A night to Glorify the Lord Jesus Christ

Tonight was an amazing night. I got an email that a friend of ours 18 month old son, Addison was in the hospital. Catherine and I went to visit and found the boy was improving...Praise God. We were able to share with several of the hospital staff including the volunteer person who escorted us to the room, as we gave her a Million Dollar Gospel Tract for taking us and explained that she needed to read the back to find out if she was GOOD enough to get into Heaven. 

As we were leaving, I asked a man which way to go to get to the exit. He was kind enough to give us a long explanation of all the turns we needed to make. With that I gave him a million for being so helpful and then he stated that he would take us to where we needed to go. While walking I asked him who was he here for and he told me about his 5 yr old daughter who was in for over a month and had brain surgery removing a tumor. Now at the door I showed him that a silver coin can appear from the chrome handles of a wheelchair, and gave it to him explaining that it was a commemorative coin and that it had the Ten Commandments on one side and the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the other. Then an amazing thing happened...he asked if I would come back with him to show what I just done to his daughter.  

I looked at Catherine and we both said yes. When we got to the room the little girl was sleeping and several of the family members were there. So at that point we gave each of them a Million Dollar Gospel Tract. The man's wife then asked if we could come back about an hour later as they would have to wake up their daughter to get her ready for before she would go to sleep for the night. With that request, how could we refuse, so we left to grab a quick bite and came back about an hour later. 

The little girl was now awake but I could see she was sedated, but she did give us a slight hand wave to acknowledge our presence. I showed her the coin trick and placed it in her hand as she could barely raise her hand. The father and mother were very appreciative that we came back, so that's when I showed them the pink & blue illusion cards again, in more detail. The wife was enamored on how her eyes where fooling her and then I walked her through the Law and the consequences of violating them.  I summed up that all the religions in world were false representation of trying to get to Heaven. 

Some religions pray to a priest to have them forgive them of their sins as I was once Catholic and that's what I was taught by them. But now my eyes have been opened and I now the truth. So that's when I told them the only way that I can be accepted into the Heavenly Kingdom was that I needed to repent of my sins, lying, stealing, cursing, and lust to name a few, and place my trust in Jesus Christ alone to forgive me. A nurse came in and we were going to leave, but that's when I was convicted that we needed to pray over this little girl and I asked her parents if it would be okay and asked them to come close to there daughter and we all laid hands on her and Catherine and I prayed. 

Now comes the amazing part that Catherine & I got a kick out of. I hope you continue and don't stop reading yet. The father asked me what my name was as he really appreciated us being there. Now here it comes. Your going to love this...really, he said his name was Moses....Moses! So now I can say I finally met Moses!

Singing Hallelujah Chorus at Scottsdale Fashion Square Scottsdale AZ

I was there around 11am and noticed lots of people sitting at the tables. This area was packed with people from all over the valley, the reason I know that was because I had asked a few people where they were from. The word was out that at 12 noon they would all be singing. Several had asked me if I was going to sing, maybe because I was wearing a red sweater!

So around 11:30 I started to ask those at the tables if I could buy their seat for a Million Dollars? Most of them said no, and others reached out for them. For those who said no I gave them the Million Dollar Gospel Tract anyway, and told everyone of them to read the back. It asks the Million Dollar question, "Are you good enough to get into Heaven?"

Watch as you will see hundreds of people singing this song. As I was filming this event, it came to me that the majority of those who were there were probably Church people.



Now that you have seen the video, would you agree that this reaching out was mainly for those who either sing in a choir or attend a Church. I mention this possibility because when I was leaving the mall, which was right after the singing, the parking garage was overflowing with other cars leaving.

If this was to be an outreach to the community, it seemed to be to only the community to those who attend Church.

WOTM Seminar 2/27/10

Once again I held a seminar to try to encourage those who claim Christ as Lord to learn how to share with those who come across their paths every day. (Not just friends and family members but, "everyone!) I have been sick with Bronchitis all last week and was praying that I would be well enough to go out to the streets of Tempe after the seminar, but this wasn't God's will. The Lord has blessed me in many was but now He was letting my sickness be a blessing to someone else. He sent me a quiet man named Al Gordon.

He called me in January and stated that he wanted to help me with my seminars. Well this time he came along side of me and played a more active role in speaking to this class. I thought of, Isa. 6:8, when the Lord asked who shall I send? Send me was the response! Al has been an inspiration to me as well. There have been times that I didn't feel like going out on Saturday night, I could stay home with wife, but Al would call and ask if I wanted to him to pick me up...knowing this was like the Lord calling, how could I say no.

I say this not to build up AL or myself but that as followers of Christ we need to have people in our lives who will confront us, oops there goes that word again, the word that most people hate. But isn't that what 2Tim. 3:16 is all about. I believe and I think the Scripture confirms we need to be held accountable by those who claim Christ as Lord. Please let me know if I wrong.

So now here he was speaking to this small group, as only two people signed up for this one. One lady had been a few times before and the one man had seen some of the videos at a Bible study.

The lady told us what had just happened to her husband John, who was killed in January in a freak automobile accident. The tire of a truck that was in another accident came crashing through his windshield and killed him instantly. She was now totally convinced that death could come at anytime. (I think it's 160,000 people die every year) The comments from most of the churches she had been to for about 40 years, referring to making friends first, invite them to parties, or invite them to church before you share with them was NOT for her!

Al was able to present his understanding of why and how we should be using the Commandments, and he did this with clarity and confidence.

Just watch and listen

Around 4pm another lady showed up who had been to other seminars.

