OSA 2009, July 21 and 22, Tuesday and Wednesday

If you have not already read the introduction to this mission trip report please read it, Here.
Read Day 1
Read Day 2
Read Day 3
Read Day 4
Read Day 5
Read Day 6

On Tuesday morning, my brother Michael went with a team to a hospital which claims to be pro-life, but has an abortionists on staff. I went with the Yoders', and a large team to an abortion clinic called "BCC". This murder mill is at the end of an alley, and to get there you have to drive past a church (which was very supportive of us) and a crisis pregnancy center. "Our people" had set up, in the parking lot of a business building, some of the signs which we had used on Fremont street, and a sound system from which to preach. The clinic was open and mothers were going in escorted from their cars by clinic workers. There were a several ladies sidewalk counseling, and I joined these to offer literature to the mothers as they drove down the ally. It was very saddening to see those mothers going into that place of death despite the cries for mercy that they heard. I am sure that there were many more mothers who decided not to go in because we were there, and when that happens they are more likely never to come back. We pray so.

As I waited for cars to come, an older man road up on his bike and stopped when I offered him literature. He kept glancing at the large signs of babies killed by abortion, so I asked if he had seen those pictures before. He said no, but he did know that abortion was very bad. I then asked him, "Do you know Jesus?" He said, "No, but I know I need to." So I began to reason with him about the Law, Righteousness and Judgment, explaining sin, and our need for a Savior. He agreed about his need and seemed truly broken and tender hearted. He said, "I wish you had talked to me two days ago. But, I guess it's not too late for God." I told him, no it was not too late, but he needed to repent and cry out for mercy now and not wait. I asked if I could pray for him, he agreed and told me his name is Dennis. When I prayed, God broke my heart and I began to cry out to God to for Dennis. He began to cry and say "thank you God, thank you God." He did not own a Bible, so I ran to get one from one of the ladies there who had several to give away. As I walked back to him, I saw that it was in Spanish, oops. But instead of going back to see if she had an English one, I handed it to Dennis and asked if he knew Spanish, he said "yes". Then I realized he was of Mexican decent, I had not even noticed! After thanking me, he turned back the way he had just come and began to ride away, he said "I will not forget you."

Please pray for Dennis. I pray that the seed fell on good ground that day and will bring forth much fruit.

After this we met back up with Michael and his group, then headed off to Planned Parenthood. Our leaders thought that we would not be able to stay very long, because this PP is in a mall complex and we set up with our signs on their property.


PP shared a balcony with a coffee shop called "reJAVAnate", and many of our people went in to buy lattés. (Michael and I had one of their slushies and it was really good :) The manager was very friendly, saying that he did not like having PP as a neighbor, and set up extra tables and chairs for us. One PP worker came out with a vest that said "Escort".
Soon the police arrived. We expected to be told we were trespassing and needed to leave, instead they just stood around and watched us.

We stayed for a whole hour! I remember looking at some friends as we exclaimed to each other, "Can you believe what we are doing?" It was absolutely incredible.

Some mimes who had been doing their acts at other place with us, began to do their skits right there. It was amazing. I still can not get over the fact that we were allowed to stay!

After lunch, and a cool down, the Yoder "kids", Zastrow "kids", Michael and I gathered in the park by our hotel for a good old fashioned game of "Prisoners base". We had a blast even though it was around 115 degrees!

The Zastrow family

The evening rally was a time of rejoicing, and sadness as we said goodbye.

As I looked around that night at all those people whom I had come to love, my eyes filled with tears. Yet we all rejoiced at the thought that there is coming a day in Heaven when we will not have to say goodbye any more!
Michael and I met a dear brother from Jamaica who encouraged us in the Lord and invited us to visit him in his country. Wouldn't that be neat? What a blessing to fellowship with the brethren, I do so love the family of God.

Michael, brother Levi, me

At 3:00 am, Michael and I both got up to say goodbye to the Yoders' as they left for Missouri, it is hard to say goodbye. We were taken to the airport around 9:00am with Mr. Tuttle and made an uneventful flight back to Minneapolis MN airport where our Mom picked us up.

Mr. Tuttle waiting at our gate; notice the slot machines behind him.

From the Las Vegas airport, I love those mountains.

Here are some pictures from the plane...

Las Vegas from the air.

Leaving Las Vegas.

A storm over Minneapolis, our flight was delayed for five minutes because of it.

