"Next!"

Thirty years ago, I was involved in a multi-level marketing company called Nu Skin. Although it didn’t prosper me financially as I hoped, it was a valuable learning experience. Many recruiting tips I learned in MLM were later applied in evangelism outreaches. One of which was not taking it personally when someone rejects what is offered to them.

One Nu Skin distributor taught this analogy. Let’s suppose you excitedly call your neighbor saying, “Jim, I found gold buried in my backyard! Get a shovel and bucket and get all you want!”

“Well, I’m a little busy right now.”

“Didn’t you hear me, Jim? There’s gold in my backyard! Get a shovel and bucket and get all you want!”

“Well, I really don’t have a shovel and bucket.”

“Darn it, Jim! Just go BUY a shovel and bucket!”

“Do you know how much shovels and buckets cost?”

The distributor concluded the analogy by advising, “Folks, will you please learn to do this?” He then waved his arm like moving something out of the way and declared, “Next!” Negative people always look for reasons to reject things that appear too good to be true. As I heard other Nu Skin distributors point out, “Some will…some won’t…so what? Next!”

That is certainly true with the gospel. Not everyone you approach will be receptive to walking on streets of gold for eternity. Even when someone refuses a tract from me, I can still plant a seed in their heart by saying, “Jesus loves you.” Then I move on to the next person the Lord leads me to.

There’s an old saying, “A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.” As much as God doesn’t want anyone to perish, we cannot allow ourselves to grow despondent when individuals reject Jesus. It’s their decision.

“He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.” - Luke 10:16

Happy Birthday, Living Word!

Forty years ago, a church was founded that would impact my life. A pilot named Mac Hammond and his wife Lynne had led a Bible study in the Minneapolis area. In November 1980, it officially became a church called Living Word Faith Fellowship that initially met in a hotel conference room. It later moved into a building in Brooklyn Park, merged with another church, and was renamed Living Word Christian Center. This congregation that started with just twelve people has grown into a body of more than 10,000 members.

I was introduced to Living Word in February 1991 through my then-girlfriend. She attended services there and invited me to go with her one Sunday morning. It reminded me of a service I might see on TV (later finding out the church just begun broadcasting on a local station). Pastor Mac encouraged first-time visitors to come back again “to take a more accurate measure of us as a church.” The next two times I went to Living Word, I still resisted the altar call for salvation. Coming from a traditional Lutheran background, I was a bit uncomfortable in a Full Gospel atmosphere.

Then on March 19 of that year, my sister and her husband led me to the Lord at their home in Fargo, North Dakota. Two days later, I met with a pastor from their church. He recommended visiting two fellowships he knew about in the Twin Cities area. One of them was The Rockatorium, the youth ministry at Living Word Christian Center. Soon I attended membership classes at Living Word and decided to make it my home church. That summer, I got water baptized during their annual picnic.

For the next two years, I put my audio recording skills to use by volunteering in Living Word’s tape ministry. Having access to the church’s cassette library helped me grow as a Christian. Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” I listened to numerous sermon tapes at home, at work, and in my car. In addition to Pastor Mac, I heard messages from associate pastors plus guest speakers such as Dwight Thompson, Willie George, Jerry Savelle, Jesse Duplantis, and Kenneth Copeland. Their teachings built my confidence in God’s promises of healing and prosperity as well as eternal life in heaven.

After a temporary move to the Chicago area, I returned to the Twin Cities in early 1994. By this time, my friend Steve had become a leader in Living Word’s evangelism ministry and invited me to go street witnessing with them on Monday nights. The Lord had already put it in my heart to share my faith more. My initial outings did not excite me. I felt awkward approaching total strangers with the gospel. Finally, I led one to the Lord and have been fulfilling the Great Commission ever since.

At the end of 1995, the Lord led me to become an usher. Back then, the ushers at Living Word wore suits and ties. That brought me outside my comfort zone since I prefer dressing casually. After doing that for twelve months, I stepped down to focus more on evangelism. Eventually, the Lord led me to leave Living Word and become a full-time missionary. For a while, I mostly traveled along the east coast of the United States. 

