08/January/2010 12:32 PM
WITNESSING AND EVANGELISM - a shunned discipline
Imagine being a Christian for 20 years and one day being convicted in a huge area of disobedience and pathetic growth in your life. For example, lets say you never gave any of your money or resources to the ministry of the church, or to God’s work in any way. Or perhaps you’ve never obeyed the Lord by being baptized. Or maybe you have not been exercising faith in a certain area of your life. Most Christians, when confronted with scripture that shows them an area of growth they are weak in, will want to, by God’s grace, seek to obey and grow in that area of their walk.
About two years ago my wife and I became quite aware of the sad state of our witnessing lives, as we began to regularly listen to a radio ministry that shared the gospel with people on the street day after day. In my case, I realized that my 8 months of missionary efforts in Lithuania were ill trained, ill-equipped and poorly executed. It’s hard not to think of my time there as a waste now, and that the sharing of the gospel I had done publicly for the last several years was poorly presented (more on that later). In my wife’s case, she summed it up by saying; “To my shame I’ve been a Christian in full time ministry on staff at a church for 10 years, and have never once gone out of my way to witness to a stranger.”
Most Christians reading this article won’t need much convincing that evangelism is something that they should be doing, and is expected of every Christian. But lets start by defining what evangelism is. Evangelism is to present Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit to sinful people, in order that they may come to put their trust in God through Him, to receive Him as their Saviour, and serve Him as their King in the fellowship of His Church.1
To put it simply, it is communicating the gospel. So if you are sharing the gospel, you are evangelizing. This can include various methods such as the spoken word, text, prerecorded messages, sign language or many other ways. Evangelism is not just for missionaries! Pastor John Piper has made the distinction that missions is evangelism in another culture.
Why should a Christian witness? Jesus Christ commanded it.
Matthew 28:19-20 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Mark 16:15 15He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.
Luke 24:47 47and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
John 20:21 21Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."
Acts 1:8 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Some other verses of interest:
Proverbs 11:30 30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.
2 Corinthians 5:11 11Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.
Romans 10:14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
2 Timothy 4:1-2 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
1 Peter 2:9 9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Why Don’t We Witness?
There are hundreds of reasons and excuses why Christians will not open their mouths and speak to non-believers about Christ. One of them is that a person will say “I don’t have the gift of evangelism.” Author Ray Comfort says “Saying I don’t have the gift of evangelism is like saying I don’t have the gift of feeding the poor.”
Some Christians believe that evangelism is a gift and the responsibility of only those with that gift. They appeal to Ephesians. 4:11 for support: “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers.” While it is true that God gifts some for ministry as evangelists, He calls all believers to be His witnesses and provides them with both the power to witness and a powerful message. Every evangelist is called to be a witness, but only a few witnesses are called to the vocational ministry of an evangelist. Just as each Christian, regardless of spiritual gift or ministry, is to love others, so each believer is to evangelize whether or not his or her gift is that of evangelist.2
Luis Palau said “I find that the people who most argue against evangelism as a priority haven't won a soul to Christ in decades. They are afraid of the nonbeliever. In almost every case, they stay within their closed circles. We scream at the world with our magazines and our microphones, but we don't mingle with the people in the world to bring them to Jesus Christ. Sometimes we hide behind theological statements that go beyond Scripture. Sometimes we hide by saying, "I'm just much too busy carrying on my gift." And we forget that witnessing is not an option. We are all supposed to be witnesses.”
When it comes down to the core of it, pride is the most common sin that stops us from witnessing in the end. We are afraid of what people will think of us. We are afraid that we will look stupid. But by fearing men and not God we are sinning. By not loving people enough to share with them that Jesus Christ can save them from their sin which will result in their eternal punishment in hell, we are showing that we either don’t really love them, or we don’t really believe the Bible. Even Penn Jillette, the God hating atheist from the magic duo “Penn & Teller” surprisingly admits:
"How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize?" Jillette asked. "How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that? If I believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that a truck was coming at you and you didn't believe it, and that truck was bearing down on you, there's a certain point where I tackle you. And this is more important than that."
Methods of Evangelism
There are probably as many “methods” and mediums of evangelism as you can think of. By methods, I mean the context or situation. (as opposed to the message itself). Methods could include a whole spectrum such as sermons, kid’s club, soup kitchen ministries, outreach events involving music or comedy, men’s breakfasts, camps, or Christian sports leagues. The list is endless. There are many mediums as well, such as: speaking to a person one on one, through literature such as books or tracts, door to door, open air preaching, radio, internet, television, or sermons.
