Trip to Mardi Gras Part 2

So as I mentioned in my last post, I finally arrived in New Orleans after driving 19 hours, 1,200 miles, through 7 states, all with 5 other people I had never met before (and who were going to Mardi Gras to party). A street-preacher driving partiers to their party...you can't script that!!

I departed from my new friends at the budget rental car return around noon on Friday. My preaching friends, from San Francisco, picked me up shortly thereafter. The weather in New Orleans was not warm and sunny, as I was hoping, but instead was cold, windy, and rainy. The high temp was around 38 deg...which is "warm" compared to 0 deg in Duluth but still not what I was hoping (but then again my trip wasn't really going as planned anyway). As you can imagine, after the long trip, I was pretty pooped (work, driving, driving, driving, driving, etc) I was awarded about 3 hours of "rest" time before we were heading to Bourbon street to preach.

My first impression of New Orleans....THIS PLACE IS A DUMP!! You can definitely see the impact the hurricanes have had on this place. Trash everywhere. Abandoned buildings/houses. It is by far the worst looking place I've ever been too. It was run down and beat up.

The place we were staying was a boarding house for homeless people, drug addicts, alcoholics, etc. It is self-funded by a group of Christians who want to share the Gospel with those types of people. It is called Jesus Miracle Power. Because they are self-funded, they can pick and choose who they want in and who they don't. To them, it's all about sharing the Gospel. The residents can stay as long as they want (room/board/food provided) but there are rules they must follow or they are asked to leave. Anyway, it is set up military style. Two houses with many rooms. Each room has 2-6 bunk style beds. I picked my bunk and tried to get some sleep but preachers were coming and going. Introducing themselves, etc. Not to mention these houses did not have insulation in them or heating. This was a major cold spell for them and my room was freezing. I'm pretty sure I didn't get any sleep-eye while waiting to go out preaching.

Example of the rooms where we stayed at Jesus Miracle Power

At around 5pm all the preachers met in the sanctuary for debriefing and prayer time. There was about 15 of us, from all over the country, with one mission...sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world. After prayer, we all jumped into our assigned vans, heading for Bourbon Street. Bourbon Street is a one-way street with bars, restaurants, and rental houses/apartments lining it. You can fit one maybe 2 cars on it. The people line the street for about 20 blocks or so, walking up and down, drinking, talking, partying, etc. Bourbon Street during the day and at night

For the first night, we all stayed together. Most preachers had banners, bullhorns, and video cameras. It was pretty neat when we walked onto Bourbon Street. There were a lot of people, most were drunk but we walked right into their "party" holding our massive signs.
We set up and began preaching using our bullhorns. If we didn't use bullhorns our voices would be gone within in hour because of how loud it was on Bourbon Street. The response we got was very typical to any other place I've preached. Some people loved that we were there, most hated it (John 7:7). But all that mattered to us is that the name of Jesus was exalted and we spoke truth into these people's lives. The bible tells us, "Open rebuke is better than secret love." (Proverbs 27:5). We spaced out a little which allowed several preachers to preach with bullhorns all at one time. We just faced different directions. We took turns preaching, passing out tracts, holding signs, and videotaping (you can see me videotaping another preacher in the above picture right of center).

The first night was pretty much what I expected. A lot of people and a lot of opportunities to share the Gospel. Even if we didn't preach, the people would come up to us and ask questions. This is one of the many reasons why I love using banners. So often we pray for opportunities to witness (or say something like "I'll just wait for God to bring me someone), when in reality we are called to GO OUT and tell the people. Sure, we get to share our faith in many different circumstances (like when God brings people to us by "chance" - like my road trip), but I have found much greater joy in actually being obedient to God's call to GO and lay it all out there for people to come to me. Don't get me wrong, I am always nervous but the Lord has never failed me. You GO and they'll COME!

The first night ended around midnight. We jumped back into our vans and headed back to "camp". Back at "camp" there is a guy named William. He is not a resident at the place, he is a helper. He is the cook and he cooked us three meals a day (and I'm not talking peanut butter and jelly)! He cooked us spaghetti, steak, ribs, roast beef...it was always a 3-5 course meal. Even when we came back at 1 or 2 in the morning, William was in the kitchen cooking food for the preachers. He would serve us individually and he would always ask us if we needed more. This was probably the best blessing about the whole trip. Little William doing his part to further the Kingdom of God. He's not a preacher. He's not a bible scholar. He's a servant of the Lord doing his part for the body of Christ. He was a true servant, laying down his life for the brethren. Of course we did not take advantage of him, but he would do anything he was asked to do, no complaints, always with a smile on his face. He was a true blessing and no doubt one of the main highlights of this trip. While we preached during the day, he would go into our rooms, make our beds and clean up. After about the 4th day, he even gave all of us a trash bag to put our individual clothes in. He then did our laundry, folded it, and returned it to us. NOW THAT'S SERVING THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND LOVING THE BRETHREN!

The hardest thing about preaching on Bourbon Street was the beads (you know, the things everyone wears around their neck). People wear them, not because of the woman, but because everyone else is wearing them. Really it is pretty stupid! But, these things were weapons for the people, and they used them. They would WHIP these things at us from the Balcony's above. Thankfully our banners offered us protection (and the fact that most people were too drunk to throw straight). I wore a baseball cap and this helped as well. Some preachers wore safety glasses which I would no doubt bring if I ever preach there again. By the end, the people began to whip them at us right in front of us. We'd be preaching and you'd keep your eye out for a flying bead necklace. Once again, praise the Lord that no one was seriously injured. A few red marks but that's about it.

By the time I finally went to sleep on Saturday it was past 3am (after preaching, eating, showering), I had been up for over 48 hours. I was exhausted but the Lord had blessed me abundantly!

Acts 20:22-24

And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

Trip To Mardi Gras - Part 1

Many of you know that I recently went on a trip to New Orleans to preach at the Mardi Gras event. Below is a "brief" summary of how this trip started out. What should have taken me a few hours of flight time to arrive in New Orleans, turned out to be quiet the event. Something that only God could orchestrate.