In recent years, the Lord has led me to return to the Twin Cities area for extended stays. Although I’ve worked with other churches in the area, I still attended services at Living Word Christian Center and often joined them for evangelism outreaches. The church has changed since I first started going there. For example, the worship musicians were (in my opinion) a bit stuffy doing inspirational songs I mostly didn’t care for. Now they have a more modern sound with added visual effects. Living Word has expanded to include a Christian school, a chemical dependency treatment facility, and various other ministries.

Tonight the church is having a 40th birthday celebration. I’m thankful for Lynne Hammond’s commitment to prayer and Mac giving up his airfreight business to pastor a church that has changed many lives. Until the Lord returns, I pray Living Word Christian Center continues having a positive influence upon the state of Minnesota and beyond.

“…and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” - Matthew 16:18

From Nu Skin to the New Birth

At the beginning of 1990, I became dissatisfied with life. At 26 I had mounting debts from pursuing a music career and lost my enthusiasm working as a nightclub disc jockey. Around this time, a radio program I listened to called “Musical Starstreams” started running ads about a business opportunity. Forest (the show’s host) talked about a way one could earn a large income and have the time to enjoy it. Soon I received a video in the mail about a network marketing company called Nu Skin.

After watching the video, I was intrigued enough to call Forest and find out why he was involved with a company that manufactured personal care products. Forest explained he wanted to make enough money to buy radio stations and air new age music full-time. Since Nu Skin was experiencing exponential growth, I decided to take advantage of this “opportunity of a lifetime.” I sold all my recording equipment to have extra money for purchasing product and sales aids. My goal was to build a residual income, pay off all my debts, and then resume my music career.

One of the first things I learned in network marketing was how to prospect through my “circle of influence” list. I quickly realized a need to associate with people serious about progressing in life. Most of my friends then were musicians or barflies. None of them wanted to go into business with me. Some of them tried talking me out of doing Nu Skin. 

Consequently I had to search for prospects in the cold market. That was done with newspaper ads and leaving business cards in public places encouraging people to call my voice mail number to hear a recorded message. Those wanting more information about my business were sent the same video I had watched. The process of mailing out videos with prepaid return envelopes was very costly. It resulted in me signing up only two distributors.

So I tried inviting people to my home for interviews. This cut down on the postage expenses and filtered out individuals who were just curious. Half of the people that scheduled interviews didn’t show up. None of the others signed up with me as a Nu Skin distributor. Despite my lack of success in recruiting, I was getting outside my comfort zone and developing better people skills.

To help me maintain a positive attitude, I started attending motivational seminars and listening to self-help tapes. From which I kept hearing how important it is to have your priorities in order. To be a successful person in life, you must put your spiritual goals first, next your family, and then your business. Every time I heard the “spiritual” part, thoughts crossed my mind about going back to church. For a while I was reluctant to do so. The traditional Lutheran church I went to as a child gave me wrong perceptions of Christianity.

Nevertheless, one Nu Skin executive I grew to admire was a former pastor who used an interesting illustration. Jesus put twelve men on His frontline that resulted in Him capturing a large percentage of the world’s marketshare. It was another seed planted that eventually resulted in my salvation on March 19, 1991. For another year, I persisted with Nu Skin despite making very little money plus my sponsor switched to a different MLM company. 

Then in February 1992, I had a dream in which I was in Utah wanting to visit Nu Skin’s corporate headquarters. When I called directory assistance, I heard a recorded message that gave out the number but then said, “Please do not call this number!” When I decided to go ahead and call the number, a glass plate suddenly covered the telephone buttons. This prevented me from making the call. After waking up I prayed, “Lord, if you are telling me to get out of Nu Skin, then please give me a confirmation on this.”  

The next night at church, my pastor had a word of knowledge saying, “Someone here is involved in multilevel marketing...you need to get out of it and find a regular job.” For the next four years I worked at a variety of places until the Lord called me to full-time ministry.

I don’t regret my time in Nu Skin. The experience taught me things that later helped me be successful with evangelism (like isolating objections when people oppose the gospel). Since then I’ve been approached with several other MLM opportunities but remained focused on promoting the most important product available: eternal life.

“but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” - Matthew 6:20

Memories of a Former Gamer

As a teenager, I played a lot of video games both at home and in public places. At 14 I bought an Atari Video Pinball console. A year later I saved up my money to purchase an Atari 2600. While in high school I spent close to half my paychecks into coin-operated games. This was back in the days of “Space Invaders” when aliens simply disappeared when you shot them. The games weren’t as graphic as they are now.

