BELLFLOWER, CA—Ray Comfort’s ministry (Living Waters Publications) has had such phenomenal growth it is being forced to follow in the footsteps of Focus on the Family and other Christian ministries, and move out of California. 
(more…)
Archive for November, 2006
Ray Comfort is Moving!
Thursday, November 30th, 2006Martyrs: Caught Red Handed
Thursday, November 30th, 2006Has this happened to you for handing out a Gospel tract or Bible lately?
Five evangelists were arrested in the Maldives for spreading, “religious propaganda of the Christian religion” along the roads of Male. According to a VOM News source, the five men had translated the Bible into their language and were distributing copies throughout the Islamic nation. 
Maldives is a nation of 1200 islands and only about 200 are inhabited. Approximately 250,000 people live in the Maldives and more than 99% are Muslims. Government officials oppose Christian evangelism and use federal powers to enforce allegiance to Islam.
A newspaper account reported that one of the men arrested was caught, “red handed” while placing the material on the roads of Male. The printed material contained “various information about that (the Christian) religion, such as the benefits or advantages of knowing that religion.”
-From a Voice of the Martyrs news report from July 29, 2002
E-vangie Tales/PICS: 96,000 Souls
Wednesday, November 29th, 2006It was USC versus Cal Berkeley football at the Los Angeles Coliseum and the crowds were wild and wooly, hyped-up, hopped-up, drunk, pushy, loud and obnoxious—the regular ritual for all those who are adherents to the Cult of Fandom. Fifteen fearless evangelists were on a mission: hand out as many Million-dollar bill Gospel tracts as possible to the rich ungodly—and avoid being bashed in the bean with a beer bottle!
We never anticipated what was to happen…
My daughters and I inadvertantly stumbled upon this tailgating ritual a few weeks back when we visited the L.A. Museum of Natural History
(See “Crossing the Red SC”). Since USC plays in the stadium adjacent to the museum, everyone camps out on all available grass and asphalt as far as the eye can see. We handed out over 500 Gospel Tracts in about an hour, reaching that most elusive of preacher-prey: wealthy, educated, too-smart-for-Christ college students, alumni, professors and professionals, the young, yuppie and yenta alike. Excited at the potential, I scheduled a day for the evangelism team to lay seige against the Ivory Towers of Artifice.
We set up our base of operations in the center of the tailgating tribes and placed a box of 9,500 Million-dollar bills (9.5 billion dollars!) in the middle of the tent.
Everyone grabbed handfuls of “cash” and went their separate ways fanning out around the Coliseum grounds. It was every man (and woman) for themselves (with God). We started at about 2pm and were to meet back in a few hours.
We hit upon some drunken guys who refused to grant us permission to interview them on video, so we gave them some tracts—
—and snapped a photo!
Later in the day, we came back to the same spot. The drunken guys were long gone but it was quite obvious that they read the message and got the point.
Evangelist Tina Brown was unafraid to approach a goofy dude who fancied himself an unofficial mascot of the Trojans.
My 7-year-old daughter D.D., full of the Holy Spirit and power, went crazy handing out millions to the minions…
Nothing could stop her!
And it was so refreshing to be out of the beach cities and in the center of L.A. where the police and security guards are more concerned about real crime and not concerned about kids and adults handing out “religious” literature. D.D. had started to develop a little paranoia about evangelizing since she’d seen her Daddy hassled by rent-a-cops, real cops, mall fops, and twenty-somethings with badges, but today she was back in fine form… along with L.A.’s finest!
Heck! Even minimum wage grass guards were accomodating…
Evangelists are deathly afraid of wealthy old Caucasian men with white hair—but even these guys were nice! 
Okay. Okay. Maybe I overstated the case. Not everyone was drunk, or mean, or, or, insulting or resistant. But one guy did tell me, “That’s enough. You can go now…” right in the middle of my Gospel presentation. The nerve!!!
Well, these guys were a little off, okay? Huh? Do ya think so?
For the most part, everyone was having a really good time—and I was too. Nearly everyone wanted—and enjoyed getting—the million dollar bill. And can you believe it? In the middle of the thousands upon thousands—I see my friend Steve Martin (No, not that Steve Martin).
Notice he’s wearing the Cal Berkeley shirt (in SC colors) as a communist symbol. For the unitiated, Berkeley is a hotbed of ultra-left-wacko-liberal thought, and it was very hard to give those Bears fans Gospel tracts. Hmmm… something in the air? Maybe the prince of the power of the air? Anyway, I digress… Steve gave me a Bratwurst!
