumb back to the world? Instead of proclaiming Jesus as Lord and Savior and losing their friends, they put Jesus in a corner so they can keep their friendships.

The problem is all the church goers who proclaim to be Christians who do this. Another Christian looks at them and thinks this is the norm. It is ok to act this way because everyone else in church does- and since they profess to be Christians and are “saved,” I am perfectly fine to act the same way. I again ask you, who are there fewer of- people who act like this, or people who proclaim Jesus “in season and out of season” and have lost their friends and family? Jesus said in Mark 13:13, “And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Look around you- are those people hated for proclaiming Jesus, or are they still friends with everyone in the world?

Jesus even said himself that division in your family would happen. Jesus says in Matthew 10:34-38, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” I have a relative in my family who would rather have family harmony than for me to talk about Jesus- even among people who all call their selves Christians!

One is either a Christian or they are not. Either they fully follow Jesus or they don’t. There is no grey area. We love the grey area- because that way we can be both part of the world and be a Christian. 1 John 2:15-17 makes it clear for us, though: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

Jesus hates lukewarm Christians. Revelation 3:16 says, “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” Do you want to be spit out on the Day of Judgment?

Let me ask you this- would you consider yourself to be a “good person?” Most people will say yes without hesitation, even to say they are a “very good person.” Are you familiar with the Ten Commandments? Would you say you’ve kept them? Let’s see how you stack up using God’s rules:

Have you ever told a lie, even a small, white lie? That makes you a liar.
Have you ever stolen something, no matter what value? Ever taken anything from work, downloaded an MP3, copied a CD? That makes you a thief.
Have you ever had hate or anger in your heart? Jesus says in Matthew 5:22 God views this the same as murder.
Have you ever lusted (sexual desire) after another? Jesus says in Matthew 5:28 God views this as committing adultery in your heart.

Based on those standards above, you are a lying thief, and a murderer and adulterer at heart, and you have to face God on judgment day. If God judges you based on those standards, would you be guilty or innocent? Everyone would be guilty. If you say innocent because you do more good than bad, consider James 2:10 which says if you have broken one commandment, you have broken them all. It’s like hanging on to a chain with 10 links and one breaks. It only took one break for you to fall.

Still not convicted? Have you ever taken the Lord’s name in vain. God gave you life and you used His name as a cuss word- He calls that blasphemy. Have you always remember to keep the sabbath? Have you always honored your mother and father? Have you ever coveted (desired something that isn’t yours)? Have you always honored God with all your mind, soul, heart and strength?

If God judges you based on His standard you would be guilty. So would I.

So, would you go to Heaven or Hell? You should say Hell. I am just as guilty as everyone else and would have been destined for Hell. If you say Heaven because you think God won’t judge you because He is a god of love, you are breaking the second commandment- you shall not make a graven image- a god to suit yourself. A god not of wood or metal made with your hands, but in your mind. An example would be a god that is contrary to what the Bible teaches or worshiping money. You may say you do more good then bad. Consider how many people someone needs to kill to be convicted of murder. Just one.

You may say, “I go to confession.” We are called to confess our sins (1 John 1:9), but confession alone won’t save you. The Bible says in Proverbs 28:13, “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” Consider this: a husband cheats on his wife and confesses to her he has committed adultery. The husband says he is sorry, but the next weekend he goes out and cheats again with a different woman. He again confesses to his wife what he has done. Unless the husband stops cheating and turns away from his cheating ways (repents), his confession is worthless and his wife will leave him. In the same sense, we have to do more than just confess our sins- we need to repent and stop our sinful habits.

There is a way for you to go to Heaven, though. God did something wonderful for you. In place of your being sent to Hell as punishment for your sins and suffering eternal judgment, He sent His one and only Son to die in our place for our sins. 2,000 years ago Jesus Christ died an excruciating death on the cross for your sins. Then He rose on the third day forever defeating death. If you repent of your sins (stop living in your sinful way and turn away from them) and place your trust in Jesus Christ as your savior, you, too, can have eternal salvation (Matthew 4:17, Luke 5:32, Mark 1:15, Luke 13:3; Luke 24:47).

Imagine you are in a court of law and you are facing sentencing for a crime you committed. The judge tells you that your sentence is either a one million dollar fine or life imprisonment. You tell the judge you do not have one million dollars. He is about to pass judgment on you and send you to jail for life when someone comes in the court and places one million dollars in front of him to pay your fine. The judge looks at you and says, “Your fine has been paid, you are free to go.” You may say you will never be in that situation. In this lifetime, you may be correct. What happens when you die, though?

Ten out of ten of us die- we are all part of the oldest statistic. When your judgment comes, where will you go? Don’t delay, place your trust in Jesus Christ today and repent of your sins! Confess to God your sins and ask for His divine forgiveness. Then, repent of your sins and place your trust in Jesus Christ, His one and only Son, as your savior. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” -1 John 1:9.

The crime you have committed is sin and your judgment is life in Hell. Someone paid your fine, though. His name is Jesus Christ and His suffering on the cross was the sentence for your sins. If you repent of your sins and place your trust in Jesus Christ, the fine and judgment for your sins will be met and you, too, can have eternal life. How would you feel towards someone who paid that fine for you?

Forgiveness is available, but it is not automatic. You have to ask for it. Surrender your heart and your life to Jesus. In John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Nicodemus asked Jesus in John 3 what one must do to be saved. Jesus replies in John 3:3: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Jesus continues in John 3:5-6: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

What dwells among you and controls your life, thoughts, and actions? Desires of the flesh or the Holy Spirit?

Imagine you are on a plane 25,000 feet in the air that is about to crash. There is a parachute under your seat which can save you. Simple declaring “I believe the parachute will save me” will not save you. You have to put on the parachute and jump from the crashing plane to be saved. In the same sense, you have to leave your old self and “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 13:14) like a parachute and jump from your sinful lifestyle that will leave you dead if you don’t abandon it (”to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” -Ephesians 4:22-24; “You were dead in the trespasses and sins” -Ephesians 2:1).

It is my prayer, if you are reading this and you are not saved, that you ask God into your life this moment. I pray that you place your trust in Jesus Christ as your savior and repent of your sins. Make sure you read your Bible daily and feed on the Word of God. Obey what you read. Start with the Gospel of John and see if what I have said is true. God will not let you down.

One final thought: please don’t confuse confession and repentance. Jesus told us we must repent to be saved (Luke 13:3). Confession merely means acknowledging guilt. Criminals only confess when they’ve been caught, and even then most of them won’t. We are all criminals against God. You may be offended by that statement. If you are, please reread this article and see how you have broken all of God’s commandments (moral laws). Repentance requires a turning from your sin and abandoning your old ways. To be saved, we must turn from our sin and dedicate ourselves to Jesus Christ. God will give you a new heart with new desires.

You can not earn your salvation. Nothing you do will ever save you- regardless of what a church or a certain religion may teach you. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). 1 John 5:13 tell us that we can have assurance of our eternal destiny: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.” What a wonderful thing!

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will repay each person according to what he has done” (Matthew 16:26-27). Who will be the payment for your sins? Yourself or Jesus Christ?

Again, Jesus first words preaching were, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” That's what you have to do to be saved- repent and believe that Jesus died for your sins. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Are you ready to be judged by God? Today is the day of salvation.

Dover Center and Lorain in North Olmsted - 3/24/10

2010-03-27T13:58:00.002-04:00

Wednesday, I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Lorain in North Olmsted from around 1:00 to 3:00. While I was there, a woman approached me and asked what I was doing. I told her trying to spread the Gospel. She told me she knew Jesus but that she was battling an addiction. She asked for prayer- I briefly prayed for her before she had to go and I left her with a Gospel tract.

When it was getting close to 3:00 and I was soon to leave, a man pulled up and parked in the parking lot behind me (at this point I was standing on the corner diagonal from where I was in this shot). I was watching him as he took some things out of his car, and I realized it was a giant wrench along with a sandwich board. There is a sign guy locally that advertises for a local plumber and turns out this was his spot for the day also.

On Detroit in Lakewood - 3/21/10

2010-03-23T18:57:00.002-04:00

Sunday, I went to the intersection of Andrews and Detroit in Lakewood. Shortly after I arrived, a shop across the street sent someone out in a costume for their business to hand out fliers (though they didn't hand out very many). I don't know if they did that in response to me standing right across the street from them or not.

A man saw my sign and asked if it was about 2012. He talked about a variety of things, including tectonic plates and polar ice caps melting- after going on for a while I managed to give him a Gospel tract and encouraged him to read it. An elderly woman also walked by and commended me on what I was doing and said that in a sense, we are all little missionaries for Jesus.

I was also photographed by ClevelandSGS, a site that documents the Cleveland community. Here is a link to the blog post about me on that site. I handed out a couple of gospel tracts and received quite a few hits from ClevlandSGS.

Rocky River Drive and Lorain Road in Kamm's Corner (Cleveland) - St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T18:40:00.007-04:00

For St. Patrick's Day, I joined John (an elder at my church) at the intersection of Rocky River Drive and Lorain Road in Kamm's Corner (Cleveland) for St. Patrick's Day. It was bright and sunny all day with temps in the upper 50's (possibly even 60 at some point). John and I were out from 12:15 to 5:00, aside from my bathroom break, and I have a sunburn to prove it (I didn't even think about getting sunburn in the winter, but it can and does happen!). Around 4:00, Beth, who goes to our church, and her two daughters, also showed up.

We stood diagonally across from P.J. McIntyre's Irish Pub. Also nearby were several other bars, including Panini's, West Park Station, and The Public House- all which appeared to be packed. This is a panoramic shot showing the P.J. McIntyre's on the left side of the photo and Panini's is the three story building on the right:

Here is a closer shot of P.J. McIntyre's. This is around 12:45, and the place only got busier as the day progressed:

Here's a shot my pastor took while driving by. You can see John on the left in a yellow sweatshirt and me with a backpack on, right next to the light pole.

John had a sign that said "NeedGod.com" while I had my cross. John and I were handing out Big Money tracts, and when Beth and her two daughters arrived, she had St. Patrick's Day Millions which we started to pass out. I would say about 60% of the people accepted the tracts.

We didn't have too many one on one conversations because everyone was out to party, but we had a few. After a good while, a guy came across the street and wanted to know what our signs were about. John talked to him and told me that he had been a Christian and was even involved in ministry work, but had backslid. John asked me if I thought he ever was a Christian, and I told him that I tend to think that he never slid forward- that he was a tare among the wheat.

A man came up to me and started asking me what I thought about the Torah and the Koran. Then he asked me what I thought about Islam and asked me if I hate them. At this point he started cursing about Islam. He had a shirt on that said "Infidel" and what appeared to be Arabic writing on it. I wasn't sure where it was going to go, but he ended up leaving.

One women, who appeared to be drunk, rubbed up against me on my right side and said, "Jesus loves you." Then I felt someone else on my left side and one of them asked, "Do you think Jesus would do this?" One of them replied, "I think He would." Apparently they got a picture with me and cross, but I was so startled I failed to even realize it.