It started out with me leaving the Duluth airport and arriving in the Twin Cities to catch my flight to New Orleans. The flight from Duluth to MSP went just as planned. I had a 2 hour layover in MSP. When it was time to board, I got in line. With about 10 people left to board, they stopped allowing people on the plane. They said the plane was maxed out in terms of weight (that's a new one)! They said we could not get on the plane even though we all had assigned seats...I was 20B. This, of course, upset many people because they were meeting people at the airport and wanted to start their Mardi Gras party early. Many of the people asked if the agents could take off their luggage to lower the weight of the plane so they could fly (and not their luggage), but the agents said they could not do it (that's a new one). I guess luggage is more important than people. Although I was a little annoyed by all of this, I just figured the Lord had other plans.

The next few hours were pretty touch and go as the agents tried to reroute us into New Orleans. It was a Thursday and the next direct flight to N.O. was not until Saturday. Time and again the agents were running into two problems. First off, because Mardi Gras draws hundreds of thousands of people each year, all the flights into New Orleans were booked. The other problem was that there was a huge storm around the area (Texas/Louisiana) and a lot of airports were closed. It seemed we all got booked on a flight to somewhere, only to get booted off no sooner because the flight was already booked. So after trying to find us flights, it was determined that there was nothing they could guarantee us. They could fly us into a closer airport but there was no guarantee a flight could get us into New Orleans. Everything was booked. We'd be left stranded, only closer. I was beginning to think my best option was simply to take a flight back up to Duluth, since I was only 2.5 hours away. I definitely was not going to wait until Saturday, which was not a guaranteed flight anyway, and I didn't see a reason to be stranded at another airport in some other state, close to N.O. but further from home.

As we were trying to figure out what to do a small group (5 other people) came up to me and asked if I wanted to join them in getting a rental car and driving to New Orleans. At first I thought it was a pretty stupid idea (I still think it might be) but I didn't see any other way of getting to N.O. So I called Tina and a group from Cry To God Ministries (several other street preachers I was meeting down there) and asked them to pray and let me know what they thought I should do. About 5 mins later they both called back and said, with great words of encouragement (seriously) GO! Let's be honest though, Tina was not super thrilled but she trusted my judgment (she later told me she didn't sleep a wink that night).

The other 5 people were all heading to Mardi Gras and picked a street preacher to go with them. I was wearing one of my TRUST JESUS shirts. I let them know the reason I was going down there, but I don't think they really understood what I was saying. So we all shook hands, introduced ourselves, headed to the Budget rental center and rented an SUV with 5 other people that I had never met before (nor had they ever met each other). A married couple from San Francisco. Two friends from LA and another lady from Calgary.

To say the least, the trip down was AWESOME. It was over 1,200 miles, 7 states, 19+ hours (of which I drove 14 hours) and what a great witnessing opportunity. I started out my trip (from Duluth) praying that the Lord would give me opportunities to minister on the way down...I never thought this is how He would answer this prayer (Isaiah 55:8-9). As I got into the SUV, I prayed the Lord would give me wisdom on what to say and when to say it. I felt at peace to keep quiet and let them ask me questions...which they did. One here and one there. By the end, they all knew my stance on Mardi Gras. They all knew my stance on sin, righteousness, and judgment. And most importantly, the all heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

By the time we got to the Budget rental in N.O., I had been awake for 33 hours straight. I woke up at 3am on Thursday to do my paper route job and we didn't arrive in N.O. until 12 noon on Friday. Praise the Lord though, I wasn't at all tired (ok maybe a little) when I was driving. I knew many people were praying for me!! However, I did feel the effects of not sleeping with a pretty good headache for a day and a half (it eventually was 52 hours without sleep by the time I was able to go to bed)

During our trip we hit a little bad weather about an hour from New Orleans but they were all thankful the preacher from northern MN was driving in the icy/snowy weather. NO WAY was I going to let California people drive in that weather! The people, thought not believers, asked me a lot of great questions about my faith in Jesus. They kept calling their friends and telling them either "Jesus is driving us to Mardi Gras" or "The preacher man is driving us to Mardi Gras". It was quiet the experience. It was amazing how I didn't even need to say a word, and yet they were amazed at my testimony and willingness to drive 19 hours to stand at the gates of hell, be ridiculed by drunkards, leave my family, and all for the Gospel. Sometimes the Gospel can be preached without words!! Several times at Mardi Gras, they searched me out to talk to me and show their friends the "preacher man" who drove them to Mardi Gras. I even interviewed them about our experience for Cry To God's weekly TV show.

But all "good" things must come to an end (except eternal life) and we eventually departed and went our ways. You don't spend 19 hours with strangers without leaving an impact on one another. We exchanged emails, phone numbers, and hugs before going on our way.

So there you have it. That is what my trip was like...at least the beginning of it anyway.....

At the Budget Rental in the MSP Airport before leaving on our trip (one of the members was taking the picture)

Isaiah 55:8-9

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

MAKING BROWNIES FOR DADDY

This file was too big for email and YouTube didn't like the music for some reason, so I put the video on here so everyone could see just how blessed I am to have these kids!!

Please Listen

This video is about 11 minutes long, please...take the time to listen to it.

I got this video from a site I recently found called I'll Be Honest (http://www.illbehonest.com/index.php). I recommend checking this site out. It has a lot of encouraging, convicting, and challenging material on it.

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.

New Sign In Action

As I wrote in my last post, I made a sign for my girls to hold when we go out on the streets. We want our children to love and serve the Lord. One way to do this is to have them participate in sharing the Love of God reveled through Jesus Christ at a young age. As parents, we will never have this opportunity again - they are only 3 and 2 once! I do not want to regret not taking them out even though they are so young. We are hoping and praying they not only come to know the Lord Jesus Christ in a personal way, but also they would find great joy in being a spoken witness for Him among this wicked world. If my children never play sports, if my children never play a musical instrument, if my children never become a top CEO or even have a 401K...I don't care. I want them to Love and Serve the Lord with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength - even if it costs them their life! Jesus is worth it! I want them to be, from an early age, what I wasn't for 28 years - a light among a dark and dying world, i.e. soldier for the Lord. We will continue to pray for them and teach them the commandments of the Lord. As a parent, it is a wonderful blessing to see some of your "arrows" preach the Gospel, knowing the Lord is being magnified!

