Stone the Preacher

In the latest issue of WORLD magazine, in a profile of Stephen C. Meyer, director of the Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture, a sidebar article talks about the success of the “Origin of Species” book giveaway conducted on 100 University campuses in which 170,000 copies of Darwin’s tome (with a special 50 page introduction by Ray Comfort which also includes the Gospel) was distributed by 1,200 volunteers.

The article stated that “Living Waters will continue to print and distribute its edition across college campuses, (more…)

You can almost see the CNN (Controlled News Network) host’s eyes roll as she reports on the 170,000 copies of Darwin’s “Origin of Species” (with the special intro by Ray Comfort) distributed in 100 school. See the video here.

On Wednesday, I’ll post a video of my interview with Ray Comfort thanking the atheists for all their support.

By the time you read this, our team will be finished handing out 2,600 books written by that famous Imagineer, Charles Darwin on the campus of the University of Southern California. Of course, there is a special 50 page introduction to “The Origin of Species” written by Ray Comfort detailing the foolishness of Darwin’s theory and how it influenced Hitler to do his evil work. Also included is the the Law and Gospel.

170,000 of these books are to be handed out at 100 of the top universities in the U.S. today instead of the original date of November 19th. Atheists got wind of our plan and organized massive groups of people on Facebook and other places to oppose this effort. The Pope of atheism, Richard Dawkins even encouraged students to rip out the first 50 pages! So a couple of months ago, Ray Comfort changed the date to a day earlier, but didn’t publicize it. In fact, only members of the giveaway knew about the changed date.

How will this all turn out? Tune in tomorrow. Or listen to WretchedRadio right now!

If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time then you know how I feel about preaching in the open air with a Bible in hand—don’t do it! Why? Think about it this way: Before you were a believer, what did you think when you saw a guy standing on a structure and waving a Bible around? Were your first thoughts, “Gee… I wonder what that guy is saying? I think I’ll go over there and listen.”

Of course not.

In California, most people view “Bible thumpers” as part of a percentage figure: 52.3%. That’s the number of people who voted for marriage between a man and a woman, the number who voted against gay marriage. In other words, anyone who holds a Bible in the open air is a hater in their eyes… and a target. So if you are preaching in the open air, I recommend not holding a Bible. Let them hear your Bible words; let them hear your message; let them hear the tears in your voice as you proclaim the Law and Gospel. Why turn off a potential listener to your message before they even hear it by waving around a Bible? (For more “Do-Nots of open air preaching, click here.)

But there is a time to hold up a Bible proudly. There is a time and a place to hold that Big, BIG! Bible and proclaim the truth. When is that time? Whenever there is a nationwide call to read from the Good Book. My friend and brother Tony Miano, of the Ambassadors’ Alliance, made such a call, no doubt urged on by the apostle Paul’s admonition to “devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture” (1 Timothy 4:13). Last Saturday was deemed “Sermon on the Mount Saturday,” a time to go to any public place and simply read the greatest sermon ever preached: The Sermon on the Mount.

So we did, at the Strand in Hermosa Beach, right across from a bar called the Poopdeck, directly in front of the volley ball tourney sponsored by Bud Light!

I read chapter 5 of Matthew. Sample verse:“Blessed are you when people insult you and falsely say all kinds of evil against me.”

“Righteous Richard” Chavarria read chapter 6. Sample verse: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.”

And my daughter finished up by reciting chapter 7. Sample verse: “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

And another friend, Tom Nance Ulrich, read the whole thing at a shuttle bus stop at the Fiesta Hermosa!

 To all who participated: Well done!

We remember those who fought and died with thankful hearts on this day in America.  We also thank those who continue to defend our freedoms at home and abroad.

We will never forget.

I gave a Memorial Day invocation at a man’s home who has devoted his life to remembering—and honoring—those who have fallen on Saturday. Reverend Bhagavan Friend erected a memorial in his front yard as a standing, visual reminder that those who gave the ultimate sacrifice are not here to enjoy the liberties they bought; it’s called the Empty Chair Memorial.

Reverend Bhagavan Friend, the founder of his own unique religion, doesn’t exactly agree with me on what happens to people after they die, but he supports my evangelistic efforts enthusiastically and continues to invite me to pray to the One True God (though we definitely differ on Who He is) in public venues.