One woman crossing the street at one point was interested in the cross and asked what she should do if she didn't have Internet access. I didn't end up getting a tract to her or her friend at that moment, but shortly thereafter I went back to my car to drop something off. It turned out the path I followed to return to my car was also their path. I heard the one woman calling out "Mark!" and I heard her friend say "She was looking for you." I ended up giving her and her friend both a tract. One of them said "I'm a good Catholic. I go to church every Sunday." I didn't go into it with them, just told them to read the tracts.

Getting closer to 5 o'clock, a man waiting to cross the street appeared to have a problem with what we were doing. I can't remember exactly what he said, but I do remember him asking, "If there is a God, why is He letting the Pope close down St. Pat's?" St. Pat's is a Catholic church in the area where we were that is due to close soon. Beth told him maybe he should pray about it- I wasn't going to even go into a Catholicism debate.

I am not sure how many tracts were handed out today, but I would say easily over 100, if not 200. There were quite a few people screaming "NeedGod.com" as they drove by (most likely drunk), loud enough for a lot of people to hear it.

A Conversation With a Pedestrian and Ted - 3/10/10

2010-03-11T10:23:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Center Ridge in Westlake from 3:00 to 5:00. After standing on the southeast corner for a while, I gave a gospel tract to someone passing by and she asked about the cross. She told me she just came from a function at a Catholic church. I quickly went through the law and the Gospel with her and asked her if she knew where she was going when she died, and she said she did. I didn't really press it beyond that, but she did leave with the tract.

At around 4:00, Ted walked up to me. At this point, I was on the northwest corner of the intersection. Ted told me he was Christian, and when I asked what kind, he said non-denominational, although he grew up Seventh-Day Adventist.

Ted told me he had read parts of the Bible, but not from cover to cover. I asked him if he had read the four gospels, and he said he had. I made reference Jesus saying lust was adultery in the heart (Matthew 5:27-28) and how the Bible to says to hate is to murder. Ted said I struck a chord with him with lust.

I also asked Ted, "If I had 3 minutes to live, what would you tell me?" Most Christians have a hard time with this question, or they always seem to leave something out in their answer. Ted was no exception. At this point I mentioned how both repentance and faith are both necessary and shared the parachute analogy with him.

If you are on a plane about to crash and there is a parachute that can save you, merely "believing" in that parachute won't save you. You must put on the parachute, trust the parachute, and jump from the crashing plane. In the same sense, we must put on the Lord Jesus, trust Him like a parachute, and abandon our sins (repent).

I handed out 5 tracts today.

Detroit and Lake in Rocky River - 3/09/10

2010-03-10T19:55:00.002-05:00

It's finally warm again in Cleveland! Yesterday, I went to a new spot- the intersection of Detroit and Lake in Rocky River. I was out from 3:20 to 4:30. At one point, someone in a car was looking intently at the cross and said he would look it up- I am pretty sure he was referring to Mark 1:15 on my cross. He turned onto Lake, turned around, and when he was sitting at the light, he reached for what I think was a Bible. I look forward to hitting the streets more often now that it's warm.

Dover Center and Lorain in North Olmsted - 3/05/10

2010-03-06T11:07:00.005-05:00

Today was my first day back on the street since January. It was in the mid to upper 30's yesterday and it is amazing how warm that feels when you go through winter in Northeast Ohio! I was out today from about 2:15 to 3:15.

Shortly after arriving, a young woman came up on the sidewalk and looked at the cross and wanted to know more about it. Her name was Alex. She asked me what Mark 1:15 was and I quoted it to her. She told me she had heard things about the Old Testament and the New Testament and she seemed to be a little confused about it. She told me she grew up Christian and was was currently "experimenting."

I asked her if she thought of herself as a good person, and she replied, "For the most part." We went through the law and she admitted that God would find her guilty, but she started to say, "but if I go and confess..."

I said, "Now wait, if you are guilty, should he send you to heaven or hell?"

She replied, "I think that's up to Him.. it depends."

I brought up an example of her breaking the law here on earth and that the law needs to be satisfied- that her confession isn't going to get her off the hook.

"So he should send you to hell."

She replied, "So, He's like the ultimate sheriff."

I asked her if she knew what Jesus did, and she replied, "He died on the cross."

At this point I started to stumble over my thoughts a bit but still managed to explain imputed righteousness to her, our need for repentance, and how we must trust in Jesus like a parachute. It's been a while since I've had any witnessing conversations (from not being on the streets plus the streets drying up from the cold even when I was out) and I realized I should listen to Hell's Best Kept Secret and True and False Conversion again to brush up on my witnessing analogies.

I gave Alex a million dollar bill and encouraged her to read the tract and check out the website listed on the tract. I was able to hand out 9 tracts yesterday, including the one I gave to Alex. I gave some tracts to some younger guys walking by on the sidewalk and one mentioned, "I have a Michael Jackson one."

Surrendering Your Life to Jesus

2010-01-24T13:47:00.015-05:00

I have often heard it mentioned that I should "surrender my life to Jesus."

Jesus does call us to completely surrender to Him. You may already "believe" in Jesus, but this is far more than merely that. Jesus said in Matthew 10:39, "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." This may seem like a lot to demand of a person, but let me explain the situation.

Say you have committed murder and stand before a judge (for those of you who say you have never murdered, keep in mind God's Word says that if we so much as "hate" another, we are murderers at heart [1 John 3:15]) . The verdict rendered against you is guilty. Your judgment is either a fine of a million dollars (if you happen to have a million dollars, make this an amount you could never pay- a billion, or trillion dollars) or life in jail.

You don't have a million dollars and the only option left is to serve your sentence in jail. The judge asks you if you have anything to say for yourself, and you say "But, judge, I'm such a good person. I've done more good than bad." The judge says, "That may be true, but even so, justice still needs to be served."

The judge is about to slam the gavel down and render judgment when someone walks into the court room and says, "Judge, I've sold everything I owned and I have come up with a million dollars." He places the million dollars in front of the judge and the judge looks at you and says, "You are free to go. Not because you are innocent, not because you are 'good,' but because your fine has been paid." That is what Jesus did for us. He paid the fine for our sins through His life's blood on the cross.

How would you feel towards that person? You would owe him everything, including your life. That is what we owe Jesus. He laid down His life for our sins and bore death upon Himself on the cross. He calls on us to repent (turn from our sins) and place our trust in Him. How selfish of us to give Him anything less than everything. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, "You are not your own, for you were bought with a price."

Luke 9:59-62: To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

When you surrender your life to Jesus, you have to completely abandon your old ways and not look back. Jesus tells us that if we look back, we are not fit for the kingdom of God. At one point, I thought I had surrendered my life to Jesus, but I realized I was far from it. I believed Jesus was my savior and I repented of some of the sins- the ones I was comfortable with. There were sins I thought I couldn’t overcome- and as long as I thought that- I never did.

When you surrender your life to Jesus, you need to repent of all your sins- not just the ones you are comfortable with. It will be different for each of us- perhaps for you it is lust, dirty language, dirty TV shows and movies, gossiping, lying, coveting, and the list goes on.

Someone recently posted this in a discussion on my Facebook wall: "I think that everyone has some kind of sin in their life that they don't want to give up, as you said Jesus died for us and our sins implying that we are all sinners, I think this is human nature." This is true for a lot of people- there are sins standing in between them and their Savior. This does not negate our responsibility to repent, though. It all comes back to what Jesus did on the cross for us. We are not our own anymore, and our sin is pure selfishness in the sight of God. We owe our lives to someone who sacrificed His for us, yet we continue to rebel.

John 14:15-17 says: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”

I hope you know how amazing it is to have the Holy Spirit dwelling among you. Jesus tells us we can know the Holy Spirit. He also tells us how to receive the Holy Spirit: keep His commandments. If you repent of your sins and place your faith in Jesus Christ as your savior, He will send the Holy Spirit to dwell among you. If there is sin in your life you refuse to repent of, do not be surprised when the Holy Spirit is not sent to dwell among you.

Charles Spurgeon once said, “When once God the Holy Spirit applies the Law to the conscience, secret sins are dragged to light, little sins are magnified to their true size, and things apparently harmless become exceedingly sinful. Before that dread searcher of the hearts and trier of the reins makes His entrances into the soul, it appears righteous, just, lovely, and holy; but when He reveals the hidden evils, the scene is changed. Offenses which were once styled peccadilloes, trifles, freaks of youth, follies, indulgences, little slips, etc., then appear in the true color, as breaches of the Law of God, deserving condign punishment.”

Luke 17:33 says: “Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.” If you seek to hold on to your life and control it, you will lose it, but if you surrender your life to Jesus, you will gain eternal life.

Once you give your life to Jesus, you won’t have any more decisions to make- they are all up to God. If there are decisions in your life you want to remain in control of or sin you will not repent of, please surrender your life completely to Jesus Christ. For me, the hardest thing to give up was offensive TV shows and songs. I have a "blasphemy rule" for the TV and radio. Whenever I hear the Lord's name taken in vain, I turn the TV off. I sometimes allow it when I hear it on the news due to the nature of the programming (it is reporting), but I generally make it a point not to even watch TV to begin with because nothing (not even PBS- cable got the ax long ago) is safe.

I want to make this a personal challenge to everyone to replace their TV time with Bible reading. The average American watches 5 hours of TV a day. This may sound like a lot, but it easily adds up. I know people who like to rewind in front of TV every night for 2 hours from 8 to 10. Imagine if you took all the time you watch TV and spent it reading the Bible. You will be amazed at how much reading you can do.

The other thing I have found is that my mind used to be filled with useless information about what happened the previous night on all the TV shows I watched. Not only that, but I was also recalling all the previous information from episodes prior to that.

Imagine if instead of recalling last night's TV shows, you were recalling God's Word. This is, in fact, what Jesus calls us to do. Jesus said in John 15: 7-8, "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples." By abiding in the Word, you will glorify the Father!

Dover Center and Lorain in North Olmsted - 1/22/2010

2010-01-22T16:46:00.003-05:00

Today, I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Lorain in North Olmsted from 3:10 to 4:10. Traffic starts to get heavy around 3 o'clock in the areas around here. It's been a while since I've been at this spot with the cross. Today was about 40 degrees, so I wanted to get out while it was still relatively warm (compared to the 20's and low 30's). Someone told me "God bless you," I got a few honks, at least one thumbs up, and I also got some jeering.

Back on the Streets - 1/14/2010

2010-01-21T21:53:00.003-05:00

Last Thursday, I went back out on the street for the first time in about a month. Prior to this date, for about the last three weeks, temps have been bitterly cold in the area and I haven't been out. Temps are starting to edge back north of the freezing point lately and I hope to get back out on the streets more often.

Thursday, with some of the snow finally gone, I went to the intersection of Andrews and Detroit in downtown Lakewood from 11:00 to 11:45. No conversations, but a lot of people saw and noticed the cross. Hope to get back out there more often, soon!

Once Saved, Always Saved?

2010-01-11T09:38:00.015-05:00

Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:22-23, "Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God."

I do believe the statement, "Once saved, always saved," but let me clarify this statement. If someone accepts Jesus into their life and truly repents of their sins, their life will be completely transformed. They will abandon their old way of living and begin living for the Lord. The Lord will be continually revealing new sins to them they need to repent of. This is completely different from someone who "prays a prayer," doesn't change anything in their life and continues being a part of the world system.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

1 John 2:15-17 says, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."

Jesus said in John 10:1-5, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

Jesus explains the meaning of this parable in the following verses. In verse 9, He says, “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.”