We were able to pass out about 200 tracts. There were a lot of students out, it was a gorgeous day, the girls shared in holding their sign, and I even had one great conversation with a student (though I did not get it on tape). The girls never complained once, they listened to me, and were more than willing to go the extra "step" to pass out tracts. I was blessed indeed. I hope the video encourages you to step out in faith.

Colossians 3:21

Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

The Heavenly Man

I was recently given a book titled The Heavenly Man (2003). This book is about a Chinese man, Brother Yun, who was born in 1958 and became a christian around the age of 10. The book is basically an autobiography of his life as a christian in communist China. One nice thing about the book is the dates of the accounts are not a thousand years old. Many, if not most, are within my life-time, therefore making the book appealing to me because I can place myself during these times (does that make sense?).

The stories in this book are INCREDIBLE! Absolutely incredible. They will challenge your way of thinking. It will bring doubts at times, conviction, tears, joy, and absolute amazement at the faithfulness of God.

Much controversy has surrounded this book, the stories within, and Brother Yun himself. I do not care to debate if these stories are true or not. One thing I will say, all the stories (the context of them) are within the bounds of Holy Writ. The little research I have done seems to indicate this Brother is telling the truth.

I found this book to be HIGHLY refreshing, convicting, encouraging, just an over-all blessing. I recommend this book - but be prepared to be blown-away!

I rarely read other "christian" books. In fact, this is the first book I've read in over a year. I try not to deviate to far from the Word of God because of the deception that can abound in many "christian" circles. BUT, this book caught my attention immediately - I am glad I read it.! I encourage you to find a copy, pray, and see what God may be speaking to you through Brother Yun.

Steve


2Peter 3:15-16
And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.

Where's our sign, Daddy?

We went out to the UMD campus today to pass out tracts and share the Gospel using banners. I decided to take my two daughters with me, ages 3 and 2 (almost 2). It was a great day with them as they were able to pass out many tracts and watch us share the Gospel with people. Upon leaving, my oldest daughter Amariah asked when I was going to make them a sign? They said they wanted to "hold a sign just like Daddy". Well, that's all I needed to hear...a few hours later they were on our deck holding their sign (see pictures below - click the pictures for a larger view).

Your children will do what you do. They watch you. They see you. They hear what you say. Serve the Lord Jesus Christ with all your heart and teach your children the fear of the Lord.

Psalm 20:5

We will rejoice in your salvation, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!

Great Story Part 2

Praise to our Great God and Savior, we don't deserve it but sometimes God shows us the fruit of our labor...for that I am thankful! Please read...

I mentioned in a few blogs about a young man named "Tim". When I first met him on the streets a year ago he was a self-proclaimed satanist. When I first approached him he was very adamant that he wanted nothing to do with my "religious message". He even said "we have nothing in common". A few hours later he approached me and we talked for almost 2 hours about my faith in God.

A year later I ran into him again, this time things were much different. He approached me and talked about how our first conversation really had an effect on him. He had many more questions, and again we talked for almost 2 hours. He was very thankful both for our willingness to share our message out on the streets and for our willingness to talk with him for so long. Before he left, I gave him my bible and we exchanged emails/phone numbers. I sent him an email several weeks ago and I have not received a response until this morning. Below is the email he sent me:

Hey Steve,
Sorry this took so long to get back to you....I've been busy trying to find a job. So yeah, I'm o.k. just trying to straighten out my life.....and make things better for myself. As for getting together to talk about things.....i might have to take a rain check for at least a couple of weeks...

I'd just like to say thanks again for talking to me again, and even more for inviting me out to lunch, and also for the Bible you gave me. I've read only two pages.....but I am more than just reading them....I am trying to decipher them and find the meanings behind the words.
So thanks again, and drop me a line sometime and we can talk or hang out or whatever.

Please pray for "Tim's" soul...God wishes no man to perish (2 Peter 3:9)

Preach the Gospel in season and out of season...
Steve

Great Story

If you were to go back to my April 18th post you would read about a satanist I encountered on the streets. To make a long story short, on the above date I approached a young man, asked Him if I could talk to him but was declined. He said he and I had nothing in common, stating he was a self-proclaimed "satan worshiper". I left him alone only to be approached by him an hour later with this question, "Why do you believe there is a God?". WOW - great question. He and I talked for almost 2 hours going from Genesis through Revelation. He had a lot of great questions and thanked me for talking wit him. We exchanged emails, I contacted him but never heard back from him.

Fast-forward to March 16, 2009. We set up our banner at the bus-station. This was the first really nice day this year, so we took advantage of it knowing that many people would be waiting outside to catch their bus. We were only set up for about 5 mins. when I noticed a young guy walking toward me. We made eye contact and I knew immediately this was the self-proclaimed satan worshiper from a year ago. I was on the phone and was not able to talk to him, but we gave each other a head-nod. About 5 minutes later to approached me and we simultaneously said "Remember me?"...we both acknowledged. He even remembered my name!! We ended up talking for almost 2 hours again, and he was so thankful for my willingness to talk to him last year. He still has a lot of questions, but stated he has thought about me and our conversation many times. He even agreed that there is a high-power ("god") that is Just, Righteous, and Holy. His attitude, demeanor, and seriousness was totally different from what I remember a year ago. It seems God is really revealing Himself to this young man hopefully bringing him to repentance. We again exchanged phone numbers/emails, I gave him my bible, and then gave each other a "ghetto hug" before departing. He was very appreciated and said he would read the bible. Please pray for this man's soul.

The rest of the day, though great in itself, was nothing compared to this first conversation. We had Lisa and Chris out with us - Lisa actually held the banner, helped with conversations, and really enjoyed her time on the streets. Her and I talked to a self-professed wicken who had a lot of great questions about our faith. We were able to talk to him about God the creator, the judge, His justice, sin, righteousness, and the coming judgment. He was very attentive and listened as we gave him the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

More to come....Steve

2 Timothy 2:24-26
And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

Neither him who plants nor him who waters...but God!

1 Corinthians 3:5-8
Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase

Recently this scripture has been brought to my mind over and over again. We as believers are nothing, only vessels our great God and Savior uses to bring forth His fruit. We are simply unprofitable servants (Luke 17:10).