It was good to come home, and we do not miss Las Vegas! :-)

We praise God for a wonderful trip, safety, and pray that He was glorified in it.

Check out Michael's blog for his take on the trip.
Check out our Picasa Web Album for many more pictures, too many to post.
Also check out Ken and Jo Scott's Web Album for more pictures.

And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go you therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
(Matthew 28:18-20)

Day of Mercy - Part Two

Read Part One first!

"And there they preached the gospel." Acts 14:7

After the abortion clinic we went to the University of Minnesota Duluth, where Steve and Josh had already been for an hour with a gospel sign. We joined them and the three guys began taking turns preaching to the crowds of students coming off the busses. Sue, who we had talked to on Friday, came by again but did not want to talk to my Mom and I. Instead she talked to Steve and Josh who were answering questions and giving the gospel to a group waiting for a bus. She asked them, why did they want to go to Heaven. Steve answered, "Because God is there." She mentioned needing something more and Steve asked "Why would anyone want anything more than God?" She seemed to be on the defensive and we hope that this is because of God's conviction in her heart. We have been praying for her.

God really does prepare us for the particular people He will bring for us to share the gospel with. He brings the ones who have the questions and needs which He has prepared us to answer. It is very comforting to know this, but amazing to experience. My Mom and I were handing out tracts, when an older man began talking to my Mom about how "turned off" he is by "all this born again stuff." He shared his story of a wound inflicted by a loved one claiming to be born again and how he did not want anything to do with being born again, because of it. My Mom was able to share with him a similar experience of hers and told him that we cannot blame God for other peoples actions. At that he seemed to soften and wanted to read one of our tracts! Please pray for Tim (name changed).

As one group of students got off of a bus, I noticed a young man who was looking at our signs. I walked over and handed him a tract, which he took and immediately read from cover to cover. I asked him what he thought about it and he said that he had grown up hearing that God is not as "harsh" as we were portraying Him. I explained the gospel to him using an example Steve had been using, which I think is really good. We can see how much God loves us by looking at Jesus on the cross, that He would take our sins upon Himself and suffer for us like that, the just for the unjust, shows how much He loves us. We can also see how much God hates sin by looking at the cross. When Jesus, God's first begotten son, hung on the cross bearing our sins, God, His Father, crushed Him. Isaiah fifty-three says that in pleased the Lord to bruise Him. God hates sin so much that He poured out the fury of His wrath on His own Son when He was bearing our sins. If God would do that to His own Son, what will He do to unrepentant, unbelieving sinners?

Bryan (name changed) asked what "repent" means. I said "It is a turning away from sin, to God." then explained a little what that means. He wanted to know who he could contact later and talk more about this stuff, so I motioned Steve over who began telling Bryan many of the same things I had already said but in more detail. Bryan asked if he could be saved today! Steve told him, "Yes! The Bible says "Today is the day of Salvation!" Bryan asked if it was not too late for him, because he had lived a rough life. Steve told him that God is merciful and that Jesus bore all his sins on the cross. Bryan said he has many questions, because it is all so new to him. He said that he had been an atheist and that he had just recently started seeing his need for God and had begun to read the Bible. He said that his Dad is an "evangelical Catholic" and that just then he had been on his way to talk to a priest, because they told him that he had to go through classes to get baptized. But he had seen our sign and thought he should talk to us first! Steve told him that he should steer clear of the Catholic church and that one reason for that was even in what Bryan had just said. They told him he needed to go to classes to be baptized, Steve explained, "Jesus said that we need to repent and believe, then be baptized." there is nothing about needing classes in the Bible. Steve offered to take Bryan out to lunch some day soon where they could talk more about all of this, they exchanged contact information and I pray that they will be in touch soon.

I cannot explain what it was like to see someone so tender to the gospel, someone on whose heart God has been working, someone who is on, what I would say is the brink of salvation. We could just see God working on him and I did not want to say or do anything that would turn him away from the Savior. As Steve was talking with him I was strongly impressed that we needed to pray for him before he left. Just before he left, Steve asked him if we could pray for him, then asked me to pray! God is so good!

Please pray for Bryan! Pray that God will save him and will not let the enemy snatch him away.

After that, a guy with a sign came out. His sign said: "Bob loves you, no not like that, embrace Bob" He was an atheist mocking God and the gospel. My Mom spoke with him and found out his name is Saul (name not changed) We pray that God will turn him to be like Paul.