It’s important to realize that things like comedy, drama, juggling, music, or “living the Christian life” in and of themselves are not evangelism. However, if the gospel message is proclaimed through those mediums then you could call it evangelism. Personally, I think those who rely on “lifestyle evangelism” as their only form of evangelism are doing themselves, God, and the lost a big disservice, since it necessitates the lost “coming,” rather than you “going.” And seriously, how often does a non believer come up to you and say, “Why are you so loving?”
Career evangelist Luis Palau points out “You have not been a true witness to Jesus Christ until you have openly, clearly, lovingly presented the message of John 3:16. Witnessing for Jesus Christ is done through one's life, but the life has no meaning if the lips do not speak. Until you've done that, you have not been a full witness to Jesus Christ. People cannot guess why you're such a good neighbor unless you openly, clearly express your faith in Christ.”
OK, Where do I start?
I have found that even when I’m committed to making evangelism a part of life, it’s so very easy to slip back into my self focused life; keeping my lips closed, gospel tracts, books or dvds to myself and not going out of my way to share the greatest news in the world. One of the reasons for this I believe, is because it is a discipline. To become good at anything you have to practice it, and prepare for it. Having someone teach, train and encourage you (disciple you!) is of great importance. I can teach the worst klutz to juggle in far less time that I taught myself to juggle because I had no experience or knowledge about it. I would never be able to juggle six balls today if I never practiced juggling. I used to wonder how I could grow up in a church with such great Bible preaching and teaching, and never learn how to witness? It’s because I never saw anyone do it, and hence never learned how to do it. Therefore I never placed the proper importance on it. I think it’s safe to say that if there is no one in your church regularly involved in sharing the gospel with friends or strangers, you probably won’t be either. So, if you are interested in learning how to witness more effectively, and regularly, get prepared and get some people together! In my church situation I can’t tell you how blessed I am to know that there are people I can call (including my wife) that will take a few hours to go out to the mall, or the market, or the park and talk to people. It’s always the same for everyone - you go dragging your feet, quite nervous, and after having the honour of sharing the gospel with someone, your heart beats with joy, and you go home with a skip in your step!
So how does the believer plan and prepare? For starters, let me say that you will never “feel” ready. So don’t plan on doing a 1 year course before you decide to open your mouth. Begin to practice saying and sharing the gospel with a friend or family member. You will soon discover that even though you may have sat in church for years, if you’ve never done it, it can be hard to share the gospel clearly in just a few minutes. Don’t believe it? Try it!
There are a lot of good ice breakers and tracts with the gospel message on them available today. I used to think lowly of tracts, but not anymore. They can be so helpful to start a conversation, and they can go where you cannot - home with people. I even met a woman whose husband become a Christian from a tract he found in a port-a-potty. He then led her to Christ and now the two of them train thousands of other believers every year how to share their faith. All that from one tract not even handed directly to someone. There are plenty of resources that can help you get prepared. One of the ministries that changed our evangelistic lives was Way of the Master, which did two things for my wife and I.
First, it showed us that we didn’t need to have a Bible College degree or seminary education to have a strategy for our witnessing conversation. We heard people of all faiths (or lack of faiths) being witnessed to over and over again, and realized that with some practice, you can get to the point where you know how to get a conversation started, and where to take it. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8), and whether the conversation goes “well” or you are completely rejected, it’s a win win situation! 1 Peter 4:14 says: If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. Remember, you don’t do the converting, God does! Your job is to faithfully plant the seeds and let God work on the soil.
Secondly, it showed us that by not presenting God’s moral law to the sinner before the gospel of grace, we cripple and weaken the effectiveness of the gospel, and are in danger of creating a false convert, who never actually repented of his sin, because he never knew what sin was. (Romans 7:7) By helping a non-believer to see how they personally have broken God’s moral law (the Ten Commandments), and that a holy God must punish law breakers, then punishment (hell) is reasonable and the gospel makes sense. (Gal. 3:24). About one hundred years ago, the evangelical church at large began to abandon the use of the law in evangelism, to our great peril. The topic of using the law in evangelism is an important one and my space is short so for more information on this subject read, “The Way of the Master” by Ray Comfort, or for a crash course listen to the two sermons listed below in the resource section.