I wondered how the other evangelists were doing? Although we were having great success with the tracts no one had yet repented, though the signs were obvious. 
It was time to head back. Spying the ground as we walked to our base of operations we noticed that the Gospel message was definitely getting out there. 
The blatant disrespect shown to these bills are not a bummer; it is actually a good thing! Crumpled and torn tracts demonstrate the power of conviction laid heavy upon the sinful heart. If we ruined someone’s day, so what? Better than a ruined eternity!
Everyone met back at the tent and nearly all were out of tracts. Amazing! But there was still work to do. It was almost game time and flood after wave after herd after mass—and then some–of fans oozed through the park like one huge single celled amoeba. Hundreds—no make that thousands—of sinners! Quick! Get out there you guys!
Mike, our cameraman held the video camera by the feet of the tripod trying to capture the action. People flipped him the bird while shouting obscenities and cheering the home team. We were in the midst, still handing out fistfulls of dollars, pointing the way to Heaven—and Hell.
Game time!!! Someone gave us eight tickets! We rushed to the gates and saw this Bling! Bling! rapper doing the shimmy one-side.
Hey! Christ died for him too!
One evangelist, Chris, didn’t dress right. He has long blonde hair, three-day stubble, a floppy hat and wears shades—even when the sun goes down. Security searched him at the gate and made him throw away hundreds of tracts. The rest of us made it inside the Coliseum unscathed, pockets full.
Then something unbelievable happened. I still can’t get over it! 96,000 people were in attendance! 96,000 souls! And the evangelists chose to watch the game! “C’mon, you guys, get the soda vendor, the guy behind you—look at all those cardinal and gold shirts!”
Ah, well! It was a good game. D.D. and I stalked the stands, handing out a few millions during half-time.
SWEET!
The game ended and no one got thrown out. We beat a hasty retreat to the parking lot a little ahead of the crowd ’cause USC was beating the commies from Berkeley. We stepped over puddles of puke and wet glistening shadows of unidentifiable origin. A bus was parked on the side of the road waiting for passengers. I hopped on board and handed tracts to everyone seated. Then I jumped out. A final incursion.
We crossed the street and there at the traffic light was a motorcyclist, probably on his way to Hell. I couldn’t resist, really, I couldn’t.
Really! Really!
I thought about the game and the intense battle as both teams fought with each other trying to advance on the other’s territory—and who would ultimately win. What excitement! What a thrill! God’s team ran great offense against the team of the god of this world. Final tally: over 10,000 Gospel tracts handed out, the vast majority in the first three hours. Still, that was less than one in ten, considering the attendance figures.
Strolling under a constuction site, we then received a sign from God. A fellow worker not of our group, was also broadcasting the truth to all passersby, fan and non-fan alike, everyone who would not heed the million dollar message we attempted to deliver.
“It’s easy,” he shouted down to us. “Anyone can do this!”
Agreed!
-Steve Sanchez
mini-vangies: An Immoral Guy
Tuesday, November 28th, 2006“Just an oil change!” I said to the attendant while sitting back in the comfort of my Volvo wagon, Bible propped on the steering wheel, enjoying a few minutes of rest as the mechanics did their thing in the underground cavern beneath my car.
“It’s recommended that you change the drain plug,” Mechanic #1 interrupted, sticking his head in the driver’s side window. “Would you like me to put in another one?”
“Uh, no thank-you,” I said and went back to reading the judgment passages in Ezekiel.
He came back again. “It’s recommended that you get a radiator flush; you’re due, sir.”
I politely declined.
A few moments later: “Would you like to consider a differential fluid change?” 
This went on a couple more times until I gave in. Another Mechanic showed up. “Sir! Would you like me to change your wiper blades?”
“How much is it?”
“$11.54.”
“Okay. Do it, please.”
The oil change was nearly finished when Mechanic #1 came beside my window. “So you want the blades changed? That will be $23.08.”
“Wait a minute!” I was told that it was $11.54.” Both mechanics had already taken off the wiper blades.
“No, no, sir. That’s per blade.” He started to ring up the transaction.
“But the other guy told me it was $11.54! I’ll pay $11.54.”
“He’s new and he made a mistake. It will be $23.08.”
“In that case, I don’t want the blades. I can get them cheaper at an auto parts place. Y’ know… you really should let me have them at the cheaper rate. That is what I was quoted.”
“No sir. That would be immoral—and wrong,” he said staring into the computer as he changed the billing.
