John 3:30

He Must Increase, I Must Decrease

self-control

Open Air Preaching from Home

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I am sure you’ve heard of “working from home.” But have you heard of open air preaching from home? I want to share what I think was a singularly unique experience to me. Maybe you’ll think so, too!

My 3 year old son Wesley had just gone outside into the backyard. My teenagers were on the couch with my 9 month old and my wife was gone. All was quiet on our little street and then I heard the doorbell, or a knock. I looked over and saw a man in a suit with a young boy. I figured they were Jehovah’s Witness, and headed over to the door.

The young boy showed me a pamphlet and was trying to talk to me. You could tell it was taking some courage for him to do whatever he was doing. Had he been a boy scout or a basketball player raising money for a trip, I’d have bought popcorn or candles or whatever he was peddling to encourage him.

After I took the pamphlet I looked quickly at it to find the JW markings. The man was saying something about Scriptures and the boy was talking about love…and I told them to hold on, while I went and grabbed a tract.

I always try to give JWs a tract because I have been told they are not allowed to take them. It’s a test, in a sense. If they take it, fine. If they refuse, it opens the door to asking them why I should take their stuff and they don’t take mine, etc.

So I went out on the porch and started asking the boy what he thought. He kept saying they were walking around to ask people what “they thought.” I asked him if he believed Jesus died on a cross for sinners, and he mumbled yes and then the older man corrected me and said Jesus died on a stick. I repeated that He died on a cross and then asked if they believed Jesus is God. The boy just stared and the man said “No.”

I don’t intend to prove this here, but if you do not believe Jesus Christ is God, (and not just “a” god, but the God) you do not believe the saving gospel.

So I started talking to the boy and telling him that whatever the man he is with has been telling him is false and will lead him to Hell. I started explaining that Jesus had to be God to die in the place of sinners; that if Jesus was only a man that He would not have been able to satisfy God’s wrath for sinners!

The reason I did this is twofold.

  1. I have found that JWs usually travel in pairs, (like Sith), and, like Sith, there is usually a learner and a ‘master.’ I believe all men who hear the saving gospel of grace and of Christ’s glorious resurrection can be saved, but I’ve found experienced JWs particularly hard to interact with. But a 9 or 10 year old child who was obviously nervous about whatever faith he had? I was sure I could get him thinking and maybe be used of God for his salvation.
  2. As I mentioned, the context was that I had a 3 year old alone outside, a couple of teenagers watching a baby and no wife at home. I didn’t believe I had time for a friendly conversation where I slowly tried to lead them to the gospel. Nor, honestly, do I want to listen to their beliefs. I know many wonderful Christians who will sit and listen to pagans share their thoughts and many times blaspheme Christ. I do not believe it is my duty to allow them the privilege.

The man immediately recognized what was happening and saw he would get nowhere with me and said, come on, let’s go. And he led the lad away. So I quoted Matthew 18:6 to him. They, of course, kept walking, so I kept talking, louder and louder. Within seconds I was open air preaching from my porch to this man and this child as they met with one of their cohorts across the street. I continued to preach the necessity of the new birth, believe in the deity of the Christ and the truth of the resurrection for the justification for sinners. You could see the bewilderment as I do not think they expected this, nor probably ever encountered it.

I started to hope I had neighbors who would hear the preaching too! I saw a family walking toward the house who looked like they may be the young lad’s family and I started preaching in their direction. Finally, they all headed as far away as they could until I could no longer see them.

I am sure some (Christian) people would not feel comfortable with this story. But when was this young man going to hear the gospel if not from the preacher whose door he was brought to providentially? Do I know how many more days any of those folks had before they met their maker? Do you not believe that it is through the foolishness of what we preach that men are saved from the wrath of almighty God?

I am not saying that is the only way to interact with JWs (or anyone). But I am grateful to God for the opportunity to preach His Word today, even if it was only for 3 minutes. 6 people heard the gospel, my own children heard me preach the gospel and saw the importance of it.

Maybe the sweetest part was coming inside and praying with my children for the salvation of sinners and then singing hymns together as worship of Jesus Christ! May God be praised and may He have mercy on the men and woman and children who visited my neighborhood today.

Miracles to Convert the World

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My wife just showed me a FB post where someone quoted Kris Vallotton saying that the church must demonstrate the miraculous works of Christ. It is at least implied that this is what allows nonbelievers to experience repentance.
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Here is my response:

The only miracle the world needs to see is people repenting of their superstitions and repenting of their desires for God to perform for them and, instead, trusting in His Word alone. 

How to be Good

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Be content with God’s goodness toward you and be thankful for the abundance as it is not owed to you.

1 Timothy 6:6–8 (NASB95)
6 But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.
7 For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.
8 If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.