In the mid-1980s I decided to cut back on video games. Aside from wanting to focus on a music career, many of the newer games required you to spend more money just to get good at them. Nevertheless, there were times when I put chunks of change into “Dr. Mario”, “Klax”, and “Tetris.” I also enjoyed playing games like “John Madden Football” and “Sonic the Hedgehog” when with someone who had a Nintendo or similar system at home. 

I was never a fan of violent games. In 1993 while briefly working for a video game dealer, I was shocked to see blood splattering from the characters on the recently released “Mortal Kombat II.” Since then video game graphics have become so realistic, it’s like being part of a Hollywood movie.

In recent years, many mass shootings have been perpetrated by gamers. Constant viewing of murders on TV and movies desensitizes one of the sanctity of human life. Violent video games can add to that since the player himself initiates the killings. Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” What we meditate on the most can eventually come to pass in real life.

Nowadays, I seldom play video games. I do occasional stints of FreeCell on a friend’s PC. On my iPad, I have a Sudoku app that is played maybe once a day. Despite constantly receiving game requests from Facebook friends, I turn them all down. Instead, I prefer doing more productive things like winning souls. Eternity is not like a game where one can push the reset button and start over. We only have one life available to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives. 

As Leonard Ravenhill often asked, “Are the things you living for worth Christ dying for?”

“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” - Colossians 3:2

Connect the Dots

A game you might have played as a child was “connect the dots.” Like the picture shown in this article, you drew lines to various dots in numerical order. Often you didn’t know what the picture looked like until almost all the dots were connected.

Our Christian walk can be like playing connect the dots. The Lord leads us to do things that we sometimes don’t understand why. Often His purpose is revealed while He’s “connecting the dots.” Many times it takes a step of faith to get the process started. In his book “It’s Your Move”, Kenneth W. Hagin compares divine guidance to a chess game. When we make a move, then God makes a move. We continue taking turns until the big picture comes together. 

There are many stories I could share illustrating this truth but will focus on one that happened during the summer of 2002. While staying at a missionary house in Tampa, Florida, I perceived the Lord wanted me to travel to San Antonio, Texas. At the time, I didn't know anybody there. Nevertheless, I started packing and preparing for this trip. Then on a Wednesday, someone at the missionary house gave me $75 saying this was for my bus ticket to San Antonio. However, the Lord directed me to leave Tampa the following Saturday. The money would be enough only if I buy a bus ticket seven days in advance. Since it was too late for me to do so, I had to trust God for additional finances. Without me asking anyone for money, an additional $73 manifested. I bought my bus ticket and was on my way out west. 

To help break up a very long bus ride, I made an extended stop in Mobile, Alabama. There I spent time with a realtor I met online just a few weeks before. After Bonnie took me out to lunch and blessed me with $100, Bonnie drove me to one of her vacant apartments where I got to spend the next three nights. From there I tried calling an acquaintance who had just gone to San Antonio and suggested staying at the same house she was at. I found out my friend had already left town and perceived the door was not open for me to stay at that house.

The next morning, I struck up a conversation with a man painting Bonnie's house. As we talked, Eddie mentioned he had a brother who’s in the ministry and lives in San Antonio. I hadn't yet said a word to Eddie about going to San Antonio. Eddie soon called this minister who’s a military chaplain and offered to arrange for me to stay in a guest room at Lackland Air Force Base. At $18/night, I had enough money for five nights. My remaining $10 was sent to a ministry as my tithe. For the next four nights, I survived on free coffee, hot chocolate, and popcorn that the commissary provided.

Sunday was my last full day at Lackland. That morning I went to a church service on the base where a chaplain bought one of my “Evangelism 101” books I had with me. Then I stopped at the commissary to buy some food. There I ministered salvation to a woman working behind the counter. Ruth was so grateful for the prayer, she told me to get more food and offered to pay for it herself.

The next day I only had $1.45 on me. Since I did not have enough money for a taxi, I had an intense workout dragging my suitcase plus carrying my backpack and gym bag several blocks off the base. Just before I reached a bus stop, a man in a pickup truck asked if I needed a ride. He drove me to a parking lot, from which I rode the bus downtown. While hanging around the Greyhound station trusting God to open a door somewhere, I saw a woman wearing a “Jesus” T-shirt. Ann and I talked for about 25 minutes. Without her knowing anything about my financial situation, Ann gave me $2 and encouraged me to “live by faith.” She also asked for prayer. When I laid my hand on her, Ann said she felt a strong anointing from me. I did not feel a thing!

