Bring the Noiz

2011-01-18T17:51:00.002-05:00

A Christian knows that death shall be the funeral of all . . .

his sins,
his sorrows,
his afflictions,
his temptations,
his vexations,
his oppressions,
his persecutions.

He knows that death shall be the resurrection of all . . .
his hopes,
his joys,
his delights,
his comforts,
his contentments.

He knows that death shall bring him to a more clear,
full, perfect, and constant enjoyment of God! This
makes him sweetly and triumphantly to sing it out,
"O death! where is your sting? O grave! where is
your victory?" 1 Corinthians 15:35-37

Happy Birthday To My Hero!

2010-09-28T22:04:00.003-04:00

He has just turned 3 yet can barley talk

He stands on his toes every time he walks

His screams are attempts to communicate

But usually ends in him irate

Sights and sounds turn his world around.

A simple texture can make his emotions abound

Life hasn’t been the same since he came

He has autism but that’s not his name

He’s my hero, Kaden Shayne.

Happy Birthday “Super Kute”

Love,

Your Dad

Prison Poetry

2010-05-04T21:07:00.000-04:00

I have been reaching out to an inmate since his arrival at Orange County Jail. It started when I was going cell to cell to see if anyone needed anything lie a bible, prayer ect. This inmate was very anxious about his elderly mother who hadn't put money in his phone account. He said, "its not like her, she is all by herself and I am afraid something happened to her." I got her number and gave her a call and turns out she was OK but having trouble with her debit card.

Today I had the opportunity to spend a good amount of time sharing the gospel with him and his bunky.

When I was done he said, "I have been thinking a lot about the after life." Then handed me the following poem he wrote prior to our conversation.

As I sit in this cell

I say to myself,

"I wonder if I'm going

to Heaven or Hell."

There's no doubt in my mind

you know what I've done.

cuz' you sure aint blind

nor are you dumb

You'll open the book

That will explain my life

from the day I was born

till the day I died

You will judge me fairly

no matter what I've done

decide my fait

then you'll be done.

You will let me know

if I'm worthy to go

into the Kingdom of Heaven

or that place called Hell

Pray that God softens his heart so that he can respond to the gospel and gives me more opportunities to share with him.

The Parramore Project

2010-04-30T17:38:00.000-04:00

I am praying about starting a ministry in the Parramore district. God has been drawing me to this area for sometime now. Please pray that He shows me how and what to do. More details to come.

Jail Book Drive

2010-04-30T16:08:00.004-04:00

Boxes of books headed for the jail

Thank you all who donated books for the christian library at the Orange County Jail. Because of your generosity we were able to collect over 1,500 books!

These books were weeded through and only the biblically sound material made the final cut, putting us at a final of over 1,000 books.

I am very grateful for the people and ministries who donated. I would like to thank Desiring God, Ligonier, Stand To reason, Charles Lieter, Tony Miano, Prison Book Project, and Scott Smith for their generous donations.

Though we recieved all these books we are still in need of bibles (any size or translation) and study helps such as, lexicons, concordances, commentaries, theologies, dictionaries, ect.

We could also use christian movies for movie night, sermons, and teachings either DVD or VHS.

If God puts it on your heart to donate materials or money to by materials please contact me by email at noiz@bringthenoiz.com

Ambigram Tattoo Ice Breaker

2010-04-08T18:28:00.006-04:00

Most of us know or at have at least met someone with tattoos. And I would venture to say that we have, wether knowingly or not, met someone with the popular Life/Death ambigram tattoo.

An ambigram is an image that looks like one word but is actually made up of multiple words which are revealed by rotating the image. To the left is the one tatto from both angles. Turn your screen (or head) upside down and you'll see them change.

This tattoo is one of my favorite tattoos and fun way to swing into the things of God. The conversation usually goes like this,

"Hey I noticed your tattoo. Do you know where it originates from?" Most of the time they will tell you about some musician they saw it on. To which I respond, "It actually originates from the bible." This usually peaks there interest. I then quote Romans 6:23 and expound on each point of the verse.

"for the wages of sin is death" Romans 6:23a

Death is the payment for sin. Sin is breaking Gods law the 10 commandments. Have you kept the ten commandment? Have you ever lied, stolen, used Gods name in vain? If you have you have earned death and the punishment of Hell.

"But the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord" Romans 6:23b

But God, who is rich in mercy, made a way by sending His only Son who lived the perfect life we could not live and Died the death we should have Died satisfying the Justice of God on our behalf. And if we Turn away from sin and trust in Jesus Christ God will grant us everlasting life with Him in Heaven.

Obviously this is just to give you an idea of what I do so add or take away whatever. Now go out and find someone with this tattoo and give it a try and leave a comment about your experience.

Interesting link: You can create an ambigram of your own with this free generator. https://www.wowtattoos.com/wow/generator.php

A letter from a friend

2010-03-25T21:33:00.000-04:00

A really good friend of mine, John Barrows, is going in tomorrow for brain surgery. This is not a story you will read about in the headlines because he is a humble construction worker quietly serving the Lord. He seems to not be worried about it a bit. He seems more worried about others than himself. The evidence of that is in his words below.

Please pray that all goes well with His surgery.

_______________________________________

I have been thinking so much about life and death lately… I have lost a few friends and have others that are very sick… I myself am going in for brain surgery tomorrow at Florida Hospital Orlando. God has Blessed me with a Peace that is passing understanding for myself, but I’m gravely concerned for some of my friends and relatives…. I have sinned so much in my life but it has been taken care of by Jesus… I just want to make sure that you all can find the way to flee from the wrath of God. I know it’s not a very popular thing to think of but God is going to punish sin. 150,000 people die every day. That's two a second. Don't let anything get in your way... Here is the Gospel or Good News presented in a way that all of us can understand… It is so simple… Please take a hard look at the truth….

Do you consider yourself to be a good person? Most people do. However, most of us differ as to the definition of "good." The Bible says that God is good, and the Ten Commandments are His standard of goodness. So, we will look at God's Law . . . With a tender conscience, ask yourself if you have obeyed the following:
1. You shall have no other gods before Me. (Have you always loved God above all else?)
2. You shall not make yourself an idol. (Have you made a god in your mind that you're more comfortable with, a god to suit yourself?)
3. You shall not take God's name in vain. (Have you ever used God's holy Name as a cuss word?)
4. Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. You shall not murder. (God considers hatred to be as murder).
7. You shall not commit adultery. ("Whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart" Matthew 5:27-28; this also includes sex before marriage).
8. You shall not steal. (Have you ever stolen anything? the value of the item is irrelevant).
9. You shall not lie. (Have you lied even once? Including answering these questions).
10. You shall not covet. (Have you ever jealously desired what belongs to others?)
The Bible says that God will punish all murderers, rapists, thieves, liars, adulterers, etc. He will even judge our words and thoughts. On Judgment Day, will you be found to be guilty or innocent of breaking His commandments?

Perhaps you think that God is good, and will therefore overlook your sins. But it is His goodness that will make sure that murderers, rapists, thieves, liars, etc. receive justice. He would be a corrupt Judge if He turned a blind eye to injustice. Have you kept the Commandments?
The Bible says that the Law is perfect. It commands you to be perfect (Matthew 5:48). Are you perfect (in thought, word, and deed)? Will you make it to Heaven? You may say that you are still good, but God says you're not (see Psalm 14:2-3). So one of you is lying, and the Scriptures tell us that it is impossible for God to lie. Remember that all liars will be cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 21:8). God's Law demands justice, and the penalty for sinning against Him is death and Hell. Listen carefully if you want to live.

God Himself made a way where His justice and His goodness could meet. We broke the Law, but He became a man to pay the fine. Jesus suffered and died on the cross to satisfy the Law. God can forgive us and grant us the gift of everlasting life! But you may still think that you can (from now on) keep the Ten Commandments. But isn't it true that the best of us have lied, stolen, lusted, hated, failed to love God above all else, and failed to love our neighbor as ourselves?
How can we then, live a "good" life if we have already sinned against God? At best we are reformed liars and thieves . . . but still Lawbreakers. Think of it this way - would you sell one of your eyes for a million dollars? Would you sell both for $50 million? I'm sure you wouldn't. Your eyes are priceless, yet they are merely the windows of your soul. What then must your life (soul) be worth? With these thoughts in mind, what would be a fair price to pay for everlasting life? It is utterly without price. Yet, if we trust in our own goodness to enter Heaven, we are saying to God, "I should enter Heaven because I have done good - I have earned my way in."

Imagine if you wanted to give me a brand new (very expensive) car, but I said, "I can't take it! I feel embarrassed receiving such a gift . . . here's 10 cents for it." I'm sure you would be very insulted by such a pathetic offer of payment. Besides, if I pay for it, it is no longer a gift, it's a purchase . . . it's mine by right.
When we talk of entering Heaven by being good, by trying to keep the Ten Commandments etc., we are tossing God 10 cents of "self-righteousness," which is a terrible insult to Him, in the light of His sacrifice. The only thing we can do is humble ourselves, repent of our sins, and receive the gift by trusting Jesus Christ alone. Almighty God demonstrated how much He loves you when Jesus suffered for you on the cross. If you want to trust in your own goodness, then you are saying His agonizing death on the cross was in vain. The Bible says, "For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." You cannot earn a gift.

When Jesus said to "believe" on Him, He was saying we should have faith in Him, in the same way you would trust a parachute to save you when you jump from a plane. You don't merely believe in the parachute - you put it on. Please don't "jump" without Jesus. If you die in your sins there is no second chance. God will give you justice, and you will end up in Hell forever. Any troubles you have at present are dwarfed by the trouble you are in with your Creator. His wrath abides upon you (John 3:36). God doesn't want you to go to Hell. Neither do you want to go there, so confess your sins to God right now, put your trust in Jesus to save you, and you will pass from death to life. Then read the Bible daily and obey what you read. (See John 14:21). Your obedience to God is the proof of your love. Have faith in God, He will never fail you.

Pray something like this:
"Dear God, today I turn away from all of my sins (name them). This day I put my trust in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. He is the only way for me to be saved. He is 'The way, the truth, and the life.'" Please forgive me, change my heart, and grant me Your gift of everlasting life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen."

Orlando Abortion Clinic Video

2010-03-12T07:51:00.001-05:00

Here is a video I put together for a local youth group. The group was coming out to the clinic to minister to the aborting moms. The video is intended to give them a overview of what they will experience.

Field of Blood

2010-03-03T15:33:00.002-05:00

Today I talked to a guy at the abortion clinic named Benjamin. He was in his late 20’s and was there with his wife to kill their unborn baby. Allura was the first to engage him and spent a fair amount of time reasoning with him. Then I entered the convo after hearing some of his ”story.” He was raised in a christian home, already had one child and was buying some property to live on in Tennessee. He said that they couldn't afford to do that with the baby on the way. He understood it was a life, but “he had to do what he had to do. I was shocked! I responded as follows,

Me: Do you remember the story in the bible when Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver?

Ben: Yes.

Me: Do you remember that after Judas saw that Jesus was condemned and to be put to death he was seized with remorse? He went back to the chief priests and elders saying, “I have betrayed innocent blood.” Then Judas threw the money into the temple and left to hang himself. Do you remember this story?

Ben: Yes

Me: The Chief priests wouldn't put the money in the treasury because it was “blood money” so they went and bought a field which was then named “the Field of Blood.”

I want you to know Ben, that you have betrayed innocent blood by killing your child today and your doing it for the same reason that Judas did, FOR MONEY. This money is going to be used to by a “field” and today I tell you that the name of your property in Tennessee is now “The Field of Blood!” Every time you pull up the driveway you will never forget the child that you betrayed in order to buy it. Thats all I have to say to you!

He just stood there in cold silence as I turned my back on him and walked away.

They were still inside when I left.

I am hardly ever taken by surprise anymore at the reasons people give for killing there baby but this one shocked me. Now, I don’t want you to get the idea that we weren't compassionate with him. Allura handled him very gently as did I for 30 mins or so. Until he finally confessed his real reasons. I was deathly serious as I told him the above. I pray that, if they did go through with it, the conversation that I had with him haunts him for the rest of his life. I pray that it haunts him so much that he finally flees to Christ for forgiveness and is born again.

2 Free Audio Books

2010-03-01T16:12:00.000-05:00

Every month ChristianAudio.com gives away a free audiobook. Almost every month they have outdone themselves with the title they are offering. However, they are going to have trouble topping this months selection of TWO free titles and great ones at that!

The first one I'll mention is a book that is close to my heart because it is the very book that God used to open my eyes to gospel and is also written by my now favorite author and teacher, John Piper. The title of this monumental little book is, "50 Reasons Why Christ Came To Die"

The second is written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer and is titled "The Cost Of Discipleship." While I have not read this book I have heard some great things about it and will be the first in my iPod.

