Today was a very interesting day at Fort Myers Beach, preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ; seems it was more eventful than usual. Sam came with us, from Gunnery Road Baptist Church; he was a blessing and encouragement for sure! Sam got right to work and energetically handed out tracts, started conversations and worked to show many people the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We handed out a ton of Million Dollar Bill Tracts (available at www.livingwaters.com), some Tickets to Heaven and a few other tracts. The conversations were pretty interesting and stimulating today; makes one want to run home and sharpen one’s ‘sword’ to be better ready for battle the next time. I’m tired tonight, but will try and remember some of the conversations to recount here.
I gave a couple girls Million Dollar Bills & asked the Million Dollar Question; Will you go to heaven when you die? Asking them what happens when one dies, they said ‘heaven’. Questioned further, on who goes to heaven, they responded that if one where pretty or smart they would go to heaven (maybe a little arrogant?). I asked if they knew what the Bible said; one of the girls responded that she was Jewish; like this somehow made the truth of the Bible null and void or something. I’ve just been reading through Isaiah, so responded that the prophet Isaiah wrote of the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord, Judgement Day, just as the New Testament says. Asking further of the standard of judgment, I told her that because she was Jewish she would know God’s standard of righteousness....nope; she didn’t come up with the Ten Commandments. They pretty much split after that.
I looked over and saw Sam embroiled in what looked like a rather animated conversation with a young couple. I wandered over & met Ben and his girlfriend. Ben was asking what Christians say would happen to Muslims on the Day of Judgment. I began to show him, how people don’t specifically go to Hell because they’re not Christians, but because they’ve broken God’s Law; like someone jumping without a parachute dies not specifically because they’ve not a chute, but because they’ve broken the law of gravity. Ben (I discovered) doesn’t listen well & doesn’t really want answers to anything, but loved to argue and be vulgar.
As it turned out, I was talking to Ben (read ‘kept Ben occupied’) while Sam was able to explain the Gospel to Ben’s girlfriend (she was close to tears when I looked over Ben’s shoulder to their conversation). Ben when round-and-round with his argumentative talk; finally I asked Ben why every time we began to talk of his conscience and guilt before God, he changed the subject. He told me to go ahead, so I began to lead him through the Law. He paused (promising to continue) to go on a tirade on how I shouldn’t show people their guilt before God when preaching the Gospel. Ben claims to have spent ten years as a Pentecostal missionary, sharing the Gospel. He began to roll-play, showing me a classic make-a-friend, seeker-sensitive, non-threatening, marketing style (his word) ‘gospel’. He said the goal should be to get folks to church so the professionals could preach to them. I asked of the verse (Mark 16:15) should have read ‘Go ye into all the world, bring folks to church so the pastor can preach to them’? I eventually reminded him that THAT ‘gospel’ didn’t work on him, as he was flirting with atheism &/or universalism, is an active & continual blasphemer, fornicator, foul mouthed and angry. Ben didn’t like me very much, maybe it was his booze talking. Heartbreaking to meet another false convert; a product of the modern ‘gospel’ that so many churches embrace. Pray for Ben, that God will dissolve any peace in his life and give him the gift of a sorrowful repentance before God.
Later, I met a couple Spanish boys, who had a history as gang-bangers. They are going to church somewhere now, but didn’t know the Gospel. The one who spoke the most English was Orlando. Orlando figured that he’d done so many bad things, even though he was going to church, it was too late for him. I explained the amazing work of Christ on the Cross of Calvary as payment for sin, and the call to Repentance and Faith. Pray for Orlando, that he will see the truth as truth.
I approached a rough looking man with a Million Dollar Bill tract; said he already had one. I asked if he’d read the back, he hadn’t. Mike had come to SW Florida from Wyoming for work and to escape winter. He’d been unable to find work and was apparently mugged on the beach, losing his money. Interestingly, he didn’t ask for money & when I asked if he was hungry, didn’t indicate that he needed food. I softened my tone and was talked for quite a while, about the Law & Gospel; what an incredibly kind offer it was from God, to ‘pay our fine’ by the Blood of Christ through Repentance & Faith. Pray for Mike, his heart seemed to be softened (& he admitted that he’d lied to me, he hadn’t gotten on the tracts before).
I met a Christian couple from Puerto Rico here on vacation. He was wearing a fish symbol necklace and he t-shirt with a huge “Jesus” on it. Language was a barrier, but I asked him to explain the Gospel to me. He did not show the bad news, before the good news. He’d used Romans 3:23, so I opened up my Bible and showed him that if we backed up the previous verses spell out a more detailed description of man from God’s eyes & then showing the Law as the standard that shows sin (& other verses). Pray for these folks, as they seem to be serious believers.
I was able to preach for longer, using a springboard story to start the message. As I was finishing, I introduced Bobby to speak next. Bobby wasn’t expecting this (please forgive me Bobby!) but rose to the occasion and preached on Nicodemus. The concern, love and pleading in his voice made me really take notice. I got back up after him and preached, giving my own testimony and talked of Romans 3 as I’d talked to the Puerto Rican folks & touched on the false seeker-sensitive ‘gospel’.
Sam got into a VERY long conversation with a Catholic couple at a nearby sidewalk cafe. Sam got his Bible and began showing him the scriptures to show the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The angry couple from the next table moved over to join the conversation, bit Sam seemed to do well. Praise the Lord for Sam!
It was a blessed day, as the name of our Lord Jesus Christ was lifted up!
Glenn.
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