I spent the whole night at the bus station listening to screaming kids and many people talking in Spanish. When daylight came, I was overtired and needed a place to rest. A homeless man I met hours before encouraged me to follow him to a soup kitchen. There a woman gave me a list of shelters to contact. Initially, I dreaded the idea of staying at a place like that but decided to treat it as another faith adventure. 

That night I stayed at the Salvation Army. Although it was very uncomfortable with the lack of privacy and the profanity spoken by many of the guests there, I led four people to the Lord plus had other interesting divine appointments. One man told me he constantly had visions of himself passing out tracts in front of The Alamo. I gave him some tracts and said, “Go fulfill the vision.” 

The next morning I searched for a different place to stay. On the list of shelters given to me, two were in churches but charged $10/night to rent a bunk bed. Nevertheless, I walked over to one of them. When the caretaker found out I was an evangelist, he offered to let me stay for as long as I wanted in exchange for one of my books (and would later bless me with money a couple times). For the next two weeks, I ministered on the streets of San Antonio.

Then one morning I took a bus to Cornerstone Church to get a tour of John Hagee Ministries. There I had a lengthy conversation with an employee who bought a copy of my book. After my tour, I was praying in the chapel at Cornerstone Church when “5:00” kept coming up in my spirit. Since there was a Greyhound Bus that left San Antonio at 5:00, I thought maybe that’s when I would be leaving town. By late afternoon, I still didn’t have enough money to leave San Antonio. So I stopped at a downtown church that previously made copies of my gospel tract. To my surprise, the receptionist there offered to give me money. Since I needed it in cash, I had to wait until 5:00 when she got off work and could go to her bank. She later handed me $54. With the $7 I already had in my wallet, I now had $61 on me. 

Suddenly, I realized I had the finances to leave San Antonio. Bonnie in Alabama had e-mailed me days before saying she felt led to give me another $50 but hadn’t sent it yet. Bonnie was also leaving with her father for Pennsylvania the following Saturday and offered to drop me off in Virginia if I could find a way to Alabama in time. $111 was the exact fare needed for a one-way bus ticket from San Antonio to Mobile. So I called Bonnie who offered to buy the ticket for me in Mobile. I later received the ticket at the San Antonio Greyhound station. The next day Bonnie met me in Mobile where I reimbursed her $61. Two days later, I was dropped off in Ashland, Virginia. 

Want to have an adventurous life of faith? Let the Lord guide you as He connects the dots!

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” - Proverbs 3:5-6

Minutemen Ministers

In the period preceding and during the American Revolution, there were colonials who volunteered to fight the British at a minute’s notice. That’s why they were called Minutemen. During a State of the Union message nine days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks of 2001, President George W. Bush told the U. S. military “Be ready.” As soldiers in the army of the Lord, we should always be prepared for sudden opportunities to fulfill the Great Commission.

A large percentage of the people I’ve led to Christ occurred in the marketplace as opposed to planned outreaches. For example, I was walking home one night and saw five boys playing touch football in a church parking lot. A thought crossed my mind that when their football landed by me, that would be a signal for me to witness to them. Seconds later, the football bounced my way when one of the boys made a bad punt. However, I continued walking wanting time to myself. When I got home, God kept telling me to “go back.” So I put my shoes on and hurried to the parking lot where the boys were still playing. When I arrived there, one of the boys scored a touchdown. That was the right time for me to have them take a timeout. All five boys got born again.

Christians should also be prepared to minister in the house of the Lord whether it’s giving a prophetic word or a prepared sermon. This past Monday, I got to do both those things. That afternoon I arrived at Living Word Christian Center for a prayer meeting. Pastor Folu Gisanri exhorted us to pray in the Spirit and then come forward if we had something to share. The Lord led me to walk up to the front of the chapel and read a particular Scripture.

Later that night, I took part in Living Word’s regular Monday night evangelism outreach. Pastor Nick Kinn normally does a teaching before we hit the streets but decided to take the night off after leading a weekend outing in Kansas City. I was asked to take Pastor Nick’s place and felt led to share an abbreviated version of “Why You Should Be a Soul Winner”, a message I taught at another church two weeks before. My fellow soul winners were blessed and encouraged. As usual, we saw many people come into the kingdom of God that night.