I've been in many discussions over the last year or so about the "method" we use out on the streets. In all honesty, I don't really know what are "method" is considered. Some call it "cold-calling". Some call it "confrontational". Some call it "open-air preaching. Some call it "holding signs". Some call it "relational". I guess I would call it all of the above, but more importantly I would call it biblical. Just like Jesus and His apostles, they received all kind of reactions to their message. Some loved them, others hated them. Some asked questions, others ignored them. Some became followers, others became traitors.

We as christians should expect the same reactions when we go out and share the Gospel. I boldly proclaim if we are not receiving these same reactions, then there is probably something severly wrong with our message. If everyone is hating you and what you are saying, then maybe you need to recheck your message and/or delivery. If everyone is accepting you and loving you, then maybe you need to recheck your message and/or delivery. If no one is asking questions, again recheck your message. If no one is receiving answers to their questions, recheck! We are to be followers of Jesus, therefore we would suspect that if our message is inline with Jesus' message, the reactions to follow would be similar.

I would even go further to say if most people are accepting your message...meaning they "believe" what you are saying and accept it as truth, then there is probably something wrong with your message. The bible is clear - the cross is foolishness to the world. Jesus himself said there will be more people in hell than heaven (Matthew 7:13-27). There are many churches in the world today that preach a very watered-down Gospel that the masses are flocking too. This Gospel talks very little, if any, about sin, righteousness, or the judgment to come. Why? Because most people think if they offend someone, or get to personal with them, and if the person walks away not believing them (or even "hating" them) then the messenger must have messed up. So instead of talking about sin, righteousness, and the coming judgment, many people are out to tell people the gospel without trying to be offensive. The fact is, the cross of Jesus Christ is the most offensive thing in the world! How much does God hate sin - look to the cross. Look what God did to His only Son...and it pleased Him (Isaiah 53:10).

So, my point is that we must be faithful to preach the bloody cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. We must be faithful to preach about and against sin. We must be faithful to preach about the coming judgment. We must be faithful to preach this message, no matter what, no matter the outcomes. Leave the outcome up to God! Praise be to His name!

So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 1 Corinthians 3:7

Sinner Gets Saved

Oh how I love when a sinner gets saved. What a glorious thing when a person repents and puts their faith in Jesus Christ. It always reminds me of when I got saved in that hotel room on the night of March 4, 2004. Nothing compares to knowing you are forgiven!

A few months ago I received a phone call from one of the people who we fellowship with. His name is Michael. He has been very active in witnessing for Jesus and exposing the evil works of darkness, namely abortion. He grew up in what I would consider to be a very strong christian home. His mother spent a great deal of time with him (and his sister) teaching them the word of God. They were memorizing the book of Psalms at the age of 4 and 5! However, just knowing scripture, just going to church, and just because your parents are christian does not make YOU a christian. Michael would attest to that. Below is Michaels story, as I remember it.

Michael called me a few months ago. Here is how the conversation went (paraphrasing but pretty accurate).

Steve: Hello
Michael: Steve?
Steve: Hey Michael
Michael: Steve, Steve, I'm saved! I'm Saved! Steve I'm Saved! I got Saved today!
Steve: What?
Michael: Steve, I've been living a lie. I finally got on my knees asking God to save me from my sin. I feels great. I KNOW I got saved the other day. I've been living a lie.
Steve: Praise the Lord...that's awesome Michael. Welcome to the family!

Some people may have doubted Michael's conversation. In fact, I know some people who seem to think he was saved before and this was some sort of second revelation. I don't think so. Michael knows himself better than all of us. If he said he just got saved...then I'm confident he just got saved. It doesn't matter what his life was like before. It doesn't matter how many "good" things he did with the suffix "for Jesus". The man got down on his knees and cried out to God for mercy. He KNEW he wasn't saved and he KNEW Jesus was the only way.

Luke 5:31-32
Jesus answered and said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

Michael went on to explain to me that he and his sister were doing some chores. His sister decided to put in the Paul Washer sermon, Examine Yourself. Michael said he was listening to the sermon and great conviction started to come over him. He KNEW he wasn't saved. He then talked to his mother and shared his concern of his salvation with her. She didn't assume he was saved but rather she trusted in God's working power to convince Michael he was not saved and needed Jesus. They knelt on the ground (I think in their barn) and Michael cried out to God to save him. When he got up off his knees, Michael said he KNEW he was now saved from the wrath of God. His sins were forgiven at that moment. He was now a child of God, taken out of the dominion of darkness and brought into the glorious light of Jesus Christ. At that moment, Michael told his sister...oh what a marvelous time that must have been.

Since then, I have seen a pretty termendous change in Michael. The very next day, we met with him and his family in front of the abortion clinic. Michael was ON FIRE for Jesus. All he wanted to do was share his testimony and tell people about how Jesus Christ is the only way by which men can be saved. Jesus Christ is the only way to have your sins washed away. It was great to see such a new zeal in Michael. He was and is a new creation - set apart as an ambassador for Jesus Christ! To warn men of the terror that awaits them and how forgiveness of sins can save them from God's wrath.

Michael must have asked a half-dozen or more people that day, people just walking by:
If you died tonight, are you sure you would go to heaven and why?

Praise the Lord for saving Michael.

Let me ask you:
If you died tonight, are you ABSOLUTELY sure you are saved from God's eternal wrath? If so, why?

65-75% of americans believe themselves to be saved. A simply study of the scriptures reveals to us that this is not true. How do you know you are not one of them? Are you deceiving yourself like Michael was?

The most important question I can ask you is this:

Reader....ARE YOU SAVED?

1 John 2:4
He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Matthew 7:21-23
"Not everyone who says to Me [Jesus], 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

10 Indictments Against the "church"

It's been a long while since I last posted anything. I have several postings I've been meaning to post but time has got the best of me.

I was recently given a sermon by Paul Washer called "10 Indictments". I do not know if an audio is available but if you click this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7wzfvYkCW0 you will be able to watch the sermon on YouTube. It is a 2 hour sermon BUT WELL WORTH IT!!

It is very powerful, convicting, and truthful (which is really all that matters). Many of us have the same "indictments" against the church as well. Confirmation is always nice.

Please find the time to listen to this, even if it takes you several days.


Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

In today's churches (and social circles) we hear so much about God's love, mercy, and forgiveness. Although these characteristics about God are true, they are only half of the story. In fact, I would dare say those characteristics of God make very little sense if we do not understand (or know about) His wrath, anger, hate, and vengeance.

Several years ago I came across a sermon by Johnathan Edwards titled Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. It had been more than a year since I last listened and/or read this sermon, however recently I did both. I HIGHLY recommend this sermon. It might just change the way you think about Jesus.

To listen to the audio for this sermon (52 minutes) you can click on this link http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=11140523305. Otherwise if you prefer to read the text, click the link to the right of this entry titled Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God (text).

Although he quotes several scriptures, most of the sermon is biblical texts simply paraphrased. If you want specific references for some of his comments, let me know and I can send you a detailed sermon outline noting the references.

Please take the time to listen to and/or read the sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. It is 52 minutes that will be well worth your time. I guarantee it will open your eyes to things the bible says about God that you may have never known before.

Do you know the real God of the bible?

2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Duluth News Tribune Articles

The Duluth News Tribune printed two articles about this ministry. Both of the "articles" come from the READER'S VIEWS (opinion section). The articles follow.

Article #1 Friday August 15, 2008
RELIGIOUS ZEALOTS CHOSE WRONG PLACE FOR MESSAGE
Thousands of visitors lined up to enjoy the three replica sailing ships in the Twin Ports as part of the weekend Maritime Festival. Duluth could take a bow.
But on every parade some rain may fall, apparently. One this occasion, a couple of religious zealots were on hand with their soapbox and their repent-or-perish placecard. They stood on the walkway beside the Baltimore ship.
If people were searching for a spiritual message, they would have attended a Franklin Graham festival. People who braved freeway traffic, parking and prices were unlikely to have interest in a doomsday message, brandished by zealots taking advantage of a crowd with nothing to do but wait and observe and joke.
Ironically, as an evangelical believer, I will say there was truth in the sermon for the day - but it was at the wrong time and place. My scriptures tell one the wisdom from above is gentle, easy to share and full of mercy. It didn't come across that way from these sidewalk dudes.
But in spite of them, the sun was shining.
Allan Taylor (Bloomington, MN)

Article #2 Sunday September 14, 2008
LET'S PRAY THAT WORDS OF ZEALOTS REACH TARGET
In response to the Aug. 15 letter "Religious zealots chose wrong place for message," the core word in zealot, of course, is zeal, defined in my dictionary as "intense enthusiasm for a cause or person; a passionate ardor."
So a couple people were at the tall ships event this summer enthusiastically sharing a passionate message to a crowd of people who they may never see again, with a saving message they may never hear again, hoping they may save a few who would otherwise be lost to eternal damnation. Kind of sounds like John the Baptist to me.
I pray the words of zealots, whether spoken near a ship or on a street corner, or wherever, fall on some open ears and open hearts. The Bible talks about letting those with eyes see, and ears hear. Let it be so.
Paula Odegaard (Hibbing, MN)

End of Summer Recap - BAYFRONT - DRAGON BOAT - GBLA FESTIVAL

It has been a long while since I last updated this blog. The last month or so has been very busy with ministry and life. We were trying to get out on the streets and attending the last of the summer events before the snow starts to fly here in Duluth...which by the way was this time last year!!

We ended the summer preaching at the: Bayfront Blues Fest, Lake Superior Dragon Boat Races, and the Gay Pride in Duluth/Superior. These were the main events we preached at, however there were also several weekdays we were out in Canal Park and/or the Holiday Center Bus Stop.

The Duluth News-Tribune had an article in the paper tallying the final spectator counts at each main event. The events we attended had the following numbers:

Maritime Festival: 125,000
Grandma's Marathon: 50,000
Duluth Air Show: 32,000
Bayfront Festival: 20,000
Gaypride Festival: 11,000 (highly speculative - it did not seem like nearly that many)

FinnFest: 7,000
Dragon Boat Festival: 7,000

Obviously God didn't reach all those people through us with the Gospel, but the total number comes to: 252,000 people...that's over a quarter-million people! PRAISE GOD! Not to mention the many times we made it out to the streets during the week or on a weekend with no event!

Mark 16:15
And He [Jesus] said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

Praise God that He gave us the strength, boldness, time, and endurance to go to each of those events. To Him belong all the glory, honor, and praise!

The following is a quick recap of each event.

BAYFRONT BLUES FEST:
Bayfront is a 4 day event, with Friday, Saturday, and Sunday being the biggest days. We were able to preach for approx. 8 hours on the final 3 days. Steve, Josh, and Lori were the main "preachers" but Vincent came one day as well. We encountered the police the first day we were there and had to move off the premises to just outside the gates. This worked well for us because we set up in a great funnel area. Anyone coming into or leaving the park had to come by us, which offered us a great chance for conversations and open-air preaching. We did a little open-air preaching, but the majority was done via our signs. The crowds were pretty hostile towards us since a great majority of the people were drunk. By hostile I mean, they offered their 2-sec. conversation of obscenities, finger-gestures, and "I thought God was loving and forgiving." For those pastors out there, you might want to consider telling the WHOLE COUNSEL of God and educate the masses about the TRUE GOD.

Acts 20:26-27
Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.

LAKE SUPERIOR DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL
This event was held in Superior, Wisconsin. It was our first preaching on "foreign" soil! The ministry has now traveled to 2 of the 50 states!! The neat thing about being in Superior is they do not have a sound ordinance, therefore we were able to use an electronic bullhorn to preach. What an experience! This event was a 2 day event, Friday and Saturday. We set up friday afternoon and started preaching using the bullhorn. We were able to reach people from a good distance away as they approached us. By the time they got to us, they received the Gospel and then some. We, of course, we pretty concerned about the volume we could get away with and how tolerant the police would be. There were 2 police officers, as well as a bike-cop, that gave us NO problem what-so-ever. They never even talked to us once about the bullhorn! It was great. We preached all day Saturday as well, and as usual, we were in an area that EVERYONE had to pass through to get to the event. The crowd was pretty tolerant at this event, but we did have the occasional mocker and finger-jester, as well as solid, biblical conversations. We have no pictures of this event because Josh bought a new camcorder and recorded most of the preaching. We plan on making a website in the distant future and the videos will be accessible through YouTube.