Shortly after he came out, five girls went across the street from us with their own signs which said: "Doesn't God love everyone?" and "I will think what I want", "This is a School, not a Church, keep it to yourself" and some others. Steve began preaching to them, then my Mom, Josh and I went over to talk with them and my Mom gave them the gospel. They claimed to be Christians who did not like our message and did not believe you need to repent to be a Christian. My Mom explained that repent and believe are tied together, you cannot have one without the other and be saved. We left them and Steve went over to them and began preaching very earnestly.

Meanwhile, more atheist had gathered around Saul. They began to mock preaching and to mock God. One falsely accused Michael, turning away, Michael began to pray out loud, thanking God for being counted worthy of false accusation for His name's sake. My Mom and I began to pray out loud, praising God and reading the Bible. The spiritual battle was intense.

We crossed the street to stand with Steve and Josh and to hold signs while Josh caught the action on video camera. Their lawyers have told them to keep the video camera rolling while on the streets, so that if someone does something to hurt us, or the police act against the law, we will have evidence. By this time a crowd had gathered around Steve and more signs had been brought out, one of which said: "I will forgive you for $1" Steve told the guy holding it, "The goodness of God is that His forgiveness is free!" At one point in his preaching, Steve said, "We are out here to warn you. If you were in a burning building, it would be the loving thing to do to warn you. That is what we are doing." A guy on the edge of the crowd said, "You're out here to warn us?" He seemed surprised. We gave him a tract which he took away with him. He seemed to be in a very serious state of mind. As I watched all this taking place and saw Steve pleading with these people and reasoning with them for their souls, I thought "This is the goodness and mercy of God!" 1 Corinthians 1:21 says: "For since in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased god by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." Also read through to verse 31 !

Another guy began asking Steve some very good questions, which Steve used to preach to the crowd. This guy talked with Steve for a long time! I did not get to hear how it ended.

Still another guy talked with my Mom for a good while, asking many questions. He was very surprised when she quoted Psalms 66:18 "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." He had never heard of that before. Neither had he heard that you can be saved at once ( as in 2Cor. 5:17 "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.") and do not need to work your way to Heaven and eventually hope to get it right in purgatory. Please pray for him as well.

One lady told me that she is a Christian but thinks our message should be "more loving". I mentioned what I had just read in Mark chapter one, before Jesus even got His disciples, He went all throughout Galilee preaching, "repent, and believe the gospel." She said that He did not tell people like the adulteress that they were going to hell. (For the record, we do not say to specific people, 'you are going to hell', we tell who the Bible says are going to hell. Using verses like, 1Cor. 6:9-10 and Galatians 5:19-21) I told her that those people already knew. The Jews knew the law, they did not need to be told that they were sinners, had broken God's law and were under God's wrath. They needed to be told that the Messiah had come and to believe. Later when Paul preached to the Greeks, he went to the public places and debated with them, beginning at creation, then to the law and finally to the cross. If people do not know their sin and their need for a savior, Jesus will mean nothing to them. He will need to be as He is now being portrayed in most modern evangelism, an accessory to your life, someone who will help you and give you good things. What we have lost is the understanding that these people, who have no concept of the Bible, the Laws of God and the history of those who obeyed and those who did not, do not know they need a savior. We must begin where Paul began, at creation and take it from there. Remember that tribe in Papua New Guinea? Our nation has become much like those people.

O.K. I did not quite say all of that to this lady, the gist of it was there though and after I was done she said, "I guess I see what you're saying. God bless you!" Then she left.

This was the longest time we have been out pleading for the lost, to date, eight hours! With a one hour break in between. We got cold! We praise God for the opportunity and for His direction throughout the day! I cannot tell you how happy and excited we were on our way home! When we obey the Lord, it sure makes us happy! Perhaps one thing American Christians are lacking is the joy and happiness in obedience?

"For you remember, brethren, our labor and travail: for laboring night and day, because we would not be a burden unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. 1 Thessalonians 2:9

The BEST 10 Min. Video I Have Ever Seen!

This is truly amazing and left me weeping for joy at what our God has done!

I am sure you will want your whole family to see this - It is 10 minutes 31 seconds

Trevor's Story

Friday we went back to the Duluth Skywalk system with our witnessing team. We handed out close to a hundred tracts and had some really good conversations.