The whole world could be evangelized quickly if all Christians had the dedication like that of Ray Comfort. The New Zealand-born evangelist has offered to pay $1,000 to anyone who ever catches him without a gospel tract, even if he’s by a swimming pool! I always make sure there are plenty of tracts and gospels of John on me before leaving the house. So again, I exhort you to be minutemen (or women) ministers and be ready to share the gospel at a moment’s notice.

“Be ready in season and out of season.” - 2 Timothy 4:2

Boasting in the Lord

When you step out to fulfill the Great Commission, be prepared for some Christians who will challenge your motives. A former Facebook friend I never met personally once wrote accusations against me on my wall based on erroneous information. I emailed a message to him offering to discuss his concerns privately. Instead, he posted another public comment “warning” other people about me. Sadly, another Facebook friend I had been ministering to chose to believe this man’s lies. Before I could email her an explanation, she blocked me after sending a message complaining about my “boast posting” (referring to my evangelism reports). This is how Satan can use believers to “sow discord among the brethren”, which the Lord hates! (Proverbs 6:19)

The dictionary defines boast as “talk with excessive pride and self-satisfaction about one’s achievements.” It’s not wrong for a believer to testify what the Lord has done through him as long as He gets the glory. Psalm 34:2 says, “My soul shall make its boast in the LORD.”  

When writing an evangelism testimony, I usually end it with a Scripture or glorify God for the new converts. Many of my friends have been blessed by my praise reports. In some cases, they were inspired to go out and share the gospel themselves. This fulfills my mission statement: “Preach the gospel and teach others to do the same.”

Still, there are Christians who get offended by that especially when they hear about the number of decisions made during an evangelism outreach. But God is interested in numbers. The Book of Acts mentions occasions when 3,000 and 5,000 people got saved at one time. There’s even a book in the Bible called Numbers.

The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 11:10, “As the truth of Christ is in me, no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia.” So the next time the Lord uses you to lead someone to salvation or bring healing to their body, don’t let religious people try to shut your mouth. Testify…and give all the glory to God!

“In God we boast all day long, and praise Your name forever. Selah” - Psalm 44:8

When the Towers Fell

Today on the fifteenth anniversary of 9/11, many people can still recall where they were and what they were doing during that tragic day. On that Tuesday morning, the Lord led me to do street ministry in Springfield, Virginia (at the time I was living in the nearby city of Manassas). The first two people I prayed with were teenaged boys on their way to school. Later while browsing around a Barnes & Noble bookstore, I overheard someone talk about a plane crash. I figured if it was something serious, I would later hear about it on the news.

Not long afterward, I walked into an electronics store and noticed people crowded around a big-screen TV. It was then I heard about the planes crashing into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon (which is only ten miles from Springfield)! Increased boldness came upon me and I altered my evangelism approach for the rest of the day. First I asked people if they heard what just happened in New York City and Washington, DC. Then I asked if they would be in heaven had they perished in one of those attacks. Sadly, many of them were still oblivious to their need for salvation. One man in a military uniform walked away from me without saying a word. Fortunately, five more people prayed to get born again including folks originally from France, India, and Romania.

The next morning, the Lord woke me up at 4:00 a.m. and told me to go back to Springfield to do more evangelism. That day I prayed with eleven people to receive salvation. One in particular was by far the most memorable. When I returned to Barnes & Noble, the instrumental music playing in the background caught my attention. I asked an employee about it and we got into a lengthy conversation. Jaime was a Spanish immigrant who was very friendly and we eventually talked about the terrorist attacks. I found out Jaime literally saw the plane crash into the Pentagon on his way to work! He then asked why God would allow things like that happen to good people. I explained to Jaime that it’s the devil that influences people to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). Jaime later prayed to get born again. It was definitely a divine appointment.

There were people I knew who had close calls related to the events of 9/11…

* The wife of my then-pastor worked at the Pentagon. Her office was in the very same section that was hit by the plane, which stopped one wall short of where she was sitting! Fortunately she didn't experience serious injuries.