Please take the time this new year to think about your witness for Christ. If it hasn’t happened already, it won’t be long before, like me, you have a friend die that you did not share the gospel with, and then it will be too late. Take a lesson from this event that happened in New York. On December 19 2009, a pregnant woman in a coffee shop had a fatal seizure in front of two paramedics who refused to help her. According to media reports, 25-year-old Eutisha Rennix, of Brooklyn, was in Au Bon Pain when she began to complain of severe pain and shortness of breath. Rennix later fell to the ground with convulsions and foaming of the mouth. Two paramedics who were in the coffee shop told patrons to call 911 because they were on their break, according to witnesses. When an ambulance finally arrived, it was too late. Rennix died shortly after being transported to the hospital. Sadly, doctors were not able to save the life of her infant daughter, Jahniya Woodson who died about two hours after her mother. How do you feel about the paramedics who stood by and did nothing, when it was in their ability to help? As Christians, we know that there are people all around us who are terminal, with the sickness of sin. We have the medicine. Will you offer it to them or stand by and do nothing?
3 Questions For Application
Since evangelism is expected, will you obey the Lord and witness?
Since evangelism is empowered, will you believe that God can use your words in the salvation of others?
Since evangelism is a discipline, will you plan for it?
Helpful Resources
Books
Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, (Evangelism Chapter). Donald S. Whitney
One Thing You Can’t Do in Heaven, Mark Cahill
The Way of the Master, Ray Comfort (A must-read for every Christian interested in evangelism)
Sermons
Hells Best Kept Secret & True and False Conversion by Ray Comfort, www.wayofthemaster.com/audiolessons.shtml
Radio
Wretched Radio, On FamilyNet Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 161 3-5pm weekdays. Download or listen live at www.wretchedradio.com (“witness Wednesdays&rdquo
The Cross Current Radio, http://tccradio.com/
Web Sites
http://www.thecrosscurrent.com An excellent evangelism ministry lead by Rev. Cory McKenna, based in London Ontario. Get involved in street witnessing in different Ontario cities.
http://www.wayofthemaster.com
www.livingwaterscanada.com (also a great source for tracts - click on “Store&rdquo
Courses
School of Biblical Evangelism, www.biblicalevangelism.com
Evangelism Basic Training Course www.livingwaterscanada.com - Click “Store”
Resources to give Non-Believers
An excellent Canadian-themed website that shares the gospel, www.greatnewscanada.com
One Heartbeat Away, Mark Cahill - A great book to give to a non-believer
www.livingwaterscanada.com Click on “store” for some great tracts from a Canadian supplier
The Big Question, An evangelistic DVD “tract.” www.wretchedradio.com/store
1 J.I.Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1979), pages 37-57
2 Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, (Evangelism Chapter). Donald S. Whitney, Page 95
Imagine being a Christian for 20 years and one day being convicted in a huge area of disobedience and pathetic growth in your life. For example, lets say you never gave any of your money or resources to the ministry of the church, or to God’s work in any way. Or perhaps you’ve never obeyed the Lord by being baptized. Or maybe you have not been exercising faith in a certain area of your life. Most Christians, when confronted with scripture that shows them an area of growth they are weak in, will want to, by God’s grace, seek to obey and grow in that area of their walk.
About two years ago my wife and I became quite aware of the sad state of our witnessing lives, as we began to regularly listen to a radio ministry that shared the gospel with people on the street day after day. In my case, I realized that my 8 months of missionary efforts in Lithuania were ill trained, ill-equipped and poorly executed. It’s hard not to think of my time there as a waste now, and that the sharing of the gospel I had done publicly for the last several years was poorly presented (more on that later). In my wife’s case, she summed it up by saying; “To my shame I’ve been a Christian in full time ministry on staff at a church for 10 years, and have never once gone out of my way to witness to a stranger.”
Most Christians reading this article won’t need much convincing that evangelism is something that they should be doing, and is expected of every Christian. But lets start by defining what evangelism is. Evangelism is to present Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit to sinful people, in order that they may come to put their trust in God through Him, to receive Him as their Saviour, and serve Him as their King in the fellowship of His Church.1
To put it simply, it is communicating the gospel. So if you are sharing the gospel, you are evangelizing. This can include various methods such as the spoken word, text, prerecorded messages, sign language or many other ways. Evangelism is not just for missionaries! Pastor John Piper has made the distinction that missions is evangelism in another culture.
Why should a Christian witness? Jesus Christ commanded it.
Matthew 28:19-20 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Mark 16:15 15He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.
Luke 24:47 47and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
John 20:21 21Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."
Acts 1:8 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Some other verses of interest:
Proverbs 11:30 30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.