So this time we video taped each person so that they could examine what they looked and sounded like using this principle that Ray Comfort uses in reaching the lost. (Remember this is not Ray's principle, Jesus showed us in how in (Luke 18:18-27)

As I mentioned I wasn't feeling well enough to go to Tempe but Al stated he was going and who would like to come with him. No one could make it, but the lady who came at 4 told me she was encouraged by what Al had said and the fact that he actually does what he says. was encouraging to her. Her comment in an email she sent me on Sunday night, " that you don't see Christians who are so dedicated".

This small group was like minded. (Rom. 12:16) What a blessing to see all who were present Leigh, Ann, Jean, Al, my wife Catherine, all in agreement with every area of why and how to share with the lost. That it made so much sense to use the Law to help someone realize why they need a savior. Believing in what the Scripture says NOT what men have told us. Psalm 19:7, John 14:21, Gal. 3:24, are just some of the places that inform us of what to say. But instead of preaching to the lost we should be asking them the questions that they will be asked on their last day, "Are they good enough to get into Heaven?" They agreed that the Ten Commandments should be internalized and that if they just would continue to practice the Good Person test, that they too could share with anyone they meet.

Outcome from Studying God's Word about reaching the lost

Tonight a small group of us looked at the Word of God to learn how to reach the lost. The Sriptures states that those who claim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and have been adopted into the Kingdom are commanded to reach out to the lost. John 14:21, Mark 16:15, Acts 1:8, Acts 10:42 to name a few.

It seemes like claiming to use the Law was not popular and a few had negative feelings about it. One comment came up to justify why NOT to use the Law was we must use the whole Bible as a way of sharing and not just those verses were the Law is mentioned. (How many Christian you know even know the whole Bible, seems like that would be another excuse and limit the number of Christians who could share.) So when I quoted those verses that Jesus, Paul, Peter, & James used, they didn't want to hear them?

I'm looking for some help on this subject because as one who is a follower of Jesus Christ I don't want to be mislead by emotial sentiment, that God is only LOVE and would never send anyone to HELL. Those of us who have not been happy because of bad decessions, like to much drinking, drugs, failed relationships, or sex, can escape the Wrath of God because God is LOVE. Their solution is just say this prayer and you will be in Heaven. Is this true?!

I welcome any comments you may have, as I think this is a very important subject.

Eveyone's eteranl life is at stake!

Pro. 27:17 states that Iron sharpens iron. My understanding of that is when that happens you get sparks...without it the iron can't be sharpened. So sometimes our discussions can promote sparks. But because we have the Holy Spirit indwelling in us, our spirits are not embittered. We know we are to love our neighbor as ourselves and as brothers and sisters in Christ there is no greater love.

Discussing the Scriptures should be a healthy experience. Sometimes what we believed about it may be a challenge and maybe we should examine why someone else sees it differently, we may be missing something. Would you agree that too many times we accept the meaning from what others tell us, without taking the time to discern for ourselves what the Lord is trying to tell us. Have you ever wondered why you don't hear much about the wrath of God, and that He demands justice for those of us who have violated His Law.

2Pet. 2: 1-3, states: But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. (You may want to read the rest of this chapter as well.)

Remember when Moses came down form the mountain to find his people worshipping an idol? Read Ex 32:26-28. Moses by the Word of God had 3000 people killed that day. Also look at Ex. 32:31-35, You have Sodom & Gomorrah as well and then the man and his wife in Acts who lied about what they sold the property for died instantly, to name a few. (Doesn't sound like a loving God, does it ?)

Someone gave me a business card tract several years ago that showed a Blue Heart with a hole in it and only Jesus could fill that hole. It starts out with asking what's missing in your life, the well achieved goal, a degree, financial success, relationships that are exciting in the beginning but eventually fall short leaving a void. It's not like that when you invite Christ into you life.

Can't you see the misleading information in that message? So Jesus died so you would have success in this life? That's not what Jesus stated, that we should accept Him so we could be successful.

Read what He said in Mat 19:23-26, Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

So, if the above message with the Blue Heart tract is correct, then what do you say to the highly paid very successful man or women. They have it all, the goal achieved, the degree, and financial freedom, they probably have a maid and someone to clean their pool. Tell them God has a wonderful plan for their life and watch as they laugh at you for making such a statement. I pray that you can see how that message doesn't apply to all mankind! Paul made it very clear in Romans 3:23, ALL have sinned. So who is all? NOT the successful person because they have been blessed with everything that the rest of us who don't have. The above message states they can have it only if they have Jesus! If that's true then how can those who have succeeded have done it without Jesus?

This passage in Matthew seems very clear, that seeking things of this world would only condemn us to Hell. The above message with the Blue Heart trying to help a sinner be saved is flawed... directly from Satan, but it sounds great to those who are struggling and whoever presents this message will be liked by the one who gave it. I thought the goal was to help them look to Christ as Lord for salvation, and not to us who can help them get saved? If we claim we saved them then when they die we need to stand before a Holy God and present them as blameless. (To me it looks like God does the saving. I asked the question does the child choose the parent or does the parent choose the child? Does not Paul say that we are adopted into the Kingdom?)

Read another verse: (Mat 7:13-17) "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.

So I ask you what makes the gate wide that leads to destruction? Could it be our culture wants to accept anything and everything So I ask you what makes the gate wide that leads to destruction? Could it be our culture wants to accept anything and everything we do as being okay in God's eyes. So to get more people into Church we tell them that God is a loving God and understands your problems and about all the issues mentioned in the above tract, so tell the person they need Jesus in their life and everything will be fine. (Is that the TRUTH?)

If you read (2Ti 4:3-4) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. You also have (1Tim 1:7-9), which tells us why we need to use the Law and names who they apply too.