Goodness is that quality in us which the Holy Spirit produces whereby we desire moral purity and to give charity toward the brethren and the heathen; it is the heart attitude by which our outward behaviors must be judged.

Are you patient or kind or peaceful because you are Good? Or do you try to do those other things to make yourself Good? Your legitimate kindness toward others, your self-control, your gentleness and humility are to be tempered by your Goodness: your moral uprightness as defined by God’s statutes revealed in His Word.

Proverbs 3:27 implies that God, who is always good and knows our need before we do, may seemingly withhold some good thing from us, like a wife or a husband, a job, a position at work or the church. He may let you have a dead child or spouse. He may not save family members as quickly as you’d like, but He is always good and thus, does not withhold good things from them to whom they are due. Therefore, the goodness you expect is either not due to you or it is not what is good for you at that time in His infinite and perfect wisdom.

There’s a preview of today’s Sunday School lesson I’ll teach at Berean Baptist Church where my views may or may not reflect the views of the church :).

The Eyes of Man

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The Lord and my local church honored me again with the privilege of speaking to my congregation this week. As is customary on Wednesday night in the summer, my directive was to bring an object lesson.

Continuing on the theme of the eyes (The Eyes of God), I want you to delve into the significance of man’s eyes.

To perform the object lesson found midway through the sermon, stand with your feet together and bend over to touch your toes. Make a mental note how far your fingers can reach. Then standing straight, put your right finger in front of your face and affix your eyes on it. Move your finger to the right and left, then up and down a few times. Do not move your head, but allow your eyes to stay fixated on your finger. Do that for about 30 seconds to a minute, then bend over to touch your toes again…notice any difference?

The Eyes of God

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When the Bible says “God saw” or refers to “God’s eyes” what do you think that means? Is God like we are. I had an opportunity for a short devotion this Sunday at my church and decide to look into the “Eyes of God.”

Notably, I posted about Habakkuk 1:13 years ago here. That is one of the verses I teach about in the above audio.

If you enjoyed “The Eyes of God,” – check out “The Eyes of Man.”

Michael Sam is the Least of Your Worries

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I am far more concerned that we have homosexuals as leading or influential individuals in corporations, government and schools than I am about Michael Sam and the hoopla surrounding his draft. There is a clear sense in Romans 1 that homosexual and other perversions of God’s design for sex indicate a debased mind. I have to wonder (and assume) if that debased mind is also incapable of good judgement in areas which would be seemingly disassociated from sexual orientation.

I understand that the religious right (which includes all sorts of wicked characters) didn’t want to see two men kiss on TV and have it endorsed by the NFL and ESPN, etc. I am totally on board with the fact that it isn’t about his sexuality and is not actually about football.

But think about it for a second, why should it bother you so much that a publicly homosexual man plays a professional sport (which he may not end up doing)? This guy is a pawn in a greater battle, sure, but what about the people championing his existence and sexual orientation? What about homosexuals in positions of influence and authority in our government or major financial institutions? My point is that you should be at least as concerned or outraged by every other instance of a homosexual being employed if an NFL player’s sexuality matters.

Aren’t there dozens of NFL leaders, ESPN editors, etc., who are promoting him? The lack of good judgement shown by these folks is more concerning. Michael Sam’s prowess as an NFL player will do very little to influence society. He isn’t going to make any laws (or change existing laws), he won’t make big financial decisions for corporations and he isn’t going to be teaching children in a daycare or school. Yes, he is wrong to be homosexual, but he isn’t the main problem.

I agree and hate the media circus surrounding all this. I understand the logical failures going on. But isn’t it a logical failure to suddenly be enraged that a corporation which consistently promotes alcohol use, mostly naked dancing girls and profanity seems to be quite ok with another form of evil, homosexuality? Isn’t the NFL just the product of the fan base? They are not selling something people do not want. And why does it bother you more that a homosexual man is flaunting it, but most of the NFL is unmarried fathers, drug users adulterers and revelers.

Michael Sam is nobody. He’s worse than nobody, he’s a nobody who’s been made a somebody so he’s even more self-deceived about his own merit than when he was in the closet. He is now in the spotlight, and while Christian bloggers everywhere are re-proving what’s already been said about the whole “gay debate” there are thousands of other evildoers walking before our eyes and having a greater impact on our society and culture, and, inevitably I’m afraid, God’s judgement on our nation.

So pray without ceasing. Pray for your government representatives. Pray for teachers, police officers, CEOs. Pray for the religious right who will stand on the right side of this issue until the day they die and face the same angry God who will cast homosexuals into the lake of fire. God can and will continue to save souls, and Sam’s pathetic and irrational choice to thrust himself into the spotlight may be just the topic of conversation which will be the open door you need to dispense the gospel to a neighbor, coworker or family member.