2 Corinthians 5:11 11Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.
Romans 10:14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
2 Timothy 4:1-2 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
1 Peter 2:9 9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Why Don’t We Witness?
There are hundreds of reasons and excuses why Christians will not open their mouths and speak to non-believers about Christ. One of them is that a person will say “I don’t have the gift of evangelism.” Author Ray Comfort says “Saying I don’t have the gift of evangelism is like saying I don’t have the gift of feeding the poor.”
Some Christians believe that evangelism is a gift and the responsibility of only those with that gift. They appeal to Ephesians. 4:11 for support: “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers.” While it is true that God gifts some for ministry as evangelists, He calls all believers to be His witnesses and provides them with both the power to witness and a powerful message. Every evangelist is called to be a witness, but only a few witnesses are called to the vocational ministry of an evangelist. Just as each Christian, regardless of spiritual gift or ministry, is to love others, so each believer is to evangelize whether or not his or her gift is that of evangelist.2
Luis Palau said “I find that the people who most argue against evangelism as a priority haven't won a soul to Christ in decades. They are afraid of the nonbeliever. In almost every case, they stay within their closed circles. We scream at the world with our magazines and our microphones, but we don't mingle with the people in the world to bring them to Jesus Christ. Sometimes we hide behind theological statements that go beyond Scripture. Sometimes we hide by saying, "I'm just much too busy carrying on my gift." And we forget that witnessing is not an option. We are all supposed to be witnesses.”
When it comes down to the core of it, pride is the most common sin that stops us from witnessing in the end. We are afraid of what people will think of us. We are afraid that we will look stupid. But by fearing men and not God we are sinning. By not loving people enough to share with them that Jesus Christ can save them from their sin which will result in their eternal punishment in hell, we are showing that we either don’t really love them, or we don’t really believe the Bible. Even Penn Jillette, the God hating atheist from the magic duo “Penn & Teller” surprisingly admits:
"How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize?" Jillette asked. "How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that? If I believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that a truck was coming at you and you didn't believe it, and that truck was bearing down on you, there's a certain point where I tackle you. And this is more important than that."
Methods of Evangelism
There are probably as many “methods” and mediums of evangelism as you can think of. By methods, I mean the context or situation. (as opposed to the message itself). Methods could include a whole spectrum such as sermons, kid’s club, soup kitchen ministries, outreach events involving music or comedy, men’s breakfasts, camps, or Christian sports leagues. The list is endless. There are many mediums as well, such as: speaking to a person one on one, through literature such as books or tracts, door to door, open air preaching, radio, internet, television, or sermons.
It’s important to realize that things like comedy, drama, juggling, music, or “living the Christian life” in and of themselves are not evangelism. However, if the gospel message is proclaimed through those mediums then you could call it evangelism. Personally, I think those who rely on “lifestyle evangelism” as their only form of evangelism are doing themselves, God, and the lost a big disservice, since it necessitates the lost “coming,” rather than you “going.” And seriously, how often does a non believer come up to you and say, “Why are you so loving?”
Career evangelist Luis Palau points out “You have not been a true witness to Jesus Christ until you have openly, clearly, lovingly presented the message of John 3:16. Witnessing for Jesus Christ is done through one's life, but the life has no meaning if the lips do not speak. Until you've done that, you have not been a full witness to Jesus Christ. People cannot guess why you're such a good neighbor unless you openly, clearly express your faith in Christ.”
OK, Where do I start?
I have found that even when I’m committed to making evangelism a part of life, it’s so very easy to slip back into my self focused life; keeping my lips closed, gospel tracts, books or dvds to myself and not going out of my way to share the greatest news in the world. One of the reasons for this I believe, is because it is a discipline. To become good at anything you have to practice it, and prepare for it. Having someone teach, train and encourage you (disciple you!) is of great importance. I can teach the worst klutz to juggle in far less time that I taught myself to juggle because I had no experience or knowledge about it. I would never be able to juggle six balls today if I never practiced juggling. I used to wonder how I could grow up in a church with such great Bible preaching and teaching, and never learn how to witness? It’s because I never saw anyone do it, and hence never learned how to do it. Therefore I never placed the proper importance on it. I think it’s safe to say that if there is no one in your church regularly involved in sharing the gospel with friends or strangers, you probably won’t be either. So, if you are interested in learning how to witness more effectively, and regularly, get prepared and get some people together! In my church situation I can’t tell you how blessed I am to know that there are people I can call (including my wife) that will take a few hours to go out to the mall, or the market, or the park and talk to people. It’s always the same for everyone - you go dragging your feet, quite nervous, and after having the honour of sharing the gospel with someone, your heart beats with joy, and you go home with a skip in your step!