Several months ago a rough looking man walked past Steve and Josh as they stood outside at the Holiday Center in Duluth, he cursed and swore at them and continued to do this every time he walked by. So on Friday when Steve saw this same man walking towards us in the skywalk, he thought "oh boy, here we go again." But as Trevor (name changed) passed by us, he quietly said, "Thank you for what you are doing." Steve was surprised but managed to ask, "Are you born again?"

"Yes"

"When did this happen?"

"About a month ago."

He seemed to be in a hurry but later sought us out and took a tract. He stood near us reading it, then Steve began talking with him and Trevor's story unfolded:

A month ago he had come to the very end of his rope. He was going through a painful divorce, was doing drugs and drinking and had hit rock bottom. He took a gun, put it in his mouth and pulled the trigger-- it did not fire. He put the gun down, looked up at the sky and said "I've never talked to you before" and there, weeping, he found grace before the throne of God through Jesus Christ. He told Steve "Jesus is all I have, no one else can help me."

Please pray for Trevor, I wish I could paint for you the picture of that serious, sober look, that was in his face and eyes. I have not seen much like it.

Do you see the power of God in this man's life? Oh, how our God loves to use the foolish things of this world to confound the wise and the weak things to confound the mighty! Where is the disputer of this world? has God not made foolish the wisdom of this world? Praise God that He will have mercy on whom He will have mercy and whom He will He hardens!

To God be the Glory!

Please watch this Street Preacher's video: This is Kevin from Cry to God, --- this video is the best street preaching I have heard yet!

Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon in Duluth MN

Praise God for more witnessing opportunities!

On Sunday, my brother and I went out with Steve and Josh to go witnessing at the Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon in Duluth MN. Josh had fixed up his car with a sign holder on top which carries four gospel signs. As we drove around for a while looking for a good place to set up, it was fun to watch peoples heads turn to read the signs. After a while we began to wonder if we would find a good place to park since the area was packed, then we came to a barricaded section of the road where the police were allowing people to park. At the very end, in front of some more barricades and in sight of the race track we found an open parking place all by it's self and in a location which could hardly have been better. It was definitely God picked!

Steve began by preaching out of the car window with a manual bull horn. Soon, two reserve police officers showed up saying that they had received complaints from people who did not want their children to hear the word "hell". (I'm thinking: With all the things people allow their kids to hear on tv, you have got to be kidding me!) The officer said that Steve should be a "good person" and stop doing what he was doing. She said to the effect, that as far as she knew we were not breaking the law but since people were offended we should stop. Of course we could not agree to that! They left and called an in service officer who came and told us that using the bull horn was "disorderly conduct" ! Though this was a bogus claim, we did not want to lose more time and agreed not to use it. The officer then left and Steve got out to preach in the open air while I handed out tracts. The temps were bellow zero, so when we got cold, we switched with Michael and Josh.

It went very well and the gospel was given. This is the first time I have heard Michael preach and it was a great joy to him reasoning with the lost.

Please visit Michael's new blog for a video of the proceedings: Operation Save Duluth : Preaching at Bear Grease Marathon 2009

Seed Sowing

On Thursday last week we had the blessing of getting back on the street with our friends who are street preachers! Because of the cold, our "street" this time was a heated pedestrian over pass. Very nice indeed! We handed out quite a few tracts and had several good conversations. One man who had already been given a tract walked by again and Steve asked if he was going to read it, he said "Yea". Steve said "that didn't sound very convincing", the man turned around and said "oh, then you better give me another one". Steve handed him another one and said "you threw it away didn't you?" The guy laughed a little and said "How did you know?" Steve said "The Bible says that all liars will be cast into the lake of fire." That started a conversation that lasted fifteen minutes with this Jewish man named Kenny. Please pray for him, he said that he was going to think about what Steve had told him.

Yesterday, (Tuesday) we went out again, this time to the University of Minnesota Duluth. We had one gospel sign and two graphic abortion signs. Steve and Michael preached to the crowds of students getting on and off the buses and I handed out tracts. One campus police officer came because of some complaints and told us that we were fine where we were and it was our legal right to be there.