Download them here

A Text To Twitter Story

2010-02-26T21:47:00.001-05:00

You may have noticed the decrease in posts here on the blog. This is not because I’m not out ministering, but because I have been using other technologies to update and communicate. The first one is facebook which offers a great way to stay connected with brothers and sisters and evangelism opportunities. The second is Twitter which allows me to update via text message from the field, which works well with my cheap phone plan. It also updates my facebook status and doubles its usefulness.  

I am afraid that with these two mediums of communication that I may be excluding you guys so what I want to do is tell you a story using my twitter updates. The twitter updates were sent live as the events occurred and will be highlighted in bold with a time stamp to follow.

"You'll never have a good view of the enemy till your at the front of the battle"6:47 AM Feb 22nd via txt The radio preacher says from his country pulpit as I am preparing to go to the local abortion clinic to plead for the lives of the unborn. I turn down the radio and ponder this statement.

The next day I arrive at the clinic a bit early so I spend some time in my bible till my brother Jason Karroll shows up. I also use the time pleading with God in prayer for grace today because I noticed the officer that the clinic pays is one that really doesn't like us. He has threatened me in the past. It ought to be interesting today.

Jason finally arrives and we start our business of pleading with women. It is so hard because they just look at you with eyes filled with evil. Most mock us and some threaten us with physical harm. It is heart breaking and they will not stop and talk to us. There is nothing left to do, we need to open air preach! We move to the front of the building and Jason, who has the loudest voice ever, begins to preach into the building. The blinds begin to crack open in different spot revealing only the fingers and eyes of the person behind them. They can hear us! Our message was making it through the walls.

After a few moments of preaching the officer walks out and stands in front of the building only a few feet from us. In away only he could, Jason is letting the officer on duty have it! Wow! Powerful preaching today!7:57 AM Feb 23rd via txt. I love when truth is proclaimed but it is always a bit nerve-racking when you are telling it to a police officer. Especially this police officer. If I was to describe him to you I would just say he looks and acts like Officer Hightower from the Police Academy movies. He just stood there cold and emotionless not saying a word. Jason then turns his attention back to the building and raises his voice again. The officer finally broke his silence. He told jason, that if he doesn't lower his voice he will go to jail for disturbing the peace. Jason responds to the officer firmly and says, “Thats Ok! I’ll go to jail for the gospel sir.” and he continued to preach. The officer didn't like Jason's response at all. Next thing I know the squad car is out front. Jason almost went to jail. Gloves were on and cuffs were out.8:26 AM Feb 23rd via txt. After a few other officers arrived on the scene and an exchange of words and threats from them we decided it was time to leave. Jason didn't want to leave it alone so our next stop was At the Police station with Jason making a complaint on the officer and hoping to find more out about the law.8:51 AM Feb 23rd via txt. Turns out the officer may have been in the wrong.

The next morning we decide to go back up to the clinic again. This time prepared to call a supervisor to the scene the officer messed with us again. Lucky for us the officer on duty was Charles who really doesn't bother us much. We spent a few hours at the clinic and thankfully Had a couple leave the abortion clinic just now! Praise God!5:18 AM Feb 24th via txt After this we end up At the lawyers discussing the events of yesterday. We're in a phone conference with a well known pro-life Lawyer.7:42 AM Feb 24th via txt

The lawyers were great and they offered to challenge the city because they violated our rights. These guys are so awesome they don’t charge pro-lifers for their service. They even told us, "whenever your out there just know that you have lawyers who will back you up just a phone call away" - from our laywer 8:16 AM Feb 24th via txt

The meeting at the lawyers was long and I was tired but one of the women was going to be at the clinic and need a male there with her so I go Back at the clinic. pray hard! God is working on a women right now. She is crying while filling out the paper work. Pray she listens to us!9:35 AM Feb 24th via txt. I cant believe how God works! I wasn't even suppose to be there and now I find myself on the "front lines" of a battle. I see the enemy at work! This women doesn't really want to kill her baby, but her boyfriend is pushing her to do it. She begins to cry as I describe what is going to happen to her baby. The pictures made her cry even harder. Her boyfriend never said a word and sat there cold as steel, determined to kill this baby. I begin to address him. “You are not going to like what I am about to say to you sir. You may even want to do me physical harm. This will only be because what I am going to say is true.” I told him he was a coward, a murderer, that he wasn't man enough to take care of a baby , and more. I never got a reaction out of him. not even anger! But the girl friend was beginning to see clearly who this guy really was. Keep praying! ask God to give her the courage to leave. She wants to.9:48 AM Feb 24th via txt

This whole time she never moved from my side. She still had the paper work in her hand but was to afraid to leave. I call my wife to tell her Im still here with the couple. Im staying till she leaves or to look her in her eyes after she’s killed the baby 11:00 AM Feb 24th via txt A few minutes later A women who completed a late term abortion just left to clapping and cheering in celebration of the murder of her baby. How sad11:17 AM Feb 24th via txt I began to cry! I had never seen such a thing.

I spend the next two hours alternating between prayer and preaching. Im begging God to get this women out of here then finally breakthrough! God has heard your prayers! She just came to me and gave me her clinic paper work and said, "throw these away for me because im leaving. Thank you for being out here. Im not sure what i would have done without you. THANK YOU1:36 PM Feb 24th

What a day!! 

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Super Bowl Outreach 2010

2010-02-16T15:06:00.006-05:00

For the second year in a row I was able to attend the Super Bowl Outreach put together by SFOI. Last year was a great experience as many of you may remember from this post. But this year was different in many ways. One thing I noticed is that I've grown accustom to outreaches of various kinds so I wasn't as anxious as last year. And I knew most of the people this year, opposed to the 1 or 2 I knew last year. This year I also twittered as things were happing which was really fun. It felt as if all my twitter friends were there with me. You can follow me on Twitter here.

Here is a video montage.

Lecrae on the 700 club

2010-01-05T12:34:00.001-05:00

Related Posts
Lecrae Rebel
Flavor Fest 2008

Entermission the debut album from DJ Official available in stores now!

2009-12-28T11:19:00.000-05:00

Entermission the debut album from DJ Official available in stores now!.

After producing for over 10 years and serving as traveling deejay, Official finally has the opportunity to reveal the dynamic of his skill-set on one project. The album is purposed to influence Christians to think about the Great Commission (Matt 28:19) and the Great Commandment (Luke 10:27) on a local level. As Christians we have a personal mission field, which consist of those that God has placed in our sphere of influence. With a missional mindset we can affect the people around us with the Gospel message by the way we live and conduct ourselves in our everyday walk. This is a message that needs to be heard and with everything from Reggae, Downsouth, East Coast, Commercial, Underground, Electro, and Rock/Hipster featured on the album there is something for everyone!

EnterMission features over 20 artists such as Lecrae, Flame, Sho Baraka, JR, Tedashii, Trip Lee, R-Swift, Thi'sl, Jahaziel, and more! Every single track on EnterMission is produced by DJ Official.

To buy it on iTunes, click here

To order the physical album, go here

You can listen to the singles, read about the album, and create your own version of the album cover here

There are three versions to choose from:

I will post a review soon...

Christmas Blogpost Round Up.

2009-12-24T15:30:00.001-05:00

Thought I would round up some interesting links for you to enjoy on Christmas eve. You ought to be spending time with the family, reading the scriptures, and/praying. If you have done those things and have some extra time, DIG IN.

Desiring God articles on Christology (nice and short for your short attention span). Jesus is Lord, Jesus is God, Jesus as treasure.

Some great J.C. Ryle quotes on the theme of the wise men. Monday 12/21: Servants Where You Least Expect Them Tuesday 12/22: A Splendid Example of Spiritual Diligence Wednesday 12/23: A Striking Example of Faith Thursday 12/24: A Memorial to the Wise Men

A free poster that succinctly explains the most important theological ideas about the prophesies of Jesus and/or the Expiation poster. Hang them somewhere on your wall to use as reference or teaching.

Come all ye faithful sing along.

Christmas music for you rockers!

I cant forget the hip hoppers. Kathy Lee Gifford breaks it down YO!

The beloved classic monologue from Linus, from Charlie Browns Christmas.

The Atheist celebrate this holiday too. Have you ever wondered what their cards look like? Wonder no more!

This ones for my HomeSchooling Homies!

A little fun for the whole family (or at least the biblically literate) with Nativity Trivia.

Immanuel, God with us! What does that mean? James White (The Man) explains. Also listen to the cross fire segment of his debate about the Deity of Christ.

See what Jesus upholds by the word of his power

The Nativity Hymn is long but worth reading (or singing if your into that).

If you're still bored and want another list of links (that are probably better than mine) go here

Open Letter To Tiger Woods

2009-12-14T10:30:00.000-05:00

It seems that every station on my radio is talking about Tiger. They all seems to do nothing but bash him, which I find to be odd coming from the secular radio when he did the very things that most of them promote and boast about all day.

Going against the culture and approaching the subject with a biblical perspective my buddy Len over at the One Over 99 blog has written an open letter to tiger woods. Read it and see if you would handle a conversation with tiger the same way he does.

Mount Zion Bible Church: Chapel Library.

2009-12-11T18:33:00.003-05:00

Here is a great resource that I have enjoyed for over a year now but have failed to share with you guys. Mount Zion Bible Church in Pensacola, Fl. has a ministry called Chapel Library that provides tracts, booklets, and tapes that are Christ centered and God honoring. Some of their stuff will blow your mind!

The Free Grace Broadcaster is a free quarterly booklet they mail to your house that contains some priceless sermons written by some of histories greatest preachers. All centered around a particular theme. For example one I received is titled The Gospel and contains sermons by Thomas Boston, J.I. Packer, Thomas Manton, J.C. Ryle, Spurgeon, and Jonathan Edwards. Read a PDF copy here.

Studies In The Scriptures is another free quarterly mailing from Chapel Library. A. W. Pink wrote the Studies in the Scriptures without interruption from 1922 to 1953. Each issue includes six to eight expository articles addressing a different Biblical topic in a series. Read sample here.

Gospel Tracts, their selection of tracts is amazing! Now these are not your business card size tracts that you get from The Way Of The Master. No, these are tri folds, booklets and small books that are for both the lost and the redeemed as well. My favorite tracts for the lost are J.C. Ryles "Are You Born Again?", Morrisons "Christ The Only Refuge." among others. For the redeemed (and maybe the lost) tracts like, Spurgeons "Justification By Grace", "Family Worship" and "Gods Sovereignty" by AW Pink, "The Lord Our Righteousness" By George Whitefeild and much much more. Browse others here.

They also have a Bible Institute free online and they make the printed materials available to Prison ministries free of charge. Course curriculum includes titles such as "All of Grace" by Charles Spurgeon, "A Call To Prayer" and "Holiness" by J.C. Ryle, "Spiritual Foundations For Ministry" by Horatius Bonar, "Pilgrims Progress" by John Bunyan, "Holy Spirit" by AW Pink and other great titles. View the course descriptions here.

Check out their website at mountzion.org and look around. I couldn't find an order form for samples or materials so I would just call them and ask 850-438-6666. I get all sorts of new stuff in the mail from them all the time and it has richly blessed my walk with Christ and I hope it does the same for you.

Essentials and Non-Essentials

2009-12-09T16:41:00.000-05:00

A very helpful article over at The Parchment and Pen blog on Essentials and Non-Essentials where they break down the chart below to help us distinguish between the two. I wish I could have read something like this a few years ago. It would have saved allot of my breath on certain issues. Thankfully this is an area of much growth for me over the last year. Now if I could get some of my friends to read this article.

Christ or Clause?

2009-12-09T07:15:00.002-05:00

Biblical Parenting

2009-11-30T10:27:00.001-05:00

In October 2008, Mars Hill Church hosted a Biblical Parenting Conference with Dr. Tedd Tripp, who presented biblical teaching on topics from formative instruction to corrective discipline. Listen to streaming audio or watch video by clicking on the link

http://theresurgence.com/featured-media-biblical-parenting

Bring The Noiz to Jamaica

2009-11-22T19:42:00.002-05:00

Here is a video montage of our recent trip to Jamaica. I could write so many things about this trip but I couldn't begin to communicate the work of God in the hearts of the people and of us evangelists Missionaries, particularly myself. So I hope this video will do. If you want details just call me.

God uses atheist an atheist to preach the gospel.

