I Wish I Could Start Today Over

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

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

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"

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

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

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

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.