Among the best known Bible verses is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” While this is true, this verse has to be taken in context with the rest of the Bible. John 3:3 says one must be born again to be saved. To be saved, one must both believe and repent of their sins (Matthew 4:17, Luke 5:32, Mark 1:15, Luke 13:3; Luke 24:47)

Jesus said in Luke 6:46-49, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.” The rock foundation is repentance and faith.

Both are necessary.

One cannot be saved and continue to live their old lifestyle. Jesus and is not someone that can be added to your list of other gods (money, lust, unrighteous desires, etc.). You can not go on living in your old sinful lifestyle and be saved. One might call someone who accepts Jesus into their life for a time and then falls away a “back slider.” I prefer to call them a “false convert” who never “slid forward” in the first place.

Our churches are filled with these type of people. In Mark 4:3-8, Jesus said, "Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold."

Jesus explains the meaning of this parable a few verses later in Mark 4:14-20: "The sower sows the word. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold." There are so many "thorns" in our churches who outwardly profess Christianity.

As Paul said in Romans 6:1-4, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

Jesus said in Luke 3:17, “His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” There are undoubtedly people who proclaim to profess to be Christians among us who are not saved. It is our job to make sure they are saved while there is still time.

Just because one “believes” in Jesus does not mean they are necessarily saved. Jesus says in Matthew 7:22-23 “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” I used to be one of those who would have said this to our Lord on Judgment Day. Make sure you know where you stand in the eyes of our Lord.

Witnessing Online

2010-01-09T20:00:00.003-05:00

I recently found a site through another brother in Christ called Omegle. In their own words, "Omegle is a brand-new service for meeting new friends. When you use Omegle, we pick another user at random and let you have a one-on-one chat with each other."

It is a great way to witness to people online, but beware of some of the people you may come into contact with on the site. Also, I just noticed an advertisement on the site that could clearly cause a lot of people to violate the seventh commandment, so just beware. I will be posting some conversations I have on Omegle on this blog.

Grace by Faith Alone - Is Repentance a "Work"?

2010-01-04T20:29:00.008-05:00

Ephesians 2:8-9 tell us that, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Scripture taken as a whole also requires repentance for salvation (Matthew 4:17, Luke 5:32, Mark 1:15, Luke 13:3; Luke 24:47).

These two statements may seem to be at odds at each other- grace by faith alone but the act of repentance is required for salvation.

The answer to this problem is that repentance is not a work of our own doing- it is a gift from God. Acts 11:18 tells us that it is God who grants repentance that leads to life. 2 Timothy 2:25 also speaks of God granting repentance "leading to a knowledge of the truth."

Calling on Local Business, Churches, Clubs, etc.

2010-01-02T23:41:00.008-05:00

With winter in full blast in Cleveland and temperatures only in the teens and twenties for highs and windchill values dangerously low, I have not been on the streets recently. I am calling on local businesses, churches, clubs, etc., that would be willing to allow me to display my cross inside, possibly talking about the message of the cross. If you know of a place that would allow me to do this, please direct them to this page and/or email me at mark@htmlideas.com. Thank you!

What About Homosexuality?

2010-01-02T05:38:00.004-05:00

Our current culture tells us we must accept homosexuality. Even some inside the church tell us the same thing.

I want you to take a careful look at the following list of sins and tell me which ones are permissible and which aren't:

-sexually immorality (pornography, sex outside of marriage, lust)
-idolatry
-adultery
-homosexuality
-stealing
-greed/coveting
-drunkenness
-reviling
-swindling/extortion

These are the sins listed in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. Homosexuality is included in this list. There is a solemn warning at the end of verse 10: none of these will inherit the kingdom of God.

There is good news, though. If you will repent and place your trust in Jesus, you can be saved. Verse 11 of 1 Corinthians 6 says this: "And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

God calls on all sinners alike to repent and place their trust in Him and Him alone. Today is the day of salvation.

Motto For 2010

2010-01-01T02:15:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year! Here is my motto for 2010:

"I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified"
-1 Corinthians 2:2 (ESV).

Dover Center and Center Ridge in Westlake - 12/15/09

2009-12-18T14:04:00.002-05:00

Tuesday, I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Center Ridge in Westlake from 1:40 to 2:10. The lack of sunshine is a regular thing now and even though it looked like it was raining, it wasn't- everything was just wet.

Center Ridge and Wagar/West 210th in Rocky River/Fairview Park - 12/14/09

2009-12-15T14:53:00.003-05:00

Monday, I went to the intersection of Center Ridge and Wagar/West 210th in Rocky River/Fairview Park from around 12:30 to 1:00. It was a "mild" day for this time of year- in the mid 40's, so I wanted to make sure and get out, but there was quite a wind blowing, which made it feel colder than it was.

I had a man walk by and look at the cross and ask, "They made you guys move down here?" He most likely was referring to the protesters that picket in front of an abortion clinic a block or so up the street, and I told him I wasn't associated with them.

Somebody passing by waved and I gave a head nod back because I didn't have any hands free. Someone else started honking their horn at me as they were driving by and as I started to wave, I saw a middle finger sticking up at me.

Do You Trust Jesus?

2009-12-10T14:52:00.003-05:00

John 14:1 (ESV):
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.”

We need to place our trust in Jesus, but this is not the kind of trust you have in your local police department. I live in a very safe area. How often do I need to call up the police? Rarely, if ever. In fact, most of us look at the police as the enemy when we are driving. The first thing most of us do when we see a police car is brake because we are breaking the law by speeding. Is this how you treat Jesus? You are constantly in rebellion and hide from Him whenever you see His face? Do you only call upon Him when you need something? We need to have a deeper trust in Jesus. We need to depend on Him for everything.

Dover Center and Center Ridge in Westlake - 12/07/09

2009-12-07T16:45:00.002-05:00

Today, I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Center Ridge in Westlake from 12:15 to 12:45. Snow flurries are starting to fly around and I'm missing summer! I wish the expressed temperature in Fahrenheit was the temperature in Celsius right now!

On Detroit in Lakewood - 12/04/09

2009-12-04T16:31:00.003-05:00

Don't let the clear, sunny skies fool you- it was a blazing 35 degrees today! It's getting tougher to stay in one spot with the cross because the cold sets in really fast. I was out from 1:30 to 2:30 and handed out one tract to someone who told she was trying to read my cross. She told me she was very analytical and she needed to know what my cross said.

Dover Center and Lorain in North Olmsted - 12/03/09

2009-12-04T16:29:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Lorain in North Olmsted. I was out from 3:00 to 4:15 and handed out one tract.

Center Ridge and Columbia in Westlake - 11/30/09

2009-12-04T16:26:00.002-05:00

Monday, I went to the intersection of Center Ridge and Columbia in Westlake. Not much to report, just that it's cold!

"Love" is the Greatest Commandment?

2009-11-30T16:55:00.004-05:00

I had a conversation months ago about the "Greatest Commandment." Everyone thinks the greatest commandment is to "love another." I got into a conversation again last week with the same person about this exact topic and I told this person it is not the greatest commandment. I had to get Scripture out and show it to this person:

Mark 12:28-30:
And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

Mark 12: 31-33:
The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

So many people think "love one another" is the Greatest Commandment. It isn't- it is to love God first and foremost. Second is love your neighbor as yourself, but realize this: your keeping the second commandment is useless if you don't keep the first one.

I remember the conversation we had months ago: I asked this person what she would say to me if I came up to her and told her I wanted to know how to gain eternal life. She told me that all I had to do was love my neighbor as myself, since this is the greatest commandment Jesus gave.

Even if that were true (which I have demonstrated it clearly isn't) the fact is, none of us has loved our neighbor as ourselves. We have all lied to one another, stolen from each other, lusted after others (which Jesus says is adultery in the heart), and hated others (which Jesus says is murder in the heart).

We will all stand guilty before God on Judgment Day and He should sentence us to Hell, and rightly so. God loved you so much, though, that He sent His One and only Son to die as a substitution for your sins. To accept His forgiveness and have it imputed to you, you must repent, ask for forgiveness, and place your trust in Jesus.

You must surrender your life to Him. Trust in Him like a parachute. If you were on a crashing plane, merely "believing" a parachute would save you isn't going to. You must strap on the parachute, trust the parachute, and jump from the plane. In the same sense, you must strap on the Lord Jesus, trust Him with all your life, and abandon your sinful lifestyle (repent).

Please do so today. You may not have tomorrow.

On Detroit in Lakewood - 11/29/09

2009-11-30T12:29:00.003-05:00

Sunday, I went to the intersection of Elmwood/Andrews and Detroit in Lakewood. It was a pretty quiet day aside from someone stopping by in a car headed westbound on Detroit to show me The Villager newspaper and the article about the cross. They asked if I had seen it, and I said I had.

People may have read the article but not thought twice about it, but if they end up seeing me on the street, I may implant a seed to search for this blog which can lead them to the gospel. As winter quickly approaches, temps are dropping- please pray I have the endurance to stay outside in the cold! I handed out about 12 tracts yesterday.

A Conversation With Debbie and Richard - 11/28/09

2009-11-30T12:04:00.007-05:00

Saturday, I went to the intersection of Great Northern and Brookpark in North Olmsted. I was there from 12:55 to 2:00 and while I was there, two people stopped by to talk to me. The first person was pulling out of a parking lot and looked at my sign and responded that she was ready. She came back by and inquired about my cross and the motivation I had for doing this.

Her name was Debbie and I told her about Tony Miano's cross in California and a little about Living Waters and Way of the Master. She told me she was sitting at the auto repair shop behind me for 2 hours and the Lord really used the time to get her attention. She told me she was having problems praying effectively.

She said the Lord was showing her that she wasn't really putting Him first in her life. I think that is something we can all admit to. I told Debbie I try to follow Matthew 6:33 ("Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you"), but we all still come up short.

We also got in a short discussion about holiness and being completely rid of sin in our lives. I agreed with her that we could be holy, but I disagree that we can be completely without sin. She told me to ask God about it and He will show me the truth, but I have God's Word which says in 1 John 1:8, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

A man named Richard had slowed down as he was turning and gave me a piece of paper that directed me to go to a website and watch two videos. He drove by again and stopped and came to talk to me. He told me the website was for a book he was reading about the love of God. I do not want to state the book here and endorse it because I have not read it yet, but I did look at most of the two videos and the theology was clearly sound in them.

The Gospels vs. the Epistles & a Warped View of the Trinity

2009-11-28T21:38:00.025-05:00

I recently got into a conversation with someone on the street who appeared to have a lot of zeal for God, but when I spoke of sins Paul listed in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, this person made a comment to the sort of "Paul had some good writings, but he was not Jesus." I do not know if there was a certain sin in these 2 verses that I was referring to that hit a strong chord or not, but this person was big on the 4 gospels.