Mattgew 28:19-20
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

DULUTH/SUPERIOR GAY PRIDE EVENT
This was the event we were looking forward to all summer - I say that with much hesitancy. The majority of preaching videos we have seen involving homosexual events have pretty heated exchanges, some violence, and often times brings the Police on the scene. Minus the violence, preaching at the DSGP - GBLA was no difference for us.

GBLA day #1
It started with a mayor reception at the Depot. Steve, Josh, Lori and Michael were at the event. We immediately were approached by the police and they tried to keep us out of the event, but we were prepared. We showed them document from the necessary powers-that-be allowing us access to where we wanted to be. The day was pretty uneventful but we did have a few great conversation.s The picture above is me preaching to 2 homosexuals. Another picture is the sign Michael made for the event, Lori is helping him hold the sign so the homosexuals can read it. They were asking me a lot of questions, trying to contradict the word of God with their "experiences" and "philosophy" but in the end they heard the Gospel and the consequences if the continue to practice this life-style. God did a wonder by breaking up this event. Notice in the picture the rain downpour! Of course we wanted to preach to them but a large storm came through with damaging wind and rain. The concert was cut short, the event was cut short, and in the end the decorations that were set up got demolished. Notice the rainbow picture above. You can see the GBLA rainbow destroyed by the wind/rain but God's rainbow banner fly high above. Was He once again showing His mercy sinners?

Gen 9:12-16
And God said: This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth."

GBLA day #2
This was the BIG day for the GBLA event. It was an all-day festival at Bayfront Park. We got there about 10am and were immediately met by the police (2 of which were wearing GBLA ankle bracelets). They told us we were not allowed in the event. What followed was a 10-20 min dialogue between me and them. Josh taping it all. I had done my leg work contacting the necessary powers-that-be, I had more than enough Federal Court cases to show our rights, and letters from the Duluth City attorney. They did care about ANY of it. Finally, when they saw we were not budging and they had no lawful way of arresting us, they called their "superior", who I had talked to on Thursday at the Depot. Just before leaving however, one of the GBLA cops told Josh he could no longer tape the conversation at which point she grabbed Josh's camcorder, covering it up with her hands. She proceeded to say she would take the video and use it as evidence, calling it Disorderly Conduct for taping someone who wishes not to be taped. At that point, I showed her Federal Court Cases saying it is indeed LEGAL to tape ALL public officials (police being a public official). She did not care. Although it was pretty annoying to go through this process when we just came to preach, it is necessary so in the future we won't have these problems and our rights are being met. When the superior arrived, we discussed the situation, showed her where we wanted to stand, and got the OK from here. It was the BEST spot we could have asked for. Just off to the side of the main stage, yet behind the speakers so that the noise from the concert was not a problem

We set up one of our 4ft by 4ft signs. We started out in groups of 2 in two different locations, but it wasn't long before event security, not the police, started hassling Josh and Michael. So Lori and I packed up and went to Josh and Michael's area - which I described above. We did not have any more contact with the event "security" once all 4 of us were together.

The day was full of non-stop conversations. We got setup about 12pm and I was the last one to leave about 7:30. It was amazing how the homosexual community, esp. those who profess to be believers, twist the scriptures. I do not have the time to explain there interpretations, but it is as twisted as I've ever seen. We preached repentance and faith from start to finish. We told them the consequences of not repenting and not believing in Jesus. At times, there was up to 25 or more people gathered around us, asking questions, shouting obscenities, etc.

As the day wound down, as we were packing up to leave, I got into a great one-on-one conversation with a young girl. She had heard us preach several times throughout the day and apologized how the other homo's acted towards us. I let her know it's part of being a christian. She said she has never had a homosexual encounter and that she is struggling with what we were preaching and what she wants to do. She was crying and admitting she was very confused about her "feelings" and the biblical truth. I talked with her for well over an hour, having to call home to get a ride. In the end,she said she would consider what I said, but ultimately believes God will not punish her for her homosexual lifestyle if she chooses it. I ended telling her if the bible is true, she will forever burn in the lake of fire because the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God, but as long as she lives, there is always hope through repentance and faith. Please pray for Ashley.

Proverbs 24:25
But those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, And a good blessing will come upon them.

GBLA day #3
The final day of the gay fest was spent in Superior to preach at their parade and ended in Canal Park for general preaching. Being we were in Superior, WI again, the bullhorn was legal to use. We got to Superior around 11:30 before the noon start of the parade. We situated ourselves on a street corner where the parade turned, and preached REPENTANCE and FAITH for over an hour on the bullhorn. We warned ALL sinners, not just homosexuals, about the terror of the Lord and the forgiveness of sins through the Blood of Jesus Christ. Once again, the Police did not give us any problems. In fact a squad car pulled right up in front of us directing the traffic and the parade. He was within 20 yards of us. As the parade continued past him, the homosexuals were honking their horn at us, yelling, etc. to try and drawn out my preaching. I turned the bulhorn up as loud as it could go...and let me tell you...IT'S LOUD. The police never batted an eye towards us! PRAISE GOD!

During the parade, another gentleman, all by himself, was carrying two signs calling sinners to repentance and faith. He walked with the parade and through the crowds. May the Lord bless him for his boldness and faithfulness to call sinners to repent. We hope we have a chance to meet up with him again, unfortunately we did not get any contact information from him, just handshakes as he went by our preaching. We were able to engage in a few small conversations after the parade was over, which is always nice.

When the parade was done, we spent the rest of the day in canal park preaching to whoever would listen.

Acts 17:17
Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue...and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there.

I want to end with a quick thank you for all those who came out with us this summer. It isn't easy to do, but God gave you the strength and boldness to obey the great commission. I want to say thank to those who continued to pray for us while we were out battling. Just knowing others were praying for us, gives me strength...I thought about it on many occasions while preaching. I pray God would give all of us a desire to share the word more than we do, including us. The battle is raging all around us - preach the word, rebuke the wicked, call sinners to repentance. Now is not the time to become friends with someone just to get them to come to church. Now is the time to preach the word. There is no season for preaching. Preaching season is ALWAYS open (2 Timothy 4:2).