2009-11-22T07:18:00.000-05:00

This is a story onvolving 2 friends of mine and I wanted to repost it here. It is from the Fish With Trish blog.~
Last Thursday my friends Jon Speed and Tim Crawfordheaded up to the University of North Texas to share their faith. Prior to going, they put in for a free speech permit two months ago and The Dean of Students Office honored the permit for the 19th. But with in that 2 month period UNT changed their free speech policy - so after the 19th UNT won't allow any open-air preachers on campus unless they have a sponsoring student organization.

On Thursday, Jon preached for the last time on the Sovereignty of God and how God is Sovereign even when He allows the UNT administration to change their free speech policy so that open-air preachers cannot come on campus without a sponsoring student organization.

After he finished, a young atheist man named Stewartwho they have witnessed to several times and who was on Wretched Radio with me in February of this year(you might remember him from my "Stewart has a problem" video) asked Jon about what he was saying with regard to the free speech policy. Jon explained as Stewart listened, "The Dean of Students office will not allow us back on the campus without student group sponsorship and that most Christian student groups don’t like to be aligned with open-air preaching (or any evangelism for that matter)".

Stewart left, made a phone call, and came back and said that he has a secular student organization that would be willing to sponsor Jon and Tim's ministry and that he would be willing to be the contact person backing them. He gave them his phone number and the authorization to put the student organization name on the application!

I was so filled with joy when I heard this!

In other words, an atheist is helping Christians so that they can continue to preach at UNT!

Stewart told Jon, "I don’t agree with your message, but I hate to see anyone’s right to free speech taken away. You have the right to be heard."

Isn't this wonderful!

In Jon's words, "Our Sovereign God is able to use atheists to keep the gospel coming to UNT."

Orgin In Schools Project UCF

2009-11-19T12:01:00.002-05:00

Free Audio Book: Desiring God by John Piper

2009-11-11T10:57:00.000-05:00

Download the audiobook version of this great book for free Here.

Family Worship

2009-10-08T08:19:00.001-04:00

Worship has got to be one of the greatest things a family can do together. It is also the hardest and possibly the most confusing thing to get started in. Thankfully a resource has surfaced to help get you started. http://familyworshipguide.net/. I have been using this guide since day one and am very satisfied with it so now I want to share it with you. Let me know what you think.

30th and 2nd Birthday

2009-09-29T08:27:00.000-04:00

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

Psalm 139:13,14

It was 30 years ago that the Lord gave me life, I am thankful for that, but as I reflect over the last 30 years I see that God has brought me through some crazy situations and used those situations to make me--me. Then 4 years ago this month He gave me a new birthday to celebrate. This birthday was different then the first, this time I was not born physically, but spiritually (John 3:5-8)! I was given a new heart (Eze 11:19, 36:26) and life eternal (John 3:16). So today on my real birthday I would like to praise God for giving me life and allowing me to live long enough to be born again! But the birthday story doesn't end there! Two year ago today my wife gave birth to my second son Kaden! So happy birthday to you too my dear son! God has blessed me richly on this 30th birthday!

James

2009-09-26T13:21:00.002-04:00

I had an interesting experience at the killing place the other day and thought I would share. It was a Wednesday morning, which is the late term abortion day, and a young couple pulls into the clinic in a Mercedes SUV. They parked in the back about 20 feet from our “safe zone” (We are not allowed on the clinics property). The young man stepped out of the vehicle to smoke a cigarette. I lifted my voice to get his attention. I warned him that what he was about to do was murder and that he would be held accountable to God on judgment day. This got his attention, so I began to reason with him. I explained that when someone is sent to prison for murdering an infant they usually have to be separated from the main population. I explained that even the lowest of criminals see murdering an infant as detestable. I told him of a man in the news recently that threw his 4yr old daughter over a cliff because he no longer wanted to pay the mother child support. I asked him if that was wrong? He spoke up and said, “yes!!” I informed him that is exactly what he was doing. His child was an inconvenience so he was going to murder it. This awakened his conscience and he came over to chat with me. His name was James.

James was in his mid twenties and already had 2 other children. He told me that his girlfriends’ mom was encouraging them to have the abortion. Not only that, she provided the vehicle and the 1,000+ dollars to do it. I pulled out a pamphlet to show him what an aborted baby looks like. When he saw the picture he turned pale and asked, “Is that what there going to do to my baby?” I then had to inform him that what he was looking at was only a ten weeks gestation abortion, his was over 20 weeks and when I showed him a picture of that, and Patte described the process for him, he began to panic. He said, “I have to try and stop her!” At that point he went back to the car.

About a half an hour later I see James and his girlfriend on the side of the building in what appeared to be a heated discussion. James was holding one of her arms as if to try and stop her. She snatched her arm from his grip and coldly stormed into the clinic. James was visibly upset so I called him over. He said that he was trying to talk her out of it, but that she wouldn’t listen. I spent some time consoling James and witnessing to him when Patte smith walks up and tells this young man to do something so unthinkable that I could hardly contain my emotions.

Patte told James something like, “If you love that baby I want you to do something, I want you to be there for that baby when it is delivered (At this stage the woman would be induced and give birth to the baby in the toilet.) If that baby is born alive, which happens, then you can call 911 and as it is dying you need to hold that baby and let him know that his daddy loved him. Then take some pictures of the body so that the world can know what goes on inside a clinic so your sons life wasn’t in vain” James was shocked! I began to cry. Shawn was already crying and Patte was dead serious.

I do not know what happened to James’ baby. We gave him our contact number in either case, but we haven’t heard anything. What I do know is that there was a man who wanted to save his child from being murdered, but the “choice” of a woman out weighed the choice of a loving father. I have not been able to get the sight of a murderous mother snatching her arm away from a father who wanted to save the life of his unborn child!

Abortion Clinic Ministry

2009-09-24T11:30:00.001-04:00

A few months ago I received a friend request from a woman on face book named Patte Smith. I accepted the friend request and unbeknownst to me it would change my life. Patte Smith turned out to be a ProLife Advocate and a veteran clinic counselor. Once I accepted the friend request I began to see her posts in my newsfeed. She would post images, articles, quotes, links, and prayer requests that were all in reference to abortion. Up to this point I purposefully avoided this topic because it made me very uncomfortable. But as she kept posting things I would read them and slowly but surely I began to desire to learn more about it. What I found was sickening! Since 1973 43-46 million babies have been murdered in the united states, some at pretty advanced stages in the pregnancy. God finally broke my heart and I started joining Patte at a local clinic (or killing place as it called).

My first day at the clinic I was in shock! The people would just waltz up to the door, casually, ready to kill their babies. I started the day the clinic does late term abortions. I would see women with huge bellies entering this place to have there babies murdered. The coldness that we received from them and the fathers was unbelievable. I was so broken that first day I cried a few times, I couldn't eat for days, when I would close my eyes I could see the faces of those woman and men as they sat out front and casually filled out the paper work while ignoring our pleas from a few feet away.

I am so overwhelmed as I write this post that it would be emotionally impossible for me to tell some of the life and death dramas I have witnessed unfold right before my eyes. This ministry is by far the most physically and phycologicly taxing ministry I have participated in to date.

I will not freak you guys out by posting images of aborted babies here on the blog, but I would request that you come face to face with this reality by placing before your eyes the truth in photos by going here

If you want to get involved in this sort of ministry Patte Has written an informative article on how to get started. You can read that here. You may also like to watch a very informative interview with Patte Smith here

In closing I just ask that my readers pray for us and others like us. I am struggling pretty hard right now with what has been going on right under my nose for all these years. Even more because years ago, I lost a child against my will, to this method of murder!

Carrying The Cross

2009-09-21T16:29:00.003-04:00

Lately I have been reading about some of my evangelist friends and acquaintances carrying homemade crosses out in public places. At first all I could think of was the "Crazy Cross Guy" that I saw once when I was young. I thought to myself "That is crazy people are only going to think your a loon if you stand there holding a cross." The more I thought about it the more I realized I'm already a "loon" in the eyes of the world and the lukewarm church. I already have an uncommon ministry that most people think is foolish, though it is the same ministry Jesus, The Apostles and the Great preachers of our past participated in. Even with that thought in mind I was still a bit apprehensive until I saw this video. Then I was convinced that I should do it.

So this past friday night I spent a few minutes in my garage putting together a cross. It was simple to put together. I used some left over 1x4 from a previous project then used some of my wife's scrap-booking stickers for the letters. The letters could be bigger but it will do for now.

The Debut

Saturday would be the debut of my new cross. I was a bit nervous about doing it so I called a couple friends to see if they would join and none of them could. I think this was God wanting me to face my fears alone. So I hopped in my truck and drove down to the local park. I had butterflies in my stomach and conflicting thoughts in my head. It was strange to me because I have open air preached in all sorts of places and for the most part have been able to overcome fear, but when I pulled in to the park and saw all those people I began to tremble.

After a time of prayer I jumped out with my cross in hand and made the walk toward all the people. It was windy out and the gusts would cause me to have to grip the cross pretty hard to keep it steady. Once I made it to all the people I began to feel their stares. Most people just had a look of shame on their face. Not shame for themselves but as if to shame me for doing what I was doing. I felt like an outcast, a lunatic, a religious zealot!

It was such a blessing to carry that cross. Though my experience pales in comparison, the stares, the laughs, and my mixed emotions, caused me to see in a new light what my Lord must have suffered while he was carrying His cross. I am humbled to be His servant and look forward to doing it more often.

Cross Carriers that inspired me.

Displaying The Cross

Tony The Law Man

The 500 2009

2009-09-19T13:50:00.001-04:00

For the second year after the Deeper Conference ended 500 people from across the US hit the streets of Atlanta. Last year I was still fairly new to Open air preaching so I was a bit shy still. However this year was a different story. Now that Ive "earned my wings" in the streets I was less reserved and able to have an absolute blast with my team. There are tons of stories to tell but this video montage will have to do.

Other videos from the 500
Violent guy threatens Shawn
Roberts entire sermon
Mike Poddos debute open air sermon

Deeper 09'

2009-09-10T11:40:00.000-04:00

I'll be away for a few days at The Deeper Conference 09'. I will be posting some, stories, pictures, and video whe I return. Until then check out last years experience at Deeper 08'

Here is a unique outreach oppertunity.

2009-09-07T19:31:00.000-04:00

Join Jason Karroll and a few other evangelists as we go over to the UCF campus to commemorate Charles Darwins 200th birthday by giving away free copies of his famous work "The Origin Of Species." Why in the world would a bunch of christian evangelists want to give away a book that is the back bone to the theory of evolution? two reason. 1. If they actually read it they probably would find it repulsive being that it is racist, sexist, and foolish. 2. Its a special edition put together by our friend and fellow evangelist Ray Comfort. From the books description,

"280-page edition not only contains an abridged Origin of Species but also has a 50-page Introduction that reveals the dangerous fruit of evolution, Hitler's undeniable connections to the theory, Darwin's racism, and his disdain for women. It counters the claim that creationists are "anti-science" by citing numerous scientists who believed that God created the universe — scientists such as Einstein, Newton, Copernicus, Bacon, Faraday, Pasteur, and Kepler.
It has many original graphics and (as it says on the back cover) is designed for use in schools, colleges, and prestigious learning institutions. The back cover lists the above information as well as saying the book contains "Information on Intelligent Design vs Evolution."

The outreach is scheduled for Nov 19 at the University of Central Florida. So if you would like to join us please contact Jason Karroll at 407-860-1421

Puritan Picks DVD lending library

2009-09-04T10:13:00.001-04:00

If have not checked out this service you are missing out. Puritan Picks is like a Netflix for solid Christians. There are tons of videos to choose from. The selection ranges from Conferences to Movies. They have a great kids selection. My son and I have enjoyed allot of great movies together such as Pilgrims Progress and The William Tyndale Story. Its really easy, just sign up, add some videos to your "Que" and they will send them out to you as they are available. It usually takes about 3 days. Try it!

www.puritanpicks.com

See How it works

Back online with some observations

2009-08-21T15:18:00.003-04:00

After more than 40+ days without the Internet at my house I am now back online! Why didn’t I have the Internet? Glad you asked! It all started a few months ago when I was beginning to realize that I was spending less time with my family and more time online. It was the beginning of a battle with the flesh that I could never have expected. I started to notice that I would wake up and before even getting the sleep out of my eyes, I would be checking my facebook, youtube, blog etc etc. I would be constantly telling my kids “wait a second daddy is in the middle of something.” and my wife asking “are you listening to me?” when she would be telling me about her day. I began to fight the urge to be online but I would always find some excuse to get on. I began to pray asking for Gods help and help he did.

Last month I received my bill from the Internet/Cable Company that, in my current financial condition I was not able to pay, which turned out to be the biggest answer to prayer I have ever received. Not only did I loose my Internet connection I also lost what remaining T.V. channels I had left! Let me tell you, it was most certainly the greatest thing to ever happen to me.