So how does the believer plan and prepare? For starters, let me say that you will never “feel” ready. So don’t plan on doing a 1 year course before you decide to open your mouth. Begin to practice saying and sharing the gospel with a friend or family member. You will soon discover that even though you may have sat in church for years, if you’ve never done it, it can be hard to share the gospel clearly in just a few minutes. Don’t believe it? Try it!
There are a lot of good ice breakers and tracts with the gospel message on them available today. I used to think lowly of tracts, but not anymore. They can be so helpful to start a conversation, and they can go where you cannot - home with people. I even met a woman whose husband become a Christian from a tract he found in a port-a-potty. He then led her to Christ and now the two of them train thousands of other believers every year how to share their faith. All that from one tract not even handed directly to someone. There are plenty of resources that can help you get prepared. One of the ministries that changed our evangelistic lives was Way of the Master, which did two things for my wife and I.
First, it showed us that we didn’t need to have a Bible College degree or seminary education to have a strategy for our witnessing conversation. We heard people of all faiths (or lack of faiths) being witnessed to over and over again, and realized that with some practice, you can get to the point where you know how to get a conversation started, and where to take it. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8), and whether the conversation goes “well” or you are completely rejected, it’s a win win situation! 1 Peter 4:14 says: If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. Remember, you don’t do the converting, God does! Your job is to faithfully plant the seeds and let God work on the soil.
Secondly, it showed us that by not presenting God’s moral law to the sinner before the gospel of grace, we cripple and weaken the effectiveness of the gospel, and are in danger of creating a false convert, who never actually repented of his sin, because he never knew what sin was. (Romans 7:7) By helping a non-believer to see how they personally have broken God’s moral law (the Ten Commandments), and that a holy God must punish law breakers, then punishment (hell) is reasonable and the gospel makes sense. (Gal. 3:24). About one hundred years ago, the evangelical church at large began to abandon the use of the law in evangelism, to our great peril. The topic of using the law in evangelism is an important one and my space is short so for more information on this subject read, “The Way of the Master” by Ray Comfort, or for a crash course listen to the two sermons listed below in the resource section.
Please take the time this new year to think about your witness for Christ. If it hasn’t happened already, it won’t be long before, like me, you have a friend die that you did not share the gospel with, and then it will be too late. Take a lesson from this event that happened in New York. On December 19 2009, a pregnant woman in a coffee shop had a fatal seizure in front of two paramedics who refused to help her. According to media reports, 25-year-old Eutisha Rennix, of Brooklyn, was in Au Bon Pain when she began to complain of severe pain and shortness of breath. Rennix later fell to the ground with convulsions and foaming of the mouth. Two paramedics who were in the coffee shop told patrons to call 911 because they were on their break, according to witnesses. When an ambulance finally arrived, it was too late. Rennix died shortly after being transported to the hospital. Sadly, doctors were not able to save the life of her infant daughter, Jahniya Woodson who died about two hours after her mother. How do you feel about the paramedics who stood by and did nothing, when it was in their ability to help? As Christians, we know that there are people all around us who are terminal, with the sickness of sin. We have the medicine. Will you offer it to them or stand by and do nothing?
3 Questions For Application
Since evangelism is expected, will you obey the Lord and witness?
Since evangelism is empowered, will you believe that God can use your words in the salvation of others?
Since evangelism is a discipline, will you plan for it?
Helpful Resources
Books
Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, (Evangelism Chapter). Donald S. Whitney
One Thing You Can’t Do in Heaven, Mark Cahill
The Way of the Master, Ray Comfort (A must-read for every Christian interested in evangelism)
Sermons
Hells Best Kept Secret & True and False Conversion by Ray Comfort, www.wayofthemaster.com/audiolessons.shtml
Radio
Wretched Radio, On FamilyNet Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 161 3-5pm weekdays. Download or listen live at www.wretchedradio.com (“witness Wednesdays&rdquo
The Cross Current Radio, http://tccradio.com/
Web Sites
http://www.thecrosscurrent.com An excellent evangelism ministry lead by Rev. Cory McKenna, based in London Ontario. Get involved in street witnessing in different Ontario cities.