* The father of a friend of mine in Virginia also worked at the Pentagon. He planned on getting cash at an ATM machine where the plane later hit. This man changed his mind at the last minute. That decision saved his life.

* Two ladies I know who lived and worked at Calvary Campground in Ashland, Virginia took a trip to New York and made plans to tour the World Trade Center on the evening of September 11. It was a good thing they didn't go there earlier that day before the planes hit.

* On the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance (September 14, 2001) declared by President George W. Bush, I felt led to call a friend of mine who lived in the Philadelphia area. Ellen told me a couple we both knew was visiting her and had ministered at a New York church the Sunday before. This couple originally planned on staying in New York two more days to do some sightseeing. But the wife felt a strong prompting to get out of New York sooner.

The next time a horrific event like 9/11 happens, use that as an opportunity to share the gospel with people. Some individuals need a serious wake-up call to realize their lives can suddenly end without warning. One minister I know in New York often says, “Meet your Maker before you meet your undertaker!”

“There will be on every high mountain and on every high hill rivers and streams of waters, in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall” - Isaiah 30:25

Obey the Gospel

Doctrinal debates sometimes result from comments I post on my Facebook page. I don’t mind this as long as our discussions remain civil and don’t promote heresy. Isaiah 1:18 encourages us to “reason together.” Yesterday I modified and reposted a powerful statement seen on another friend’s wall: “Grace alone did not save Noah and his family...obedience did.”

One friend wrote in response, “It’s Christ's obedience that saved us.” It’s true Christ did His part to make salvation available to everyone but a covenant involves two parties in agreement. A couple doesn’t become married if only one partner says, “I do.” Likewise, someone cannot become part of the Bride of Christ unless he or she says “I do” to Jesus. 

As I pondered my friend’s statement, I recalled how the New Testament talks about obeying the gospel...

“But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our report?’” - Romans 10:16

“in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” - 2 Thessalonians 1:8

“For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” - 1 Peter 4:17 

To elaborate on my original comment, Noah could have basked in God’s grace and goodness but would've drowned with the rest of the world if he hadn’t obeyed God’s command to build the ark. Under the New Covenant, sinners can avoid drowning in the lake of fire if they hear the gospel and then decide to obey it. That can happen if more believers do their part in obeying the Great Commission.

“Whoever says, I know Him [I perceive, recognize, understand, and am acquainted with Him] but fails to keep and obey His commandments (teachings) is a liar, and the Truth [of the Gospel] is not in him.” - 1 John 2:4 (Amplified Bible)

How Much is a Soul Worth?

This past Wednesday night, I attended a service at Living Word Christian Center where evangelism pastor Nick Kinn was ministering. I consider Nick my mentor. During the mid-1990s, it was through him I learned how to be a soul winner. In recent years, I resumed evangelizing with Living Word and gained even more wisdom in sharing the gospel with people. As Proverbs 11:30 says, “...he who win souls is wise.”

One testimony Pastor Nick shared involved a time he went to Sam’s Club. As he was about to push his cart out the door, Nick suddenly had thoughts of getting a hot dog. He walked over to a counter and paid $1.61 for a hot dog and pop. Then in the dining area, Nick recognized a man he used to work with at the Post Office. They hadn’t seen each other for over 28 years. To make a long story short, Nick led Duane to the Lord. Afterward as Nick walked towards his car, the Holy Spirit asked him, “How much is a soul worth?”

Likewise, I’ve been prompted by the Lord to buy food at certain places where I ended up leading people to the Savior. This past Thursday I was on my way home and decided to stop at Wendy’s. There I bought two sandwiches totaling $2.34. Before leaving I witnessed to an employee sweeping the floor. Jesse wasn’t sure of his eternal destiny but believed the gospel. He thanked me after praying to receive salvation. As I was leaving, I thought of that question the Holy Spirit asked Nick Kinn, “How much is a soul worth?”

The next day during a road trip to North Dakota, my driver stopped at a convenience store in Freeport, Minnesota. I decided to go inside and get myself a cappuccino. Later I gave the cashier a gospel tract. Since there weren’t other customers in the store needing help, I continued witnessing to Kristin. Originally she was hoping to go to heaven. By the time other customers came in that needed attention, Kristin had thanked me after praying to receive salvation.

