My wife and I were on our way back from a short vacation in southern Ohio when we stopped at Bob Evans in Lodi, Ohio. We were seated at our table in the restaurant and shortly thereafter an elderly man sitting at a nearby booth collapsed.
Someone asked the man's son, "Is everything OK?" and the man's son frantically said "No!" His father was in full cardiac arrest. A group of local pastors were eating at this restaurant and one of them got up and pulled the man out of the booth, yelled, "Someone call 911!" ripped open his shirt, and started performing CPR.
The man's son said they were returning from the Cleveland Clinic where his father had just received a Cortisone shot an hour earlier.
The pastor who was attending to this man could be seen pumping on his chest and the elderly man would resume show sign of a breath, and then the pastor continued CPR. It seemed like forever for the Lodi Volunteer Fire Department to arrive.
When the volunteer fire department finally showed up, they continued attending to the man and motioned to bring an IV. While they were attending to the man, his son was outside on the cell phone. I kept debating on whether to go out and I finally just got out of my seat and went outside and gave the man a gospel tract and said, "Here, PLEASE read this." The man said to me, "We're all Christians. We're all saved." He folded up my gospel tract in his hand and I'm not what he did with it.
The man was put on a stretcher and wheeled out. One of the pastors came back in and asked for everyone's attention in the restaurant and asked everyone to put aside their different religions and to pray for this man. One of the pastors (I'm not sure if the same one) led us in a prayer for this man.
While he was praying, I felt the urge to get up after he had finished and use this as a springboard into the law and gospel presentation, but I didn't. As my wife and I were nearing the end of our meal, the four pastors were on their way out and I showed them Obama Trillions Gospel Tracts and asked them if they were familiar with Way of the Master or Ray Comfort.
I quickly went through the Gospel presentation. I told him that I had been able to share the Gospel with him in one minute. I suggested he look into Way of the Master for his church if they were interested in evangelism.
I do not know the status of the elderly man, but I pray that he is OK. I didn't have time to dig to see if the man's son was soundly saved, but if he isn't, I hope he reads the gospel tract and get's right with God. I hope his father survives, but more importantly, that his father has a right relationship with Jesus.
Had I known this man would go into a cardiac arrest, I would have gone up to him as soon as I entered the restaurant and checked to see if he was saved. I would have been viewed as nuts, but I have to ask myself, why am I not this urgent all the time? This just reminds me how fragile human life is and how we aren't guaranteed tomorrow. Our human life is only a spec compared to our eternity.
5 tracts distributed so far today- one to the elderly man's son and the four to the pastors.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
Life in the Catholic Church
The Catholic Church teaches that if you die with a mortal sin without going to confession and confessing it, they are going to Hell. This is directly quoted from Catholic.com:
Question: Does the Catholic church teach that someone dying with mortal sin always goes to hell? With so many unexpected deaths, accidents, there must be a second chance to say "I'm sorry."
Answer: At the last moment it may be possible to repent. But some people die so quickly that they may not have that moment. If a person dies as God’s enemy—which is what we are in mortal sin—then he goes to hell by his own choice. Most of us have had a lifetime to choose him.
Does this sound like someone who is "Dead to Sin, Alive to God" (Romans 6)?
I have noticed recently that I have become quite a legalist and I feel like I am constantly sinning. Then I feel like if I don't confess my sin right away, that I will be going to Hell. The remnants of Catholicism are still there.
This is not someone who is free to serve God, but someone who is living in constant fear of going to Hell and walking around on egg shells all day. This has actually prevented me from going out with my cross- which is exactly what the enemy wants. How could I display a cross asking, "Are You Ready?" when I don't feel ready myself?
Someone once told me this about confession: "Say what you want, but the fact that I have to confess my sins to a priest makes me think twice before committing them." If that is the only motivation to not sin, there is a serious problem.
We are called to confess our sins (1 John 1:9), but this act of confession is merely another "work." Imagine a criminal who stands in front of a judge who confesses to a crime. Will his confession nullify the need for his punishment? Of course not!
For me, life in the Catholic Church was about keeping the Law. When you break it, if you don't confess before you die, they say you go to Hell (see above- their words, not mine). It was about what you did not do- not about the things I did for God.
Romans 3:21: "But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law."
Galatians 2:19: "For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God."
Galatians 3:19: "Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions."
Romans 3 tells us that "For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Galatians 3:10-11: "For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, 'Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.' Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for 'The righteous shall live by faith.'"
Galatians 3:21-22: "Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe."