An atheist tried to reason with us and was given the gospel along with some things to think about. A young man came by taking our pictures and talked to us for some time. He was upset by the abortion pictures saying that we were showing them to "play on peoples emotions and to make people angry". Steve told him that we were showing them to let people know the truth of what abortion is and what it does to people. I told him that it is the same as the holocaust and there he interrupted along with two other young men who had joined him. "You are saying that abortion is equal to the holocaust?" He asked incredulously. "Yes, even worse" I answered. "almost fifty million babies have been killed"

"There were millions of Jews"

"Yes, six million Jews, fifty million babies." I compared.

"But they were a specific group of people that were targeted" one of them added.

"Exactly!" I said, "A specific group of people, babies."

They had to concede the point and quickly changed the subject. Steve repeatedly turned the conversation back to the gospel and they kept trying to turn it back towards their anger at the signs. The first guy told us that he did not agree with that type of abortion but there were other types. We told him that either way a person is killed. He said that he did not believe that there was life until birth! I told him that such a statement was only his personal opinion because the scientific research of many doctors, including pro-abortion doctors, showed that life begins at conception. He said that he did not know that! Praise God! Even though he went on to say that it would not change his mind on abortion, at least there was something planted that God can use. He and the others heard the gospel of Jesus Christ and we can pray that God will use it.

At one point God prompted me to go talk with a lady who stood near us. When I offered her a tract she refused and I asked if she had ever read the Bible. Our conversation was short but I pray that God will use that seed planted as well. She even gave me a quick hug before leaving.

It was that conversation that set me to thinking, because I felt like I stumbled around at some points and probably sounded silly to her. But, it is not up to me to save people, my job is to obey. God has told us to preach the gospel and we need to stay true to that command, it is easy to try and embellish it making it look more attractive to the carnal mind. We often want to build up strong arguments to show that we are really not as foolish as we sound, but what if someone believes those arguments? Their faith is then grounded in mans reasoning and not on God Himself. Apologetics is good and we need to know what we believe and why, but God told us to preach the gospel and He said that it would seem foolish to the world. Were you saved because of historical proof for the Bible and it's accuracy? I wasn't, it was the simple message of the gospel through which God led me to repentance and faith on Him.

So, I need to rest knowing that it is God who brings the increase. We obey, sowing the seed and watering the seed and God brings the increase. It is up to Him who will be saved, we need only to obey.

Yeah!

What a blessed rest we can have knowing that!

We stood out there for about three and a half hours and towards the end another young man brought out a home made sign and stood near us. Here is a picture:

His sign says "Love and rejoice for paganism. To be heathen is heavenly"

It was more like a cry for help than anything else. Michael felt prompted to go talk to him and they talked for a long time, then Steve joined in and without having heard what Michael had already said, began to say the exact same things! We pray that God will use the seed planted there as well.

Praise God for a great seed sowing day and we pray for many more to come! May God bring some fruit though our labors, for His glory!

Take a look at....

This: Sinner Gets Saved !

On Loving God

As I was praying this morning, I thought that it would be good to be more specific than just saying, "I love you" to God. So I began to list the things I love about Him.

I love that He created everything, the time He took and the wisdom and complexity He used. I love His hatred of sin and that He is angry at the wicked every day. I love His justice and mercy when He overthrew the earth with water, yet saved Noah and family alive. I love His promises and His Law. I love His righteousness. I love that He abhors all that is evil and loves all that is good and that all that is good comes from Him. I love His beauty and I love that He loves to get glory for Himself.
I love His way of salvation and that He planned it before the world began. I love that He humbled Himself to become a man and I love that He did no sin, though He was tempted like us. I love the way He healed people and I love the parables He told. I love how He taught His disciples and I love how He prayed in the garden, "not my will, but Thine be done." I love His obedience to the Father in His death on the cross, bearing my sins. I love the Father's justice in crushing His own Son when He became sin in my place. I love that Jesus arose from the dead and showed Himself to five hundred. I love that He said, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." I love that He ascended into heaven and that He sits at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us.
I love His Holy Spirit which He sent to teach us. I love His Word. I love His people, His church. I love the way He saves His people and that it is His work and that He uses us. I love that He convicts the heart of sin and grants repentance unto life. I love the way He changes lives and turns hearts to Himself and I love that he protects and keeps His own. I love that He calls His people to holiness when He said, "be ye Holy as I am Holy." I love the preaching of His word and the singing of His praise and I love that everything is by Him, to Him and for Him. I love His glory. I love His wrath and the fear of the Lord. I love His wisdom and His mercy and grace and His power and justice, judgment, longsuffering, His jealousy and His love. I love that He is coming again to claim His bride and to destroy the earth and to judge both small and great. I absolutely love that He is Holy, Holy, Holy!

