Will Work For Food

What do you do when you see someone holding that sign?

My daddy, a preacher, always offered to buy them something to eat, sharing the gospel while they ate, if they accepted. I remember standing in a San Antonio square on vacation with my mom and six younger siblings one time while he carried this out. He also picked up hitchhikers when he was alone. To him the captive audience was more than worth the risk.

But what about me, a mom in a minivan?

Usually we have bottled water in the van to offer from the window. We've also gone through a drive-thru to come back with food. It never feels like enough. I always feel unprepared.

Now I know that it could be a racket. That they could be a criminal. But what if they aren't? What if they just have no where to go and no one who loves them? Either way, don't they just need Jesus?

I saw a woman with a sign today. I didn't see her until I was passing her. She was facing the other way. The kids didn't see her, they would have insisted that I help. I wanted to help. But I was supposed to be at choir rehearsal soon and didn't have much to offer. I wished I could really get out of the car and find out what her story was and really help her. Would that be safe? Are we always called to do what's safe?

This idea is at least a step in the right direction. Blessings bags pre-filled with food and toiletries. Kept in the car for such a time as this. And I'm going to be sure to include the gospel as well. Because even if I can't find out everything that they need, I can give them what they need most of all.

^{Matthew 5:42} Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

Evangelistic Movie

I've heard that this movie was inspired by Way of the Master's "Hell's Best Kept Secret".

Witnessing to "churched" people

We(the kids and I, Brian was sick) went to a live nativity (picture post forthcoming) today at a horse stable run by a Christian lady who takes this opportunity at Christmas to host this nativity, free cocoa, and hayrides, as an opportunity to share the gospel. After we saw the pageant and pet the animals we headed outside to the hayride, but it was full, and we ended up waiting beside a man and his little daughter. We started talking about the wind and cold, and progressed from there. By the time that we'd made it to his leaving a former denomination and becoming part of a local community church that he obviously loved, saying that that was when he came to a personal relationship with Christ, I was beginning to think that we were probably on the same page. But in our evangelism class at church this past fall, we were reminded that many churched people are not truly converted. I asked, "so when did you become a believer?", expecting a clear answer of when he had received Christ as his Savior. He answered simply that he'd always believed in God. I was beginning to be a bit concerned, so I asked my husband's favorite question, "Okay, If I were dying and had only five minutes left to live, tell me how I can know that I'm going to heaven.'' The reply? "Just open your heart, that's the best I can tell you." Our time was running out as we headed back to our cars, but I was feeling very concerned now that this man felt that he had a personal relationship with Christ apparently based on his belief in God and some experiences in feeling peace from God in specific life circumstances, but seemed could not share the basic gospel message with a seeking soul. I handed him a million dollar bill and briefly shared how the law was written on it, to teach us of our sinfulness so that we could see our need for a Savior. He told me that it was cool, and thanked me. Pray that God would open his eyes to clearly understand and accept the good news.

Witnessing in the Bible belt

Sometimes it can be annoying to witness to people in this "buckle of the Bible belt." You know, I finally work up the nerve to actually say something, only to find out that they go to the community church down the road and are a believer. Brian's way of dealing with this is to ask them to pretend that he's been shot and to give him the gospel in less than three minutes. I've devised a new strategy. I came up with it at the lake on Wednesday. We were feeding the ducks puffed corn while the bell tower played love songs. As we started to run low, a lady with two young boys feeding swans and geese at a nearby picnic table offered us a loaf of bread. We were chatting as we fed them together. I was ready to offer her a penny engraved with the Ten Commandments when I noticed the church logo on her shirt. I asked about her church, then if she was a believer in Jesus Christ and was going to stop there after her enthusiastic affirmation, but then decided to give her the penny anyway. I told her how I was going to use it to help her evaluate her life so that, were she not a believer, she would see her need for a Savior. Her son was doing the potty dance during my quick explanation, but I felt much more satisfied about the encounter. I think that this method works three ways. First, without expressing doubt in her believable claim that she is already I believer, I have shared the gospel with her and left her with a reminder in case she needs it. Second, I have left her with a witnessing tool, and taught her how to use it. And finally, if she is a believer, I hope that I have encouraged her to share her faith with others. So now, instead of being a little annoyed to find myself witnessing to yet another believer, I'll be excited to hopefully ignite the fires of evangelism in the believers that I meet.

Was that a cop-out?

Brian and his friend Ben have been teaching a Way of the Master evangelism class at church. If you're not familiar with it, they teach you to first help people recognize their sin by going to the law. The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul. By going through the Ten Commandments (Have you ever stolen anything? What does that make you? Have you ever committed adultery? Jesus said that if you look with lust you've committed adultery. Have you ever looked with lust? What does that make you? Have you ever murdered anyone? Jesus said that if you hate someone, you've murdered them in your heart), and showing people how they have broken God's law, therefore being guilty, and therefore being condemned to death and hell, you are able to present the gospel and Christ's sacrifice for us as truly good news.

Ethan has been listening to and being taught much of this as well. One day he asked me, "Mom, what's adultery?" My reply? "That's something adults do." I think that might have been a lame answer. Well, Brian was out witnessing this weekend a couple of times. Ethan has started asking him this week, rather persistently, when he can go witnessing with him. Then he informed him, "but I won't ask them about adultery, Dad, because that's something adults do, and I'm just a kid!"

If you've never heard it, go listen to Hell's Best Kept Secret from Way of the Master's audio lessons.

Bananas

Click over to my Brian's blog to see our kitchen table's new centerpiece.

Free Tracts

You can now download and print free tracts from the Irish Calvinist.