I pray that you can see that we need to be warning people about the sin in their life, that's what will keep them from having eternal life, NOT making a statement that they believe in Jesus so to have a better life.

This morning I was reading (Mat.11: 20-24) and there it was again!

Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hell. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you."

Isn't Repentance what Christ asked for? If we are to be faithful disciples then shouldn't we be telling others the same things? He didn't come to die so we would have a better life, He came to die for the sinners of this world. Are we more concerned about being liked, fearful that they may turn away from us rather then wanting to bring the truth and to warn them and then allow the Lord to convict them now, while they still have a chance? Have you every read (Eze. 3:18-20), about the blood will be on our hands if we don't warn them of the impending danger?

I pray that you read this and please feel free to comment on any of what I have stated, as I mentioned earlier that I do not want to believe in a lie. Jesus stated that the truth shall set you free, so I assume that a lie will keep you in bondage....Satan's domain!

God's Saturday Blessing at Pat's Pizza

I want to make this perfectly clear that this story is NOT about me but about how anyone of us who claims Christ as Lord can experience the same kind of interaction. (Proverbs 11:30)

I met with my good friend Blace at Pat's Pizza, where God allowed me to show him exactly how to open a conversation with perfect strangers. We were discussing how the Lord expects us to share what we have recieved with others who may be lost. (Mark 16:15, Acts 1:8, Acts 10:42) He then commented on the verse in (Eze 3:18-19), that those who we do not warn, their blood will be on our hands, but if we warn them and they don't listen then are hands are clean. I agreed with him and just as we were ready to leave I asked him did he know of anyone who would try to share with the two ladies sitting on the other side of the restaurant. He sheepishly responded that he didn't, and probably wouldn't do it either.

Just then, several teenage boys came in followed by several other teens. Now the line went from the ordering counter back to the entrance, probabbly 15 to 20 teens. As I stood up to leave, I noticed that one was smiling and asked if he wanted to see something funny and then took the Ten Commandment coin out of Blace's ear. The young man was amazed and I did it again to another teen. Now they wanted to know how to do it. Now standing, as most of them were now seated, I mentioned that it was an illusion and asked them if they would like to see another one. I took out the pink & blue illusion cards, which are the same size and asked them which color looks bigger to them. Now about ten of them were watching and stating, Pink, Blue, Pink, as I moved the cards from left to right, stating how can that be when I've shown you that they are the same size?

This gave me the opportunity to ask them about the Ten Commandments and as I started asking the first question using the ninth commandment, have you ever told a lie, one young man admitted it with a big grin. I focused on him when I asked the next three commandments, the 8th, 3rd and 7th, I asked base on just those four which he admitted to breaking he stated he was guilty. I asked where God would have to send him and he stated that he would be guilty in front of a Holy God. I then I asked where would God have to send him, Heaven or Hell, he stated HELL! I asked if this concerned him, and he thought for a while and then he arrogantly, said NO! I then asked if he knew what Hell was like and he replied no. I then explained to him what Jesus said it was like. Your thirst never quenched, (Arizona 126 degrees, Hell 1, 226 degrees), constant gnashing of teeth, and where worms never die, being eaten alive for eternity! His attitude changed when I now asked him if it concerned him, and he said YES! I then asked if he knew what God had done so that he wouldn't have to go to Hell, and after a long pause he said no, and the other teen sitting with him said, we've been forgiven? I then asked does that mean that all of us are going to be in Heaven, LIARS, THIEVES, FORNICATORS, and he responded with a no.

Now everyone in the restaurant was listening so I gave the example of being guilty in front of a judge and telling the judge I was sorry please forgive me so that the judge would let me go, and they all agreed that a good judge would not do that. I could see the one young man on my right looking a lot more serious than before. I then explained what God had done for us. He sent His only Begotten Son to die on the cross to pay the price for the sins that I had committed. It's like being guilty, standing in front of that judge, now if someone was willing to pay the fine, or do the time, take the punishment for what I've done, then the judge can let me go. That's what Jesus did for those of us who know that they are guilty of breaking God's Law and deserve Hell. Jesus took the horrible punishment that I deserved, the beating, mocking and being crucified as the perfect sacrifice so that if I REPENT, have remorse, regret, for what I've caused Him to have to go through, and now place my trust in Jesus Christ alone, then my sins will be forgiven, past, present , future.

I then passed out at least 20 more million dollar bills to everyone in the restaurant and thanked them for listening to me and that they needed to read the back of it because it has the most important question and answer..."Are you good enough to get into Heaven!" Why use the Law, the Bible tells us so? (1Timothy 1:8-11)

Now comes the most amazing part as the Pastor was still there with me as I thought he had left. Outside he put his arms around me and stated, "That was awesome!" I thanked him and then said, " This, you can do as well!" (Mark 16:15, Acts 1:8)

We need to be praying for these teens and others as it seems that they haven't a clue about what it means to be adopted into the Kingdom and to , "Repent and Born Again".

Joe Charles Mens Breakfast Meeting

Thanks for all you prayers and support. I was blessed to have Al Gordon & Dale Chase with me to help engage with these men after the breakfast.

With the five minutes I was given I emphasized why those who claim Jesus the Christ as Lord are commanded to share with the lost, not just friends and family as is the more acceptable tradition. In Acts 10:42,Paul stated ”And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.” (John 14:21, Mark 16:15, Acts 1:8) (Know any pew sitters?)

One of the comments I shared with these men was what the Lord had given me early one morning. JFK’s famous quote,

“Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country!”
What we should be asking is, “Ask not what Jesus can do for you, but what you can do for Jesus!”