I recently got into a conversation with another person (who belongs to the Catholic church) about homosexuality and I was accused of being judgmental towards the homosexual lifestyle. Here is the list of sinners in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 that will not inherit the kingdom of God: the sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, men who practice homosexuality, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, and swindlers. If you were to ask anyone if stealing was wrong, they would definitely say yes. They may try to justify that it really "isn't stealing when I take stuff from work," etc., but I guarantee that if you were to take something of theirs, it would be wrong.

I do not know why the specific sin of homosexuality is given the green light when the rest of the sins in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 are not. When I showed my relative this passage, I got the same answer that I got on the street: these were Paul's words, not Jesus'. This relative also referred to the Bible as a "history book." It should not surprise me that when I asked why God sent Jesus into the world I didn't hear anything about the forgiveness of sins and something about how Jesus was someone we could relate to in a human form.

This person did put a lot of stock in the Torah and the laws given to Moses because they were directly from God. In Acts 9:15, the Lord, Himself, told Ananias that Saul (renamed to Paul) is "a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel."

2 Timothy 3:16 says, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." You may say that these are Paul's words and not divinely inspired, but remember that Paul was called by the Lord Himself.

Back to the issue of homosexuality- if you want to take God's words on it- Leviticus 18:22 (from God Himself) specifically prohibits it. It is not one of the ceremonial laws that no longer apply.

On the issue of the Trinity, my relative reasoned that since Jesus = God and the Father = God, that believing in the Father or Jesus would result in salvation. Jews could believe in the Father and be saved, or one can believe in Jesus and be saved since they are both God. Furthermore, since Allah is the God of Abraham which is the same God as the Jewish God, Muslims can be saved by believing in Allah. This is not the way it works.

My attempts to quote John 14:6 were useless. Even though Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me," since Jesus = God, the Father = God and Allah = the God of Abraham (the same Christian God), one can believe in any of the three and be saved. In addition to this, the second coming of Jesus will be both the first coming (of the Messiah) for the Jews and the second coming.

This is what happens when a low view (or lack there of) is taken of Scripture. I was accused of being closed minded that Jesus was the only way. It wouldn't have done any good to quote Matthew 7:13-14 where Jesus said, "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."

I guess Jesus is just as closed minded. So, did Jesus take His cues from me or did I take mine from Him?

Expected Backlash From News Article

2009-11-25T04:32:00.021-05:00

Today, an article was published about the message of the cross in The Villager Newspaper. I am expecting to take some heat from this article. I assume I will be accused of being "intolerant" of other views, narrow minded, and pushing my beliefs onto others. To those who say this: you are absolutely correct.

Jesus said in John 14:6: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Not Mary (Jesus' mother). Not any of the saints. Not your dead relatives. Not Allah or Islam. Not Buddhism or Hinduism.

Not the Catholic church and their doctrine (see what Jesus said in Mark 7:1-13 about traditions established by man; and no, purgatory doesn't exist- c.f. Hebrews 9:27- you either have the blood of Jesus applied to you or you don't- there is no middle ground- c.f. 2 Corinthians 5:21).

Not Jehovah's Witnesses. Not Mormonism or any other apostate religion. That doesn't leave room for ANY other way. If you have a problem with that, your problem is not with me- it is with our Savior.

Jesus also said in Matthew 7:13-14: "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." That narrow gate is through faith in Jesus alone and repentance.

Luke 15:7 says "there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance."

So many people "believe" but lack the repentance part. Without repentance, there is no salvation (Luke 13:3). There are many other verses referring to repentance. Here are just a few examples: Matthew 4:17, Luke 5:32, Mark 1:15, Luke 24:47. The idea of repentance is stamped all over the Bible by Jesus. We are told to "go and sin no more" in John 5:14 and John 8:11.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (among other passages) tells us who will not inherit the kingdom of God: "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."

If you haven't done so already, repent and trust in the Savior today. Trust in Him as you would a parachute on a crashing plane. Merely "believing" in the parachute won't save you- you must strap on the parachute, trust it, and abandon the crashing plane. In the same sense, you must strap on the Lord Jesus, trust Him and Him alone for your salvation, and abandon your sins (repent).

There is good news for all of us who do this. 1 Corinthians 6:11 tells us, "And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

Dover Center and Detroit in Westlake - 11/23/09

2009-11-24T13:14:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Detroit in Westlake from 2:45 to 4:45. I handed out a few tracts, but mostly just stood with the cross. Winter is on it's way!

A Conversation with Rob - 11/22/09

2009-11-22T15:41:00.003-05:00

Today, I went to the intersection of Elmwood and Detroit in Lakewood from 12:50 to 3:05. While I was there, a young woman who I think I had met last Sunday named Mirena was yelling down from an apartment (in the left side of the picture). She was yelling "Hail Satan!" and later came out onto the balcony. It appeared she was taking pictures of me and she uttered a blasphemy. I tried my best to ignore her.

Around 2:50, a young man named Rob inquired about the cross. He asked if I attended a local church that was nearby, and I told him I didn't. We started talking and I shared the Way of the Master method with him. He was big on how God is love and how God loves everyone. I told him that while God is love, he is also righteous and just.

I mentioned the necessity of repentance and he agreed, but he also told me that we are not to judge. Rob mentioned that God will use us as we are in life (e.g. prostitutes who came to Christ), but I made sure to hammer home the point that God also calls us to repent.

I mentioned a list of sins that were in 1 Corinthians 6 and Rob said that while Paul had some good things to say, he esteems the 4 gospels above them. Rob clearly knew Scripture and we could have gone back and forth, so I finally asked him what he thought of me with the cross. He told me that he had no problem with it and compared it to when John asked Jesus (in Luke 9:49-50) if others casting out demons in His name should be stopped, and He told them not to.

He mentioned he wasn't used to seeing things like my cross. I talked to him for about 15 minutes, but I cut the conversation short because I told my wife I'd be home at 3:00. I left him with a tract and 3 girls who inquired about the cross as I was about to wrap things up.

Dover Center and Lorain in North Olmsted - 11/20/09

2009-11-22T15:37:00.003-05:00

Friday, I went to the intersection of Lorain and Dover Center in North Olmsted. I was out from around 2:00 to 3:00 and didn't hand out any tracts, but I did see Greg, who works at a restaurant across the street, who I had spoke to before.

A Conversation With Bob - 11/17/09

2009-11-17T18:57:00.003-05:00

Today, I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Center Ridge in Westlake at 1:15 and snapped this not so appealing photograph. There was a bit of a wind blowing west, so I stood on the northwest side of the intersection. At 2:00, Bob approached me

He mentioned he got the message of the cross right away. He said he saw the sign, went home and read the Bible verse. I told him that so many people just believe, and he mentioned that it was repent and believe.

I told Bob we need to trust Jesus like a parachute on a plane. Merely believing in the parachute won't save you- one needs to strap on the parachute and jump from the plane. In the same sense, we need to strap on the Lord Jesus and abandon our sinful lifestyle.

Bob mentioned about repentance that we are supposed to participate in our salvation. While I admitted that our act of repentance (turning from our sins) was required, there is nothing we can do to earn our salvation. I mentioned God has done nothing wrong when we turned away and sinned and therefore we need to turn back, but that we can't add anything to what Jesus had done for us on the cross- that was the ultimate sacrifice for our sins.

He said, "You know I thought about you the other day. I try to read my Bible a little every night, before I go to bed, and I read a passage about inviting people to the wedding and it said if the guests don't arrive, to invite everybody else. I thought, 'That's what this guy on the street corner is doing. He's inviting everybody else to the wedding feast, even though the ones who were invited may not go, so he's inviting the other people.' "

I added, "They need to make sure they have on the right wedding attire, too, when they get there."

He replied, "That's a good point."

I said, "To make sure they have the righteousness of Jesus applied to them."

I gave Bob a tract and also someone who appeared to be on their way home from school.

A Conversation with Daniel and Mirena- 11/15/09

2009-11-15T21:19:00.005-05:00

Today, I went back to Downtown Lakewood and initially stood at the intersection of Elmwood and Detroit. I arrived around 2:30 and at 3:00, John, an elder from church, joined me. We stayed until 5:00.

John wanted to pass out tracts, so we walked along the sidewalk on the south side of Detroit to Warren, crossed over to the north side, and came back to my original spot. When we got back to my original spot, John got involved in a conversation with a man named Daron and I got involved in a conversation with a man named Daniel.

Daniel is a Roman Catholic and he and I got into a conversation over apologetics. I ended up talking to Daniel for a little over 30 minutes and our conversation ultimately went no where- he wasn't changing his views and I wasn't changing mine. I need to remember not to get involved in conversations like this and just say to people that I am out here to spread the good news of the Gospel- that Jesus Christ died for our sins and whoever repents and places their trust in Him will have eternal life.

As John and I were about to leave, a young woman asked what my cross was about. Her name was Mirena (if you are reading this and I misspelled your name, please notify me of the correct spelling). She referred to this country as a "capitalist police state" that she lives in. She told us she is majoring in sustainability.

I do not know what college she is going to, but Baldwin Wallace has as Sustainability Major that resembles what she was describing. John tried to stay on a discussion about the Law, but our conversation was going off on many different tangents, including a discussion about if God exists, Jesus feeding the poor, different religions, and hypocritical Christians. I had to get going, so I cut the conversation off and gave her my email address and this blog address and asked her to email me to further the discussion.

A lot of people are starting to look up this blog on Google and someone left a comment on one of my other blog posts: "i think it is rude of you to come to my city. you can feel free to believe in god but i do not want my children exposed to it. i can keep the t.v. off if they are saying things i do not like but i can't turn off crazies with sandwich boards."

God exists and the only way to salvation is through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus commands all of us to go into all creation and spread the Gospel. Repent and trust in the Savior today!

A Conversation with Luke, Nikkea, and Sam - 11/13/09

2009-11-14T11:32:00.018-05:00

Yesterday, I went back to Lakewood from about 1:15 to 5:00. My cross is just over 5 feet tall now- I was hoping to get away from it looking like an "I" and more like a cross, but it still looks like one. People still clearly know what it means, though, from the responses I get.

I stood at a few different spots along Detroit between Elmwood and Warren. My pastor joined me for a little bit around 1:30 for about 45 minutes. He got involved in a lengthy discussion with a man named Darius, while at about the same time I had started a conversation with a young man named Luke.

Luke inquired what the cross was about. I told him that it is appointed for a man once to die, and then comes judgment, and the question is, "Are you ready to be judged by God?" He said he was ready, and I asked Luke if he was saved. He replied, "I don't know." I then asked him if he was a Christian, he quickly answered yes.

I asked Luke what he would tell me I would need to do to become a Christian. He said, "Uhhh... love. Love one another."

I asked him, "That's it?" He replied, "I think so. Be true, maybe."

I told Luke that Scripture tells us we need to do two things for salvation- trust in the Lord and repent of your sins. I told him I know that it is a love message, but I broke into the law. I told him we've all lied, stolen, blasphemed, looked with lust (which Jesus says is adultery in the heart), and hated (which Jesus says is murder in the heart). I told him we are all guilty and deserve Hell and the reason we need Jesus is because we are all sinners.

I asked Luke if he had ever ready any of the Bible. He told me he had read part of it, and I asked him if he had ever read the Gospel of John. He said he hadn't. I told him that John 3 talks about being reborn. I asked, "I'm sure you've heard the term 'reborn' " and he said he had. I explained to him that when we repent and turn away from our sins, Jesus will give us a new heart with new desires and that is what is required to enter the kingdom of Heaven.