Yes, I love God.

Then I have to stop and think, where does that love come from? Some of the things listed are not natural to love. Did I really say that I love His wrath? Yes, because I do, but why? Why would I love that He is angry with the wicked every day? I know the answer. It is because He has caused me to fall so in love with Himself that I love everything about Him. He has kindled a love in my heart that will not be quenched but will only grow brighter with the passing of time. I love His character and attributes, He is so beautiful, so good, faithful, just and right. Oh, what a great God He is, there is no one like Him! It is no wonder that one great theme of the scriptures is for us to praise Him!

Let us Praise Him!

"Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD'S name is to be praised. The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high, Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth! ... Praise ye the LORD." ! (Psalms 113:1-6)

Please write what you especially love about God. I know that there are many things that I did not mention that we can love about God. Does anything come to mind? please leave a comment with it!

Sober Thoughts

Surprisingly, I have not dropped off the face of the earth but rather have been very busy! : )

This was my first year to can salsa, jelly and catsup! They turned out well, so I hope to do more of the same next year.

Lately the Lord has been helping me to examine myself, to see if I am truly saved. (2 Corinthians 13:5)

I have been raised in a Christian home and by that I do not mean a typical "Christian" home. I know the Bible, I have been taught how to live and how to seek the Lord. I know these things, but are they just in my mind, do I just know them by knowledge? Or, do I know Him? For Real?

Oh, it is easy to fool other people into thinking that you are saved, many people do that, but I have never thought that I was deceiving people. This then brings the question, can a person deceive themselves? The answer is sobering. Look at what Jesus said: "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21) This is a serious thing! Read the same chapter through verse 23, Many will say Lord, Lord we did this and that in your name but Jesus will say to them, "I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." So, is this saying that many who think they are saved and think that God is working through them, are still under the wrath of an angry God? I think it is and the question that makes me tremble is; am I like that?

A person who is deceived does not know they are deceived. Think about Paul when he was persecuting Jesus' disciples. If you could have asked him what he thought about his standing with God, would he not have told you something like this: "God is very pleased with me, look at all the good he is doing through me. See how zealous I am for his Holy name." Paul was not looking for salvation on the road to Damascus! He thought that he was just fine. It was only the incredible mercy of God that revealed to him his need for the Saviour.

How many are in such a state? How many are going along in life, calling Him Lord, yet they do not know Him?

It is only the mercy of God... and that of an angry God, that will bring us to salvation. Can we say this is unfair? Read Romans 9, especially verses 14-29.

1 John gives some wonderful tests for the professing believer to examine themselves with, and it says, These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:13)

So, I have been looking at these things and asking, do I have the fruit of the Spirit? Galatians 5:22-25, John 15:2 and vs. 16

*Have I repented of sin and continue to repent? Do I hate my sin and turn away from it, crying out to God to help me? Luke 5:32, Acts 11:18, Romans 2:4, 2 Corinthians 7:10, 2 Timothy 2:25, 2 Peter 3:9

*Do I love God and His people? Do I keep God's commandments? 1 John 5:1-3, ch. 2:3-6 1 John 3:18

*Where and what are my thoughts? 2 Corinthians 10:5

*Do I love the world? 1 John 2:15

*Who or what do I talk about most? James 1:26

*Do I walk in darkness? 1 John 1:5-7

*Do I have fellowship with God through His Spirit? 1 John 1:2

.......and more.

As all this has been going on, I have come to realize that I am not what I thought I was. I was deceiving myself in thinking higher of myself than I ought to think. (Romans 12:3) Now when I look at my life, it is with grief and sorrow for all the ways I have disobeyed my Lord. But...when seeing my depravity, I see that the fruit which does show forth cannot possibly come from myself, it must be Him.

"But, oh Lord, look how great my sin is."

"No, look at Me, see how much greater I am."

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. (Romans 5:8-9)

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. (John 15:4)

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. (John 15:16)

As a side note of proclamation: It is snowing right now!

On being a good witness

In these days that we live in, we hear so much about God's love, mercy, forgiveness and compassion. Phrases are used, such as: "accept Jesus into your heart", "just believe", "Jesus is knocking on your heart's door, won't you let Him in?" and many other sayings.