There is no salvation in keeping the Law, because none of us have kept it!
Romans 5:21: "Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men."
The idea that I am justified by going to confession with a Catholic priest is repulsive to me. I am justified through Christ's blood- not the act of going to confession in a Catholic church. Christ dying for my sins was not enough?
Galatians 2:21: "I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose."
Question: Does the Catholic church teach that someone dying with mortal sin always goes to hell? With so many unexpected deaths, accidents, there must be a second chance to say "I'm sorry."
Answer: At the last moment it may be possible to repent. But some people die so quickly that they may not have that moment. If a person dies as God’s enemy—which is what we are in mortal sin—then he goes to hell by his own choice. Most of us have had a lifetime to choose him.
Does this sound like someone who is "Dead to Sin, Alive to God" (Romans 6)?
I have noticed recently that I have become quite a legalist and I feel like I am constantly sinning. Then I feel like if I don't confess my sin right away, that I will be going to Hell. The remnants of Catholicism are still there.
This is not someone who is free to serve God, but someone who is living in constant fear of going to Hell and walking around on egg shells all day. This has actually prevented me from going out with my cross- which is exactly what the enemy wants. How could I display a cross asking, "Are You Ready?" when I don't feel ready myself?
Someone once told me this about confession: "Say what you want, but the fact that I have to confess my sins to a priest makes me think twice before committing them." If that is the only motivation to not sin, there is a serious problem.
We are called to confess our sins (1 John 1:9), but this act of confession is merely another "work." Imagine a criminal who stands in front of a judge who confesses to a crime. Will his confession nullify the need for his punishment? Of course not!
For me, life in the Catholic Church was about keeping the Law. When you break it, if you don't confess before you die, they say you go to Hell (see above- their words, not mine). It was about what you did not do- not about the things I did for God.
In his book “Go and Sin No More: A Call to Holiness,” Dr. Michael L. Brown talks about the difference between holiness and legalism. “Holiness,” Brown explains, “is being like Jesus in thought, word and deed. As Samuel Lucas noted, ‘The essence of true holiness consists in conformity to the nature and will of God.’” He also describes legalism. “It has several different forms, but all of them flow from the same source, namely, religion without relationship, emphasizing standards more than the Savior. To an unsaved person the legalist preaches justification by works, saying, ‘You’re a wicked sinner and you need to get rid of all your filthy habits if you want the Lord to accept you.’ There is no in grace in this message, no exalting of the life-changing, sin-cleansing power of the blood of Jesus, no clear proclamation of mercy. The declaration of God’s love express through the Cross is muffled- if it is even heard at all. Consequently, the proof of the new birth is seen almost entirely in what someone no longer does.”
To give a good analogy of holiness and legalism (like Catholicism), Brown continues,
“Let me illustrate this with the amusing story or two farmers who had a talk about Christianity. One of them said to his friend, ‘I hear that you’re a Christian.’
‘That’s right,’ the other replied.
‘Well, what does it mean to be a Christian?’ the curious farmer asked.
‘Well, I don’t drink, smoke, or run around with women.’
‘In the case,’ the friend responded, ‘my mule must be a Christian too, because my mule doesn’t drink, smoke, or run around with women!’”
Do you see the difference? When I ask someone what it means to be a Christian, they should tell me they have sinned against a holy God and their just reward is hell, but God loved us so much that He sent His One and only Son to die for our sins. If we will repent of our sins and place our trust in Jesus alone, we can have eternal life. This is a different message than just telling someone what not to do.
Here is what the Bible says about the Law:Romans 3:21: "But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law."
Galatians 2:19: "For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God."
Galatians 3:19: "Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions."
Romans 3 tells us that "For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Galatians 3:10-11: "For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, 'Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.' Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for 'The righteous shall live by faith.'"
Galatians 3:21-22: "Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe."
There is no salvation in keeping the Law, because none of us have kept it!
Romans 5:21: "Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men."
The idea that I am justified by going to confession with a Catholic priest is repulsive to me. I am justified through Christ's blood- not the act of going to confession in a Catholic church. Christ dying for my sins was not enough?
Galatians 2:21: "I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose."
Sunday, September 6, 2009
A Conversation With Greg
Today, I drove down Dover Center debating on whether to go to Center Ridge or Lorain Road. There was a girl promoting a car wash at the corner at Center Ridge, so I went to Lorain Road in North Olmsted. I took "I ASK" after only one day of trying it out- I'm not sure whether or not I want it on there.