I was bugged. By golly, I had my rights and I’m the customer and the customer is always right. Didn’t this young punk know this? “Immoral? Why is it immoral?” I asked, irritated.
“Because it is; it would be immoral—and wrong.”
I wanted to insist! I wanted to get out of my car, puff up my chest and, and, shove it into his. I wanted to start my car, rev the engine real loud, and squeal my tires as I threw the payment in his face.
But I didn’t.
In all humility I blurted out, “I’m a pastor and I know about these ethical dilemmas,” or something lame like that. “But I’m gonna forget it because the guy’s new.” What an idiot I am. I just blew that witness.
The new guy came over and apologized. I told him it was no big deal and not to worry.
Then I asked him, “If you were to die today, would you go to Heaven or Hell?”
“Probably Hell because I’ve done a lot of bad things.”
We talked about his violation of God’s Law, Judgment Day and Hell; he was interested in knowing how to be saved from eternal punishment. I had the pleasure of telling him about the Savior. Then I invited him to church.
“I was gonna go last weekend to church,” he said, “but I backed out at the last minute.” I encouraged him to visit and hoped he didn’t hear my conversation with Mechanic #1.
I experienced a host of mixed feelings when I handed over my American Express card and paid my bill: Did I get in the flesh when I argued about the “morality” of the situation. How good an example was I? Did they think that I was just another stereotypical poseur, one of those fake-Christians who “asked Jesus into their heart,” but bear no fruit?
What would Jesus have done if he pulled in with His Volkswagon?
I drove away from the oil change place wiper-less, and thankful that God still continues to use immoral guys.
-Steve Sanchez
Your Thoughts? MY THOUGHTS/What’s Wrong With This Picture?
Tuesday, November 28th, 2006Last week I posed this challenge and Jessica guessed it right! (You can read the whole story below.)
I followed this car into my gym’s parking lot. The two bumper messages struck me as quite odd.
Here’s a close-up view:
Hmmmm… Have you figured it out?
Tell me why you think this is odd and you will win the privilege of answering the question correctly!
Jessica wrote: “It’s contradicting to have a Christianity symbol and also a sticker that is pro-gay. Hmmm…odd indeed! Which one is it buddy? You can’t have one foot in this world and one foot out. God wants ALL of you!”
Here’s the whole story: I followed this car into 24 Hour Fitness and thought the two juxtaposed bumper messages were contradictory. Why? The “Always Forward Never Straight” message is a gay message; and of course, the cross in the Ichthus is the Christian symbol from early Christian and eccesiastical art, an emblematic fish, or the Greek word for fish, which combined the initials of the Greek words into: Jesus, Christ, Son of God, Savior.
The person parked their car and I parked mine. I was quite curious to find out what this person thinks. How should I approach the subject? Would this person be offended?
A rather large woman in her twenties got out of the car; I waited for her to walk by. “Excuse me?” I said.
“Yes?” she replied.
“I have a question for you. I noticed the sticker on the back of your car and I was wondering what it means?”
“Oh…” Chris smiled. “It means that I’m a lesbian.”
“I have another question. You also have a Christian symbol…”
“My parents are Christians. I have my own beliefs, my own spirituality.”
I then asked her the million-dollar question. “If you were to die today, would you go to Heaven or Hell?” Of course, she answered that she would go to Heaven. I then took her through the Ten Commandments, warned her of Judgment Day, and the penalty of Hell. I never once mentioned her choice of lifestyle; homosexuality never entered into the conversation, therefore she listened attentively and was not offended when I talked about the saving grace of Jesus Christ and the forgiveness He offers, if she would only repent and trust in Him as her Savior.
She did say this though: “I don’t think it’s fair that God would make you one way and tell you to live another.”
Before we left to start our respective workouts, we shook hands and said goodbye. Maybe someday, she would remember the Christian who was actually nice to her—but told her the truth.
-Steve Sanchez
(Coming soon: A YouTube video of another encounter I had with a lesbian named Jasmine at the Redondo Beach Pier)
Lost Liberties: Away with the Manger
Tuesday, November 28th, 2006A Detroit suburb’s Nativity scene has been voted off city property. In the latest attack on Christmas, the Berkley City Council, faced with the threat of a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union,
has voted 6-1 to donate its manger scene to the Berkley Clergy Association for display on church property. Click here and scroll down to read the rest from Agape Press
Coda: Farley Matchett
Tuesday, November 28th, 2006Before he was executed for robbery and murder on Sept. 12, 2006, 
Farley’s last words were:
To my family and my mother and my three precious daughters, I love you all. And to my brother and sister for standing with me throughout this situation. Stay strong and know that I’m in a better place. I ask for forgiveness. And to the victim’s family, find peace and cancellation with my death and move on. Our Lord Jesus Christ, I commend myself to you. I am ready.