Ray Comfort recently wrote on his Facebook page, “I never go to a store to buy this life’s necessities. I go there to give out tracts, and while I’m there I buy stuff. Eternity first.” The next time the Lord prompts you to buy something, more than likely a divine appointment is being set up. Will you be ready?

“Be ready in season and out of season.” - 2 Timothy 4:2

Secret Salvations

Last Tuesday night while evangelizing in a park, I approached two men and a woman who all claimed to be Christians. But when I asked them to say “Jesus is my Lord”, none of them would do that. The woman replied, “My relationship with God is personal.” I then pointed out Jesus said He won’t confess us before the Father if we won’t confess Him before men (Matthew 10:32-33). After ministering to the three for a few more minutes, they all prayed to get born again.

There are examples in the Bible of people being afraid of professing faith in Jesus. His brothers didn’t speak openly of Him “...for fear of the Jews” (John 7:13) as well as the parents of a blind man healed by Jesus. These parents insisted their son speak for himself “..,for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue.” (John 9:22)

Following the crucifixion, a secret disciple named Joseph of Arimathea who also feared the Jews asked for Pilate’s permission to “...take away the body of Jesus.” (John 19:38) Then on Resurrection Day “...the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews.” (John 20:19)

And of course there was Peter denying the Lord three times following Jesus’ arrest. But after being filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, Peter preached the gospel with boldness. The Apostle Paul also preached fearlessly in the midst of all kinds of calamities.

Most believers in Western nations don’t have to face severe persecution like those who live within the 10/40 Window. Recently I read about a former Muslim from Syria now living in Oklahoma who is suing a church for publishing his baptism announcement. The church had assured him his conversion and baptism would be kept secret. However, radical Muslims noticed the online announcement when he traveled back to Syria. As a result, this man was attacked, kidnapped, and tortured for days before escaping.

In publications like The Voice of the Martyrs, I’ve seen photos of believers’ faces partially hidden. Certainly I don’t want to be critical of brethren who feel this is necessary to protect themselves and their families. Regardless of where we live, God wants us to use wisdom so we don’t attract more persecution than necessary. 

On the other hand, Jesus said in Luke 17:33, “Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.” We are expected to testify of Him even in the most difficult circumstances. Look at what the Lord said in Matthew 10...

16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 
17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 
18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 
19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 
20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.”

Secret salvations will become more difficult during the tribulation period. Many believers will be confronted with the decision to take the Mark of the Beast or lose their heads. 

In the meantime, closet Christians shouldn’t be afraid to testify of their faith especially if they live in countries with religious liberties. Jesus died for us publicly for everyone to see. We should be willing to live publicly for Him.

“The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.” 

- Proverbs 29:25

In the Nick of Time

Someone once asked if I believe in deathbed salvations. I most certainly do. The thief on the cross is an excellent example. He had just enough time to call on the Lord before dying with Him at Calvary. Jesus told the thief, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43) 

I’ve heard numerous testimonies of people coming to know the Lord moments before dying. One evangelist I know saw this happen with a family member. A few years ago, Nick Kinn received a call from his sister nudging him to meet with their 86-year-old uncle about getting right with God. John Kinn had attended a Lutheran church but didn’t know if he was going to heaven. Nick prayed with his uncle to get born again. Five days later, Nick’s sister called again informing him Uncle John had died.

On the other hand, I’ve witnessed to individuals who think they can continue “living it up” but then get saved at the last minute. That’s a dangerous idea to entertain. Every day people suddenly die from car accidents, drive-by shootings, terrorist bombings, heart attacks, storms, and other tragedies. Those that didn’t have time to make peace with God are now suffering the eternal consequences.

Some might complain it’s not fair for one to get saved just before dying while others were faithful Christians for years. This reminds me of the Parable of the Vineyard Workers in Matthew chapter 20. All the laborers who began working during the eleventh hour received the same wages as those starting earlier in the day. Remember God is merciful and doesn’t want anymore to perish (2 Peter 3:9). 

It’s better for one to get saved late in life than not at all. So if you don’t know the Lord, I urge you to receive His free gift of salvation right now. Don’t put it off! You may not have another opportunity.

“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 

- 2 Corinthians 6:2

Divine Delays

During my travels I learned to recognize what I call “divine delays.” Whenever I have been held up somewhere longer than expected, often they were set-ups by the Lord so someone can receive ministry.