I then mentioned to these men what seems to be really difficult is to start a conversation with a perfect stranger, or maybe you don’t really care what happens to that stranger, it’s not your job, or maybe someone will become his friend who goes to a church and then that pastor can save him. If this was them then they should read(2nd Cor 13:5)


If you really appreciated what our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ did for you on that cross, you would be out shouting in the streets, so that everyone knew what an unbelievable gift you had received.

To quote Charles Spurgeon:
“We must school and train ourselves to deal personally with the unconverted.
We must not excuse ourselves, but force ourselves to the irksome task until it becomes easy."

So it looks like Training & Practice make it easy. The most common objections I hear for not sharing is that, I’m a quiet person, I don't like to speak with other people, I’ve been told to wait for God to tell me when to speak to someone, the final one is, I don't feel comfortable speaking to a perfect stranger about my faith as they could ask me a question that I don’t know. (So why not be honest and say you don’t know and then find out!)

Remember, He calls whom He equips, not those who are equipped.

To many of us say we follow Jesus but only if He is our co-pilot!
I asked some of the pastors if this concept of reaching the lost could be taught at their place. The response was almost the same. They had their own way and they didn’t think that scattering tracts was of much use because you wouldn’t be able to come along side a person or bring them into the Church where his teaching would save them. They said they were only interested in bringing someone into their church, so that through their message they could make them a Christian. Once that happened, then that person could go out and bring in another person, and so on.

I was told that it was a waste of time to just hand out tracts and speak to strangers who I may never see again. So to teach it to those who come to their worship would not be productive. These people need to have a close relationship with the person sharing. But they were thankful that God had given me the gift to evangelize to those people, but they were satisfied that what they were doing was what God had in mind for them to do. I even had one claim he would speak only to those God told him to speak to and he repeated that comment several times, so that I wouldn’t ask him if he would like to learn how to share with everyone.

Then Al commented about a pastor (with the cross around his neck) who was so against everything we tried to say really bothered him. Not the man himself, but that reaction from a pastor. I let him off easy and just moved on to talk to others, but maybe we should be a little more aggressive towards a pastor. They will be judged more harshly, according to Scripture. He’s either deceived or a deceiver and it doesn’t really matter which one. They seem to think that they are making the conversion; they’re building their church, puffing themselves up. I should have asked him, “What caused Satan’s fall?” Selfish pride caused it, and the Bible tells us that pride comes before a fall. If one thinks that scattering Gospel seed is useless, that man obviously thinks that he has the secret to bringing people to salvation, through his own works. God’s Word does not return void, and who are these mere mortals to speak of God’s Word with such derision in their voice? Anyway, there were people who were open to the idea, excited by the tracts, and a few of them even asked for extra tracts to give to friends and family. Al then mentioned how he liked what the guy who’d been in prison said. He said, “There was going to be a change this year, and people weren’t going to like it. No more sitting around being nice, we are to get out there and tell the Truth, whether anyone likes it or not.

Now the good news! Well a few men came to me and admitted that they did not speak to others about what God had done for them because they were shy and mostly kept to themselves. These were humble men, not using the excuse that almost all Christians use so then can justify their neglect and lack of love for what Christ has done for them. They knew they should share but were uncomfortable to even try. When I asked them could they ask a perfect stranger, “did you get your first Million yet,” they said yes they could, so I encouraged them to sign up for the Crash Course and watch the Lord perform a miracle.

Some asked if we had any extra Million Dollar bills, so that they could hand out some as well. I was encouraged by the woman who was serving us the food, as this was for men only. I gave her one for serving such a delicious breakfast and then asked her the Million Dollar question, “Are you GOOD enough to get to Heaven” She said yes and then I read the back of the bill with her and then she understood that she wasn’t and said, “WOW, this is awesome, I like how easy this is to explain. I’m a Christian do you have any extra as I would love to give them to some people I know.” I then gave her a bunch and then explained that if she would come to this Crash Course I would show her how she could not only give it to her friends but everyone she comes in contact with, if that were true how much more effective as a Christian do you think you would be? (You should have seen the look on her face, like a light bulb just turned on)

Well it’s a good thing that our Lord and Savior wasn’t like this. Can you imagine what He was thinking when He went with His disciples to Gethsemane and was praying, sweating blood, because He knew what He was going to go through the next day? Judas would betray Him, His disciples would abandon Him, falsely accused in a mock trial, He would be beaten, punched in the face, whipped, spit on mocked, striped of His clothes then, rejected by His own people, sentenced to a horrendous death by carrying a heavy wooden cross, wearing a crown of thorns and then be nailed to it and hang there for about three hours all the while taking on the sins of the world. This part had to be the most painful punishment as this Man Jesus who was God in human form never knowing sin now taking on the sins of the world to satisfy the only sacrifice acceptable to our Heavenly Father. Then came the worst and most agonizing torture of all…when he stated, “Father why has thou forsaken me.” Here we see Jesus all alone as our Father in Heaven turned away from the only Begotten Son. Jesus was looking for a plan "B" but did the will of the Father, can't we!(Mat 26:29, Luke 22:24, Mark 14:36)

So couldn’t we overcome our fear by placing our trust in Him, (Phil 4:13) and share with everyone with meet, not just friends and family?

Of course those of us who have been chosen and are adopted into the Kingdom understand that this was God’s plan of redemption for mankind and His death brought us life as He was raised from the dead three days later.

We now know we have the gift of eternal life because of what happened then, and those of us who place our trust in what He did that day and repent from our own selfish desires will spend eternity with Him in Heaven.