I told Luke that is the message I am trying to spread- what Mark 1:15 says: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel." To trust in Jesus like a parachute- if you are on a plane that is about to crash, merely believing in the parachute won't save you. You have to strap on the parachute, trust the parachute, and jump from the plane. In the same sense, you have trust Jesus and repent of your sins.

I told him to read the back of the gospel tract I have given him. I also told him to read the Gospel of John and make sure what I was telling him was the truth- not to just take my word for it.

I also had a conversation with a man named Nikkea. He was also carrying a sign, but for a business that had just opened up. I told him about how my pastor was trying to hand out tracts earlier and how it was 50/50 with rejection and acceptance of the tracts. Nikkea is a born again Christian and we were talking about the sinful state of the world.

While we were speaking, a woman named Jenny came by and asked for information about the church I attend. She said she really admired what I was doing. She was clearly upset about something and said he need to find her way back.

Another woman also walked by and mentioned that I had an easy job- to hide behind a cross.

Walking past a coffee shop, a young man on his cell phone called out to me, but I didn't realize he was talking to me. Again he called out and I looked back, and I stopped and he came over to me. He told whoever he was talking to on the phone that he would have to call them back.

"I've seen you out here before! I told my youth pastor about you!" I wasn't really sure what to say, and the only thing I could come up with was asking him if he was going to make a cross. I really feel like the Apostle Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians when he said, "And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom" (1 Corinthians 2:1). I make a lot more sense when I have time to write something, proof read, and fine tune it. I gave him a tract and continued on toward the intersection of Cook and Detroit.

I also spoke with a man named Sam who says he has been born again since 1961 and was telling me about his life as a comedian. While today was a fruitful day, there were also the usual people who curse at me and reject God.

Dover Center and Center Ridge in Westlake - 11/12/09

2009-11-12T15:58:00.004-05:00

Today, I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Center Ridge in Westlake. The sky is clear today and the sun is shining, but winter is on it's way. It wasn't as windy as was yesterday and the temps are currently in the low 50's. I was out from 1:10 to 3:10 today.

Today was a quiet day. I am getting quite a few more honks and waves in Westlake. I don't know if people recognize me now or are support the message, but it's a nice change from the hostility I sometimes I get. There were a few people passing by on the sidewalks, but I had my hands in gloves. I need to start getting in the habit of taking my gloves off to give them a tract.

I also got a high five from someone passing by on a bike. I also noticed 5 separate people had searched for information on the "Cleveland Cross Guy" on Google by the time I came home, which is up from what I am used to seeing. I think it is from the increased size of the lettering at the bottom of the cross plus I also directed the cross at traffic in a different manner than I normally had.

Brookpark & Great Northern in North Olmsted - 11/11/09

2009-11-11T17:44:00.003-05:00

Today, I went to the intersection of Brookpark and Great Northern in North Olmsted from about 3:10 to 4:30. The forecast was for sun and the mid 50's, but there were strong west wind gusts that made it tough to display the cross.

Today was my first day out with a new cross. I trimmed a few inches from the top of the cross and added it to the bottom. The height is still the same, but there is more room towards the bottom. I was able to move "Google" above "Cleveland Cross Guy." They are at six inches and seven inches tall, respectively, now. I think it is easier to read and will be visible to more people.

Here's a side by side comparison of my new cross (on the left) with my new cross (on the right):

I gave one tract to someone who was at the stop light traveling south on Great Northern. They rolled down their window and asked, "Ready for what?" and I gave them a tract.

A Conversation with John Paul and the Lakewood Police - 11/09/09

2009-11-10T13:40:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I went back to the intersection of Elmood and Detroit (and Andrews as another cross street) and I stayed out with the cross from about 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Normally I can only take up to 2 hours standing out there, but for some reason I was able to stay for 5 hours today.

A man named John Paul approached me and he was telling me a bit about his experiences with Christianity and how he was a victim of the modern gospel. I explained to him that the reason we need Jesus isn't because He will make our lives better, but because we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. I told him if you look at the early church in Acts, you will see all of the apostles (with the exception of Paul, but quite possibly him too) were martyred.

I told John Paul that we have all lied, stolen, blasphemed, looked with lust (which Jesus said is adultery in the heart), and hated (which Jesus said is murder in the heart). We need Jesus as our Savior, not because He is going to make our life better.

John Paul mentioned he believed there were other ways beside Jesus. He mentioned it would be good if he could imagine God as a person. I told him he could- as Jesus Christ- He lived here on earth and He is God. I also told John Paul that Jesus said He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Him. I gave him a tract and told him to take a look at it.

I was also approached by the Lakewood Police. This was my first encounter with Lakewood law enforcement. The officer told me people were saying that I was acting a little crazy or saying some things. I told the officer I hadn't said anything except to a few people who passed by that talked to me. I told the officer that I've also dealt with the Westlake police and that people don't like the message of Christianity. He said, "that could be."

I told him I was just trying to get people to think about if they are ready to be judged by God. He asked me if I lived in Lakewood and I told him I reside in Westlake. He asked what brought me to Lakewood and I told him my pastor and I meet in Rocky River for coffee and I just continued down Detroit Road to this spot because it is a good location. I told him that every one needs to hear the gospel- and he said, "Can't argue with that."

The officer asked for my ID to know who he was talking with, which I showed him. I know I haven't done anything wrong, but I am not out here to cause any trouble. I would rather be on good terms with the police than being standoffish and create a problem.

The officer asked me if I was harassing anyone, and I told him I wasn't, although I do sometimes pass out gospel tracts. He mentioned he didn't know if something just happened or someone wasn't religious and called. I told him I get it and I expect it.

I also tried giving the officer a tract and he said he wasn't allowed to take it, but he is Baptist.

A Conversation with Solomon; Matt and Crystal; and Charlie - 11/08/09

2009-11-09T16:47:00.008-05:00

Yesterday, I went to Sinagra Park in Lakewood at the intersection of Cook and Detroit in Lakewood. While I was there, a young man by the name of Solomon came by on his bike and stopped and inquired about the cross.

I went through the Good Person test with Solomon and he saw his guilt in the sight of God and how he should be sentenced to hell (just like everyone of us). I explained the necessity of faith and repentance and Solomon had quite a few questions.

Solomon asked how God would view something he had done previously, and I told him that if we accept Jesus as our Savior, that God won't even look at the past. It is taken care of through the blood of Jesus. I mentioned that isn't to say there may not be consequences for our past actions, but God is not going to judge us based on them. Everyone who does not accept Jesus as their Savior will be held accountable for their deeds, though.

Solomon asked me about people that have never heard the Gospel message, and I told him that we all have a conscience that tells us it is wrong to do things.

After about an hour, I moved to the intersection of Detroit and Elmwood because there was more pedestrian traffic in this area.

Shortly thereafter, a man wanted to see what the cross said, and I showed it to him and said, "It is appointed for man once to die and then comes judgment." I gave him a tract and he and his girlfriend crossed the street. A while later, he and his girlfriend approached me on the sidewalk again. Their names were Matt and Crystal.

They were curious about my church, and I gave them my pastor's business card and also directed them to our church website. I also gave them a Big Money tract which they liked. They inquired about if we printed the tracts ourselves, and I told them that we purchase the tracts.

At this point, I made sure to go through the law and gospel. I told Matt there is nothing I can do on my part to actually save a person- they have to do it themselves. I told Matt that we're all liars, thieves, blasphemers and how Jesus views lust as adultery in the heart and hate as murder in the heart.

"We are all guilty, and we should all go to hell, but Jesus died in our place. He tells to repent of our sins, place your trust in Him and you will be reborn. He will give you a new heart with new desires- it's what John 3 talks about."

I was rushing to get through it because they seemed to be in a bit of hurry.

"Do you guys have Bibles at home?"

"Do you got a Bible," Matt asked. I dug into my backpack and pulled out an ESV New Testament Outreach Bible and gave it to them. I told them I only had one on me, but that I would go to my car and get a second one for them, which I did.

A little while later, Charlie came up to me. I asked him if he was ready, and he replied, "I'm saved. He told me, "We have to build that relationship." I gave him a million dollar bill, and he said, "It takes a lot of courage to do what you're doing."

I told him about my inspiration for the cross (Tony Miano's cross) and how I added Mark 1:15, which were Jesus first words preaching: "The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe the gospel." I told Charlie I am trying to get people to understand that it is more than just believing- it's repentance also. Charlie told me that it's a total conversion- I agreed.

Charlie shared something he had written down in the sermon he heard in church. "If you give everything to God, but do not give yourself, you give nothing." I agreed again and quoted Matthew 10:39: "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." I told Charlie I am completely transformed from what I used to be and he said he is too, but that he has to keep it going.

I handed out about 10 tracts yesterday.

Lorain and Porter/Butternut Ridge in North Olmsted - 11/06/09

2009-11-06T16:38:00.006-05:00

Today, I went to the intersection of Lorain and Porter/Butternut Ridge in North Olmsted from 2:30 to 4:00. This is a new spot for the cross and I'm not really a fan of it because of the way the intersection is set up (it is actually a 5 way intersection). It was tough to find a good spot to be visible by almost everyone like at my other intersections, but the cross was still visible to many. I picked this spot because it is close to North Olmsted High School.

There were a few students walking home from school and I was able to hand out tracts to a group of about seven and then a group of about three. Both groups asked me what my sign said. I said to a girl in the second group, "It is appointed for man once to die and then comes Judgment. Are you ready to be judged by God?"

She responded, "Yes."

I asked, "You are?"

She said, "Wait, what?"

I asked again, "Are you ready to be judged by God?"

She asked, "Is that a bad thing?"

Either her or one of her friends responded to my question, "Actually, no."

One of them also replied, "I'm ready."

I had already given them gospel tracts at this point and told them to read the back side because their one friend was beginning to leave and they wanted to follow behind. I wanted to go through the law with the one girl, but didn't have the chance, but at least they left with tracts.

Dover Center and Detroit in Westlake - 11/04/09

2009-11-05T12:14:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Detroit. I was there from 3:40 to 5:00. No conversations and didn't hand out any tracts, but vehicle traffic is still heavy and a lot of people looking at the cross and some more finding this blog. It it is supposed to warm up this weekend a bit- looking forward to that.

Dover Center and Center Ridge in Westlake - 11/03/09

2009-11-03T16:49:00.002-05:00

Today, I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Center Ridge from 3:05 to 4:05. Foot traffic virtually non-existent at this point with the temperatures dropping, but the vehicle traffic has not decreased at all. When I arrived, a man in an SUV started yelling, "Are you ready?! Yea!" A little while later, someone (I think it was the same guy) yelled out again, "Are you ready?!" The cross is still getting a lot of looks and I'm hoping it is making some people think.

Sinagra Park in Lakewood - 11/02/09

2009-11-02T14:22:00.003-05:00

Today I went to Sinagra Park in Lakewood, at the intersection of Cook and Detroit Road. I showed up around 11:20 and stayed until 1:20. Someone in the crosswalk across from me stopped to take my picture- hopefully they will find this blog or at least look up Mark 1:15.

