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

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

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

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

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.

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

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 - 4/01/10

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

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.