SOMEBODY LIED TO THE MAN WITH DREADLOCKS

There he stood with a defiant pose, off to the side of the mall's main entrance. 
We had just arrived to do some walking and some witnessing when we saw him. It was those long dreadlocks and his facial expression that made me wonder if I should approach him. I reached into my purse's tract supply and found what I wanted and headed towards him praying.

"Hi! How are you doing today?" I said with a smile.

He didn't smile, but stared at me and just said. "O.K."

"Has anyone ever lied to you?" I asked?

His interest seemed to perk up. Maybe he felt like a wrongfully oppressed person.

"Yeah!" he said with eyebrows raised . 

"Well then you really need to read this," I said as I handed him Mark Cahill's latest soulwinning booklet, The Second Greatest Lie Ever Told. 

He grabbed it, read the title and his face lit up with a big smile. "Yeah! Thanks alot!" he said, already glancing through the pages. 

I don't know what he was expecting, but God has a way to reach every desperate soul, if only we claim His promise of boldness and go. 


That's it! Just a simple act that got the gospel into the hands of  "who knows what kind of a person"  with "who know what kind of a life"- a soul for whom Jesus died. 

That booklet asks if the reader has ever been lied to. The most dangerous lie of all is the one that says there are many ways to heaven. So in this booklet, Mark Cahill  delves into the top nine religions in the world, to see what they teach about their god and what it takes to be right with that god, and what they teach about eternity. He examines Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Roman Catholicism, Mormonism, Sikhism, Jehovah’s Witness and Biblical Christianity. 

The booklet makes it obvious that these religions contradict each other. So how can a person know which is lying and which is telling the truth? Pointing the way to the evidences that prove the Bible to be true it leads the reader to the only one who can save them and take them to heaven. 


Jesus said,  "I am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the father, but by me. John 14:6 


Take courage today, Christian, and step out where the sinners are to bring the Gospel to them!

Take a minute to visit our website:  calvarypentecostalrevivals.org

I REPENT

This was the first time we used a laundromat washing machine that required two quarters in each slot to pay for the wash. We had put the single coins in and couldn't figure out why the machine wouldn't start. As we fiddled around with it a man seated nearby came over, hearing our confusion, and explained the process. That solved it. We were amazed to learn that the man was blind. His eyes appeared normal.  He had no dark glasses and seemed to make his way around the laundromat just fine. 


I immediately felt an inner urge to be able to speak to him about the Lord. I went out to our car and retrieved  my computer and the two hour story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, including a salvation altar call at the end. He had put clothes in a drier and sat down, so I grabbed my computer and went over where he was. 


"Hi! Thanks for helping us with that washer. Can I sit here with my computer?"  He was glad to have company and we began to chat. 


"How long have you been blind?" I asked.


"Well, I'm not totally blind yet, I have very limited sight, but it's getting worse. It's been at its worst for the last six months. It's from diabetes."


I expressed sympathy and asked how it has effected his life.


"My life is destroyed." He said. "I've taught music all my life, and now I've lost my job.I've traveled the country playing my trumpet in night clubs and bars, churches and schools, but that's pretty much over now. I can't drive any more. I live with my 90 year old mother and do our laundry here each week."


I told him how Jesus could bring him peace in the time of difficulty; that he can forgive our sins and help us to forgive others, that He could make a way where there seems to be no way. 


I longed to reach him with the Gospel, but I could tell this was going to be a tough one. As the conversation continued he told me about a church that never paid him for his "show". He spread the word and won't go back there. That's when I mentioned that every church isn't a biblical church, just like everyone who calls himself a Christian may not be one. Jesus said, "Not everyone that sayeth unto me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven."


"Yeah, I used to go to church. I know all about that. " and then he wandered off in another direction. 


I tried to draw him back to being prepared for eternity. 


"When you stand before the Lord in eternity, why should he let you into his heaven?"
It was easy to see that he was going to justify himself by his good deeds and living a decent life. 
 "Well have you ever told a lie?" I asked.


"Sure, but that was fifty years ago."  ( I wondered if that was an up-to-date lie!)


"Have you ever stolen anything." I continued.
"No! I have my own set of ethics and that's one thing I don't do."


"Well Jesus said that if a man even looks on a woman to lust after her he has already committed adultery in his heart.  Have you ever looked on a woman that way?" I dared to ask.


Laughing, he replied,  "Of course, I worked in night clubs!"


"So what are you going to do about those sins you just confessed?  How will you get rid of them?  No sin will enter heaven, and sin doesn't just disappear with time."


