August 2009 Way of the Master Seminar

This Saturday's seminar was certainly different....why, well no one had signed up for it. So around 11:30 that morning I told Catherine that I was going there to see if anyone might show up. I remembered that when I first started doing this that Catherine asked me, "What if only one person signed up would I still do the training?" I thought about that and then realized this wasn't about me or how many, but what the Lord wanted all of us who are Born Again to do, "Go share the Gospel." (Mark 16:15)

I was sitting at my desk not really expecting anyone, I didn't even put out the welcome sign that I had put out for the last four years. I heard a knock on the door and behold there were two women standing there who asked if this is where the Way of The Master Seminar was being held? Needless to say I was quite pleasantly surprised as I recognized that the Lord had sent me two potential laborers.

I asked how they heard about it, as all my invites require letting me know whether or not they are attending. They told me it was from some Women’s Organization in East Mesa and that one of there members said she had been and suggested that they attend. One came all the way from Chandler.

This was the first time that I had only two (2) attendees. I was able to answer more of their questions and hear more about them personally. One had been trained in the Evangelism Explosion method when she was in her teens. She was very impressed on how easy it was to hand out the unique tracts and to ask them about being a "Good Person". She had never heard about how Jesus Himself used the Commandments to show the unrighteous what standard God required to enter Heaven (Mathew 5:28), (Mark 10:17), (Luke 18:20) to name a few.

One of the topics that always comes up, is "confrontation". I made this big and bold because it seems to be one of the biggest stumbling blocks, beside personal fear of not knowing enough when sharing. I asked what thoughts come to mind when they heard this word, is it positive or negative? One of them quickly stated negative and the other thought for a moment and stated it could be positive but mostly negative. I then share what I found in the dictionary as one of the meanings, that "it is an attempt to reconcile!.

Maybe if we focus on this definition, then we wouldn't have much trouble sharing with the lost. Why? Because, by giving them the truth, the whole truth, which would help them see that they are Law breakers and deserve to be punished, then give them the Good News, would make sense. I'm sure you would agree that time does not forgive sin. So we should be careful about sharing with those we love and NOT be providing them with half the truth, that all they need is to accept Jesus! Check this out for yourself, (Mat 7:22-23)

Many of you know that the goal of the seminar, crash course, whatever you want to call it, is to help those who come to confront (Oops! There goes that nasty word again), their fears and Trust in Jesus. (Phil 4:13) I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I mentioned to them that I was going to Tempe to show them how we share with strangers, but they didn't know about that and had other plans, so they didn't come. It's truly amazing how almost any message I have heard about sharing with others, they almost always never mention sharing with strangers. Its family, co-workers, and friends. I don't know about you but I don't have 50 family members or friends or co-workers that I could share with, but I have encountered thousands of strangers over the last five years who have either been given a Gospel Tract and/or answered how God would see them using the Ten Commandments.

So while I was on the streets of Mill Ave, a young man on a skate board came by us and asked, "Were we with the same people he had seen before who hand out Million Dollar Bills?" My good friend AL responded by asking the young man if he had ever answered the questions on the back of the bill, and would he like to answer them now? Click on the link to watch how by using the Law, just some of the Ten that it helped this young man have a clear understanding.

I hope you understand that this is NOT the magic words that make someone a follower of Christ but it does help them understand why they need Jesus to save them from Hell.

My prayer goes out to all who claim Christ as Lord & Savior, to understand that as true followers we emulate what the our Lord did. He said He cam to save the lost so why is it we only think that our family, co-workers & friends are those who are lost? Please think about all those the Lord has placed in your path and because of fear, (you fill in what kind you have) one of them is to confront. We allow the world (which if I understand scripture is controlled by Satan) to dictate how we are to behave properly with one another. Being filled with the Holy Spirit tells our hearts we know that many are headed for a most unimaginable destiny...ETERNAL PUNISHMENT IN HELL, and we say nothing to warn them! This one concerned me! (Ezekiel 33:8-9 )

By using these tracts as "ice breakers" I have been able to confront & share with thousands of people over the last five years and can't remember any stranger being offended.