I have some observations to make about my 40+ days off line.

Having no Internet I was able to see how much time I was wasting and how many great things in real life I was missing. Before my son would sit in my office and watch a DVD while I was on the computer and it would basically annoy me. Now I sit and watch the DVD with him. We laugh together, cry together, and now enjoy a bond that we didn’t have before.

I realized that I spent way to much time and energy trying to cram in all sorts of bits of information rather than savoring bigger and more in depth bits of info such as a book and then marinating on it. I have gotten more great reading done in these last 30+ days than I have in awhile.

I relied too much on the web to do my biblical heavy lifting. Instead of searching my bible to find what I needed I would just type my question in Google and let someone else’s work help me out. I would read articles and commentary on things I didn’t quickly understand rather then trying to figure it out on my own and then seeing if my conclusion was correct. These things are fine to do in moderation but I now see where it was doing more harm than good. If you think about it, some of the greatest biblical minds to ever live didn’t even have a calculator, much less a computer to use as a source.

In conclusion the one thing that stands out the most is that while I was at times forsaking my family they waited there patiently and received me with open arms when I returned. But since I have been off line for 40 days my “virtual” family and friends have basically forgot me about. The emails have stopped (except for group emails), facebook is dead, and hardly any youtube or blog comments. It seems as if all have moved on to the next bit of information never checking on me to see if I was alive and well. But my real life friends and family, the ones that truly love me, were there the whole time despite my brief absence.

Now I'm back with the correct perspective. The Internet is not a suitable replacement for real life!

American Idol Auditions

2009-07-09T16:37:00.000-04:00

This week I spent 3 of my mornings, along with Brother Jason Karroll, witnessing to the throngs of people who flocked to the American Idol tryouts at the Amway Arena here in Orlando. It was really hard to plan this outreach because it was not posted on the Amway schedule and there was virtually no information on start time's. We were also unable to get a permit for our loud speaker because some protesters had beat us to it (I guess they only issue one per event).

We showed up the first morning during the registration to find a few thousand in line waiting to submit their paper work. So we went for the jugular. We walked straight into the crowd of people and began to preach. Jason stood up on the stool and used Michael Jacksons death as a segway into the gospel. Its amazing how attentive the people where up to the point Jason mentions The Bible. You can hear the people in the video above express their disdain at the mere mention of Gods word. Then the security guards move in. We were ultimately threatened with jail by the police and banned from the property for the stay of the event. So we moved to our usual spot across a small street and Open air preached.

We had a bunch of people sit to listen and some great conversations as a result of our meager efforts. We witnessed to people from all over the country. One guy, a Jew, flew all the way from Israel to join the competition. He was an interesting conversation and I think we both learned a lot. He left us with some proofs that Jesus was the Messiah and a New Testament that he promised to read.

All in all it was a great time. I just pray that next year more Christians will come out to help in the effort. 2 vrs. 9,000 are not the best of odds. I wonder if thats the picture Jesus had in mind when he said, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few." (Luke 10:2)

Free Audio Book: Crazy Love

2009-07-03T09:29:00.000-04:00

In keeping with weeks apparent theme of free stuff we have another free resource. Christianaudio.com has a great book for free download, Crazy Love by Francis Chan. It has received great reviews from some of my favorite leaders including Tim Challies.

Just go here and enter coupon code JUL2009 during checkout.

Enjoy.

Free Bible Giveaway

2009-07-02T19:25:00.000-04:00

I dont know about you but I love free stuff! Exspecialy books and even more so, expensive books! The only problem is I never win. I can't tell you how many giveaways Ive entered and received nothing more than a solicitation call. But now I think all that is about to change thanks to Logos Bible software.

Logos Bible Software is celebrating the launch of their new online Bible by giving away 72 ultra-premium print Bibles at a rate of 12 per month for six months. The Bible giveaway is being held at Bible.Logos.com and you can get up to five different entries each month! After you enter, be sure to check out Logos and see how it can revolutionize your Bible study.

Go there and sign up now! Or don't and increase my chances at winning! :-)

Free Book: The Jesus You Can't Ignore by John MacArthur

2009-06-30T15:21:00.001-04:00

"If you’ve ever wondered how to deal with false teachers and their bad theology, where better to look than Jesus and His example.

So how did Jesus deal with religious leaders who taught error and rejected the gospel? Did He seek common doctrinal ground and engage in dialog? Did He soften and adapt the gospel so it wouldn’t confront or make them uncomfortable?

John MacArthur’s new book, The Jesus You Can’t Ignore, explores the Lord’s many personal, often-explosive encounters with the influential teachers of His day. You’ll see how both Jesus’ message and His manner have direct application for believers who love truth in this age of accommodation and compromise."

Go Here and fill out the form. The link will not work after July 20th

You Cannot Escape Death!

2009-06-12T07:06:00.000-04:00

A woman who dodged death when she and her husband narrowly missed Air France Flight 447 before it plunged into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 228 aboard, was killed in a car accident just over a week later. Read the story here

www.needgod.com

New Opposition To The Gospel

2009-06-07T09:11:00.000-04:00

I have been doing open air preaching for awhile now and have run into all sorts of opposition to the gospel. Hecklers, Drunk women exposing themselves or touching us, possible demon possessed people, angry business owners, security, and the police are just a few of the things that attempt to prevent the proclamation of the gospel. But now I have a new foe, the iPhone!!!!

This Saturday night while I was preaching an angry officer walked up to me with iphone in hand telling me to turn my P.A. down. When I objected he showed me the screen of his phone which which revealed his new Decibel Meter software. Now I respect all law enforcement but I have been preaching on that corner every weekend for over a year and have never been told to turn down my P.A.. I objected again saying, "thats just an iPhone that cannot be accurate!" He then claimed to have tested it with the stations real DB meter and it came two DB under and I was 20db over the limit. I requested that he bring out the official one and he said that if he did he would cite me.

It is interesting what electronics have done to our world. Whats seems to help us in a lot of ways limits us. Our nation is becoming more ignorant, kids are glued to T.V. sets and game consoles, a lot of jobs have been handed over to computers, the Internet is filled with porn and has nearly ruined music and movie industry with all the piracy and now the iPhone is shutting down the proclamation of the gospel! when will it end!

Half Mile Hailer

2009-05-30T12:27:00.004-04:00

Update: I have been using this P.A. for 13 days now and have preached about 6 different times at 3 different locations. I still love this thing! But my one complaint is that now the police keep sending out the Decibel meter to measure our sound levels and then telling us to turn it down because we are in violation of the sound ordinances usually at 90 db or so. In the time that I have been preaching with amplification I have never had this happen. I guess it's a testimony to the power of the Half Mile Hailer!

Tadashii - Identity Crisis

2009-05-27T09:34:00.000-04:00

Identity Crisis by Tedashii

Identity Crisis is the new album that has just been released from Tedashii of the116 Clique. This album by far exceeds all of my expectations. In this album Tedashii does a wonderful job of displaying his versatility. He boldly proclaims the gospel while rhymin’ on top of dirty south, hip hop, old school, and R & B beats.
On this project Tedashii gets help from featured artists such as Lecrae, Flame, Diamone, Trip Lee, Stephen the Levite, as well as others. If I had to give this album a rating from 1 to 5, I would rate it a strong 4.5 out of 5. Tedashii, well done sir! Please continue to serve and honor our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ with your music.

Review by David "Braz" Buck

A testimony

2009-05-09T14:13:00.000-04:00

I was reading someones testimony that a friend pointed me to and I really thought the following quote was encouraging.

"In October of 1983 I found myself sitting in my car on the side of the road, the needle on empty, waiting for someone to bring me gasoline. During the time that I waited I had read everything in my car including my registration twice. There was one booklet that I had kept avoiding but due to boredom I finally picked it up and began to read the Gospel of John. It was in the reading of this tract that I discovered that being Roman Catholic and following the teachings of the church as well as the keeping of the Holy Days and the sacraments were not going to get me to heaven. I needed to be born again!!!!! It was then that I bowed my head and gave my life to Him, lock stock and barrel"

It is easy for us to get burnt out or discouraged when we are handing out literature to seemingly uninterested people. But it is these people that could wind up in the situation above. Dont give up!

Tribute To Open Air Preacher

2009-05-08T07:43:00.000-04:00

Do You Obey?

2009-05-04T10:16:00.001-04:00

The Shack Protest

2009-04-29T13:42:00.001-04:00

Cover of The Shack

This Saturday past a local church invited William P. Young to speak about his book The Shack. For those that don’t know The Shack has created allot of stir amongst the church. There are camps that love the book and those that vehemently appose the book. I fell somewhere in the middle of those extremes before Saturday.

Jason K. thought it would be a good idea to go down to this church and warn those who fall in the first camp of the heresies that are written in this book. Jason sent an email to the pastor warning him of the dangers of having this book promoted in his church and that we would be there to protest. The pastor responded saying that he would continue forward with his plans.

So early Saturday morning we headed down to this church to pass out “lies in the Shack” tracts and Open air preach. As we were doing so a few men from the church came out to bring us bottled water. One of these men turns out to be William P. Young himself! So we start asking about the lies in the book. We used Michael Youssefs basic outline of the 13 lies in the book as our questions (this is what we printed on the tract) but Mr. Young denied each point asking us to prove it from his book. Now I admit this is a fair thing to require but unfortunately we didn't have the book nor the quotes from the book to support our arguments. It was definitely a mistake on our part. We were not prepared to debate the author himself.

What bugs me is that he probably used us in his Saturday morning presentation as an example of the people who object to his book. That they [We] haven't read the book or don't have proof of these so called heresies.

When I got home I reviewed the tape and did my research. What I discovered is that William P. Young is a LIAR! Everything that he denied as being in the book is indeed IN THE BOOK! You can get the page numbers and quotes from the book here

I will post the video as soon as I can get my video editor to work!

Swine Flu

2009-04-28T09:32:00.001-04:00

The U.S. declared a public health emergency Sunday to deal with the emerging new swine flu. We wanted to share some information that the media is not informing you about.

What is swine flu?

“Like people, pigs can get influenza (flu), but swine flu viruses aren't the same as human flu viruses. Swine flu doesn't often infect people, and the rare human cases that have occurred in the past have mainly affected people who had direct contact with pigs. But the current swine flu outbreak is different. It's caused by a new swine flu virus that has spread from person to person -- and it's happening among people who haven't had any contact with pigs.

What are swine flu symptoms?

Symptoms of swine flu are like regular flu symptoms and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu.”(I) As of this writing there have been 149 deaths and 1,995 people have been hospitalized with serious cases of pneumonia since the first case of swine flu was reported on April 13.

It’s Deadly History?

“The "Spanish" influenza pandemic of 1918–1919 infected one third of the world's population (or ≈500 million persons at that time) and caused ≈50 million deaths.”(II) The government estimates that a pandemic like the 1918 Spanish flu would sicken 90 million Americans, or about 30 percent of the population. Of those, nearly 10 million would have to be admitted to a hospital, and nearly 1.5 million would need intensive care. About 750,000 would need the help of mechanical ventilators to keep breathing! Did you know that There is a greater chance you will catch this flu then the chance of you winning the lottery!

The next question is…

Are you ready to die? Do you know where you will spend eternity if and when you die? Lets see, have you ever told a lie, stolen anything, or used God's name in vain? Jesus said, "Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Have you looked with lust? If you have done those things, God sees you as a lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulterer at heart. The Bible warns that if you are guilty you will end up in Hell. That's not God's will. So, In accordance with the Father’s good pleasure, the eternal Son, who is equal with the Father and the exact representation of His nature, willingly left the glory of heaven, was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of a virgin, and was born the God-Man - Jesus of Nazareth. As a man, He walked on this earth in perfect obedience to the Law of God. In the fullness of time, He was rejected by men and crucified. On the cross, He bore man’s sin, suffered God’s wrath, and died in man’s place. On the third day, He was raised from the dead. This resurrection is the divine declaration that the Father has accepted His Son’s death as a sacrifice for sin, that the penalty for man’s disobedience has been paid, the demands of justice satisfied, and the wrath of God appeased. Forty days after the resurrection, the Son of God ascended into the heavens, sat down at the right hand of the Father, and was given glory, honor, and dominion over all. There in the presence of God, He represents His people and makes requests to God on their behalf. All who acknowledge their sinful, helpless estate, and throw themselves upon Christ will be fully pardoned, declared righteous, and reconciled to God. This is the Gospel of God and of Jesus Christ His Son.

I WebMd
II Wikipedia
Yahoo News, Associated Press
Paul Washer

Servant evangelism?