He stumbled around with words....


"The Bible tells us that the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on the cross, is the only acceptable sacrifice to remove the sins of those who receive Him as Savior...."


I hardly got the sentence out of my mouth when he announced, "Oh, my laundry is done. I repent." 


And he walked away, still blinded in his eyes, and still in spiritual blindness. You don't win them all, but you pray that they will remember your words and that the Holy Spirit will continue to speak to their heart.  


He did seem thankful for the Jesus Story, and said he would listen to it at home.  Lord, don't let him forget our conversation.  As he hears more about you, Lord, please bring him to true repentance and salvation!


Never stop taking the opportunities that the Lord brings your way. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bring his sheaves with him!  Psalm 126: 6

TRY IT AND GO AWAY SMILING

Today it was a Taco Bell in Illinois that became the mission field. 

After eating a taco I headed for the counter and saw two workers getting ready to do some cleaning. "Hey, guys I want to give you some of my favorite things... " and held out a handful of Chick tracts and told them they could pick. they did, and I asked how many more workers were back there. He counted out the names, and I let him pick one for each. He was heading back to give them each one.

Think of that...the Taco Bell clerk distributing gospel tracts to the rest of the staff! Wow, how easy that was, and what a simple opportunity to spread the good news.  Try it sometime!

We did the same thing with some Million Dollar Gospel tracts at another fast food restaurant. 

The girl who waited on us looked with amazement at the realistic looking tract and immediately held it up for one of her co-workers to see. I saw that he was really impressed with it also, so I said, "Well, you can have one too. Here. How many more workers are here tonight?"  He told me and I dished out one for each. When I left they were all smiling and saying "Thank You!"  It is exciting to let the Lord give you courage and boldness enough to step out and get those tracts into the hands of the lost. Let the Holy Ghost inspire and empower you to do it today!

FROM CURSES TO PRAYER IN WENDI'S

Driving through Joplin, Missouri

after the devastating EF5 multiple-vortex tornado of 2011 was a haunting experience.  Entire blocks of houses and businesses were completely wiped out. The ground was flat with scattered twisted remains of what was once peoples' possessions. 

  At least 159 people were suddenly flung into eternity.The tomorrow they planned for never came for them. How horrifying for those who may not have been prepared. 

The day we came through we saw that tremendous efforts had already been made to clean up and start to put things back together. 

There was hope in the air. Construction crews were everywhere. Still numbed by the sights we had seen, we moved onward to catch a bite to eat for lunch at one of our favorite places, Wendi's. If you haven't discovered it yet, you ought to try the Pick-Two menu. We were sitting enjoying our Apple Pecan Chicken Salad, and chocolate Frosty when we observed all the workmen in the place.

Directly across from us sat a contractor's crew discussing their workload. Evidently the head man was  frustrated and upset. There were problems with some workers. He was disturbed by price gouging by some companies.


In the midst of his complaints he cursed and used the Lord's name in vain several times. I looked over at him with a facial expression that drew his attention and I simply said, "That is really rough Mister." He thought I meant his problems and began directing his conversation to me. I said, "No, what I mean is the way you talked about my God. He is my Savior. He died for me so I could have salvation." 


 Immediately he was apologetic, thanking me for stopping him, and calming him down. One by one his men left and he got up and came to our table and knelt down on one knee continuing to talk to us about insurance companies and banks and some contractors that were taking advantage of the crisis in Joplin, raising prices, and making financial decisions that were unfair to the tornado victims. He said some had tried to get him to raise his prices, but he refused, saying it was against his principle. 


All the while he kept apologizing for his language, saying he knew that was not right, and that he was so sorry. It was an ideal moment prepared by the Lord and we stepped into it by faith. 


Calling him by name we told him he should keep doing the right thing, regardless of what others do, because one day he would stand before God. The Bible says, So then, every one of us shall give account of himself to God. No one will escape. 


We asked him if we could pray for him, and he said "Yes." He took his hat off and bowed his head  And so, right there in Wendy's, with a contractor kneeling at our table we laid our hand on his shoulder and prayed that the Lord would help him to do what is right, and that his heart would open up to receive Christ as his Savior. "Lord," we earnestly prayed, "save him and let him live his life for you." 


 Only the Lord knows what happened in that man's heart at that moment, but we gave him Gospel literature as he left still sincerely thanking us for talking and praying with him. Save him, Lord! Follow him wherever he goes, and remind him of his need of salvation.