A man walked by and mentioned he was a Christian and told me I was doing good with my sign. When he walked by again, I gave him a tract and we started talking about a few things. He told me he was having trouble in his marriage and could possibly be getting a divorce. He mentioned his struggles with sin and how he would like to be out on the streets, also, but at times he feels like a hypocrite. I told him God wants us to take the first step in repentance.

He also told me he has been reading the Word, but it has been just a story to Him. I told Him about my experiences when I started first reading the Word- Luke 13:3 and the necessity of repentance, John 3:3 about being born again, Matthew 5:21-22 about hate being murder in the heart, and Matthew 5:27-28 about how God views lust as adultery in the heart.

He also asked me what my views on marijuana. I told him Romans (Romans 13:1 to be exact) says to submit to authorities, and our government has said not to use it. He said he knew this, but this wasn't a manufactured drug like crack, but that it grew naturally. I said that poison ivy grows naturally, but we do good to stay away from that, too.

He left with a few tracts and my prayers will be with him.

Brookpark & Great Northern in North Olmsted - 11/01/09

2009-11-01T16:16:00.003-05:00

Today, I went to the intersection of Brookpark and Great Northern in North Olmsted. I stood with the cross from 2:40 to 3:40. What looked like a group of teenagers pulled up to the light on Great Northern and one of them asked about my sign and if it had something to do with church.

I told him to search on the Internet for "Cleveland Cross Guy" and after that I said to him, "It is appointed for man once to die, and then comes judgment. Are you ready to be judged by God?" He replied, "No, I'm good." I hope the others in the car at least had a seed planted in their head or may be curious to see what the message of the cross is.

A man on an electric scooter on the sidewalk crossed Great Northern and asked me what I was selling. I told him I was trying to spread the gospel. I asked him if he was ready, and he said, "Yea, I've read them." I tried once more, but he again said, "Yea, I've read them." I'm not sure what he was referring to or if misheard or misunderstood me.

A Pastor and a Catholic Teen - 10/30/09

2009-10-30T19:45:00.009-04:00

Today I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Lorain in North Olmsted. I arrived at 2:45 and stayed until 5:00. It was in the low 70's today and I really think this is it for the warm weather. After a short while, a man came up and said he wanted to extend his blessing to me, "For standing on the battlefield, for the kingdom of God."

I really appreciate when I get people who stop and give throw their support behind the cross. His name was Dennis and he pastors a local church that gathers in the west side of Cleveland. I showed him a Way of the Master tract and went through a quick law and gospel presentation to show him how I evangelize.

Dennis asked me if I met anyone from Islam or a Jew yet, and I said I had not. He told me Jews are interesting because they are God's people, but they don't think they need to receive Christ. His timing was impeccable, as I encountered a teenager shortly thereafter who said he was Jewish.

I told Dennis about how I just had a Bible study on that in Romans 2:26-29, about how the Jews' circumcision is regarded as uncircumcision if they fail to keep the Law. He told me he can only imagine what Jesus went through in His day.

A little later, I had a group of three male teens walk by and the cross caught one of their attentions. He told me he was Catholic and pulled a gold chain of a cross out from underneath his shirt to expose it. I asked him if he knew any of the commandments. He mentioned, "Don't disrespect your parents. Don't kill." Either him or his friend mentioned "Love thy neighbor."

I asked him, "Let me ask you this- do you think you've kept the Ten Commandments?" He said, "No, because I don't know the rest. What are all of them?"

I proceed to go through the first seven and when I got to the seventh (adultery), he said he had never broken that. I asked him, "Well, have you looked at a woman with lust, sexual desire?"

"Yea...."

I say, "Jesus says if you look with lust, you've committed adultery in the heart. Have you ever called someone a fool or an idiot?"

"Yea."

I say, "Jesus says you are liable to judgment."

"Well, that's not my fault."

I say, "It's not your fault? Who's fault is it?"

"I dunno..."

I gave him a tract and told him to read the backside of it. "I have a question. Doesn't it say in the Bible God is going to forgive you for all your sins?"

I told him, "God is a forgiving God, and He will forgive you of your sins, but do you know what you must do for God's forgiveness to apply to you? It doesn't just apply."

"You have to pray."

I ask, "Pray?"

"Yea, and try to follow His commandments."

I say, "But none of us have kept His commandments. We've all broken them. Have you kept them?"

"No."

I say, "OK, neither have I. That leaves us guilty. God should send us to hell because we've broken His commandments."

"That's why we pray for forgiveness."

I ask, "But how does that forgiveness apply? Does He just grant it willingly?"

"No... we sacrifice ourselves, right?" His friends were starting to distract him a bit at this point.

I ask, "Do you understand why Jesus died on the cross?"

"To forgive us of our sins."

I explained the necessity of repentance to him to have the forgiveness of sins. I asked him if he had ever heard the word repent in church, and he said he hadn't. He told me he had gone to a Bible school and how he had to memorize certain prayers for his first communion. At this point, he and his two friends walked away.

I handed out 3 tracts today.

Center Ridge and Wagar/West 210th in Rocky River/Fairview Park - 10/29/09

2009-10-29T19:39:00.003-04:00

Today I went to the intersection of Center Ridge and Wagar/West 210th in Rocky River/Fairview Park. I was out with the cross from 3:10 to 5:00. This was only the second time I have been at this spot with the cross at this time of the day. I gave a tract to someone who asked me what church I was from, and I told him that this wasn't about a church, this was about the Gospel and he was pleasantly surprised at that.

The cross definitely was drawing a lot of looks today- probably because this is only the second time at this spot at this time of day. I handed out 2 tracts today, but otherwise, it was pretty quiet today.

Why I Am Opposed to Hate Crimes Legislation

2009-10-28T23:23:00.008-04:00

Today, President Obama signed into law an expansion of hate crimes legislation. The AP reports, "The new law expands federal hate crimes to include those committed against people because of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. It also loosens limits on when federal law enforcement can intervene and prosecute crimes, amounting to the biggest expansion of the civil-rights era law in decades."

Let's consider this when dealing with speech condemning homosexuality.

On the surface, this law may sound like nothing to worry about, but this is the first step towards limiting free speech. Read on in the article: "We must stand against crimes that are meant not only to break bones, but to break spirits; not only to inflict harm, but to instill fear," Obama said.

"Not only break bones, but break spirits?" If we speak out against homosexuality, aren't we going to be breaking people's spirits?

"Not only inflict harm, but instill fear?" Aren't we instilling the fear of God by telling people homosexuality is a sin and they need to repent? The writing is on the wall.

The article continues: "At the urging of Republicans, the bill was changed before it was passed in Congress to strengthen free speech protections to assure that a religious leader or any other person cannot be prosecuted on the basis of his or her speech, beliefs or association."

While this may be true for now- we have a president who speaks of people's "spirits" being broken. Doesn't this sound like we are going to be arrested for hurting someone's feelings?

Center Ridge and Columbia in Westlake - 10/28/09

2009-10-28T22:49:00.004-04:00

Today, I went to the intersection of Center Ridge and Columbia in Westlake. I was there from a little after 3:00 to 5:00. I have never been at this intersection during this time so I am hoping a lot of new eyes got to see the cross today.

Today was a pretty quiet day. When I set up my tripod to take this picture, someone in one of the north bound lanes of Columbia asked me what I was taking a picture of. I told them I was an evangelist and take the picture for this blog. I handed her a gospel tract and told her to read the back side when she got a chance.

I gave a tract to someone walking by and she wanted to make sure I was advocating the exclusivity of Jesus Christ. Also, a security guard came out from the Cuyahoga Community College Corporate Campus (to the right of where I am standing in the picture) and politely asked me if I would considered moving.

Tri-C has an issue on the local ballot to fund education and he mentioned they didn't want my sign to be confused with all their campaign signs. He acknowledged that I wasn't doing anything wrong, and I told him that he was correct- that I was on a public sidewalk. I asked him if it would help if I crossed the street to an opposite corner, and he said it would, which is what I did for about the remaining half an hour.

I know I didn't have to move, but I completely understand their position and after this coming Tuesday, the signs will be gone and it will no longer be an issue. I gave the security guard a tract after I told him I would move and he gladly accepted it, saying he likes to have things to read. I handed out a total of 3 tracts today.

A Converstaion With Steve - 10/27/09

2009-10-27T19:13:00.020-04:00

Today, I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Center Ridge in Westlake. I started displaying the cross at about 12:55 and stayed just shy of 2 hours.

Shortly after arriving, a woman came out of GetGo (a gas station), came to the corner and was waiting to cross the street to go to Circle K. I gave her a gospel tract and she asked what it was. She told me she had just gone to a women's retreat. She said it was fun and very inspirational. She said a guy had come into the store and asked her if she was a Christian, and she answered she was. She said he mentioned she should read "The Shack" and asked me if I had read it. I gave her my disapproval of it.

At about 1:45, a man approached me. I gave him a gospel tract and he said he had to come over and see if I was real and he proceeded to poke my arm. He said, "I've seen you out here a couple times." I asked him what he meant by if I was real.

He told me, "I've been having dreams, manifestations." We just had missions conference at our church recently and a missionary spoke of people in their respective countries they serve in having dreams, and I honestly believe God works through dreams.

I replied, "OK, what's your name?"

He replied, "Steve."

I said, "Steve? I'm Mark."

"I' saw you out here a couple times, and I thought, 'That's weird.' Some of them are apocalyptic, some of them are this verse."

I asked, "Mark 1:15?"

He said, "A lot of people drive by and pay little or no attention. If anybody will believe me, it will be you. I have met Satan- twice. It's just good that you're out here."

I asked, "Are you a Christian?" He affirmed he is.

I told him I was just out here trying to sow some seeds, and hopefully another will reap. Steve mentioned this is a fallen world we live in. He mentioned that he's made his mistakes, and I replied we all have.

I said to Steve, "Well, you understand that Jesus died on the cross, but do you know what Jesus tells us to do?"

Steve replied, "To preach the good news."

I said, "That's part of it- that's the Great Commission, but do you know what you must do to receive His forgiveness?"

He said, "To accept Him."

I said, "That's one part, but the other part is repentance- turning from your sins. That's what I'm trying to get people to think about. I've believed in Him for as long as I can remember, but I never repented of my sin. I never turned away from my sin. That's what Mark 1:15 says: 'The time if fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel.' There's so many people who don't repent and continue to live in their sin."

Steve mentioned this world is full of corruption, filth and garbage. I told Steve that the Bible tells us to live in the world, but not be of the world. Steve tried to reference the verse and I pulled out my Bible and turned to 1 John and read 1 John 2: 15-16: "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world."

It was when I started reading these verses that a guy across the street started heckling me and startled me a bit. I started again and finished it.

I told Steve about how Jesus views lust as adultery in the heart and if you hate someone or so much as call someone a "fool," you are liable for judgment.

Steve told me, "The biggest misnomer, I think, is that people don't realize how grave it is to judge. You notice the splinter in your neighbor's eye, but not the log that's in your own. We're so quick to look upon other people and scrutinize them but we ourselves are just as prone to the same error."

