Now that's evangelism!? - pt. 8

I will never try sushi but I may give Jesus a try sometime...what?

Now that's evangelism!? - pt. 7

Oh, okay thanks.

Now that's evangelism!? - pt. 6

Really?

Now that's evangelism!? - pt. 5

There has been some confusion as to why I am posting some of these pictures. There may be some truth in each image. My question is concerning the efficacy of this cheese for evangelism. I understand that God can use anything to draw people to himself, but we need to remember that salvation is from the Lord and not from cheese.

Now that's evangelism!? - pt. 4

This will certainly cause conversion.

Now that's evangelism!? - pt. 3

Can someone help me out with this one? What does the pagan learn from this billboard?

Now that's evangelism!? - pt. 2

I have never understood this one. What is the outcome of illegal graffiti evangelism?

Now that's evangelism!? - pt. 1

Recently I have been disgusted by "Christians" who think they are reaching the world with cheese. You have probably seen examples - the bumper sticker stating "Jesus is my co-pilot" and the shirt with "body piercing saved my life" printed under a gruesome picture of nail-pierced hands. I wonder how many positive conversations for the sake of the gospel have arisen because someone read a shirt, bumper sticker or billboard. Is this really an effective way of reaching the lost? I don't get it?

I am going to begin a series devoted to Christian Cheese. The idea is not my own. Others have published similar images and blog postings. As you look at the images on this blog answer this question - what are they trying to accomplish?

This was drawn as an outreach tool for an evangelical church in the mid-west. It was entitled "The Etch-A-Sketch Gospel."

Judges 16:17

"...if my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man."

Starbucks, Malachi and a Woman called Kitty

Much to the chagrin of many of you, I frequent the local Starbucks. There are a few reasons I make this an almost daily habit. 1.) I enjoy the coffee. 2.) I enjoy building relationships with the employees. Over the past year I have been able to have some meaningful conversations with a few of the employees (one of them being the store manager). I have prayed for them often, asking God to provide opportunities to talk about Him.

Wednesday I walked in the store and a few of the green-aproned personally greeted me and my coffee was waiting for me as I approached the counter. They know me well.

One lady, we will call her Kitty because that's her name, began her conversation with "I need to talk to you about the bible." What?! She went on to ask me about the book of Malachi and the stern words from God about His hatred of divorce. Her boyfriend (she has already been married and divorced) is attending a bible study at an evangelical church in town and for some reason they are studying the book of Malachi. In the midst of my coffee purchase she expressed her disgust at God's words. "What was I supposed to do," she asked. "We didn't get along and we had to get divorced." Still in shock, I began to talk to her about other places in the bible that speak of divorce. Another employee approached the counter and listened in on the conversation. After a few minutes she said, "would you come during our break and lead a bible study?" Others chimed in with approval. Several other customers entered the store so our conversation had to end. As I walked to my car I asked myself, "did that really just happen?"

Two Years Young

Two years ago today at 9:54 AM God blessed us with the gift of Ezra Jude.

This morning we blessed Ezra with the gift of a fire truck and a tool set. Someone got the short end of the stick. Either way - happy birthday buddy.

Independence...?

Our eldest boy will be two years young on Thursday. Recently he has discovered a bit of independence. For example - last week he had the snot mustache. I asked him to go to the bathroom and get a tissue. He was gone for a few minutes and this is what we discovered...

He has also started asking to help with various chores around the house. He enjoys sweeping and dusting and helping mommy make cookies. This week I asked him to help me set the table for dinner. This was the outcome...

I asked him to rewire the electrical work in our garage before next weekend. We will see what happens. He is so very independent.

Eat Sog - Pt. 3

Still yet another quote from Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God.

...this is something that we must not forget. Christ's command means that we all should be devoting all our resources of ingenuity and enterprise to the task of making the gospel known in every possible way to every possible person. Unconcern and inaction with regard to evangelism are always, therefore, inexcusable. And the doctrine of divine sovereignty would be grossly misapplied if we should invoke it in such a way as to lessen the urgency, and immediacy, and priority, and binding constraint, of the evangelistic imperative. God did not teach us the reality of His rule in order to give us an excuse for neglecting His orders.

J.I. Packer, Evangelism & the Sovereignty of God (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1961).

Eat Sog - Pt. 2

Again, this is from Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J.I. Packer.

...the Christian must never for one moment imagine himself to be indispensable to God, or allow himself to behave as if he were. The God who sent him, and is pleased to work with him, can do without him. He must be ready to sped and be spent in the tasks that God sets him; but he must never suppose that the loss to the Church would be irreparable if God should lay him aside and use someone else. Hue must not at any point say to himself, 'God's cause would collapse without me and the work I am doing' - for there is never any reason to think this is so. It is never true that God would be at a loss without you and me. Those who have begun to understand the sovereignty of God see all this, and so they seek to efface themselves in all their work for God. They thus bear a practical witness to their belief that God is great, and reigns, by trying to make themselves small, and to act in a way which is itself an acknowledgement that the fruitfulness of their Christian service depends wholly on God, and not upon themselves.

J.I. Packer, Evangelism & the Sovereignty of God (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1961).

E.A.T.S.O.G. - pt. 1

Recently I have been reading and listenting to Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J.I. Packer. I have the audio version in my car and the paper version in my office. I have been encouraged by Packer's explanation of this topic. Over the next few days I will post a few of the quotes that I have found helpful as I have listened and read. Hopefully they will be helpful to you as well. The first post is on the topic of how we should pray. The author states that there are two ways in which we acknowledge that God is sovereign in salvation.

In the first place, you give God thanks for your conversion...There is a second way in which you acknowledge that God is sovereign in salvation. You pray for the conversion of others. When you pray for unconverted people, you do so on the assumption that it is in God's power to bring them to faith. You entreat Him to do that very thing, and your confidence in asking rests upon the certainty that He is able to do what you ask...In prayer, then (and the Christian is at his sanest and wisest when he prays), you know that it is God who saves men; you know that what makes men turn to God is God's own gracious work of drawing them to himself; and the content of your prayers is determined by this knowledge. Thus, by your practice of intercession, no less than by giving thanks for your conversion, you acknowledge and confess the sovereignty of God's grace.

J.I. Packer, Evangelism & the Sovereignty of God (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1961) pp. 12, 14.

1 Year

Today marks our one year anniversary of living in Nearly, Canada. It is not "home" yet but we are content. God is good and we are reminded of that often.