http://www.wayofthemaster.com
www.livingwaterscanada.com (also a great source for tracts - click on “Store&rdquo
Courses
School of Biblical Evangelism, www.biblicalevangelism.com
Evangelism Basic Training Course www.livingwaterscanada.com - Click “Store”
Resources to give Non-Believers
An excellent Canadian-themed website that shares the gospel, www.greatnewscanada.com
One Heartbeat Away, Mark Cahill - A great book to give to a non-believer
www.livingwaterscanada.com Click on “store” for some great tracts from a Canadian supplier
The Big Question, An evangelistic DVD “tract.” www.wretchedradio.com/store
1 J.I.Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1979), pages 37-57
2 Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, (Evangelism Chapter). Donald S. Whitney, Page 95
|
23/December/2009 12:16 PM Filed in: Faith and God
WET PANTS
Come with me to a third grade classroom. There is a nine-year-old kid sitting at his desk and all of a sudden, there is a puddle between his feet and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks his heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has happened. It's never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he will never hear the end of it. When the girls find out, they'll never speak to him again as long as he lives.
The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head down and prays this prayer, 'Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes from now I'm dead meat.' He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in her eyes that says he has been discovered.
As the teacher is walking toward him, a class mate named Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the boy's lap...
The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself, 'Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!'
Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is the object of sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him gym shorts to put on while his pants dry out. All the other children are on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy is wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to someone else - Susie.
She tries to help, but they tell her to get out. You've done enough, you klutz!'
Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy walks over to Susie and whispers, 'You did that on purpose, didn't you?' Susie whispers back, 'I wet my pants once too.'
May God help us see the opportunities that are always around us to do good.
Come with me to a third grade classroom. There is a nine-year-old kid sitting at his desk and all of a sudden, there is a puddle between his feet and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks his heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has happened. It's never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he will never hear the end of it. When the girls find out, they'll never speak to him again as long as he lives.
The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head down and prays this prayer, 'Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes from now I'm dead meat.' He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in her eyes that says he has been discovered.
As the teacher is walking toward him, a class mate named Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the boy's lap...
The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself, 'Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!'
Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is the object of sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him gym shorts to put on while his pants dry out. All the other children are on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy is wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to someone else - Susie.
She tries to help, but they tell her to get out. You've done enough, you klutz!'
Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy walks over to Susie and whispers, 'You did that on purpose, didn't you?' Susie whispers back, 'I wet my pants once too.'
May God help us see the opportunities that are always around us to do good.
11/November/2009 12:50 PM Filed in: General
Now that Vancouver will be hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics, these are some questions people from all over the world are asking. Believe it or not these questions about Canada were posted on an International Tourism Website. Obviously the answers are a joke; but the questions were really asked!
Q: I have never seen it warm on Canadian TV, so how do the plants grow? (England)
A. We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around and watch them die.
Q: Will I be able to see Polar Bears in the street? (USA)
A: Depends on how much you've been drinking.
Q: I want to walk from Vancouver to Toronto - can I follow the Railroad tracks? (Sweden)
A: Sure, it's only Four thousand miles, take lots of water.
Q: Is it safe to run around in the bushes in Canada ? ( Sweden)
A: So it's true what they say about Swedes.
Q: Are there any ATM's (cash machines) in Canada ? Can you send me a list of them in Toronto , Vancouver , Edmonton and Halifax ? (England)
A: No, but you'd better bring a few extra furs for trading purposes.
Q: Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Canada ? (USA)
A: A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe Ca-na-da is that big country to your North...oh forget it. Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night inCalgary Come naked.
Q: Which direction is North in Canada ? (USA)
A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of the directions.
Q: Can I bring cutlery into Canada ? (England)
A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do.
Q: Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir schedule? (USA)
A: Aus-t ri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y, which is...oh forget it. Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Tuesday night in Vancouver and in Calgary , straight after the hippo races. Come naked.
Q: Do you have perfume in Canada ? (Germany)
A: No, WE don't stink.
Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Where can I sell it inCanada ? (USA
A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.
Q: Can you tell me the regions in British Columbia where the female population is smaller than the male population? (Italy)
A: Yes, gay nightclubs.
Q: Do you celebrate Thanksgiving in Canada ? (USA)
A: Only at Thanksgiving.
Q: Are there supermarkets in Toronto and is milk available all year round? (Germany)
A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of Vegan hunter/gathers. Milk is illegal.
Q: I have a question about a famous animal in Canada , but I forget its name. It's a kind of big horse with horns. (USA)
A: It's called a Moose. They are tall and very violent, eating the brains of anyone walking close to them. You can scare them off by spraying yourself with human urine before you go out walking.
Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? (USA)
A: Yes, but you will have to learn it first.
Q: I have never seen it warm on Canadian TV, so how do the plants grow? (England)
A. We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around and watch them die.
Q: Will I be able to see Polar Bears in the street? (USA)
A: Depends on how much you've been drinking.