How then can anyone who claims Him as Lord not have the desire to do as He commanded to GO into the ALL the world and proclaim the Gospel to ALL creation (Mark 16:15)

Well the final blessing was when Al brought a man to me who asked if I would like to use his Tour Bus as a place to have my Crash Course. He explained that the bus takes them out for about 4 hours, each seat has it’s own TV monitor. They can be driven to a place like Prescott and while they are confined in the bus (can’t leave, ha, ha) they can be trained on how to reach the lost and then when in Prescott practice handing out and sharing with those we meet there. I asked how much would it cost and he replied that the Lord would provide! WOW, to say the least I was in shock!

I pray that those of you have not been able to communicate this message that our Lord suffered so much for to come to this Crash Course.

Remember what Spurgeon stated earlier well he also stated that:

If you’re not seeking to save the lost then you’re not saved yourself,
you can be sure of that!

And of course we must honor our Lord when He prayed in Luke 10:2
And He was saying to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

So if you’re still struggling with reaching out to others, need some practice, I pray you come to the next Crash Course.
(no more excuses!)

October 24th Way of the Master Seminar

Today I was blessed to host this seminar as the Pastor from The Father's Fellowship had asked if I would do The Way of The Master Seminar for his people at Church. I just started going this Church about a month ago. They had just started the series from the weekly training for their Tuesday evening Bible study and I started to attend. It was the second time I was there and Pastor Jack took me outside before the meeting and asked if I would put on the 1/2 day seminar for his people as I had been sharing with him that I had been doing The Way of The Master seminars for the last four years. It was exciting to hear him announce that on Sunday, that this Saturday I would be hosting this seminar and that all should attend. I stood by the sign up table after the worship service prayerfully hoping that some would sign up. The Lord definitely touched the hearts of those who were there as about 30% signed up for the training.

The day came and the training was well received. There were many somber and humorous moments. Somber, because when they viewed the video that showed a group of teenagers who couldn't name any of the Ten Commandments, (Romans 2:15) but had no problem naming 10 different brands of beer. The humor when they heard some of the ridiculous answers from those who were taking the "good person test" (Galatians 3:24)

It was a blessing to have others who had been through this before come just to share what listening to this teaching had done for them. One of the ladies named Ann lives about 45 minutes away and shared how this training changed how she shares, as she admitted being a Christian for at least 50 years and never used the Law to help someone understand why they need a Savior.

Dan also wasn't a member of this church but had been out on the streets with us because of AL, another seed sower whom he knows. He tried to implore the group to at least come out on the streets to see us in action as this is what helped him to understand how using the tracts and the Law was an easy way to share and it gave him a desire to want to reach out to save those who are lost. (Acts 1:8)

Well the five hours passed quickly as now it was time for prayer and nourishment. Some came with me to Tempe to observe how this actually works with strangers. Below is a picture of me drawing a crowd by giving away money by asking trivial questions. At the right time I ask, "Who here can prove to me that they are a Good Person?" Someone's hand always goes up! (1Tim 1:8)

The lady you see in back of me is Ella. She has the beautiful white hair. This was her first Way of The Master Seminar and she came down with me as she doesn't like driving at night. She was on fire as she handed out several Million Dollar bills to perfect strangers. All her life she said she has wanted to share, but never did anything like this. She mentioned to me that she was going to call & order her own pack of Million Dollar bills so that she can give them away wherever she goes.

Then there was Andres and his 13 year od son. It was amazing to watch how this young boy on his own requested to have some of the Million Dollar bills so that he could hand them out like we were. (Matthew 18:3)

Well, today was a long day as we got finished around 10:30 pm. Lots of tracts were handed out and many one--2- ones were done. We praise the Lord for giving us the passion and desire to go out to reach and save the lost. We are nobody's who can share with anybody about somebody who can save anybody. (Mark 16:15)

1st Way of The Master Laboratory April 2009

Praises to our Lord & Savior Jesus the Christ!

Well, the first Way of the Master Laboratory seemed to be a great success! Those who attended humbled themselves & admitted that they still had not approached anyone with what they had seen from the WOTM seminar they had attended. They still hadn’t internalized the Ten Commandments nor were they comfortable about bringing them up in a conversation.

This was time for all of us to pray, practice, participate, & prove ourselves with this method of using God’s greatest weapon, “The Ten Commandments”!

During the session those who participated continually repeated the questions that need to be ask to help the unsaved to understand why they need a savior. It was stated several times how helpful it was to practice the concept of W. D. J. D., (What Did Jesus Do).

I remembered being told that Confuses stated,” Repetition is the mother of learning “, and in this Laboratory that’s exactly what we did. It was evident from this training how effective it was because of the confidence being shown after practicing with one another several times.

In the beginning of the training most of the participants couldn't’t recite the Commandments, but later they became more confident about saying them as well as their numbers, and how excited they became because of it.

I asked one of the men to come up front and then started to explain how sometimes I have seen men hiding behind a pole when they come with us to Tempe. It seemed like they were afraid to mingle with the crowd that forms on the sidewalk. He stated, “That would be me! That he was literally petrified at being amongst a crowd of people to the point of almost passing out. At that point I asked his wife to come up so that he wouldn’t be alone.

I mentioned that instead of hiding, that he come to another brother in Christ and ask that he pray for him and to take away the fear. We can only encourage one another if the one who is in need be transparent and confess the sin. What a blessing that would be to the one who could pray for him, and that way you would not be alone or isolated. Satan wants us to be alone and not show others our weakness. I can’t be sure of this, but it looked like he was about to cry and so was his wife who was standing next to him.