I showed up around 1:45 at the corner of Center Ridge and Lorain Road. Vehicle traffic was moderate and there were a few people who rode by on bikes, but I don't hand out tracts to people zooming by on bikes. John, from church, will hand them out to people on bikes when we are in Lakewood, but that is on a stretch of sidewalk away from traffic and not at an intersection.
While I was standing with the cross, a man came out of the restaurant I was standing in front and came onto the sidewalk to look at my cross. I said hello, but after reading the message on the cross, he went back inside.
A little while later, a man came out and asked me if I wanted something to drink. I appreciated the offer, but I had brought my own water. He told me he was a born again Christian and he commended me on what I was doing. He went back inside and later when he left the restaurant, I called him over and gave him a tract.
About an hour after I showed up, Greg, who works at the restaurant, came out to talk to me. He asked me what church I was with, and I told him that I don't do this as part of my church, but I told him where I go to church.
I told him I was trying to get people to think about if they were ready and Mark 1:15- "The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel." I told Greg that so many people "believe," but that don't repent.
I told Greg that I used to also "believe," but I never turned away from my sin- I just continued living in it. He told me that sometimes he finds he does that himself. He said he kind of uses God as a crutch. He told me he tries to pray to Him all the time, and always keep in mind that that He is in his life and heart, but less so when things are going good- whereas he should be doing it all the time.
I then gave Greg a gospel tract and told him it was the message that I am trying to spread. I then told him about the passage in Matthew 7 where Jesus said, "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 wasn't able to quote it exactly, but I was close.
I told him to make sure that he's not one of those people who doesn't just profess their faith. I told him that even Satan believes in Jesus. I told him there was a difference between believing and trusting in Jesus. I then gave Greg the parachute analogy- being on an airplane that is about to crash and having a parachute that can save you. Merely "believing" in the parachute won't save you- you have to strap on the parachute and jump from the plane. In the same sense, we need to strap on the Lord Jesus and jump from our sinful lifestyle.
I told Greg that Scripture says, "Unless you repent, you will perish." I told him it was a hard message and there a lot of things I've had to give up in my life.
I also told Greg about how Scripture says we must be born again to inherit the kingdom of God. I told him I never would be into what I was doing- holding a cross and promoting the Gospel, but I explained to him that God gives you a new heart when you repent of your sins and place your trust in Him and it's something I really can't explain.
Greg told me he does a lot of praying, tries to live a clean life and do the right thing, but sometimes he falls back into his old ways and isn't living 100% godlike or what Jesus would do. I told Greg I had the same problems where I had trouble letting go of things. I would ask God to take things away, but He wants us to take the first step and repent.
I then told him that the Bible says looking with lust is adultery in the heart. I also told him that God views hate as murder. I told him that we've broken all the commandments- we haven't always kept God first, we've all coveted, we're all thieves, lairs and blasphemers. We're all guilty and we need a Savior.
We discussed a few other things and had a very good conversation. Please pray for Greg.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Wagar and Center Ridge in Rocky River Area- 9/5/09
Tonight, after debating where to go with my cross, I ended up in the Rocky River area at the intersection of Wagar and Center Ridge. The intersection is a couple hundred feet away from the building that Planned Parenthood is located in, but the Pro-Life protesters are there are Tuesday nights and Saturday mornings- so I didn't run into any of them.
I started displaying the cross around 7:30 until 8:00. I wasn't sure what to expect traffic wise, being a Saturday night. It was pretty light. There were also occasionally teens walking on the sidewalk or riding their bikes and the occasional pedestrian. I got a couple of people yelling "I'm ready!" at me, but I'm not sure if they were just mocking the cross or really in agreement. Although traffic was light, being out later on a Saturday night brings a new audience- teenagers and teenage drivers with their friends.
I added "I ASK" above "ARE YOU READY" on my cross, so now the message is "I ASK, ARE YOU READY" followed by "MARK 1:15." Yesterday, two separate people recognized me from another time, one who stopped to give encouragement and support of what I was doing. Not many people tell me if they are ready or ask about the cross, so I am hoping by adding "I ASK" to the top it will encourage people to interact with me.
I can see the multitudes of people that read the question on the cross, and I'm hoping now that people are used to seeing me (at least in Westlake), they will actually ask me about the cross. I hope to have the same success in Lakewood, also.