Today I give another invocation at a city event thanks to Reverend Friend. This is a portion of the Psalm that I will read before I pray, honoring the One Who truly did offer up the Ultimate Sacrifice so that all may have the hope of everlasting freedom—from sin and death, if they repent and trust in the Savior, Jesus Christ.

Psalm 44: 1-8

We have heard with our ears, O God;
our fathers have told us
what you did in their days,
in days long ago.
With your hand you drove out the nations
and planted our fathers;
you crushed the peoples
and made our fathers flourish.

It was not by their sword that they won the land,
nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand, your arm,
and the light of your face, for you loved them.

You are my King and my God,
who decrees victories for Jacob.

Through you we push back our enemies;
through your name we trample our foes.

I do not trust in my bow,
my sword does not bring me victory;

but you give us victory over our enemies,
you put our adversaries to shame.

In God we make our boast all day long,
and we will praise your name forever. Selah

(Tomorrow: The results of “Sermon on the Mount Saturday”
and later this week, what happened at American Idol.)

We had a singer at our church whose uncle wrote the original Christmas standard, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” He got saved in 1977, then wrote a Christian adaptation of the song which is very good, except for one major theological flaw. Can you guess what it is? I’ll post the answer in the “comments” later if no one guesses correctly. 

Have yourself a blessed little Christmas
Christ the King is born
Let your voices ring upon this happy morn

Have yourself a blessed little Christmas
Serenade the earth
Tell the world we celebrate the Savior’s birth

Let us gather to sing to Him and to bring to Him our praise
Son of God and Friend of all
To the end of all our days
(more…)

This is a great site because it provides a subtle Christmas witness.

Send a family member to it and they will find Christmas carols with free Christmas song sheets, the story of the First Christmas, Christmas cookie recipes, crafts and Christmas music. Then there is a link for a gospel presentation, but it’s not called a Gospel presentation.

Click here, take a look, and send the link to the one you love.

This is another wonderfully creative web effort from my friend Anna (Banana) Jackson, who with her husband Dale, run a great evangelistic side business called Evangelism Stuff!

I met Mike and Ish while taking a team on the Redondo Beach pier. We had handed them both a million dollar bill Gospel tract—and found out that they, too, were handing out tracts from Way of the Master!
They have a ministry that I want nothing to do with (except to pray for their efforts). They go out into the hood after dark dressed in their “colors” and target gang members with the Gospel. Their team name, “Martyrs,” emblazoned on the front of their shirts, “is derived from Acts 1:8 and is used by our team to recognize all persecuted believers, past, present and future” says Ish.
They also go out at 3am with another team, led by a former prostiute and pimp—saved now—and witness to streetwalkers and their bosses. One time, while speaking to a working girl in front of an apartment complex, they found themselves surrounded by her “family” of about 30 bangers.
Mike and Ish showed their backsides that declare they are “Trained to serve Jesus.” The gang then dropped their guard and listened to the message of hope.

On another occasion, a police officer shouted to Ish to “Drop that bag of money!” which, of course, was filled with Million dollar bill Gospel tracts. They get stopped—and searched—frequently.

They have just recently decided to join our church.
 I’m excited to see what God is going to do through them as they reach out to a whole segment of people who would never listen to a white, middle-aged guy like me.

I’m down with that, bro!

See what I mean?

Maybe next year you will want to throw one of these together.

These descriptions of Hell Houses come from the liberal leaning Wikipedia; keep this in mind when reading the rest of the article.

A hell house, also commonly known as a Doom House or Judgment House, is a haunted house-style attraction typically run by North American fundamentalist Christian churches or parachurch groups. These attractions are meant to depict the divine judgments that await unrepentant sinners and the torments of the damned in Hell. They are typically operated in the days preceding Halloween although by definition, they are not part of the holiday.

A hell house, like a conventional haunted house attraction, is a space set aside in which actors attempt to frighten patrons with gruesome exhibits. Unlike the conventional haunted house attraction, the hell house focuses on occasions and effects of sin, or the fate of unrepentant sinners in the afterlife. The motivation for the event occurring during the month of October before Halloween is to take advantage of the similarities between hell houses and conventional haunted houses. Read the rest here.