I was pleasantly surprised at what happened next! I saw an amazing blessing from the Lord. Catherine was able to help me critique someone by stating what she hadn’t heard them say as they were practicing. If any of you know Catherine, she is usually quiet. So for her to speak up before I did, was amazing to me. She spoke with such confidence that at first I was shocked, but then well pleased. Catherine’s comments were favorably accepted.

One of them didn’t think it was advantageous to go to Tempe because he wanted to perfect his presentation. The lady behind said, “Okay, here I am practice on me!” While giving his presentation, I video taped him and even though he stumbled he was able to get to the end. This was a giant step as in the beginning I was told, “Not to video tape”.

Everyone commented how well he did. He still wasn’t satisfied because that when he is under pressure his mind goes blank. I mentioned to him that he was able to finish what he started which was a huge accomplishment & that he continue to practice.

I think at that point it helped him understand that we don’t have to be perfect to present this message, just be willing to do so. It seemed liked everyone’s fear was waning because by listening to him stumble it helped them understand that it was okay not to be perfect.

After the training we shared some pizza and what was learned from the training. Everyone was thankful for getting together and appreciated what was discussed. All who came to the Laboratory also came with me to Tempe to watch, pray & maybe even speak.

All the glory was given to God because now present on a street in Tempe were more laborers for His Kingdom. (Luke 10:2) As I watched those who came to try out what they had learned I was thrilled to see some who had expressed anxiety before the training now engaging , One- 2- One, with the lost!

My pray coincides with Luke 10:2, that more of you who have been through the WOTM Seminar now come to the Laboratory.

If interested you can contact me at sower@tillthenetsrfull.org or Cell 602) 380-3635


>

First Way of The Master Laboratory April 25th 2009

Praises to our Lord & Savoir Jesus the Christ!

Well, the first Way of the Master Laboratory seemed to be a great success! Those who attended humbled themselves & admitted that they still had not approached anyone with what they had seen from the WOTM seminar they had attended. They still hadn’t internalized the Ten Commandments nor were they comfortable about bringing them up in a conversation.

This was time for all of us to pray, practice, participate, & prove ourselves with this method of using God’s greatest weapon, “The Ten Commandments”!

During the session those who participated continually repeated the questions that need to be ask to help the unsaved to understand why they need a savior. It was stated several times how helpful it was to practice the concept of W. D. J. D., (What Did Jesus Do).

I remembered being told that Confuses stated,” Repetition is the mother of learning “, and in this Laboratory that’s exactly what we did. It was evident from this training how effective it was because of the confidence being shown after practicing with one another several times.

In the beginning of the training most of the participants couldn’t recite the Commandments, but later they became more confident about saying them as well as their numbers, and how excited they became because of it.

I asked one of the men to come up front and then started to explain how sometimes I have seen men hiding behind a pole when they come with us to Tempe. It seemed like they were afraid to mingle with the crowd that forms on the sidewalk. He stated, “That would be me! That he was literally petrified at being amongst a crowd of people to the point of almost passing out. At that point I asked his wife to come up so that he wouldn’t be alone.

I mentioned that instead of hiding, that he come to another brother in Christ and ask that he pray for him and to take away the fear. We can only encourage one another if the one who is in need be transparent and confess the sin. What a blessing that would be to the one who could pray for him, and that way you would not be alone or isolated. Satan wants us to be alone and not show others our weakness. I can’t be sure of this, but it looked like he was about to cry and so was his wife who was standing next to him.

I was pleasantly surprised at what happened next! I saw an amazing blessing from the Lord. Catherine was able to help me critique someone by stating what she hadn’t heard them say as they were practicing. If any of you know Catherine, she is usually quiet. So for her to speak up before I did, was amazing to me. She spoke with such confidence that at first I was shocked, but then well pleased. Catherine’s comments were favorably accepted.

One of them didn’t think it was advantageous to go to Tempe because he wanted to perfect his presentation. The lady behind said, “Okay, here I am practice on me!” While giving his presentation, I video taped him and even though he stumbled he was able to get to the end. This was a giant step as in the beginning I was told, “Not to video tape”.

Everyone commented how well he did. He still wasn’t satisfied because that when he is under pressure his mind goes blank. I mentioned to him that he was able to finish what he started which was a huge accomplishment & that he continue to practice.

I think at that point it helped him understand that we don’t have to be perfect to present this message, just be willing to do so. It seemed liked everyone’s fear was waning because by listening to him stumble it helped them understand that it was okay not to be perfect.

After the training we shared some pizza and what was learned from the training. Everyone was thankful for getting together and appreciated what was discussed. All who came to the Laboratory also came with me to Tempe to watch, pray & maybe even speak.

All the glory was given to God because now present on a street in Tempe were more laborers for His Kingdom. (Luke 10:2) As I watched those who came to try out what they had learned I was thrilled to see some who had expressed anxiety before the training now engaging , One- 2- One, with the lost!

My pray coincides with Luke 10:2, that more of you who have been through the WOTM Seminar now come to the Laboratory.

If interested you can comtact me at sower@tillthenetsrfull.org or Cell (602) 380-3635

Japan Mission Trip - January 2008

Catherine and I have been blessed by God to be able to go to Japan to Spread the Gospel. As you know Japan is dominated by two major religions, Shinto and Buddhism. Christians in Japan are in a distinct minority, so mission trips to this country do much to nurture and grow and spread the Message.

Just two nobodies who can share with anybody about somebody that can save anybody.

Thursday, December 20, 2007
It's late around 10:30p and I just finished setting up this blog so that I can communicate with those who supported us on what happens to us in Japan. I pray that this method can work and so that they can read about what God has us doing in this foreign land.