Q: I want to walk from Vancouver to Toronto - can I follow the Railroad tracks? (Sweden)
A: Sure, it's only Four thousand miles, take lots of water.
Q: Is it safe to run around in the bushes in Canada ? ( Sweden)
A: So it's true what they say about Swedes.
Q: Are there any ATM's (cash machines) in Canada ? Can you send me a list of them in Toronto , Vancouver , Edmonton and Halifax ? (England)
A: No, but you'd better bring a few extra furs for trading purposes.
Q: Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Canada ? (USA)
A: A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe Ca-na-da is that big country to your North...oh forget it. Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night inCalgary Come naked.
Q: Which direction is North in Canada ? (USA)
A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of the directions.
Q: Can I bring cutlery into Canada ? (England)
A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do.
Q: Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir schedule? (USA)
A: Aus-t ri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y, which is...oh forget it. Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Tuesday night in Vancouver and in Calgary , straight after the hippo races. Come naked.
Q: Do you have perfume in Canada ? (Germany)
A: No, WE don't stink.
Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Where can I sell it inCanada ? (USA
A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.
Q: Can you tell me the regions in British Columbia where the female population is smaller than the male population? (Italy)
A: Yes, gay nightclubs.
Q: Do you celebrate Thanksgiving in Canada ? (USA)
A: Only at Thanksgiving.
Q: Are there supermarkets in Toronto and is milk available all year round? (Germany)
A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of Vegan hunter/gathers. Milk is illegal.
Q: I have a question about a famous animal in Canada , but I forget its name. It's a kind of big horse with horns. (USA)
A: It's called a Moose. They are tall and very violent, eating the brains of anyone walking close to them. You can scare them off by spraying yourself with human urine before you go out walking.
Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? (USA)
A: Yes, but you will have to learn it first.
KW Record Newspaper Article about the Cates'
16/October/2009 08:11 PM Filed in: General
pastedGraphic
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Comedian juggles show biz and real life
By Colin Hunter, Record staff
KITCHENER – Of all the juggling routines Bob Cates has performed – and there have been plenty – the trickiest one became part of his repertoire just one month ago: fatherhood.
Sure, Cates can juggle bowling pins while riding a two-metre-high unicycle, but cradling his newborn son Hudson requires a special kind of dexterity.
And yes, Cates can keep 21 genuine dinner plates simultaneously spinning atop an immense array of rods, but changing diapers has proven a comparably dicey undertaking.
“The combination of juggling and fatherhood, that’s tricky,” Cates says, holding little Hudson in the crook of one arm juggling two white balls with the other.
For more than a decade, Cates has criss-crossed the globe several times over, performing his comedy juggling routine at corporate events, church events and on the high seas.
When he tallied up all the weeks he has performed on cruise ships, it dawned on him that he has spent roughly three years on the “floating prisons with room service,” as he jokingly calls the vessels.
The cruise ship jobs have actually been good work – and they helped pay for a nice, impressively tidy house in Kitchener – but Cates plans to take a break from cruise shows after his upcoming two-week stint with Royal Caribbean.
With little Hudson now part of the family, Cates and his wife Jane hope to keep their vaudevillian show a little closer to home for a while.
The Nov. 6 show at Guelph Salvation Army, for instance, will be a rare opportunity for the Cates clan to bedazzle an audience and still get home before Hudson gets cranky.
Just last week, Hudson got his first chance to see daddy in action, though his vision is still blurry and unfocused, so he just slept backstage instead.
The audience, on the other hand, marveled as always at Cates’ boundless energy, comic timing and preternatural dexterity.
Thirty-eight-year-old Cates has devoted his adult life to honing an act that mixes juggling, magic and admittedly “squeaky clean” comedy that is suitable for children but completely palatable to adults.
It all began in the town of Forest, a rural burg situated between Sarnia and Grand Bend, when Cates was still in high school. He was watching a video in English class that included a brief snippet of juggling, which prompted him to whisper to his buddy: “Wouldn’t it cool to be able to do that?
His buddy boasted that he could, in fact, do that – then proved it by juggling a trio of blackboard erasers. Impressed, Cates borrowed a book on juggling from the library and scooted to his room in the family farmhouse to practice for hours on end.
By the time he got to McMaster University to study business, Cates was proficient enough to start a juggling club on campus.
Small gigs followed, mostly busking at carnivals and street fairs, and Cates sharpened his comic patter and added to his increasingly difficult repertoire of tricks.