2009-04-27T23:24:00.001-04:00

There is something on my mind.

The other day I was in Publix with a friend to buy stuff for a Bar-B-Q. After getting all the stuff for burgers I wanted to get a can of Glory brand Collard Greens. When we finally found the isle a lady over heard me ranting about how great these canned collards are. The lady asked, "canned collard greens? are those really any good, because I'm from Atlanta and I like to make them from scratch." I informed her that while they may not be as good as her homed cooked greens they are the best I've ever tasted anywhere." So she asked us to grab her a can and throw it into her cart. She said thanks and we parted ways.

There are many people in the Church today who purposely do things like this, be it giving out bottles of water, free food, ect. and call it "evangelism." But was it evangelism when I convinced a lady to get some collards? A good work yes, evangelism NO! This lady was convinced to buy collard greens but not of her need of salvation through Christ!

Just something I wanted to get off my chest before bed!

Oh, by the way, I sent my buddy to find her while I cashed out to give her a gospel tract!

Tea Party Preaching

2009-04-16T19:20:00.001-04:00

I am not to sure what a “tea party” is exactly. I do know it has something to do with stopping taxes and is a modern day version of the Boston Tea Party (without actual tea) that occurred in 1773. Anyway with out trying to get to technical. Me and fellow Bring The Noiz team member Jason Karroll set off on a day long adventure to preach at a few of these rallies.

Our first stop was in Deltona Florida where Jason boldly walked into the center of the event, set down his speaker, and began to preach the gospel.

Our next stop was a rally in Daytona. We arrived an hour early so we hit the beach to preach on the sand. The Police shut us down during the Law.

The rally in Daytona was a lot more organized than the one in Deltona. This rally had a makeshift stage, signs, and a bunch more people. Somehow Jason made contact with one of the rally organizers who agreed to let him read a speech he wrote entitled “America is to young to die” he finished up with the Law and The Gospel!

Then Robert was asked to read a sermon by (?) and finished up with a call to evangelism.

Murdered By Charles Spurgeon

2009-04-10T18:52:00.001-04:00

There was a day, as I took my walks abroad,
when I came by a spot forever engraved upon
my memory, for there I saw this Friend,
my best, my only Friend... MURDERED!
I stooped down in sad affright, and looked at Him.
I saw that His hands had been pierced with rough iron nails,
and His feet had been torn in the same way.
There was misery in His dead countenance so terrible
that I scarcely dared to look upon it.
His body was emaciated with hunger, His back was red with
bloody scourges, and His brow had a circle of wounds about it:
clearly could one see that these had been pierced by thorns.
I shuddered, for I had known this Friend full well.
He never had a fault; He was the purest of the pure,
the holiest of the holy.
Who could have injured Him?
For He never injured any man: all His life long He "went about
doing good." He had healed the sick, He had fed the hungry, He
had raised the dead: for which of these works did they kill Him?
He had never breathed out anything else but love - and as I
looked into the poor sorrowful face, so full of agony, and yet
so full of love, I wondered who could have been a wretch so
vile as to pierce hands like His.
I said within myself, "Where can these traitors live?
Who are these that could have smitten such an One as this?"
Had they murdered an oppressor, we might have forgiven them;
had they slain one who had indulged in vice or villainy,
it might have been his desert; had it been a murderer and a rebel,
or one who had committed sedition, we would have said,
"Bury his corpse: justice has at last given him his due."
But when You were slain, my best, my only-beloved,
where did the traitors hide?
Let me seize them, and they shall be put to death!
If there be torments that I can devise, surely they shall
endure them all. Oh! what jealousy; what revenge I felt!
If I might but find these murderers, what I would do to them!
And as I looked upon that corpse, I heard a footstep,
and wondered where it was.
I listened, and I clearly perceived that the murderer was
close at hand! It was dark, and I groped about to find him.
I found that, somehow or other, wherever I put out my hand,
I could not meet with him, for he was NEARER to me than my
hand would go.
At last I put my hand upon MY BREAST. "I have you now"
said I - for lo! he was IN MY OWN HEART - the murderer
was hiding within my own bosom, dwelling in the recesses
of my INMOST SOUL.
Ah! then I wept indeed, that I, in the very presence of my
murdered Master, should be harboring the murderer - and I
felt myself most guilty while I bowed over His corpse, and sang
that plaintive hymn...
"Twas you, MY SINS, my cruel sins,
His chief tormentors were;
Each of my crimes became a nail,
and unbelief the spear."
Amid the rabble which hounded the Redeemer to His doom,
there were some gracious souls whose bitter anguish sought vent in
wailing and lamentations- fit music to accompany that march of woe.
When my soul can, in imagination, see the Saviour bearing
His cross to Calvary, she joins the godly women, and weeps
with them; for, indeed, there is true cause for grief, cause
lying deeper than those mourning women thought.
They bewailed innocence maltreated, goodness persecuted,
love bleeding, meekness about to die - but my heart has
a deeper and more bitter cause to mourn.
MY SINS were the scourges which lacerated those blessed
shoulders, and crowned with thorns those bleeding brows;
my sins cried -
"Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" and laid the cross upon His gracious shoulders.
His being led forth to die is sorrow enough for one eternity;
but MY having been His murderer, is more, infinitely more
grief than one poor fountain of tears can express.
If Christ has died for me, ungodly as I am, without strength
as I am, then I cannot live in sin any longer, but must arouse
myself to love and serve Him who has redeemed me.
I cannot trifle with the evil which slew my best Friend.
I must be holy for His sake.
HOW CAN I LIVE IN SIN WHEN HE HAS
DIED TO SAVE ME FROM IT?

(From Spurgeon's autobiography)

Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross: Experiencing the Passion and Power of Easter

2009-04-07T20:02:00.001-04:00

This is the book I am reading this Easter and each chapter has kept me focused on the Cross. It is an easy read and I Highly recommend this book! Here is what the product description says,

“This collection of readings, drawn from the writings and sermons of 25 classic and contemporary theologians and Bible teachers, focuses on the wonder of Christ’s sacrifice.

In a culture where crosses have become little more than decorative accessories and jewelry, how easy it is for even the most well-intended Christian to rush from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday without thoughtfully contemplating the cross and all that it means. Yet we miss out on spiritual riches when we do.

So that we all may linger at the cross during the Lenten season—and stay near it the whole year through—editor Nancy Guthrie has compiled this special anthology. It draws from the works and sermons of classic theologians such as Luther, Edwards, Spurgeon, Ryle, and Augustine, and from leading contemporary communicators such as John Piper, R. C. Sproul, Francis Schaeffer, John MacArthur, Skip Ryan, and Joni Eareckson Tada to help readers enter into an experience of Christ’s passion and anchor their hope in the power of his resurrection.

Each essay in this collection holds to a high view of Scripture and expounds on a particular aspect of the Easter story using the appropriate Scripture passage from the ESV Bible. These readings are sure to prepare people’s hearts for a fresh experience of the cross each and every Easter season.”

Buy this book from Amazon

Prayer List

2009-04-01T18:05:00.000-04:00

I have decided to start keeping a list of the people that we have one-2-one evangelism encounters with. The list is going to be a mostly combined list of the Bring The Noiz team. I will not indicate who the evangelist to whom the conversation belongs to avoid any pride issues. I will add to it from time to time at least monthly.

4/15-19/09

+Luis and Wife (Gave them the gospel on the Job and they were really receptive. Answered a ton of “seeker” type questions and left them with a bible and some literature.)
+“Captain” (Really receptive during an Open air encounter)
+“The Murderer” (Sorry I don’t have his name. This guy didn't think he could be forgiven by God because he had murdered someone. Gave gospel and received he it)
+Officer Riddle (Talk with him about civil rights and left him with a gospel tract)
+Jimmy – One of 8 EMT’s and An old friend who received a tract from me while I was talking to the officer above)
+Ishmael (has heard me open air at 2 different locations)
+Boogie (Heard the gospel open air and had a few questions. Gave bible)
+Magnum (Receptive during one-2-one, then ran into him in the store)
+John (Older man in wheel chair (4 strokes) who was going through hard times financially)
+Abbey (Young girl who trusted in own goodness to get to heaven. Helped her understand gospel more clearly)
+Jose (Handed tract then walked over to talk with us, Shared gospel seemed receptive)
+ Mike (One-2-one)
+Jerry (One-2-one)
+ Quinton (One-2-One)
+Frank (Homeless Christian struggling with sin)
+3 Iranian exchange students (Had a ton of questions wanted a bible and good chapters to read on the passion of Christ)

The Drunken Spider-Man Heckler

2009-03-31T12:07:00.001-04:00

This weekend I had an unlikely heckler. The hero of my youth Spiderman, who apparently likes to drink allot on the weekends, webbed down to the corner that I preach on. Now usually you can find Spider-Man fighting the forces of evil, but evidently the alcohol hindered his “Spidey senses” and he mistakes The Gospel for the enemy.

I didn't have my camcorder or camera to take pictures, but when searching through youtube I discovered that Spidey had an accomplice who was recording his wild Saturday night antics. I am going to hesitantly post the video with this warning, Spidey is not as good of a citizen on his off time as one would imagine and there are some graphic images in the first few minutes. If you want to see our feature in this film fast-forward to the 3:05 mark.

J.C. Ryle on Open Air Preaching

2009-03-29T08:55:00.000-04:00

Let us never be moved by those who cry down the preacher's office, and tell us that sacraments and other ordinances are of more importance than sermons. Let us give to every part of God's public worship its proper place and honor, but let us beware of placing any part of it above preaching. By preaching, the Church of Christ was first gathered together and founded, and by preaching, it has ever been maintained in health and prosperity. By preaching, sinners are awakened. By preaching, inquirers are led on. By preaching, saints are built up. By preaching, Christianity is being carried to the heathen world. There are many now who sneer at missionaries, and mock at those who go out into the high-ways of our own land, to preach to crowds in the open air. But such persons would do well to pause, and consider calmly what they are doing. The very work which they ridicule is the work which turned the world upside down, and cast heathenism to the ground. Above all, it is the very work which Christ Himself undertook. The King of kings and Lord of lords Himself was once a preacher. For three long years He went to and fro proclaiming the Gospel. Sometimes we see Him in a house, sometimes on the mountain side, sometimes in a Jewish synagogue, sometimes in a boat on the sea. But the great work He took up was always one and the same. He came always preaching and teaching. He says, "That is why I have come." ~ J.C. Ryle

Heading out to Savannah, Ga.

2009-03-15T07:57:00.001-04:00

Image via Wikipedia

I just returned from Atlanta and haven't even had anytime to post an update on the Kobalt 500 outreach and now I’m on the road again. This time I’m heading out to Savannah, Ga. to hit up one of the largest St. Patrick's Day parades in the south. There is going to be an estimated 400,000 people at this annual event.

I'm heading up there with 13 other evangelists to pass out tracts and do some open air. Please be in prayer for our safety as we travel and that God works through our efforts to save at least one soul!

What can an Evangelist do in 1 minute?

2009-03-14T22:49:00.001-04:00

A good question was asked by one of our readers in the comment section. I thought it was a great question so I wanted to post it here followed by a short answer,

Since I started following your blog I've been encouraged by your passion to spread the gospel and inspired by your attempts to do so at large civic events. I'm curious though...you're obviously planting seeds, but do you ever have an opportunity to do more than that? Do people stop and engage you? Do they respond with deeper questions that allow you to go further than passing out a tract? Also, I would imagine that many of the tracts you pass out end up in the trash and even on the ground as litter. Do you have concerns about that? I'm not trying to bring you down or belittle your efforts. I'm just curious because, as I said above, I have been encouraged by your posts and I would like to get my family (wife and 5 kids) started in something similar. Whenever I start a project I immediately think, "Is this the most efficient way to do this?" and "Am I maximizing my time, energy, and resources?" Any thoughts you have on this would be greatly appreciated.

This is a really good question from someone who just wants to “maximize his time energy and resources.” as any good Stewart should.

When I do large events I know that a lot of the tracts will be thrown away, but I also know that a lot of them get read, sometimes on the spot. I've walked by and heard people reading them to there kids or discussing what it says with their spouse. I also see them stuffed quickly into pockets. I know that when they get home they will have to empty those pockets and may have time to read it then. "Tracts make it into homes when we can't. They find their way onto dashboards, sun visors, wallets, night stands and desks long after we've handed them out. They are an essential tool in our evangelism to "speak" after we've gone home for the night."*

One of the main things I use tracts for is to break the ice to lead into a one-to-one conversation as my friend demonstrates in the video below.

The story of the old man who passed out tracts on George street is a legendary example of what tracts can do.