I started displaying the cross around 7:30 until 8:00. I wasn't sure what to expect traffic wise, being a Saturday night. It was pretty light. There were also occasionally teens walking on the sidewalk or riding their bikes and the occasional pedestrian. I got a couple of people yelling "I'm ready!" at me, but I'm not sure if they were just mocking the cross or really in agreement. Although traffic was light, being out later on a Saturday night brings a new audience- teenagers and teenage drivers with their friends.
I added "I ASK" above "ARE YOU READY" on my cross, so now the message is "I ASK, ARE YOU READY" followed by "MARK 1:15." Yesterday, two separate people recognized me from another time, one who stopped to give encouragement and support of what I was doing. Not many people tell me if they are ready or ask about the cross, so I am hoping by adding "I ASK" to the top it will encourage people to interact with me.
I can see the multitudes of people that read the question on the cross, and I'm hoping now that people are used to seeing me (at least in Westlake), they will actually ask me about the cross. I hope to have the same success in Lakewood, also.
A Catholic Says: We Do Not Pray To Mary
Anyone who goes to a Catholic church is familiar with the Hail Mary. I grew up in a Ukrainian Byzantine Catholic church and this is how I remember reciting it:
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed are thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for our sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen
I don't know how any one can say this isn't praying to Mary. When we pray to Jesus, aren't we asking things of him? In the prayer above, people are asking Mary to pray for sinners. How can one say that asking Mary for something isn't praying to her? This is clearly idolatry.
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." Except through who? Jesus. Not Mary. Jesus.
Here is what 1 Corinthians 6 has to say about idolaters:
"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."
Repent today and trust in your Savior alone for your salvation!
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed are thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for our sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen
I don't know how any one can say this isn't praying to Mary. When we pray to Jesus, aren't we asking things of him? In the prayer above, people are asking Mary to pray for sinners. How can one say that asking Mary for something isn't praying to her? This is clearly idolatry.
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." Except through who? Jesus. Not Mary. Jesus.
Here is what 1 Corinthians 6 has to say about idolaters:
"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."
Repent today and trust in your Savior alone for your salvation!
Friday, September 4, 2009
Dover Center and Detroit in Westlake - 9/4/09
Today I went back to the intersection of Dover Center and Detroit in Westlake around 3:30 and stayed until 5:15. Someone stopped at the light inquired about what I was doing- he said he had seen me before. I walked up to his truck and gave his daughter an Obama Trillion- it instantly put a smile on her face. I told the guy driving the truck to read the gospel tract, and he told me he would.
A guy that I had talked to a week or so ago remember me and said hi from his van. We had previously had a nice conversation and he actually knew my pastor.
While I was out there, a young lady asked from her car, "Ready for what?" I tried to tell her to come back and talk with me, but they did not. I am considering adding "Tell Me" above "Are You Ready?" I can see people reading my cross as they go by, and only a few are bold enough to ask me, "Ready for what?" or tell me they are ready. I'd like to have more interactions or at least be able to tell them about Mark 1:15 or to quote Hebrews 9:27.
I gave out a total of 6 gospel tracts today.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
A Conversation With Sarah
Today, I went to Dover Center and Center Ridge in Westlake at around 11:30. There was moderate vehicle traffic, but barely anyone walking on the sidewalks, and none on my side of the street. I didn't sleep well the night before and I felt like calling it quits early, but I made a commitment to stay out there until at least 12:30. My audio recording device has a clock on it, and I was checking it often to see how close I was to 12:30.
As it was getting closer to 12:30, a girl rode by me on a bicycle. She stopped her bike, turned around, and came back to talk to me. It was 12:27.
Sarah asked me what I was doing, and I told her I was promoting the gospel. She responded, "That's awesome!"
I asked her if she had a Christian background, and she said she did. She told me she goes to a Calvary Chapel. She told me she went by me and realized, "Wait a minute- he's holding a cross!"
She told me she was never able to get out and evangelize before. I asked her if she had taken any classes on it, and she told me she had not. I gave her an Obama Trillions tract and directed her to LivingWaters.com and told her about Way of the Master.
I explained the "Are You a Good Person" test (using myself as an example) and explained some of the analogies such as the parachute and how confessing a crime doesn't get a criminal off the hook.
The parachute analogy is this: If I am on a plane that is about to crash and there is a parachute that can save me, I have to do more than merely "believe" in the parachute to save me. If have to strap the parachute on, trust it will do what it is supposed to do, and jump from the crashing plane. In the same sense, merely "believing" in Jesus won't save us. We have to put on the Lord Jesus and place our trust in Him alone and abandon our old, sinful lifestyle (repent of our sins).