To read the rap sheet click here and enlarge it.
She Fears God More
Monday, November 27th, 2006A godly woman I know told me this recently:
“I feel like vomiting whenever I hand out a million-dollar bill; but I fear God more than I do man, so I do it.” 
She has also said that her hand shakes and she thinks that someone is going to beat her up when she gives out a Gospel tract; still she does it.
I say, “Good for her!”
Guest E-vangies: Small World!
Monday, November 27th, 2006My friend from Kentucky, Danny Allen, whom I met at the Hollywood Blvd. Evangelism Bootcamp several months ago, where we got chased by crazed Scientologist security guards, (see Hollywood Babble-On, Parts 1,2 & 3)sent me this. It is an unusual E-vangie Tale…
Last night I had the privilege to witness to Mark in my “fishing hole” in Louisville Kentucky on Bardstown Road.
When I asked him if he wanted a Million-Dollar bill Gospel tract he immediately knew what it was and that he wasn’t a good person. He told me that his church hands these out. I was curious what church in our area was using “The Way of the Master.” He then told me that he was from Los Angeles.
“Do you know Ray Comfort and his ministry Living Waters?” I asked. He said no. Puzzled a little I continued to question him. “Do you hand out these million dolar bills?”
He replied, “No… but my evangelism pastor from Hope Chapel does all the time.”
I then HAD to ask, “What’s the name of your pastor?”
“Steve Sanchez,” he replied.
It is indeed a small world! I told him about our adventures in Hollywood and I gave him some material to read on the way back home: Mark Cahill’s book, “One Thing You Can’t Do in Heaven”.
WOW! What a great God we serve. I just thought you might want to include this in your E-vangie Tales adventures.
(In the pic, Danny is wearing the brown jacket and a smile.)
SUDDEN DEATH: Train!
Monday, November 27th, 2006A Bakersfield teenager was killed by a train when she stopped to help a friend who had tripped on the tracks, sheriff’s officials said. 
Brittany Loise Juilfs, 15, and five friends were trying to beat the train when one of the teenagers fell, according to the Kern County coroner’s office. She was in the eastern Kern county city of Boron for a cousin’s birthday.
Her family said Juilfs, a student of Foothill High School, always tried to help a friend. -L.A. Times
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Thursday, November 23rd, 2006After thanking God for a multitude of blessings, Abraham Lincoln closed his Thankgiving Proclamation with this (is it timely or what?):
No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.
What are you thankful for?
God’s Wonderful Plan!
Thursday, November 23rd, 2006I will be taking the next few days off from blogging to be with my family and to celebrate my wife’s birthday on the 24th. 
So until Monday, please check out this web page from Living Waters and watch the free videos that are offered to help you with your evangelism efforts. I especially enjoyed the video, “God’s Wonderful Plan.”
Happy Thanksgiving!
P.S. Scroll to the bottom of this page to watch “I Got Off at George Street”, if you haven’t seen it yet!
mini-vangie: JUST CALL ME THE BUMPER! by Jon Alan Webber
Wednesday, November 22nd, 2006One early Wednesday evening after leaving work at Cedars-Sinai, I planned to go to Trader Joe’s to pass out a Million-Dollar bill Gospel tract for my Evangelism class assignment. However, as we all know, the Lord sometimes changes our plans to suit His.
At 4:28 pm as I was turning right onto a busy street during rush hour traffic, I gently bumped (rear-ended) the truck in front of me which had suddenly slammed on its brakes. 
Mentally counting the things that I must get out–proof of insurance, etc., and the horrors that would follow (a whiplash lawsuit), I slowly followed the truck as we both pulled to a stop in a red zone. The driver jumped out and ran towards me. Oh no! I thought.
But then the driver began to apologizing to me! “I’m sorry, I had to slam on my brakes… a car about hit me, and I slammed on my brakes so he wouldn’t hit me!” 
I asked him if he was ok, and he said he was fine, and so was I. Since there was no damage to either vehicle we did not exchange phone numbers nor insurance information. I thanked him for his honesty. As the truck driver was preparing to leave I said, “Just a moment, I have something for you.”