You can also read some tract testimonies here

Hope this helps some

Kobalt Tools 500

2009-03-05T10:58:00.001-05:00

In 2007 Jimmie Johnson took the checkered flag at the Kobalt Tools 500. In 2008 it was Kyle Bush! This year a new a driver is up for a prize who will it be? You could almost smell the exhaust as you ponder on all the possibilities this race brings. Not for entertainment but for the spreading of the gospel. Well This year Bring The Noiz Ministries will be among the estimated 105,000 race fans to attend the Kobalt Tools 500 Race at The Atlanta Motor Speedway. But there will be no shouting and cheering for any driver from us, only shouting and preaching the word of the Lord!

There is even bigger news going on behind the scenes at this event and could lead to more evangelism at future races. I will give you the details upon my return.

Please pray for our safety and that we are used by God to further his kingdom.

Humanity’s Pretense of Goodness

2009-03-02T20:51:00.001-05:00

Romans 8:7 “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot.”

“Although most human beings give the appearance at times of being confused seekers for truth with a naive respect for God, says Edwards, the reality is that unless they are moved by the Spirit they have a natural distaste for the real God, an uncontrollable desire to break His laws and a constant tendency to sit in judgment on Him when they notice Him at all. They are at moral enmity with the God revealed in the Bible. Since His purpose crosses theirs at every juncture, they really hate Him more than any finite object, and this is clearly displayed in their treatment of His Son. They are largely unconscious of this enmity. It is usually repressed through their unbelief, their creation of agreeable false portraits of God, their sense of His distance from us, their fear of punishment or their lack of awareness of the magnitude of their guilt. They are conditioned to pay their respects to some vague image of the Deity, and this is reinforced by fear and self-interest.

Fortunately Gods common grace reaches down through unregenerate humanity like a hand through a glove, revealing us of our own evil through constant acts of love and mercy that seem to originate in man. But only in Christian believers is man’s willful ignorance disarmed and his goodness rotted in worship and love of God rather than covert self-interest or the service of idols such as the human race. When the scriptures say “God is angry at the wicked every day” (Ps 7:11 AV), it is because the unregenerate are constantly (if unconsciously) angry at God and are daily expressing this anger and contempt toward those who represent Him on earth, toward one another, and even toward inanimate nature because God has made it. Every day the crucifixion is re-enacted in innumerable attacks upon the purpose of Christ. Even creation, suggests Edwards in another famous sermon, groans under its subjection to human misrule and would spew us out if it were not restrained by God.

In light of this analysis, what is remarkable is not the intensity of Gods wrath against sin but the magnitude of His patience and compassion in sparing and redeeming those who are His enemies.” ~ Richard F. Lovelace, Dynamics of Spiritual Life: An Evangelical Theology of Renewal pg. 86

Possibly related:

ESV Study Bible Pocket Edition

2009-02-22T21:10:00.001-05:00

Finally a pocket bible that has it all! ESV translation and the ESV Study Bible notes and articles! But wait there’s more… it also has has a bunch of extra stuff for free! Including, The Mathew Henry Commentary Of The Bible, Calvin's Institutes, John Piper articles, and more! This is the greatest pocket Bible ever and with a thickness of 0.30” it will be the smallest ESV pocket bible available! Oh did I mention that its an iPhone or iTouch application? Check out the short clip below to see it in action.

You can get more information at www.olivetree.com

A unique video from Friday: Open Air Lady

2009-02-16T06:33:00.000-05:00

Spurgeon on the love of God

2009-02-14T04:08:00.000-05:00

Image by Elvis John Ferrao via Flickr

On valentines day we tend to focus on the love we have for others and the love that they display to us with cards and trinkets. We often make it through the whole day without reflecting on the love that was displayed by God on that cross. Please read and meditate on this quote from Charles Spurgeon about the love of God.

To-night, we have to talk about the love of God: "God so loved the world." That love of God is a very wonderful thing, especially when we see it set upon a lost, ruined, guilty world. What was there in the world that God should love it? There was nothing lovable in it. No fragrant flower grew in that arid desert. Enmity to him, hatred to his truth, disregard of his law, rebellion against his commandments; those were the thorns and briars which covered the waste land; but no desirable thing blossomed there. Yet, "God loved the world," says the text; "so" loved it, that even the writer of the book of John could not tell us how much; but so greatly, so divinely, did he love it that he gave his Son, his only Son, to redeem the world from perishing, and to gather out of it a people to his praise.

Whence came that love? Not from anything outside of God himself. God's love springs from himself. He loves because it is his nature to do so. "God is love." As I have said already, nothing upon the face of the earth could have merited his love, though there was much to merit his displeasure. This stream of love flows from its own secret source in the eternal Deity, and it owes nothing to any earth-born rain or rivulet; it springs from beneath the everlasting throne, and fills itself full from the springs of the infinite. God loved because he would love. When we enquire why the Lord loved this man or that, we have to come back to our Saviour's answer to the question, "Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight." God has such love in his nature that he must needs let it flow forth to a world perishing by its own wilful sin; and when it flowed forth it was so deep, so wide, so strong, that even inspiration could not compute its measure, and therefore the Holy Spirit gave us that great little word SO, and left us to attempt the measurement, according as we perceive more and more of love divine.

Now, there happened to be an occasion upon which the great God could display his immeasurable love. The world had sadly gone astray; the world had lost itself; the world was tried and condemned; the world was given over to perish, because of its offenses; and there was need for help. The fall of Adam and the destruction of mankind made ample room and verge enough for love almighty. Amid the ruins of humanity there was space for showing how much Jehovah loved the sons of men; for the compass of his love was no less than the world, the object of it no less than to deliver men from going down to the pit, and the result of it no less than the finding of a ransom for them. The far-reaching purpose of that love was both negative and positive; that, believing in Jesus, men might not perish, but have eternal life. The desperate disease of man gave occasion for the introduction of that divine remedy which God alone could have devised and supplied. By the plan of mercy, and the great gift which was needed for carrying it out, the Lord found means to display his boundless love to guilty men. Had there been no fall, and no perishing, God might have shown his love to us as he does to the pure and perfect spirits that surround his throne; but he never could have commended his love to us to such an extent as he now does. In the gift of his only-begotten Son, God commended his love to us, in that while we were yet sinners, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. The black background of sin makes the bright line of love shine out the more clearly. When the lightning writes the name of the Lord with flaming finger across the black brow of the tempest, we are compelled to see it; so when love inscribes the cross upon the jet tablet of our sin, even blind eyes must see that "herein is love." C.H. Spurgeon Sermon number 1850

I don’t see God.

2009-02-11T07:50:00.000-05:00

I saw the following posted over at the Pyromaniacs Blog.

Challenge: I don't see God.
Response: [hold hands over eyes] I don't see you.

I laughed when I read that response then I thought of one of my own.

Challenge: I don’t see God.
Response: You didn't see me until we met, does that mean I didn't exist?

Shut Up and Don't tell us the Truth!!

2009-02-10T12:32:00.001-05:00

HT: Dawg on the Lawn

(Thomas Reade, "Christian Experience")

“They tell the prophets, "Shut up! We don't want any more of your reports." They say, "Don't tell us the truth. Tell us nice things. Tell us lies. Forget all this gloom. We have heard more than enough about your 'Holy One of Israel.' We are tired of listening to what He has to say." Isaiah 30:10-11

O what a deluge of evil has sin brought upon the earth! The heart of man naturally revolts against the faithful exposure of its enormities. Our pride fondly shelters itself under the 'dignity of human nature'.

We cannot bear to be told how wicked we are, how very far gone, even as far as possible, from original righteousness. But the Bible is no flatterer! It is a faithful mirror, in which we may clearly see, (if we have eyes to see) our real state, divested of all paint and covering. This offends our pride. We cannot endure the sight! Therefore we turn away with disgust from this Holy Book, and consider it our enemy, because it tells us the truth.

They tell the prophets, "Shut up! We don't want any more of your reports." They say, "Don't tell us the truth. Tell us nice things. Tell us lies. Forget all this gloom. We have heard more than enough about your 'Holy One of Israel.' We are tired of listening to what He has to say." Isaiah 30:10-11”

Christ Centered Hip Hop In Europe

2009-02-09T09:03:00.000-05:00

Christ centered Hip Hop has officially made its way to Europe! Listen to what this gifted artist can teach in under 2 minutes!
Dwayne Tryumf - 777 Intro from Dwayne Tryumf on Vimeo.

little concern to get time to pray?

2009-02-08T06:27:00.000-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

“Why is there so little concern to get time to pray? Why is there so much speaking, yet so little prayer? Why is there so much running to and fro, yet so little prayer? Why so much bustle and business, yet so little prayer? Why so many meetings with our fellow men, yet so few meetings with God? Why so little being alone, so little thirsting of the soul for the calm, sweet hours of unbroken solitude, when God and His child hold fellowship together as if they could never part? It is the lack of these solitary hours that not only injures our own growth in grace, but makes us such unprofitable
members of the church of Christ, and that renders our lives useless. In order
to grow in grace, we must be much alone with God. It is not in society, even
Christian society that the soul grows most rapidly and vigorously. In one
single quiet hour of prayer it will often make more progress than in whole
days of company with others. It is in the 'desert' that the dew falls freshest
and the air is purest. So with the soul. It is when none but God is near; when
His presence alone, like the desert air in which there is mingled no noxious
breath of man, surrounds and pervades the soul; it is then that the eye gets the
clearest, simplest view of eternal certainties; it is then that the soul gathers in
wondrous refreshment and power and energy. Nearness to God, fellowship
with God, waiting upon God, resting in God, have been too little the
characteristic either of our private or our ministerial walk. Hence our
example has been so powerless, our labors so unsuccessful, our sermons so
meager, our whole ministry so fruitless and feeble.”

From, Ministerial Confessions, by Horatius Bonar

Super Bowl Outreach Recap And Links

2009-02-07T14:37:00.001-05:00

I've been home from the Super Bowl Outreach for almost a week and I still cant stop thinking about the great time that I had. It is really hard to write about all the things that I experienced because it would take up most of the day. So I am going to post a short recap video and some links to other posts by Super Bowl Outreach attendees.

Confessions of an evangelist

2009-02-04T11:11:00.001-05:00

This is a video of Brother Shawn talking about evangelism. It will encourage you!

Video pop out

Back in town

2009-02-03T10:44:00.002-05:00

Well I'm back in town from the Super Bowl Outreach. It was a great time with hundreds of stories to share. I spent the weekend with some of the greatest men I've probably ever met! All these guys have a heart for the lost and are serious about evangelism.
With close to 24hrs of evangelism in 3 days there are so many great adventures and conversations to tell about that I couldn't possibly write about them all today. So I will work on a video documenting the adventure.
You can read an article that the St. Petersburg times wrote about our team here.

Super Bowl XLIII Here I Come!!!

2009-01-28T19:28:00.001-05:00

I'm soooo excited for this years Super Bowl! But not for the usual reasons. This year is different. This year I’m not excited to watch the game nor am I rooting for a specific team. I really don't even know who is playing this year, but what I do know is that there are going to be TONS of lost people in Tampa for this event! And by Gods grace I am privileged enough to go down there with 200+ other evangelists for 4 days, starting Thursday, to bring the Gospel to the masses!

To top it all off Tampa Bays Gasparilla Pirate Festival will be going on the same weekend!

Please pray for God to be glorified, souls to be won, and us to be safe!!

Go ~~Buccaneers~~ ~~White Sox~~ Cardinals!!!

Downtown Missionary vs.The Heathens

2009-01-24T21:10:00.002-05:00

This is a short video clip of Shawn preaching his heart out to the people of Downtown Orlando. Shawn has only been saved 8 months and God has been using him to preach the gospel for at least 6 of those months. Shawn preaches with love and a tone of pleading. However, as you will see in the clip below, sometimes The Heathen will mock and jeer at any presentation of the gospel of Christ.

Video Pop Out Link

This reminds me of a Spurgeon quote,

“A minister once announced to his congregation one Sunday morning, "I am going on a mission to the heathen." Now he had not told his deacons about it, and they looked puzzled at one another. Some of the good people in the congregation began to take out their pocket handkerchiefs, as they thought their minister was going to leave them-he was so useful and necessary to them that they felt sad at the bare idea of loosing him. "But" he added, "I shall not be out of town." So may you also go on a mission to the heathen without going out of this huge town of yours! You might almost preach to every sort of heathen within the bounds of your town. If you want to reach the heathen who have gone farthest into sin, you need not certainly leave your town for that. You shall find men and women rotten with sin, and reeking in the nostrils of God with their abominations. You may go about on a mission
to the heathen, and your railway ticket need not cost you one penny!”
Spurgeon, "The Great Itinerant" No. 655

Pray for your evangelists and Open air preachers

A Painful Question for Hudson Taylor

2009-01-23T08:33:00.000-05:00

HT: Thoughts on the way

Hudson Taylor's conversation with a new convert name Nyi:

It was he who, talking with Mr. Taylor, unexpectedly raised a question the pain of which was not easily forgotten.