One time in Tampa, Florida, I walked to a corner to take the bus to Rodney Howard-Browne’s church. The bus was supposed to arrive at 9:50 a.m. but showed up over a half hour late. In the meantime, I passed out gospel tracts to people walking and biking by. Often bicyclists will grab tracts out of my hand like a relay runner taking the baton from another runner. One young boy on a bicycle named Dan stopped to listen to the gospel and got born again on the spot. Moments later I saw the bus coming.  

In 2003 while visiting Germany, I prepared to travel to Berlin using Mitfahr Zentrale, which is like a car pool service. I was supposed to leave Kassel at 5:30 p.m. After 1½ hours passed without any sign of my ride showing up, I felt led to initiate a conversation with a man waiting for a Mitfahr employee who couldn't leave until the driver arrived. Ousmann was a Muslim originally from Gambia. He had been hung up on the Islamic belief that God has no sons. For almost an hour I shared many Scriptures with Ousmann including John 3:16 and 1 John 5:12-13. Ousmann prayed to receive Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. A couple minutes later, my driver arrived.

Two years later after spending time ministering in Tennessee, my host dropped me off at the bus station in Johnson City. I kept sensing my bus wouldn't be on time. Sure enough it rolled into town over a half hour late. I used that waiting time to witness to other people at the station, seven of who prayed to receive salvation.

Another time in Minneapolis, I went for a bike ride and was delayed at a railroad crossing along with another man on a bicycle. Perceiving this was a divine appointment, I gave Adrian a gospel tract and found out he wasn’t sure of his eternal destiny. Adrian finished praying to receive salvation just before the train completely crossed the road.

Then a few weeks ago, a Greyhound bus I rode from Pittsburgh to Greensburg, Pennsylvania left 90 minutes past its scheduled departure time. I was getting irritable since I was overtired plus my two previous buses also ran late. When the bus finally rolled into the Transit Center in Greensburg, I saw three teenaged boys hanging around and immediately knew this was another divine delay. I witnessed to Nick, Isaac, and Austin who weren’t sure of their eternal destiny but believed the gospel. All of them prayed to get born again.

So the next time you find yourself unexpectedly waiting around somewhere, ask the Lord if He has a purpose for that. There may be someone at this place He wants you to talk to. His timing is always perfect!

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.” - Psalm 37:23

A Lesbian Returns to the Lord

Of all the times I’ve gone out evangelizing, I’ve met very few people who admitted they were homosexual.  With more of them nowadays “coming out of the closet”, I’ve considered witnessing at gay pride events but haven’t done so yet.  One reason is I rather spend time talking with people who are receptive to the gospel.  I’ve had homosexuals contact me through the Internet that wouldn’t receive the truth of God’s word.  They simply wanted to defend their chosen lifestyles.

Still we should always be ready to minister to whomever the Lord puts across our path.  Last weekend I joined a Hispanic church in reaching out to the homeless at a park in Tampa, Florida.  While other people from this church gave away food and toiletries, I handed out tracts plus the gospel of John to those who didn’t have a Bible.  During this outreach I had a lengthy discussion with a backslidden lesbian.  “Latoya” (not her real name) had gotten saved when she was twelve years old.  Five years later Latoya’s then-boyfriend forced her to have sex with him.  That incident caused her to have negative feelings toward men. 

Fortunately Latoya was open to hearing what I had to say.  I briefly talked about how I had lived a promiscuous lifestyle before giving my life to the Lord nearly 23 years ago.  Then with a gentle tone in my voice, I read to Latoya 1 Corinthians 6:9-11...

“Do not be deceived.  Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.  And such were some of you.  But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”

I pointed out that people addicted to any kind of fornication (whether heterosexual or homosexual) could be set free by the power of God.  After it appeared I gained Latoya’s trust, she agreed to let me pray for her.  First I spoke a blessing over Latoya and bound up the demonic spirits influencing her.  Then I asked Latoya if she was willing to recommit her life to the Lord.  She prayed with me to ask Jesus Christ back into her heart. 

A short time later, a friend of Latoya’s interrupted our conversation.  At that point, I felt a release to move on and minister to someone else.  Just like most of the other people I’ve led to the Lord, I likely won’t see Latoya again until we get to heaven.  Either way, I look forward to hearing how the Lord continued transforming her life.

“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” - Philippians 1:6