Posted by Catherine & Thomas Fusco at 8:30 PM

19 comments: SUMMARY IS ON PAGE 3 -7
December 20, 2007 9:43 PM Tom's friend Alan said...
I think this is a great idea. We can see in real time (almost)what is going on with your trip

December 21, 2007 9:30 AM Blace said... My aren't we getting techie! This is great: we who are praying can hear how God is answering on the front lines.

January 22, 2008 9:17 PM I'd love to hear more news as the time of your departure is closing fast. Praying for a safe flight, what else can we pray for? Anonymous

January 23, 2008 7:45 AM Catherine & Tom said... Anonymous,one of our concerns is that of Catherine's mom Gloria. We have moved in with her so that she can have constant care. Pray that the Lord watch over her while we are gone. Also that He protects us from any illnes so that we can be on fire for the Lord to those we meet.

January 23, 2008 7:04 PM Dale said... Cath and Tom, Will pray for Gloria & for your good health while over there. But do remember 2 Corinthians 12:9.

January 23, 2008 8:19 PM Catherine & Tom said... Dale, Thanks for the message, and pointing me to the One who saved me & provides me with all that I need. As I continued to the chapters end, 2nd Cor 12:21, it reminded me of those who have not repented and are lost.

January 24, 2008 5:38 PM kim said... Hi Mom and Tom! …I am just checking to see if you have landed. I will be praying for you guys and of course grandma. I love you!

January 25, 2008 11:20 PM Edwin said...Are you in Japan yet?

January 26, 2008 12:56 PM D.Yoder said... Tom hows the fishing in Japan ?
Praying for you !! Psalm 89:1

January 26, 2008 7:19 PM Catherine & tom said... Kim, we arrived safely except I did lose my dinner 10 minuite before landing. This is the first time we have been able to send something. This has been an awesome experience. We have met so many nice people here. 1st on the train, i was able togive awyt a million dollar bill. Then while at StarBucks in the mall, Tom shared the Ten Commandments with a young girl who spoke english. We are at their church now and we gave them our testimonies. I`ll try to send some more when we have a chance

January 26, 2008 11:46 PM Dale said... Wow, you peeps are 16 hours ahead of us! (AZ is GMT-7 & Japan is GMT+9). Let’s see, it's about 12:30 am here, so it must be 4:30 pm there. Hopefully you're getting some good sleep to adjust. So Catherine, you lost your dinner, huh... don't worry about it-maybe you'll find it on the flight back!
Grace to you who love our Lord Jesus Christ

January 28, 2008 1:03 AM catherine & tom said... Dale, nice to hear from you. Your sense of humor is refreshing. We were out today meeting people in the neighborhood by this church which is about 45min from where we are staying. We were at lunch and a women recognized me as the man who was handing out tracts she saw at Starbucks the other day.

January 28, 2008 1:11 AM catheirne & tom said...Edwin, Thanks for your concern. As you can see we have arrived safely. We have lots to tell you when we get back. We can compare stories now that you have already been here and done that

January 28, 2008 1:15 AM catherine & tom said... D.Yoder, The fishing has been great. Today we were busy sharing the bait. Getting to a computer has not been easy. Say hello to the sower`s on mill for me.

January 28, 2008 1:20 AM Today I started to feel the jetlag as I was extremely tired this afternoon. Constantly yawning and eyes trying to close. Please keep us in your prayers that I get the rest I need so that tomorrow I get be fight to do battle.

January 28, 2008 9:09 AM Edwin said... Tom Good to hear you are fishing like crazy. I can’t wait to hear all about it when you get back. I will keep you both in prayer and remind the team at home to do so as well.

Catherine & Tom said...
Left Phoenix AZ on Thursday at 7:30a & arrived in Tokyo on Friday at 5:30p. Met David Spurdle outside and had to take the 3 separate trains to get to where he parked his van. This took approximately another 2 hours. Then 45 minutes later we arrived at the house where we would stay, this was about 8;30 or 9P Japan time which would mean that we were up for about 27 hours as it was now 5:a Friday Phoenix time. On the first train our prayers were answered as we had been praying that the Lord would bring people to us who spoke English. At the first stop a man got on and sat next to Catherine. He asked her if she would mind if he sat by her. She was surprised how well he spoke English and complimented him on it. She offered him a million and he took it. After reading it, he mentioned that he liked the tract and that he was a Christian and she continued to have a great conversation with him. He gave us the newspaper he had with him as it was written in English and he stated that he buys it so that he would better understand the English language. We praised the Lord for answering our prayers so quickly.

Saturday. January, 26 (which is Friday in Phoenix)
Woke up early Sat, David made great blueberry pancakes. Each day after breakfast we have a Bible study, and are learning about missionaries. After our study David took us for a walk that lead us to the base of a mountain. We climbed that mountain and at the top we could see the city that Satan held captive. We prayed to the Lord above that He would use us to help free those people and bring truth to the city of Tochigi. On our way down David & Jack were able to witness to two people, a mother & son who were cleaning the area.

Afterwards we went to the mall to buy some supplies and to pass out tracks. They had a Starbucks inside the mall & we were privileged to talk a young girl named Kazayo and I walked her through the commandments as she spoke English and was ale to understand what I was saying. She was convicted by the law an Catherine noticed that she had tears in her eyes when we got to the part were she stated that would it concerned her that she could be in Hell. David invited her to his home for that night as his pastor & the pastor's son were coming that night. To my amazement she and her sister showed up.

Afterwards we all went to dinner at a great Japanese restaurant and shared with one another. Jack & I started singing and were having a grand time coming up with all the different songs that we could remember. Even the owners who was the cook & his wife were smiling at us signing.