Now that fall has arrived, our efforts turn to the college campuses. As always, everyone is welcomed to join us. - even if it's just to be a "fly on the wall." Please consider helping us share the Gospel to the needed college communities. If nothing else, please continue to pray for the soldiers out on the battle field and those who "hear" our words. We, and they, need your prayers.

Proverbs 24:10-12
If you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small. Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, "Surely we did not know this," Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?

2 year old Open-Air Preaches

We went down to Canal Park on Thursday to watch the Tall Ships come in. The crowd size just to watch the boats come in was insane. It was PACKED!

We found a good place to stand that gave us access to a funnel area. Again, the people had to walk by us. Josh and I did some open air preaching as the crowds funneled past us.

As the evening continued on, Tina and the girls joined up with us. Tina held the sign as Amariah began to "shout" (as best as a 2 yr. old can do) at those passing by: "stop sinning", "Trust Jesus", "Repent", "Jesus is God", "Obey Jesus". It was AWESOME! We have it on video tape and are hoping to make an educational video in the near future (jk). - but we do have it on video.

Proverbs 22:6

Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.

The Winandy's joined us as well. The spent the day up in Virgina, MN preaching against abortion and then headed down to meet up with us. It's nice to do battle with people who walk out their faith - PRAISE GOD! They stood on one end of the bridge (see picture above), we stood on the other. They managed to pass out all of our tracts. Leah was a machine! She was so thankful that she was able to preach the Gospel to 3 different people - something she said she had never done before - again PRAISE GOD. It's amazing how God blesses us when we step out in faith!

Ephesians 3:20

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us

At one point we were approached by a person from the Duluth bible church who was against our message, thinking repentance is NOT necessary for salvation. All of us managed to show her scripture and we were even helped by a few by-standers who were believers. The true Gospel was preached to that lady, although she wanted no part of it. She informed me that she was not going to "throw the pearl to the pigs" and walked off. Repentance not necessary????

Luke 13:3

"I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

We had no idea what the next few days were going to be about, it was beyond what we could have imagined! THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE and we were right in the middle of the majority of them. I will post those days photos and comments tomorrow.

I'll give you a hint: "Jesus" got His picture on the front of the Duluth News Tribune!

Finn Fest NOT Sinn Fest

We spent last weekend out in front of the DECC during Finn Fest. The theme of the day is that the majority of people thought we were protesting and/or against the Finnish people. We were assured by many that the "fins are probably the most christian people you'll meet."

Ironically, we had many people upset with out message, some even flicking us off and/or swearing continually at us because of our message. I guess their idea of, "most christian people you'll ever meet" is not the same as mine. we were told many times as well, "this is Finn Fest not Sinn Fest..what are you doing here!?"

One lady emphatically told me I needed to read my bible more. She said this because she was so sure the Finns are "ok with God". I told here we were not out here because of the Finns but because I know what the bible says about men (in short: they are sinners in need of a savior). I asked her if she knew what the bible said about men. She paused and replied, "nothing!". And I need to read my bible more! The following scripture is just one of MANY scriptures that says just how bad/wicked men really are:

Rom 3:10-12
as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE."

On a better note, we had many new faces join us this weekend. The Winandy family, Lori (becoming a regular), and Jesse and friends from Silver Bay.

One neat thing that happened this weekend is when Jesse came down from Silver Bay. We met him during Grandma's weekend and he (as well as us) were very excited to get together. This was our first chance. Jesse had just come back from California with Way of the Master learning about preaching and/or open-air preaching. As soon as we hooked up with him, we found a place for him and he started open-air preaching. Unfortunately I do not have any pictures, only video. We tried a few different spots before we found a VERY good spot where people had to stop and wait for traffic. We set up to the side and just behind where the people were gathered. Jesse stood on a tool-box, Josh manned a sign, and I recorded the preaching. It was GREAT! He only had about 30 seconds to share a message with them before they moved on, but many people heard a biblical message about sin, righteousness, and judgment. Open-air preaching in the marketplace! People HAD to hear!

Romans 10:17
Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God.

Jesse also had some friends with him who had a few young kids with them. These kids were PUMPED UP about passing out tracts. It seemed every few minutes they were begging Jesse for more tracts to pass out. They were passing out million-dollar tracts, so again, many more people God the message of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Way to go girls!!

Overall, it was a pretty laid-back, good weekend. Finn Fest recorded over 7,000 people, many of which we encountered in our three days of being out there. Just think, between the Air Show and Finn Fest over 40,000 people may have received the Gospel by mouth or the signs...40,000!

Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes

Duluth Air Show - 32,000 People Get The Gospel

WOW, what an experience this past weekend! We spent all day (9am-5pm) Saturday and Sunday out at the Duluth Air Show. It was estimated that over 32,000 people attended the two day event...and most, if not all, of them had to walk past our signs.

We arrived on Saturday having no clue what we were going to do, where we were going to go, and how it was going to all work out. We trusted in God, but still, that doesn't always mean things are going to go smoothly. We had a newcomer with us for Saturday, Lori. We met her the day before (actually we had spoken with her months ago on the streets) when we stood outside the DECC to confront people with an anti-abortion message with some other pro-lifers (that was intense, but another story for another time).

Josh and Lori station themselves at one point and I stationed myself a short distance from them. We were in the only funnel area that almost all spectators had to go through. It was a PRIME spot to share the Gospel.

It wasn't long before we got set up along Stebner road that the Air Show authorities approached me telling us we needed to move (they thought we were protesting the war/show). After the "officer" said his piece, I informed him that Stebner Rd. was a public road and that the general rule is that the public right-of-way is within 10ft. of the curb. He said they had a permit for the area and that the road was no longer public. I then let him know that I had documentation from the City Engineer, City Attorney, and Federal Court Cases showing that we indeed did have the right to be there. I escorted him to Josh who had the documents. After a few minutes and a discussion with the head of security, they understood our rights and left us alone. In fact, they stopped several times to ensure we were doing alright, not being hassled, and offered us water and sun-screen. It's pays to be prepared!

The amount of people was amazing. I had no idea this event was going to attract so many people. We didn't have many conversations (people were focused on getting into the event) but it was evident that the majority of the 32,000 people were reading the signs. We received thumbs up, "amens", "praise the Lord", and an occasional passer by wondering what "church" we were with. We also had several middle-fingers, head-shakes, and "get a life" types of things. I would say in the end I had 2 very good conversations with what I suspected to be unbelievers who were curious in our message. As usual, I talked about sin, judgment, and the righteousness found in Jesus Christ.