“Nevermind,” he replied. “It’s not necessary.” I went back to my car and pulled out a million bill, handed it to him and asked, “If you died today, would you go to Heaven or Hell?”
He took it, turned it slowly over and said, “That’s a good question.” Cars were zooming past us, so I told him to read the message on the back. He promised me he would. Because we were both in the red zone in rush hour traffic, we got into our respective vehicles and left. I drove a lot more carefully this time and praised the Lord!
I never made it to Trader Joe’s.
Jon had taken only the first week of my evangelism class when he wrote this. His nickname is now “The Bumper.”
Haggard Sex Scandal Could Damage Evangelism and Revival
Wednesday, November 22nd, 2006Christianity Today has an interesting article about how the Ted Haggard scandal could damage evangelism efforts. Pay particular attention to the last paragraph.
The head of the US Life Action Ministries has voiced his concerns over the impact that the Ted Haggard scandal will have on evangelism and revival. Click here to read the rest of the article.
-Thanks to Maryellen Brisson for this.
Famous Lost Words: Jack Nicholson
Wednesday, November 22nd, 2006In an 1992 interview in Vanity Fair, Nicholson said, “I don’t believe in God now,” but he added that “I can still work up an envy for someone who has a faith. I can see how that could be a deeply soothing experience.”
-Retrieved from “http://www.celebatheists.com
Fun w/Millions: STANDING FIRM by Richard Chavarria
Tuesday, November 21st, 2006While handing out tracts at Bristol Farms market I had a funny encounter with the store manager…
He asked me for my identification card; I showed him my driver’s license.
“No,” he said. “I want to see your identification card like the one the (Missionary Church of the Disciples of Jesus Christ) lady has posted next to her donation can.” 
“I do not have one,” I replied, “and this is my First Amendment right to pass out these Gospel tracts.”
He then walked back into the store. A few minutes later he came back and said, “Let me see what you are giving to my customers.” I handed him a Million-dollar bill Gospel tract.
“Are you soliciting?”
“No, I’m not.”
He then returned into the store and… 
never came back!
Richard is one of the leaders of our evangelism team. He’s been sharing his faith biblically for about eight months.
Lost (losing) Liberties: Our National Motto
Tuesday, November 21st, 2006This is from the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) who continues to fight for religious freedom in America:
“We will be filing our amicus brief in Newdow v. United States Congress in the next 24 hours.
“The day those words are banned—”In God We Trust”—the day they are stripped from our coins and currency—we’ll be witnessing the beginning of the end of religious freedom in this country.
“If our National Motto can be declared unconstitutional simply because it reflects a basic truth of our religious faith – as Dr. Michael Newdow has charged in court, then any expression of your faith and mine can also be declared illegal. Our foundational freedoms will crumble.
“In just 24 hours, we will be filing one of the most important amicus briefs in the ACLJ’s history—perhaps, one of the most important amicus briefs in America’s history: arguing for the preservation of our National Motto, ”In God We Trust,” in the Newdow v. United States Congress case.
“Our amicus brief will be speaking not only for ourselves, and for you – as we always do – but we will also be representing 58 members of Congress. In fact, the entire Congress has been sued in this case!
“This amicus brief has significant implications. If Dr. Newdow is not successful at the Ninth Circuit, I assure you he will not stop there! He will take his case to the Supreme Court of the United States – therefore, we must lay the constitutional legal groundwork now, in this amicus brief.”
Note: Dr. Newdow also sued to get “under God” removed from the Pledge of Alegiance, but was unsuccessful.
If you’d like to know more about the ACLJ click here!
Tombstones: Johnny Yeast
Tuesday, November 21st, 2006An epitaph from a Ruidoso, New Mexico, cemetery:
Here lies
Johnny Yeast
Pardon me
For not rising.
The USC vs. Cal Berkely Game
Monday, November 20th, 2006Stay tuned for the amazing stuff that happened last Saturday when 15 evangelists went to the game. 
This will be an E-vangie Tales in pictures. Coming soon!
Million $ Moments: While Waiting in Line…
Monday, November 20th, 2006Can you think of a better way to redeem the time in a fast food joint like Tommy’s in Hollywood than handing out Million-Dollar bill Gospel tracts to everyone in line and making them pose for a picture?
Should anyone die of a heart-attack due to the greasy chili burgers, french fries or a drive-by shooting just off Hollywood Blvd., they’ll be prepared because you gave them the Gospel message.
Give ‘em an Alka-Seltzer too!