Sunday, 27th, We attended worship at the chapel in Tochigi and we all shared our testimonies. Afterwards I was able to log on to my website and share the video of the piano player. Everyone was amazed at that man using balls to play music. I also shared with them the pink & blue illusion cards as well as showing the coin that appears out of thin air. They were eager to learn how I did it and I showed them. You should have seen all the men young and old practicing how to do it.

We were invited to a ladies home which was on the outskirts which was like a farm house. She served us an amazing meal which Catherine helped her to prepare. She shared with Catherine all about her two sons and then took Catherine to her bedroom where she showed her pictures of her daughter dressed in beautiful Japanese gowns.

Monday, 28th We drove to the top of another mountain, Ohira, in Tochigi. We had a terrific view of Tokyo in the distance and could even see Mt Fuji. They have a three story platform that you can walk up to get a better view and there we saw padlocks that were engraved and locked into the fence that surrounded the platform. I was told by Jack that couples who want to get married leave them there. As we looked out over the area David had us pray for all of those people who have never heard of the Gospel.

We drove to the area where the church is and dropped off flyers inviting people to come to the church on Saturday.

Tuesday, 29th Today was a damp and rainy day. We dropped off tracts locally and then went to the mall and stopped at Starbucks. David was able to share with a man who stated that he had never heard the Gospel before. David was able, with the Lords help, to show this man the connection from the old Chinese manuscripts and the invention of the computer how God was real.

Wednesday 30th Today we drove to Mt Nikko, where there is a Christian camp. We actually have a bed to sleep on & heat on the floors. We all went to a tiny hut where we prayed for Haruko who is the wife of the Pastor at Tochigi as she has a failing liver. We also prayed over Nakajima, a close friend of theirs who has ovarian cancer and was told she only had a year to live. Then we split up and each went to there own little hut for about an hour to spend some quiet time with the Lord.

We then drove to a place called Nikko Wonderland, but the attraction was closed from 1/25-2-7, we just missed it. While we wondering around at this empty location some college students from Tokyo showed. We were able to witness to them for quite a while. When they left to get on there bus they we very thankful that we shared with them.

The Gospel Tract of the million dollar bill with JFK on the front and the Japanese language on the back is being very well received.

When we came back to the camp we were able to use the hot water bath. First everyone goes inside to shower and then steps into a large bath and from there you go outside to another large hot bath which is located on the edge of the small canyon. From this spot you could see a water fall which falls into the river below. AWESOME!

After dinner we had prayer time and Bibl study. This was an unplanned part of our trip as we asked by Haga San if we would accompany them so that we could pray for the two women.

Thursday, 31st Then next morning we went to the Nikko Tokugawa Shrine. This place is amazing! The buildings and their artistic sculptures are truly works of art. The only problem is that they are art works for Satan. I was told that millions of people come form all over the world to worship here. They even have what looks like the Ark of the Convenient as described in the Old Testament in one of the temples.

The five of us were able to hand out 100's of tracts each to all the tourists who came.

Jack who I have to say is the oldest was able to walk up three hundred & fifty two stairs to and it was only through the Lords power that he was able to do it. The rest of us didn't even try. Oh Jack usually wears a knee brace but he did this without it.

Friday, Feb 1st Got more flyers came back and cut them up. Headed for the Chapel and put them in their mailboxes. We then met up with the kids at the park from the last time and played some games with them. Even Jack tried to hit the ball but to no avail. About a dozen more school kids on bikes came to the park and we able to pass out million dollar bills to all of them. They were very excited to have the money and we explained to them that they had to read the back and have their parents so the same.

Saturday Feb 2nd We went to Starbucks again for some more fishing and they had a live band in the mall. As they were performing I mingled with the crowd and offered them the million dollar bill. I'm sure they thought it had something to do with the entertainment that was going on because no one refused them. I was able to hand out almost a whole pack. Jack came over and helped out as he gave a bunch away and then the security stopped him. By then it was to late as our task of handing out God's word in Satan's domain was complete.

Evening came quickly and we had to get back to our base as we were entertaining some people from his church as well as neighbors that were invited. David and Catherine prepared a wonderful American meal, burrito's. They loved it as many had two helpings. As the evening went on Shin the son of the Pastor Haga Son asked if I would show his fried the magic. While doing the tricks one of the neighbors asked me to do more and then I showed the pink & blue illusion and then with the help of David, translating it into Japanese, I took him through the question about selling our eyes. We were able to go through the process of how God would have to judge a sinner, which we know is someone who lies, steals or has lustful thoughts for others. His response to it was that he hadn't given it much thought.

Now comes the amazing part, remember the friend that Shin brought, his name is Isikawa, I noticed that his eyes were wet and he started to speak about how he understood what I was saying and how he is a Buddhist & so is his whole family. He related to us about his grandfather's funeral that when he looked at him lying dead, his face seemed peaceful. Since then he had been trying to live his life by doing good things just like his grandfather taught him but after hearing what I spoke of he understood my message and was very thankful for me sharing with them.

He is still a Buddhist but know wants to search out other religions. I asked if he had every read the Bible and he said no. I then offered him a Bible written in Japanese and he thanked me and said he would read it. His tearful story brought me to ask if I could give him a hug and he responded by leaning over towards me. I was hugging him he said that he has great respect for me & then I told him that this moment was the best thing that happened to me in Japan and I think that God wanted me here so that he could hear my message. I then told him I would be praying for him so that God would open his heart and he would truly understand what it meant for Jesus to die on the cross for him. After that I could hardly speak as I realized that God had answered my prayers, and allowed me to hear the heart of someone in Japan