Along the way, he bought an original plate-spinning rig that was previously used by a regular performer on the Ed Sullivan show, and devoted himself to learning the lost art. The results were often less-than-stellar.
“My serious estimate is that in the past 10 years I’ve smashed about 1,000 plates,” he says. He has, however, discovered an upside to the occasional blooper: “People love to see plates smash. Especially kids.”
Nowadays there’s one kid in particular that Cates is desperate to please. Hudson doesn’t really do much yet, aside from “eat, sleep and fill up diapers,” Jane says.
But Cates is optimistic that, one day, Hudson might follow in daddy’s footsteps.“In the ultrasound his hands were moving around like he was juggling,” says Cates. “That was pretty exciting.”
chunter@therecord.com
For Bob Cates’ videos, information and show schedule, visit www.comedyinmotion.com
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Comedian juggles show biz and real life
By Colin Hunter, Record staff
KITCHENER – Of all the juggling routines Bob Cates has performed – and there have been plenty – the trickiest one became part of his repertoire just one month ago: fatherhood.
Sure, Cates can juggle bowling pins while riding a two-metre-high unicycle, but cradling his newborn son Hudson requires a special kind of dexterity.
And yes, Cates can keep 21 genuine dinner plates simultaneously spinning atop an immense array of rods, but changing diapers has proven a comparably dicey undertaking.
“The combination of juggling and fatherhood, that’s tricky,” Cates says, holding little Hudson in the crook of one arm juggling two white balls with the other.
For more than a decade, Cates has criss-crossed the globe several times over, performing his comedy juggling routine at corporate events, church events and on the high seas.
When he tallied up all the weeks he has performed on cruise ships, it dawned on him that he has spent roughly three years on the “floating prisons with room service,” as he jokingly calls the vessels.
The cruise ship jobs have actually been good work – and they helped pay for a nice, impressively tidy house in Kitchener – but Cates plans to take a break from cruise shows after his upcoming two-week stint with Royal Caribbean.
With little Hudson now part of the family, Cates and his wife Jane hope to keep their vaudevillian show a little closer to home for a while.
The Nov. 6 show at Guelph Salvation Army, for instance, will be a rare opportunity for the Cates clan to bedazzle an audience and still get home before Hudson gets cranky.
Just last week, Hudson got his first chance to see daddy in action, though his vision is still blurry and unfocused, so he just slept backstage instead.
The audience, on the other hand, marveled as always at Cates’ boundless energy, comic timing and preternatural dexterity.
Thirty-eight-year-old Cates has devoted his adult life to honing an act that mixes juggling, magic and admittedly “squeaky clean” comedy that is suitable for children but completely palatable to adults.
It all began in the town of Forest, a rural burg situated between Sarnia and Grand Bend, when Cates was still in high school. He was watching a video in English class that included a brief snippet of juggling, which prompted him to whisper to his buddy: “Wouldn’t it cool to be able to do that?
His buddy boasted that he could, in fact, do that – then proved it by juggling a trio of blackboard erasers. Impressed, Cates borrowed a book on juggling from the library and scooted to his room in the family farmhouse to practice for hours on end.
By the time he got to McMaster University to study business, Cates was proficient enough to start a juggling club on campus.
Small gigs followed, mostly busking at carnivals and street fairs, and Cates sharpened his comic patter and added to his increasingly difficult repertoire of tricks.
Along the way, he bought an original plate-spinning rig that was previously used by a regular performer on the Ed Sullivan show, and devoted himself to learning the lost art. The results were often less-than-stellar.
“My serious estimate is that in the past 10 years I’ve smashed about 1,000 plates,” he says. He has, however, discovered an upside to the occasional blooper: “People love to see plates smash. Especially kids.”
Nowadays there’s one kid in particular that Cates is desperate to please. Hudson doesn’t really do much yet, aside from “eat, sleep and fill up diapers,” Jane says.
But Cates is optimistic that, one day, Hudson might follow in daddy’s footsteps.“In the ultrasound his hands were moving around like he was juggling,” says Cates. “That was pretty exciting.”
chunter@therecord.com
For Bob Cates’ videos, information and show schedule, visit www.comedyinmotion.com
JC Ryle’s Advice to Young Men
16/October/2009 08:09 PM Filed in: Faith and God
Taken from, Thoughts For Young Men, J. C. Ryle (1816 - 1900)
This is a fantastic several page document which is relevant for men even of all ages.
This is a fantastic several page document which is relevant for men even of all ages.
Our Son Has Arrived - Hudson Elliot Cates
03/September/2009 07:45 PM Filed in: General