We were also able to pass about close to 100 tracts on Sunday as well. All we did was stand near the gated walkway and hold out our home-made tracts. We trusted the Holy Spirit would prompt someone to take them from us...and they did! We almost ran out!

We also met a few other believers who were a big encouragement to us. This type of ministry can get pretty mind-draining and seem to almost non-fruitful at times. However, God seems to bring a "great cloud of witnesses" to us just when we need them. I am so thankful to those believers who stop and talk to us, offering us prayer and encouragement. Hopefully we will be in contact with some of them in the near future, esp. those residing in the Twin Cities.

The "highlight" of the two days came on Saturday. Around 3pm the weather turned pretty nasty and a light mist turned into a down pour. The masses of people coming out was astounding. Very few people came prepared for such inclimate weather. they left the gated area in mass and they ALL had to filter right past us, often times being slowed down (or stopped)by vehicle traffic and foot-traffic congestion. They were "forced" to read our message, sometimes for a second or third time. To say we got SOAKED would be an understatement (Just a little FYI, I was soaked down to my underwear!!). It was worth it though, the Gospel was preached via our signs. Lori was a AWESOME for her first time out with us. She stayed the whole day, endured the rain, wind, and cold kept her focus. It was great to see others willing to sacrifice their comfort level (and physical comfort) for the sake of Jesus Christ.

One "picture" I will forever have in my mind is when a large group (probably a few hundred) were stopped by a line of cars coming out of the parking lot. All I could see were hundreds of people, many cars, rain all around me, and Josh's sign exalting the name of Christ within them all. The line of people extended for several hundred yards...hundreds of them! I wish many more could have seen it.

Praise be to God!!

Proverbs 24:25
But those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, And a good blessing will come upon them.

Reggae Fest and beyond

We spent Saturday July 12 outside of the Bayfront Festival Park as the Reggae Fest was going on. Although there were hundreds of people that entered the gated area, we had very few conversations. We learned too late that our message should have been geared towards their beliefs, calling them to repentance, to turn to the TRUE God, and obey Jesus. Next year should be more fruitful because our message will meet them where they are at.

The neat thing about this fest, and the Duluth Side Walk days is that a Vincent has started showing some sincere interest in coming out with us. He joined us one whole day on the streets of Duluth for sidewalk days and joined us the whole day during Reggae Fest. He even put on one of our new sandwich boards when I left. He did a great job of calling some young kids on bikes to repentance, to no longer live in sin, and TRUE faith in Christ (see inserted picture).

A quick story:

Josh and Vincent were out on the boardwalk one afternoon. They were walking up and down the boardwalk with sandwich boards on. A couple approached them and thanked them. They said their daughter had either seen us out before and/or talked to us at one point. They said their daughter now FEARS GOD because of the message we were preaching. Now, I don't know if she is a professing christian and what exactly was talked about, but either way, FEARING GOD is a good thing.... A VERY GOOD THING. Praise God.

Proverbs 8:13

The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way

Proverbs 9:10

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

A Homosexual Fears God

We found ourselves on the sidewalks of Duluth the sidewalk days from July 9-11. It was a busy time, but the weather was not very cooperative. We did get out for two full days, but missed the last day. It seems the people were more interested in the material things of the world, than the preaching of the Gospel.

We did have a few different encounters with the Police again. We came across the Potato Chip man, who preceded to get in Josh's face AGAIN, call the cops, and lie about us. Sure enough, the police came and had no problem with what we were doing. Funny thing, the Potato Chip man never sticks around to tell his side of the story.

One meaningful conversation I had was with a homosexual I had talked to before. He is talked about in another post. He approached me and we began to talk about small matters. As I was talking to him, two young girls approached and began to talk to me about being judgmental, etc. As I explained to them about God's standard, judgment, sin, righteousness, and eternal hell-fire they did not seem to care at all. I explained to them that on the day of judgment, they'll remember this conversation and wished they were scared back then. Just then the homosexual spoke up and said to the girls..."you should be scared. I'm scared. The two things that scare me are God and his judgment. I'm a homosexual and if the bible is right, I'm in big trouble."

Now, whether or not the guy meant it is not up to me. All I know is that the last time I talked to him, all he was trying to do was prove that homosexuality is ok and God is fine with it. Seems he's speaking a little different tone now.

Proverbs 16:6
By the fear of the Lord, men depart from evil

The only other conversation that really stands out to me is a conversation Josh had with a person for the Duluth Bible Church. I got a call from Josh about an hour into his conversation with this guy. When I got there, the topic was about Romans 7 and whether Paul is describing himself BEFORE he was a converted or AFTER he was converted. As I listened to Josh debate with this guy, it seemed the gentleman wanted to hear nothing from Josh. This man was convinced that Romans 7 is describing Paul AFTER his conversion. He also insisted that one can never lose their salvation, even if they become an atheist for the majority of their life. As long as they believe one time, then they are saved. I began to dialogue with the gentleman, trying to show that Romans 7 is speaking about Paul BEFORE his conversion, but the gentleman would have nothing to do with what we said.

Although I see no biblical support for Romans 7 describing Paul AFTER his conversion (outside of it being written in the present tense), the thing that bothers me more than anything, is that many people use Romans 7 to justify their unholy living. They think something to the effect of, "If Paul couldn't do it, then neither can I." And they justify their sinful life, their lukewarmness, their friendship with the world, and the list can go on and on. Now I do not want to downplay God's mercy and grace, but God doesn't just call us to Repentance and Faith and then say, "well that's it, go and do what you please. You're going to fail habitually and repeatedly, but that's ok, I still love you." NO! Jesus called us to be perfect as His father in heaven is perfect. The bible is filled with exhortations to STOP SINNING. Peter tells us to perfect holiness in ourselves in the fear of God. Now, all of this is done through the Power of the Holy Spirit, but it WILL BE DONE none-the-less. For time and space sakes, I'll stop for now. Should anyone like to discuss Romans 7, please contact me so we can discuss exactly what Paul IS saying.

Galatians 5:16-25
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.