While it is very true that God is love (1 John 4:8), that He is full of mercy, forgiveness and compassion, (Psalms 145:8-9) (Isaiah 63:7), He is also a Holy God (1 Peter 1:15-16) (Revelation 4:8), a just judge (Jeremiah 23:5) (Deuteronomy 32:4) (1 Peter 4:5) (Romans 2:16), an angry God (Psalms 7:11), full of fury (Nahum 1:2) (Isaiah 59:18) (Isaiah 63:3-4) (Isaiah 66:15-16) (Ezekiel 8:18), and wrath (John 3:36) (Romans 2:5-6) (Revelation 6:16-17) (Revelation 19:15) (Colossians 3:6) (Ephesians 2:3).

We are vile, sinful, evil and wicked. (Isaiah 59:2) (Romans 3:23) (Philippians 3:21) (Psalms 38:4) (Psalms 90:7-8). We cannot make ourselves clean; "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." (Isaiah 64:6)

How many times did Adam and Eve sin before they were cast out of the garden? God's standard is absolute perfection, Himself. Can we be like God? If even our righteousness is as filthy rags before Him, where does that leave us? We cannot even pay off our debt of sin by doing good, even our best works are abominable in His sight. Imagine a thief who repents and stops stealing. Is his debt now paid off, just because he is not stealing anymore? We are commanded to do good, so doing good won't pay for our past debt. We must conclude that we are utterly doomed and deserve to be crushed under the wrath of the One and Only Omnipotent God, Creator of heaven and earth, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and that we are completely cast upon His mercy.

Oh but "He's a pretty forgiving guy isn't He?" (I have actually been asked that). Well...no, have you ever read the Old Testament? He is the same God now as He was then. God is not obligated to save us, it is of His own choosing to redeem us. There is nothing in you or I that would cause God to want to save us. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? (Romans 9:14-24)

God does not need us, He is complete in Himself; "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." (Revelation 22:13) His aim is to get glory for His own name; "For my name's sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off. Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another." (Isaiah 48:9-11)

Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; (Psalms 33:18)We are commanded to fear the Lord; "Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name. He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen." (Deuteronomy 10:20-21)

This is why God's mercy is so very incredible! He, the Holy just judge, is willing to pardon wicked vile sinners? And at what price?

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)

Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:10-11)

Jesus Christ, God's Son, took the fierce wrath of God on Himself, in our place. He drank of the cup of wrath from God's hand and when He was finished there was nothing left against us. "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." (Hebrews 8:12) Jesus Christ rose again from the dead and has ascended into Heaven. He has promised to come again: "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." (Revelation 22:12-14)

It is the work of God to save a soul but He has commanded us to preach the gospel. We must be careful to give the gospel that is in the whole Bible and not just one that has been fitted to make everyone feel good.

For more (really good) discussion on this topic please visit: http://fruit-of-her-hands.blogspot.com/2008/10/handmaiden-of-lord-post-2.html

Salvation!

There is something I have been wanting to share with you all, but I had to first make sure that all our friends who read this blog knew about it first.

On Tuesday September 30, 2008, my brother Michael was saved!

We are rejoicing!

At the age of seven he had such a fear of going to hell that he prayed and asked God to save him. He made a confession of faith through baptism and as life went on he became very passionate for righteousness. He could pray wonderful prayers and talk knowledgably about the Bible, those who knew him outside our immediate family did not question his salvation.

But...on that particular Tuesday we were packing chickens and we all wanted something to listen to, so I put on a sermon by Paul Washer entitled: "Examine Yourself" based on 2 Corinthians 13:5,

"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?"

In 1 John, there are tests that we can give ourselves to see if we really are in the faith.

Michael began to examine himself and realized that he was not saved. 1 John 1:5-7 struck him hard:

"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."

Michael fell on his knees and cried out to God to have mercy on his soul and save him. God answered mightily! All of a sudden Michael was quiet and then said in amazement, "I'm saved. Praise God, I'm saved! He did it, He saved me!" Can you imagine the joy, excitement and rejoicing that we all had?

Now I have a new brother, he is completely changed, old things have passed away behold all things have become new! He is different! What used to be controlled by emotion and passion is now led by the Spirit of the living God and there is a big difference! Praise God!

This last Sunday, the 5th, as some friends looked on, Michael made a true confession of faith through baptism, in cold Lake Superior!