I mentioned if you finish reading that Scripture, you will see that it says to first take the mote out of your own eye and then you will see clearly to deal with the spec in your brother's eye. "It's not necessarily saying, 'Don't judge,' but first deal with the problem in yourself, and then you will see clearly."

I mentioned that if I were to go around and curse and blaspheme, I would have no right to go up to someone and say to them, "How dare you do that?" Once I have dealt with the problem in myself, then I will see clearly to help them.

Steve mentioned that it's unfortunate that inevitable things are going to unravel. I told Steve the end is coming, but we don't know when it is- not even Jesus knows. He mentioned the way things are shaping up, he tends to think it could be sooner rather than later. I told him I tend to agree. He mentioned that about 1.5 million abortions are performed each year and the disintegration of families.

Steve and I talked about some of the signs that the Bible talks about. He said, "They were talking about these wildfires in California. They're talking about the flames being 3 to 400 feet high. Now if that's not Biblical... Could you image the 2 of us standing here with flames coming at you?"

Steve mentioned, "You have earthquakes, mudslides- I remember there was an earthquake a couple of years ago in Iran. It killed 40,000 people. 40,000 people died in a matter of... moments."

I told Steve that 150,000 people die everyday and most of them don't know Jesus as their Savior. At this point, I said to Steve, "Let me ask you- are you ready?"

He replied, "Yea." I asked him if he practiced repentance and faith. Steve said he prayed every day and night. He mentioned some of the sinful things he had previously done, but I pressed him again on repentance.

"The thing I am trying to get people to understand is that they need to repent, also. We need to trust Jesus. It's like being on an airplane that is going to crash and there is a parachute that can save you. You need to do more than 'believe' in the parachute to save you. You need to trust that parachute, strap it on, and jump from the plane to be saved. In the same sense, we need to trust in the Lord Jesus. Strap Him on and abandon our sins."

Steve asked me if I ever go to other places, and I told him about some of the other places I went and mentioned this blog and my church's website, which are both on the tract I gave him. At this point, he had to get going.

A while later, a woman stopped at the light on Dover Center asked if my sign was about the Apocalypse and I told her it was just a general salvation message and walked over to her car and gave her a tract. After about 10 seconds, she said, "You know, Jesus said love thy neighbor. Jesus forgave. We are all God's children." If I had to make a guess, I would say she was feeling convicted for her sins.

I handed out a total of 5 tracts today.

Brookpark & Great Northern in North Olmsted - 10/26/09

2009-10-26T14:13:00.005-04:00

Today I went to the intersection of Brookpark and Great Northern in North Olmsted. I arrived at 12:30 and I was warmer than I expected to be with the sun beating down on me. I hadn't brought my water, so I left after only an hour. I handed out 2 tracts to people passing by and one man declined a tract when I told him it was a gospel tract- he said he wasn't religious. I tried to get him to keep it and take a look at it later, but he declined. Also, someone yelled "Hail Satan!" as they drove by. If they only knew what they were saying... maybe they do.

WeST LIFE News Article About the Cross

2009-10-26T08:41:00.001-04:00

Dover Center and Center Ridge in Westlake - 10/22/09

2009-10-22T15:16:00.005-04:00

Today I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Center Ridge at 12:45 and stayed until 2:45. The leaves are really starting to change around here and it is really beautiful! What an artist God is!

A man asked me, "Ready for what?" I told him about the message of the cross, and he told me he was ready. I should have given him a tract anyways, but I didn't. I haven't been handing out many tracts lately due to decreased traffic on the sidewalks, and I need to get back into the mode of handing them out. Chance of rain is 100% for tomorrow- not sure if I will find a break in the rain to get out.

The Pharisees and the Catholic Church

2009-10-22T10:19:00.003-04:00

If the law was enough for people in the Old Testament and Jesus had to sternly correct the Pharisaical additions to it, why isn't the Bible (the doctrine of Sola Scriptura) enough for us today?

The Catholic Church amounts to the same as the Pharisees of Jesus' day. It is they who Jesus spoke of in Matthews 23:15: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves."

Motivation and Effectiveness of Standing With the Cross

2009-10-21T19:59:00.011-04:00

I have a family member who has said to me that "standing around with a cross doesn't impress anyone." My motive for standing with the cross is not to impress anyone. When I was interviewed last week by a newspaper, I tried to make the interview as much about the cross and repentance as I could, even when the reporter asked me about my motivation to start doing this and other questions.

I am not trying to impress anyone, nor am I trying to earn my salvation. I have even spared the local public from giving me a nick name by putting on my cross "Google: Cleveland Cross Guy." My hope is that people will be curious enough about the cross, do a search on Google, find this blog and be brought to salvation.

This family member also said this to me: "As I have said before, if you demonstrated selfless giving, that would be more of a reflection of Christ. I know a lost of people that have lived at the Rescue Mission (an organization in Youngstown, Ohio). They are taught Christ but after they are fed, clothed and have a bed to sleep in. Words are meaningless if you don't show kindness."

It is useless for me to try to justify what I am doing to this family member- explaining the ineffectiveness of "Friendship Evangelism," the fact that we never know when we are going to die, or not dealing with the fact that we are all sinners and that is the real reason we need a Savior.

The people I am targeting with my cross don't need fed, clothed, or a bed to sleep in. They have all that. Therefore, I have to come up with a different way to reach them. I do not know what the outcome of my evangelistic efforts will be, but I do have these words of Jesus in John 4:37-38: "For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor."

I am sowing seeds by standing out with my cross, even if they take years or decades for another to reap. I have also had the privilege of reaping what others have sown by being on the streets through one on one conversations.

It seems like I can never do the right thing or do enough- not that it is any of their business of how I serve the Lord. It is often said by them that I am a "fanatic" and apparently there is something wrong with that. I do not have a problem- it is the rest of the world who thinks they are "Christians" because they prayed a prayer and never made a lifestyle change and surrendered their life to Jesus.

Jesus said in Matthew 16:25: "For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." He also said in John 12:24: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."

Unless you die to yourself, you will never produce the fruit God has intended for your life.

Center Ridge and Wagar/West 210th in Rocky River/Fairview Park - 10/21/09

2009-10-21T19:28:00.004-04:00

Day two of our Indian Summer here in Northeast Ohio and I have to admit- I love the warm weather! If you look at my post from this location on Sunday, you will see I was bundled up in a winter coat. Tomorrow has 65 to 70 in the forecast and after that, I fear it will be cold until next Spring!

After awaiting for and receiving the shipment of Origin of Species - Origin Into Schools with my pastor and a few others at church, I headed out to Center Ridge and Wagar/West 210th in Rocky River/Fairview Park. I was officially in Fairview Park, but the cross was visible to traffic coming from and entering into Rocky River as well. I arrived at 2:50 and stayed until 5:00. This is the first time I have been at this location at this time.

Around 3:15 a man came up to me on the sidewalk and asked what Mark 1:15 is. I told him, "The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel."

He replied, "That's the law of God." He mentioned that it applies to us today.

I responded, "I know. That's what I'm trying to get everybody to think about. Scripture says, 'It is appointed for a man once to die and then comes judgment.' That's what I'm trying to get people to think about- are you ready for judgment? It's not an 'end time' message'-it's like you mentioned- it's for everyone."

I gave him an Obama Trillions and he told me the message is lost when I hand out a tract with him on the front. I gave him a Celebrities Million instead, which he said was better. He said, "God Bless" and departed.

A man stopped at the light gave me a thumbs up and said, "Praise the Lord! It's great to be reborn!"

There was also a man who was heckling me from his car, asking me, "Why don't you go help somebody?" I think it is the same guy who has heckled me twice in Lakewood.

I have noticed a few more people have found this blog by searching Google for "Cleveland Cross Guy." My prayer is that they read The Message of the Cross post and be brought to salvation, if they aren't already saved. Knowing what Jesus said in Matthew 7:14, though, I know most of the world isn't saved.

A Conversation With Ron - 10/20/09

2009-10-20T18:49:00.006-04:00

With Indian Summer in effect here, I went to Sinagra Park in Lakewood from 1:00 to 4:00. I haven't been in Lakewood for a while and I ended up stayed for 3 hours today.

After a while, a man named Ron passed by on the sidewalk and took an extended look at the cross. Ron told me he was named after Ronald Reagan, back when he was an actor. I handed him a Celebrity Millions gospel tract and he offered up some laughter. He started reading the back of the tract and got to the part about lust being adultery in the heart.

During out brief chat, Ron told me that he is Catholic, but he admitted he doesn't attend church regularly. I told him the law was not given for us to keep it, but to show us our sinfulness and our need for Savior. I also told him about the necessity of repentance and offered up the parachut analogy.

Ron asked me for some descriptions of hell, so I offered up these: a place where there is "weeping and gnashing of teeth," and "where the worm never dies." It sounded like Ron knew about hell being fiery, but he cringed when I told him these two additional descriptions.

After reading the tract, Ron and I ended up talking about the commandments and I told him that the Catholic church leaves out idolatry. I told him Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Ron told me he had a close experience with death. He told me he had been mugged (although he said he had no money on him) and during the ordeal, he heard a gun shot go off. He told me that at this point he prayed to Mary and hoped she heard his prayers. I told Ron I had just finished re-reading the New Testament and no where does it say to worship Mary.

He also mentioned Purgatory and I explained to him why Purgatory doesn't make sense. The Catholic church teaches that one goes to Purgatory for refining before they enter heaven. I told him this amounts to us doing something for our salvation- which is not what the Bible teaches. I told him there is only heaven and hell.

I gave Ron my pastor's business card and he also left with a Big Money tract, an Obama Trillions tract and with an extra tract for his friend. Ron seemed interested in the message of the cross and although he said he didn't have a computer, he was going to go to the library after our discussion. He wanted to look up my blog to read about the message of the cross that I have posted here. Please pray for Ron that he comes to repentance and true faith in our Lord, and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Dover Center and Detroit in Westlake - 10/19/09

2009-10-19T19:27:00.004-04:00

After leaving North Olmsted and stopping at home for a minute, I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Detroit in Westlake at around 3:10. Not very long after I arrived, a Westlake police officers pulled up in the parking lot behind me.

Knowing that they were there to talk to me, I walked over to him and he asked, "Just standing out here with your sign? That kind of stuff?" I said, "Yea."

"We got some calls, some people who are concerned for some reason. Is there something going on with you? What have you got with the tripod?"

I told him I just like to document where I go and I mentioned that I was taking pictures of myself and that I was on a public sidewalk. I started talking about the cross and quoted Mark 1:15. It was clear I wasn't doing anything wrong and they received a call and just had to respond to it. Apparently people were concerned I was taking pictures- the officer said people are watching too much TV.

Another officer pulled up and I gave the officer who I was talking to a tract, telling him they are what I hand out. I also gave one to the other officer. They said "Hey! It's a trillion dollars!" with a laugh. I thanked the officers for their service in the community and told them to read the back of the tracts when they got a chance.

I went back to the sidewalk and then headed back to officer in his patrol car and gave him a Big Money tract also since he liked the trillion dollar tract. I asked him if he happened to know an officer in Fairview Park who I had spoken to at Summer Fest because I was wondering how he was doing. He didn't happen to know him. I left at 5:15 and on the way home, I exchanged waves with someone on Detroit who had stopped to talk to me once before.