"How long have you had the glad tidings in England?" he asked unsuspectingly.

The young missionary was ashamed to tell him, and vaguely replied that it was several hundreds of years.

"What," exclaimed Nyi in astonishment, "several hundreds of years! Is it possible that you have known about Jesus so long, and only now have come to tell us? My father sought the truth for more than twenty years," he continued sadly, "and died without finding it. Oh, why did you not come sooner?"

--- --- ---

The truth is, that while the missionaries are often roughly treated and persecuted - if no one goes... well, let's follow the reverse logic of Romans 10:13-15.

If no one goes (or is sent), no one will preach. If no one preaches, no one will hear. If no one hears, no one will believe. If no one believes, no one will call on the Lord Jesus. If no one calls on the Lord, no one will be saved.

As Curt Daniel has said, "Those who never hear can never be saved. What an incentive for us to go to them with the Gospel! They who never hear will all go to Hell."

True Repentance ~ Tim Conway (0:05:30)

2009-01-22T08:51:00.001-05:00

What is Biblical Repentance? - Ask Pastor Tim Conway from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.

A.W. Pink on Law and Grace

2009-01-21T08:07:00.001-05:00

HT: What's the good news?

"Not a few of those who are now regarded as the champions of
orthodoxy tell their hearers that the principles of law and grace are such
contrary elements that where the one be in exercise the other must
necessarily be excluded. But this is a very serious error. How could the
Law of God and the Gospel of the grace of God conflict? The one exhibits
Him as “light,” the other manifest Him as “love” 1 John 1:5; 4:8), and
both are necessary in order fully to reveal His perfections: if either one be
omitted only a one-sided concept of His character will be formed. The one
makes known His righteousness, the other displays His mercy, and His
wisdom has shown the perfect consistency there is between them."
"Instead of law and grace being contradictory, they are complementary.
Both of them appeared in Eden before the Fall. What was it but grace
which made a grant unto our first parents: “Of every tree of the garden
thou mayest freely eat”? And it was law which said, “But of the tree of
knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it.” Both of them are
seen at the time of the great deluge, for we are told that “Noah found grace
in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:8), as His subsequent dealings with
him clearly demonstrated; while His righteousness brought in a flood upon
the world of the ungodly. Both of them operated side by side at Sinai, for
while the majesty and righteousness of Jehovah were expressed in the
Decalogue, His mercy and grace were plainly evinced in the provisions He
made in the whole Levitical system (with its priesthood and sacrifices) for
the putting away of their sins."
"Both shone forth in their meridian glory at Calvary, for whereas on the one hand the abounding grace of God appeared in giving His own dear Son to be the Saviour of sinners, His justice called for the curse of the Law to be inflicted upon Him while
bearing their guilt." ~ A.W. Pink (1886 –1952)

Martin Luther King J.R. Day Outreach

2009-01-20T16:04:00.001-05:00

Martin Luther King J.R. was a great leader in the civil rights movement and rightly deserves a day remembrance. As with any day of remembrance there are celebrations like parade’s and picnics. This year we used the opportunity to do some evangelism. We teamed up with Sean Kelsey again to pass out tracts at as many local parades as we could.

Saturday found us joined with a team from Winter Haven at the Winter Haven MLK parade. There we passed out a few thousand tracts. Then Monday we attended a parade and picnic in Oviedo. This was a grand time! We handed out a few more thousand tracts, did some open air, one 2 one’s and enjoyed great fellowship together.

Faces

Everybody loved the custom Martin Luther King J.r. tracts, designed by Sean Kelsey, and of course the Million Dollar Bill was a crowd favorite. Watch video below to see how Sean Kelsey uses the Million Dollar Bills to gather a small crowd to do some open air. Its a wonderful a cheap way to get a crowd gathered. In the video he actually walks right into the middle of a football game and announced the free millions.

It was a great weekend of evangelism and between all the parades there were over 10,000 tracts dispersed! Pray for the souls!

And The Winner Is…

2009-01-19T15:48:00.001-05:00

I had a great time doing my first give away on the Blog. Its wasn't like I expected because I found myself rooting for each of you guys. Then when it came time to draw the name I was super excited to see who would be the winner! And the winner is…Ryan and Kelly from www.lograce.com! Congratulations!!!

Thanks to all those who entered! I plan on giving a few more books away in the coming weeks! I just pray that the people who receive them will read them!

Oh yea, this book is so worth reading I thought as a consolation to those who didn't win, I would post a link to listen to the sermon series that spawned this wonderful book. You can download it here for free!

Enter To Win Hard To Believe by John MacArthur

2009-01-11T19:07:00.001-05:00

I've always wanted to do a giveaway on the blog and because I received for Christmas a book that I already have I figured I would pass this gem on to one of you!

Here’s how to win this book: Leave a comment below or your name and some way for me to contact you if you win--email or blog link is fine (as long as there's an email address attached to the blog link). If you aren't able to post a comment send your entry to noiz at bringthenoiz.com. Open to U.S. residents only. I will draw randomly the winner and announce it on Monday the 19th.

Robert (Noiz) Preaching Downtown Friday Night

2009-01-10T20:44:00.001-05:00

If you don't see player click here

update: What's cool is that the P.A. we use can be heard for at least 3 blocks! Even with the noise of downtown! So when we preach there are people hearing it whether they like it or not! I always think of a post I once read on Tony The Lawman’s blog entitled Acoustic Shadows.

True vs. False Conversion

2009-01-06T21:34:00.001-05:00

Hell Is Necessary! Video clip By Tim Conway

2009-01-06T08:59:00.001-05:00

Hell is Necessary - Tim Conway - Sermon Jam from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.

Free Audio Book: Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God

2009-01-05T08:32:00.001-05:00

Every month Christian Audio.com gives away a free book download. You would think that a free audio book would probably be a waste of time, but not in the case of Christianaudio.com. Since I've been downloading their free books I have been blessed by the quality of both the books themselves and the narration. Well this month is no exception. Go here to download the legendary Christian Minister Oswald Chambers auto biography. Be sure to enter coupon code JAN2009.

“Oswald Chambers was a man for all time. His was the mind of Christ and so his words are compelling because they reflect the thoughts of our Savior. I am not the first to say that no book outside the Bible has influenced me as much as My Utmost for His Highest. In David McCasland’s book we have, at last, the story of this man’s life and how, having honored God, God is now honoring him with the only fame that really matters.” Download book

Read Through The Bible In One Year

2009-01-01T20:24:00.001-05:00

Today starts the first day fulfilling something I've been wanting to do since I first heard about it mid last year. I am going to commit myself to read through the Bible in one year following a schedule.

My commitment is in the morning is a “no read, no feed” while following The One Year Bible reading schedule. There are many other schedules to follow and I will list a few. I chose The One Year for a few reasons, 1. its a good format and 2. it is the schedule that my Church follows. I will read through using this schedule in 2009 then maybe try one of the other schedules year after year.

Originally I purchased the One Year Bible which is formatted in the order of the schedule and not like a traditional bible. For example it starts off with Genesis 1:25-2:25, then Mathew 1:1-2:12, ect. I think it is great for some, though I am not using it because I like to read it out of an ordinary bible. I think this helps with my scripture recall and makes it easier to find what I am looking for later. So I found the One Year Bible schedule in PDF format here. I downloaded the file and then used my wife's nifty paper cutter to cut each month into a bookmark size. I then made a pocket for the back of my bible that holds the months I am not using. Works great!

I'm praying that I can stick it out. I love reading my bible, but sometimes I have trouble following a set plan because I always want to read other parts of scripture. This always side tracks me and then I’ll get discouraged so please pray for me!

Remember no matter what schedule you choose just choose one and stick with it because The only bad Bible reading plan is to plan not to read it.

Other Schedules Include:

Mc'shaynes Schedule is a schedule that has been used by many great preachers and was recommended to me by Paul Washer.

Chronological is reading the bible with all the biblical events in sequential order.

Through the bible in 90 days

Web Sites that provide a schedule and other tools to aid in your reading:

ESV Schedules: This is a great site. It has a few different reading plans and some cool ways to help keep you on track like reminders in RSS, Email, iCal, and text message formats. You can even get your daily readings in audio format for free by subscribing to the RSS feed. Follow These instructions

Bible reading plans.org This site allows you to select your favorite translation and then sends email reminders of your schedule. They have some good reading plans that including those mentioned above and some smaller ones like, Gospels or proverbs in a month, the words of Jesus 4 times a year, and more.

Zondervan has some good schedules like, 30 days with Jesus, and one I thought was kind of cool, 30 days for new Christians.

Helpful Links:

Bible verse memorization a great way to memorize scripture
Meditate on Gods word gives great insight on how to actually put Gods word into your heart
Read the ESVSB articles and introductions in one year
Read John Calvin's Institutes in a year 2009 is the 500th anniversary of the great reformer John Calvin which makes it a great reason to read Calvin's greatest work. Princeton Theological Sem. has provided a website that allows you to receive the daily reading via, RSS, audio podcast or download a PDF schedule.
Westminster Standards one year reading Blog
One-2-one prayer and Bible reading with a friend

Calendar

2009-01-01T11:22:00.001-05:00

My 2008 Top 10

2008-12-31T18:53:00.001-05:00

Here is my 2008 top 10 list.

10. Starting this blog!

It was something I was very hesitant to do because of my inability to use proper grammar. I was never a strong speller (Just this paragraph alone had about 7 misspellings) and I slept through most of English class. I have also made some pretty cool “Cyber friends” and have been able to use the blog as a tool to the glory of God! This post will also be my 200th blog post!!

9. Witnessing.

As most already know I've only been saved for about 3 years. I have, since the very first day, always shared my faith with a lot of zeal and no knowledge. After about a year, I discovered Way Of The Master Radio and then learned the foundational tools to actually share my faith effectively and knowledgably. I had my first purposeful encounter on Oct, 29 2007, but it wasn't till 2008 that I knew that I was called to do it as much as possible and 2008 has been a great year for me in that regard.

8. Deeper and The 500.

Deeper was a wonderful conference held in Atlanta, Georgia and featured some of my favorite teachers like Paul Washer, Ray Comfort, Todd Freil, and more. The highlight was actually getting to meet Paul Washer and then Go out with 500+ Evangelists and hit the streets of downtown Atlanta. Read more about these here and here.

7. My First Supporter.

This year was the first time in my life that I have had someone (who I had just met for the first time) say to me, “I love what you do and I want to support your ministry however I can.” How cool is that!!

6. Reading Books with My Son.

I've been reading books to my 5 year old son every night since he was born. Normally we would read stuff other people bought him like, Disney books, Dr. Suess, ect. But just recently I started reading some real books to him. This change has blessed him and I beyond what I could have expected. The books we have read thus far are, The Princes Poison Cup, The Lightlings, Sammy and his Shepherd, and of course the classic, Pilgrims Progress. If anyone has any recommended books I would love to know about them.

5. My New Church Home.

It is never easy to leave a Church especially when your a leader there, but I knew that it was time for me and the family to venture out and explore other options. I ended up at a solid reformed biblical church. We have a great Pastor and a great church body. We have felt like part of the family since day one. You can check us out at www.celebrationcommunitychurch.com

4. Shawn.

This one really ranks at the top of my all time list! Being able to be used by God to bring an old friend to the Saviour was something I’ll never forget. I think it is a story I will be telling my grandchildren someday! You can read the story here.

3. My Great Friends.

God has placed a few good friends in my life that have been important in my Christian growth. These guys don’t take me too serious, hold me accountable, and encourage me when I need it most and correct me when I am wrong. There is one in particular that has been around since my conversion and has been a big part of my walk. There is nothing like Christian fellowship! Thank you guys!

2. Family.

My wife honors me and is truly my best friend. I don't know what I would do without her. My sons are the greatest! My parents and my sister are also a big part of my life, although they think I’m nuts! I could write for days about the wonderful family God has given me, but I’m trying to keep the paragraphs short.

1. My Lord.

It seems this year was a big year of growth for me. I have been praying, reading my word, commentaries, and many books. And it seems that the more I get to know this God and Saviour of mine, the more I am in complete awe of him. I am thankful every day for his death on the cross as a payment for my sins!

I look forward to 2009!!!

Citrus Parade.