The confession analogy is this: Merely confessing I committed a crime to a judge will not let me avoid the penalty. In the same way, merely confessing our sins doesn't let us off the hook. One has to repent of their sins for that forgiveness to apply.
Let's say there is a $1 million fine for the crime you committed or you face life in jail. There is no way you can pay the fine. The judge is about to pass judgment on you when someone you don't even know comes in and pays the fine for you. The person who paid your fine for your sins is Jesus.
Even when someone comes up to me who says they are a Christian or proclaim to know the Way, I still trying to explain the necessity of repentance (along with trust in Jesus). Today, I did that by going through the Good Person Test on myself and I make sure to include repentance. I am trying to make it a point to always mention repentance, because I don't want anyone who talks to me to leave with hearing repentance. I told Sarah that so many people "believe," to which she said, "Even Satan believes!"
I told Sarah I grew up Catholic and she told me she did too. She said she didn't like going through all the motions and the hypocrisy of people who were just in church but acting a completely different way once they left church.
I told Sarah about an article I read by John MacArthur and the heresy of the Catholic mass and how the Church re sacrifices Jesus every Sunday.
I also told Sarah about how I never knew about the necessity of repentance, about how I used to commit sins and then just confess them at night. She also said that someone pointed out to her that it wasn't just about saying "I'm sorry," it's about making that U-turn and walking away from sin, and not putting yourself in those situations.
I told her that was exactly the point I was trying to make about repentance. It was so refreshing to hear someone who had the correct theology!
I don't want people to feel like I am only promoting repentance and leave out faith in Jesus. That is not the case- I just know so many people believe but do not practice repentance.
As it was getting closer to 12:30, a girl rode by me on a bicycle. She stopped her bike, turned around, and came back to talk to me. It was 12:27.
Sarah asked me what I was doing, and I told her I was promoting the gospel. She responded, "That's awesome!"
I asked her if she had a Christian background, and she said she did. She told me she goes to a Calvary Chapel. She told me she went by me and realized, "Wait a minute- he's holding a cross!"
She told me she was never able to get out and evangelize before. I asked her if she had taken any classes on it, and she told me she had not. I gave her an Obama Trillions tract and directed her to LivingWaters.com and told her about Way of the Master.
I explained the "Are You a Good Person" test (using myself as an example) and explained some of the analogies such as the parachute and how confessing a crime doesn't get a criminal off the hook.
The parachute analogy is this: If I am on a plane that is about to crash and there is a parachute that can save me, I have to do more than merely "believe" in the parachute to save me. If have to strap the parachute on, trust it will do what it is supposed to do, and jump from the crashing plane. In the same sense, merely "believing" in Jesus won't save us. We have to put on the Lord Jesus and place our trust in Him alone and abandon our old, sinful lifestyle (repent of our sins).
The confession analogy is this: Merely confessing I committed a crime to a judge will not let me avoid the penalty. In the same way, merely confessing our sins doesn't let us off the hook. One has to repent of their sins for that forgiveness to apply.
Let's say there is a $1 million fine for the crime you committed or you face life in jail. There is no way you can pay the fine. The judge is about to pass judgment on you when someone you don't even know comes in and pays the fine for you. The person who paid your fine for your sins is Jesus.
Even when someone comes up to me who says they are a Christian or proclaim to know the Way, I still trying to explain the necessity of repentance (along with trust in Jesus). Today, I did that by going through the Good Person Test on myself and I make sure to include repentance. I am trying to make it a point to always mention repentance, because I don't want anyone who talks to me to leave with hearing repentance. I told Sarah that so many people "believe," to which she said, "Even Satan believes!"
I told Sarah I grew up Catholic and she told me she did too. She said she didn't like going through all the motions and the hypocrisy of people who were just in church but acting a completely different way once they left church.
I told Sarah about an article I read by John MacArthur and the heresy of the Catholic mass and how the Church re sacrifices Jesus every Sunday.
I also told Sarah about how I never knew about the necessity of repentance, about how I used to commit sins and then just confess them at night. She also said that someone pointed out to her that it wasn't just about saying "I'm sorry," it's about making that U-turn and walking away from sin, and not putting yourself in those situations.
I told her that was exactly the point I was trying to make about repentance. It was so refreshing to hear someone who had the correct theology!
I don't want people to feel like I am only promoting repentance and leave out faith in Jesus. That is not the case- I just know so many people believe but do not practice repentance.
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