Brookpark and Great Northern in North Olmsted - 10/19/09

2009-10-19T19:24:00.003-04:00

My first stop today was Brookpark and Great Northern in North Olmsted around 2:20. I was hoping to stay for two hours, but there were some moderate wind gusts, so I packed up after about 20 minutes and headed north to Westlake.

God Working in My Life

2009-10-19T19:06:00.003-04:00

Usually every Monday I meet my pastor at a coffee shop in Rocky River by the church. I showed up today and after waiting about 15 minutes, I called my wife (who works with his wife) and found out that his son was sick today and he wasn't coming. At this point, I headed out to my wife's employer's parking lot to swap cars to take her car to get an oil change.

As I was getting in her car, I noticed a man walking on the sidewalk with a bag. I started her car and went to leave and saw the man fallen, lying in some brush. I asked him if he was OK and it was clear he needed help. I tried to help him stand up and he said he needed to sit back down, so I helped him back down and parked my wife's car (it was in the middle of the parking lot) and came back to help. He tried to stand up again with my help but wasn't able to gain enough strength to continue to stand.

At this point, someone came out from my wife's employer and someone had called for an ambulance. The fire station was within about 200 feet of where we were, so they arrived very quickly. At this point, the paramedics took over and started treating the man. You may say this is just a coincidence, but I know it isn't. My wife mentioned that I have been having a lot of these situations lately- and I know they aren't just coincidences. If you want to see God working in your life, surrender your life completely to Jesus and just see how God will use you.

When I took my wife's car to get an oil change, it turned out her car need two new tires, brake pads and new spark plugs. There was an issue getting the parts, so I ended up waiting a few hours to get this all done. During this time, I was able to strike up a little rapport with the guy working there by showing him some websites on the 1 Corinthians 15:58 (KJV) written on the back of his jacket. I wanted to show him the gospel tracts I give out so I gave him one, and it turns out he is familiar with Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron.

After he left, I went up to the guy at the counter and showed him the tracts, also. I most likely wouldn't have given him a tract otherwise. This is something I really need to work on- giving tracts out to cashiers. I am so nervous of being rejected, but I need to remember that by not giving people the message of eternal life, it is the opposite of loving others. Even if I am rejected, so what? I can't wait to see what else God has in store for me!

"Jesus Judy"

2009-10-18T22:50:00.011-04:00

My wife and I had dinner with my parents today and my mother asked me if I remembered one of her friends named Judy. I didn't go into this with the intent one way or the other to talk about religion (I knew if I did, it would only be a dead end), but it came up. She said she called her "Jesus Judy" because all she talked about was Jesus. She was making a reference to how I always talk about Jesus. I do not think Jesus is the only thing I talk about (to say that literally is a stretch for anyone- for "no seeks after God" [Romans 3:11]) , but it must come off that way.

If anyone else were to tell me that, I wouldn't have much of a problem with it, but when it comes from family, it rings a little differently for some reason. What is even more troubling is that it comes from someone who claims to be a born again Christian.

Ezekiel 36:26 says, "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." It should be natural for a born again Christian to want to talk about Jesus. Consider all he has done for us.

We (myself included) have all sinned and deserve death for our sin (Romans 6:23). That is not harsh- that is the truth. I think more people need to be told this. Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life and died as a propitiation for our sins (Romans 3:25). He took on death so you wouldn't have to go to Hell if you repent and trust in Him. He paid the ultimate price for nothing of his own doing, but something we did, and you want to scold someone for "only" talking about Him?

I can't talk about religion to my father. He is Catholic and when I try to bring up Scripture, he always blows me off. I tried explaining that I don't watch Dancing With the Stars because they dance around practically naked on that TV show and I don't want to fall into lust by watching it. He compared me to a legalist and he didn't see the problem with occasionally having a thought like that.

He told me the way I am acting (in his mind, legalism) is how it used to be and how the Catholic church has gotten more "liberal" recently. He described how it used to be prohibited to eat anything from 12:00 on the night before service down to just one hour before if taking communion. The ironic twist is that this is legalism and he doesn't see it, yet calling sin for what it is in one's life is prohibited because Jesus said not to judge. This is so frustrating because so many people use this as a defense! Read the rest of the paragraph and don't take it out of context!

Matthew 7:1-5: “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye."

It would be wrong for me to call out sin in your life that I am participating in myself, but once I have dealt with it in my life, I see clearly to help you.

He also acted like every "translation" of the Bible had different meaning. I mentioned they had the same meanings, except the New World Translation (used by Jehovah's Witnesses) and he asked me how I couldn't be sure about it, also. This is about where I cut my losses.

He also scoffed at me when I mentioned repentance and said he had just repented- through confession. I tried to explain the difference between the two but he wouldn't let me.

It is very frustrating to have two parents, one who says they are a born again Christian and then my father, a Catholic, who won't talk about religion- even his own. My mother thinks MacArthur is too harsh on the Catholic church. My father is the product of a religion where he is taught he can earn his way to Heaven by going to confession and not having any mortal sins on his soul when he dies. This is self-righteousness at the core and I will continue to condone Catholic doctrine.

What in the world is going on here?

Dover Center and Lorain in North Olmsted - 10/18/09

2009-10-18T20:05:00.004-04:00

This was the second spot I went to today. I arrived around 1:10 and stayed until 2:10. If you look in the picture above, you can see some on the opposite corner with a sign promoting Halloween. I normally don't have competition on opposing corners, but I did today. Here is a close up of them:

There were a lot of horn honks today, but they were for the person in the costume. Someone also found it necessary to curse at me while driving by. A photographer for a local newspaper also showed up to get a picture of the cross for the new article I was interviewed for last week. I'm looking forward to the warmer weather forecast for this week before winter sets in.

Center Ridge and Wagar/West 210th in Rocky River/Fairview Park - 10/18/09

2009-10-18T20:01:00.003-04:00

I went to two locations today, this being the first of the two. I went to this intersection after church and arrived around 12:15 and stayed until about 12:45. A friend happened to be eating with her family at Chipotle and came out to see me. I gave her a tract and soon after I headed to my second spot for the day.

A Conversation with Kevin - 10/16/09

2009-10-16T16:05:00.007-04:00

Today started out with sprinkles that I hoped would stop- but turned into a steady rain! It was worth it, though. Today I was blessed to meet a young man named Kevin. Kevin asked me about what the cross meant, and I told him I was trying to spread the Gospel. As it turns out, Kevin goes to a C&MA church, just like I do, and is going through some of the same trials I have gone through.

I took Kevin through the law presentation and clearly, Kevin understood we are all sinners. I also took him through the good news of the Gospel- Jesus' atoning work for us on the cross. Kevin mentioned he quite didn't understand how the blood of Jesus applies to our sins. I explained to him how in the Old Testament that God required animal sacrifices for the covering of sins, but Jesus was the perfect, final atoning sacrifice for our sins. I was able to explain imputed righteousness to him- how Jesus' perfect, sinless state, is imputed to us when we repent and believe in Jesus.

Kevin told me he had been a Christian for 3 years. He told me he was struggling with deciphering how God speaks to him. I told him I was struggling with the same thing- trying to figure out God's will for my life.

I told him that I had sin in my life and as long as I refused to deal with that sin, that I was impeding God's progress in my life. I also told Kevin that God speaks to us through His Word. I told him that Scripture is God's communication with us and that when I am reading the Word, God reveals new things to me that I may not have previously seen.

I asked Kevin if he was born again, and he said he wasn't sure. I told him what it meant to be born again was to repent of your sins and place your trust in Jesus Christ for your salvation. Once you have done that, God will give you a new heart with new desires to serve Him. I told him that it may sound foreign that someone would desire to do something like hold a cross on the side of the street, but I once used to think like that, also.

I also told Kevin about how I continually asked God to take away my sinful desires but nothing was happening, until I took the first step in repentance and turned away from my sin. I told him that God wants us to take the first step in obedience. Once I had taken the first step, then the desires started to subside. Kevin said maybe that's what he had needed to hear. I told Kevin how we needed to be "Dead to Sin, Alive to God" as Romans 6 says.

We also had similar concerns about our fathers and their eternity. I was able to explain some of the other analogies of Way of the Master, and I told Kevin how taking the WOTM really cleared up my understanding of my faith. We also discussed a few other things, like how we should "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).

I gave Kevin a tract with my church's website and encouraged him to read the post on "How to Get to Heaven" which contains more WOTM analogies and also how there was a message posted by my pastor about "Do I Need Jesus?" Please be in prayer for Kevin and his relationship with our Savior.

Center Ridge and Columbia in Westlake - 10/13/09

2009-10-13T14:30:00.002-04:00

Today, I went to the intersection of Center Ridge and Columbia in Westlake. I arrived at around 12:50 and stayed for an hour. I was not well prepared for the cold- it's not so much the temperature that is rough (in the upper 40's/lower 50's- about the same as yesterday), but the wind. It's in the upper 50's in the lower part of the state- I hope they are enjoying it! I think I finally need to break out the winter coat. It was just about a month ago that I was in shorts, flip flops, and worried about a sun burn.

A guy in a truck asked me what I was protesting and I told him I was just trying to get people to think about their eternity. I saw someone do a search yesterday on "Cleveland Cross Guy" on Google and found my blog and also someone today. I am hoping they will click on "I have seen the cross. What does it mean?" to get the law and gospel presentation.

Interview by WeST LIFE Newspaper - 10/12/09

2009-10-12T16:30:00.006-04:00

Today I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Center Ridge in Westlake after the light rain stopped around 2:10. I added an arm to the bottom of the cross that says "GOOGLE: CLEVELAND CROSS GUY." My hope is that people will go home and look it up on Google, find my blog, and be curious enough to click on the banner that says "I have seen the cross. What does it mean?" which links to a law and gospel presentation.

Around 3:45, Kevin from the WeST LIFE news walked up and asked if he could talk to me about the cross. He said they had received a few calls about me standing with my sign and was wondering if I would talk to him. I told him, "Sure."

Kevin had some general questions, like what had inspired me to take the cross to the street. I told him about Tony Miano's (not by name) cross out in California and gave him a tract and told him about Living Waters. I quoted Hebrews 9:27 and told Kevin I just wanted to get people thinking about their eternity.

He asked me if this had anything to do with a doom's day scenario, and I told him it wasn't- just to get people to think about their eternity. I told Kevin I didn't want this to be about me, but about the gospel message. I made clear the necessity of repentance and also shared a few Scripture verses with him about repentance and the Great Commission. If it is posted online, I will link to it once it is published. I hope the article will at least plant some more seeds.

On a side note, I was talking to my father yesterday about religion (which I wrote about previously in my "Holiness" post). I was trying to explain infused righteousness versus imputed righteousness to him, among a few other things, and the conversation got a little heated. My father got dizzy and temporarily blacked out on the freeway. His doctor told him to minimize the stress in his life and my discussions are one of those things.

My mother has ordered me not to talk about religion to him ever again, which I don't think I will. My mother says he is happy and content in his faith, but I know that doesn't mean his salvation is secured. Please pray for my father that someone else will reap what I have hopefully sown.