2008-12-31T09:57:00.001-05:00

I just got back from tracting the Citrus Parade. This parade was allot larger then I expected which caused allot more traffic then I expected so even after leaving to get there an hour early I got there a few minutes late.

The parade drew allot of people into the streets of downtown which gave us ample opportunity to pass out thousands of tracts. It was great to meet some of the new evangelists that joined in our effort to reach the lost.

I also saw my first “Sign Lady.” It is unusual for there to be any other evangelists (besides our team members) at an event in our town so it was a welcome sight to see someone doing what they could to point people to Christ.

Special thanks to Sean Kelsey for organizing the event and providing thousands of free gospel tracts!

Christmas Parade Outreach A Success!

Champs Bowl Outreach.

2008-12-30T19:31:00.001-05:00

The Champs Bowl was held on the 27th of December and featured one of our states top teams, The Florida State Seminoles. This was a game that was guaranteed to draw a BIG crowd because it would be the first time that the Noles would be at the Citrus Bowl in over 10 years! Since there would be tons of people we knew that we couldn't miss this opportunity to share the Gospel in the open air. So Me and Braz met up with our new friend Jason to do some preaching.

As we expected it was a zoo around the stadium. There were thousands of people walking by us as we preached the gospel. We were first stationed outside of the gates on what we thought was public property until the cops came. They asked us to move down the road and across the street from the stadium into what they called “the first amendment zone.” Slightly discouraged by this apparent set back we moved on down to “the first amendment zone” and as providence would have it, would be able to preach to more people at one time! You can see all the people that Jason is reaching with the gospel in this picture taken by Braz’s cell phone.

It was a great day and the gospel went forth! Now we pray for those who heard and those who received tracts.

Florida Classic Football game

Paul Washer: Preach The Gospel Right!

2008-12-29T18:17:00.001-05:00

"Preach right! So when they stone you, they stone you for a right reason. You know, there's some guys who get stoned and literally its because they're so stinking aggravating. Its not because there biblical." ~ Paul Washer

Evangelist Vs. Ultimate Fighter

2008-12-28T20:47:00.001-05:00

A new friend of mine, Jason, who is a great open air preacher and shares the corner with us in Downtown, Orlando, had a great opportunity to witness to an atheist. And this atheist, if provoked, could have knocked his block off! Here’s what he wrote on his Blog,

“While one of my brothers was preaching a man came up and started arguing about how the Earth wasn't 6000 years old. So a brother and me pulled him aside so he didn't stop the preaching of God's word. Eventually it was just me and him. He said he was an atheist but agreed that he wasn't a true atheist because he didn't have absolute knowledge. He was very combative and his language was very nasty, so to try to calm him down I told him my name and asked him his. He said his name is Seth Petruzelli. I have a background that knows a lot about fights and fighters and I kind of recognized him and his name and asked if he was a UFC fighter. He said that he is. Seth a couple of months ago scored one of the biggest upsets in MMA history when he beat a Goliath of a man named Kimbo Slice (Watch the knockout here). While reasoning with him of his conscience, right and wrong, and trying to reason with him about how there had to be a Creator of some sort, because something could never come from nothing. I asked him if he could be wrong, and he admitted that he could. After talking with him for about a half an hour, I gave him Mark Cahill's book "One Heartbeat Away." He said that he would definitely read it because he is always trying to learn. What was amazing was this guy who was very angry and didn't want to listen was humbled and admitted he could be wrong. Please pray for him that God will convict his sinfulness and the love of this world will not keep him from the amazing grace found in Jesus!”

Rashard Lewis Gets a Million

Citrus Parade Outreach

2008-12-27T11:18:00.003-05:00

The Orlando Citrus Parade is a televised event in Downtown Orlando and with your help it is possible that we will hand out over 10,000 gospel tracts! Tracts will be provided by Sean Kelsey’s Ministry.

The parade starts at 11:00, but we will arriving at 10:00 to tract the staging area.

Map from Kissimmee,

View Larger Map

Christmas Parade Outreach A Success!

2008-12-27T10:46:00.001-05:00

The 2008 Christmas Parade Outreach was a great success! Thanks to Sean Kelsey and all the teams that volunteered to help in this effort there were over 89,000 tracts handed out this year!!!!!

Now we all need to pray for those who received a tract that their hearts be transformed by the gospel and pray that maybe next year you too will volunteer in this effort!

Jason Bellard – I never Sounded The Trumpet

2008-12-27T08:55:00.001-05:00

HT: Uncommonly Powerful Preaching

Below is a song by Jason Bellard it is entitled, “I never Sounded The Trumpet.” It is a song that every Christian should listen to closely. It is based off of Ezekiel 33:2-6.,

"If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand."

Click Here to check it out!

Merry Christmas To All!!!

2008-12-24T22:08:00.001-05:00

John Piper – You Must Suffer

2008-12-23T16:21:00.001-05:00

John Piper - You Must Suffer from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.

God In His Underwear

2008-12-21T21:20:00.001-05:00

Original Post by, Chris de Vidal on Reformed Evangelist

“The purpose of Bethlehem is Calvary. The purpose of the manger is the cross. Jesus had to clothe Himself with skin at Bethlehem so that nails could be driven through it!

Given that, I thought it would be appropriate to share this quote from Joni Eareckson Tada’s book, When God Weeps.

As the soldier swings the mallet, the Son recalls how he and the Father first designed the medial nerve of the human forearm–the sensations it would be capable of. The design proves flawless–the nerve performs exquisitely. “Up you go!” They lifted the cross. God is on display in his underwear and can scarcely breathe.

But these pains are a mere warm-up to his other and growing dread. He begins to feels a foreign sensation. Somewhere during this day an unearthly foul odor began to waft, not around his nose, but his heart. He feels dirty. Human wickedness starts to crawl upon his spotless being–the living excrement from our souls. The apple of his Father’s eye turns brown with rot. His Father! He must face his Father like this!

From heaven the Father now rouses himself like a lion disturbed, shakes his mane, and roars against the shriveling remnant of a man hanging on a cross. Never has the Son seen the Father look at him so, never felt even the least of his hot breath. But the roar shakes the unseen world and darkens the visible sky. The Son does not recognize these eyes.

“Son of Man! Why have you behaved so? You have cheated, lusted, stolen, gossiped–murdered, envied, hated, lied. You have cursed, robbed, overspent, overeaten–fornicated, disobeyed, embezzled, and blasphemed. Oh, the duties you have shirked, the children you have abandoned! Who has ever so ignored the poor, so played the coward, so belittled my name? Have you ever held your razor tongue? What a self-righteous, pitiful drunk–you, who molested young boys, peddle killer drugs, travel in cliques, and mock your parents. Who gave you the boldness to rig elections, foment revolutions, torture animals, and worship demons? Does the list never end! Splitting families, raping virgins, acting smugly, playing the pimp–buying politicians, practicing extortion, filming pornography, accepting bribes. You have burned down buildings, perfected terrorist tactics, founded false religions, traded in slaves–relishing each morsel and bragging about it all. I hate, I loathe these things in you! Disgust for everything about you consumes me! Can you not feel my wrath?”

Of course the Son is innocent. He is blamelessness itself. The Father knows this. But the divine pair have an agreement, and the unthinkable must now take place. Jesus will be treated as if personally responsible for every sin ever committed.

The Father watches as his heart’s treasure, the mirror-image of himself, sinks drowning into raw, liquid sin. Jehovah’s stored rage against humankind from every century explodes in a single direction.”

(Emphasis added.)

You Know You’re An Open Air Preacher When…

2008-12-21T09:02:00.001-05:00

You know you’re an Open Air Preacher when one of your closest friends buys you an EZ Fold stepping stool for Christmas and you super excited! Thanx Braz!

Downtown Takedown First’s

2008-12-20T14:23:00.001-05:00

This weeks downtown takedown brings a few first’s,

1. Drunk Christmas tree’s

Its the first time I’ve seen a possible Jeff Foxworthy joke in real life, “You might be a redneck if… the Christmas tree your wearing downtown is decorated with empty cans of Beer!”

2.Taylor’s first Open Air

It would be the first night my young friend Taylor would try his hand at Open Air Preaching. He did a great job!

3.Killer Jesus

I was presented an Objection that actually caused me to pause. It went like this, I was talking to a young man who thought Christianity was false and he didn't like Jesus because Jesus wants his followers to Kill anyone who does not follow Him! I obviously told him that he must be mistaken and Jesus would never say or decree such a thing. He then said “Oh yes he did read Luke 19:27!” So I open my bible to Luke 19:27 which read,"'But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.'"

I actually was taken back by what I just read. I laughed as I struggled for an answer and that’s when I realized that Jesus was telling a story about someone else in the greater context a parable. I then explained that to him but he claimed that all Christians just twist the scripture to get around the truth.

Though he was most definitely mistaken on his reading of the text. I thanked him for actually trying to object to Christianity based on at least some sort of evidence. It was actually nice to meet someone who could do more then use foul language and irrationality to deny Christ.

4.Shawn’s Tattoos

4.) Last night was Shawn’s first night wearing short sleeves which revealed his many tattoos. That's when we heard at least 10 different people yell out, “You have tattoos so your going to hell!” or “Jesus doesn't allow tattoos so your a sinner too”

What was so surprising is that we get told were judging people and that it is wrong, but yet the heathen would quickly hurl hurtful and judgmental statements at us with out any cause.

The crazy thing is that for some reason most people think we’re preaching like we’re not or were not sinners. I have yet to figure this problem out. It is clear just by looking at us that we are not perfect. That's the great thing about his tattoos, he gets to use them to point this fact out to the people. So whenever the objection comes up he says, “Yea I've got tattoos! I got them before I was saved and they will forever remind me who I was and what God saved me from!”

All and all it was a great evening downtown. We preached for 5 hours straight and I got to observe my friend Taylor’s first time doing open air and also saw another another close friend of mine who preached like he had never preached before! My friend Shawn was being used by God last night more then any of us. He preached with more truth, conviction, passion, then ever before. All the while keeping Christ the center! Praise God for his conversion and his ministry!

Jesus Christ Costs Everything! – Paul Washer

2008-12-19T19:19:00.001-05:00

Video Pop Out

To Santa Or Not To Santa That's The Question?

2008-12-16T20:51:00.004-05:00

Since I came to know Christ 3 years ago I have quickly become one who doesn't like the idea of a false idol named Santa Clause being the focus of Christmas. I have been telling my kids, now 5 and 1, that there is no such thing as Santa.
This causes some people to get angry with me. They say “your taking the fun out of it!” to which my wife always replies “Should we rob our kids of their fun or rob Christ of His glory?” It’s a pretty good come back and would shut any sort-of Christian down!
I could write a whole long article about this issue, but I really just wanted to post the following quote by Dan Phillips from the Biblical Christianity Blog. It really sums up my position on this issue.

“I never told my children that there really is a demigod-Santa Pelagius looming somewhere, judging their works. First, it isn't true. Second, I don't think lying to kids is very nice. But third, I don't want them to have to start filtering what I say, and wondering whether ol' Dad is having a bit of a snicker at their expense when he talks about this other invisible figure who sees them when they're sleeping, and knows when they're awake. (Santa? God?) original article

John Piper On Santa Clause

Super Bowl Outreach

2008-12-16T15:03:00.001-05:00

Thanks to the generous donation of a brother in Christ I will be joining the evangelists at the 2009 Super Bowl Outreach in Tampa Florida on Jan 29 – Feb 1st! Go to superbowloutreach.org for more information.

Spurgeon: Not wavering in the Truth

2008-12-07T23:00:00.000-05:00

"No signs can be more alarming than the growing infidelity and worldliness which I see among those who call themselves Christians. Does this nation really intend to cast off the fear of God and the doctrines of Holy Scripture to follow the vain imaginings of the sophists and the fashionable follies of the great? Are we to see again unbelief and luxurious sin walking hand in hand? If so, there be some of us who mean to take up our sorrowful parable, and speak as plainly as we can for truth and holiness, whether we offend or please. Be it ours still to thunder out the law of God, and proclaim with trumpet clearness the gospel of Jesus, not batting one jot of firm belief in the revelation of God, nor winking at sin, nor toning down truth, even though we fear that the only result will be to make this people’s hearts gross, and their ears heavy, and their eyes blind.

If it must be so, my soul shall weep in secret; but still, Oh Lord, here am I, send me. Be of good courage, Oh my heart, for the faithful have not ceased from among men; other voices will cry aloud and spare not, if haply our land may be purged of its present defilement."

HT:Pyromaniacs

Im trying to be a good Christian!

2008-12-06T16:19:00.000-05:00

Christianity is not trying to be something your not, but being something you are, a new creature! ~Paul Washer