Be A Bear and Just Grab The Fish!

Bears use their claws and scoop up fish from rivers. If we aren't doing the same thing, reaching out, initiating conversations, the fish just swim away, totally oblivious to the Truth.

 We have been doing repairs on a rental house of our son's.  We were on our last day, completing a list of odds and ends and laying down mulch outside around bushes, when a car pulls up. He saw the rental sign out front. 

We see his features, the man is Muslim. Steve dropped what he was doing to go scoop him up (talk).  Mr.  Faheed was in his twenties, from Saudi Arabia!  The man quietly listened as Steve talked about Jesus and his purpose for coming. He gave no rebuttal, just listened. He heard the gospel message. I was quietly praying. Then his cell phone rang. The slippery fish dropped out of our hands and back into the water.  We pray now that Jesus appears to him in his dreams tonight! 

Side note:  we went to Lowes tonight just before they closed. A man walked out wearing a tee- shirt which read........"Got Bait?".........(yeah, but this time we are in a time crunch!) LOL!  

God of Second Chances

I chickened out in the library today. I saw a Muslim women with three children walk inside as I was typing the blog about the Mormon. You can't very well ask if she knows of a good church! I just couldn't begin a conversation. We smiled at each other, that's all.

We left the library and travelled four miles away, stopping for a late lunch at KFC. Guess who was in line? Yep!  Was God saying something? I commented to her, " this is weird, we meet again! " Susan responded, " yes, we were both at the library. It must be purposed."  (Yikes! )

We sat nearby each other. We were told, it would be eight minutes for our chicken. (Another yikes!). I chickened out again. Finally, as she spoke Arabic to her children, Steve turned around to ask "what language is that?" (Whew). Susan is scouting out the area looking for English teachers to teach in The capital of the United Arab Emirates  (Interesting).

Our God planned that we meet and talk, comparing notes on religions. Muslims love to talk about God, we just need to start the conversation!

A Mormon Fish on The Line

Steve and I like to open conversations by asking if the person attends a local church or fellowship.  That opens the door to explain that we are traveling through, meeting with churches, who are missions minded. 

We asked this question to a receptionist at a dental office.  I've had some sensitivity to cold on my right side and they were about to close the office, but saw me anyways. The dentist left the office and it was just the receptionist and us.  We popped the question. He bite the hook.  Immediately, he went on the defensive with us, stating Mormonism and Evangelical Christians were the same!  He denied having a different translation, the Mormon Book is simply the King James Version! (not)

When I brought up Ephesians 2:8,9 he became nervous.  The Mormon (King James) says "We are saved by grace, after all we can do........"  The actual King James reads, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:......"  (apparently, the Mormons think we no longer read that version and won't be Bereans) Once I started mentioning the difference, he shut us down, stating, "I'm solidly established in my faith and you can't change me!"

He threw the hook.

Prayer Warriors also at Walmart

    Steve saw a Bible on a dashboard of a car at Walmart and we decided to leave a prayer card, so they could pray for us. Before we could finish writing a note on the back, they showed up.  Steve and I chatted and held hands to pray in the parking lot. We talked for a hour, as our new found sisters Erika and Faith. encouraged us with their testimonies.

They vowed to keep in contact and to pray earnestly for us!

Walmart A Good Fishing Hole

     I sat on a bench next to a Tony while Steve stood in line with our cart to check out.I asked Tony if he attended a local church. He said, "occasionally, Sacred Heart Catholic Church" I told him that we were visiting in the area andI attended a great church tonight. i explained that i was asking so as to invite him to a good church, if he needed one. he seemed interested. Then i explained why I liked Calvary Chapels. I gave him a prayer card and said, "if your a man of prayer, I covet your prayers. I explained further my concern that I'm finding a lot of people who claim to be Christians, may occasionally read the Bible but never talk to the Creator of that Bible. How can they have a relationship if they don't communicate with Him! He needed to hear that!  He asked for the name of the church again.

Right place, right time

As we visited a Calvary Chapel church tonight, we chatted with a man and his son, Payton. We were sharing about our plans for Thailand, when the son said, "can I go?" Steve with passion spoke about Bruce Olsen going down to South America at 15 years of age. Then he encouraged him to draw near to God and His word. Steve asked him if he was a believer, expecting him to say yes, but; he didn't respond that way. He said, "no, I'm not, but I'm trying." 

We came there tonight to encourage this young man to come completely to Christ! It turned out that the father is the associate pastor!

Pending prayer and references, we may have monthly financial support from this church!  Thank you Jesus!

Famine or Feasting At His Table

I have been told that there are 200+ churches in Cullman County, Georgia (along the Bible Belt) . Two years ago 12 tornadoes ripped down churches and homes in downtown Cullman. Many large, brick churches stand reborn in that wake.  Many of the same denominations can be found across the street from each other. I wonder why? 

We were invited to a church this past weekend; there were about 400 members. The pastor of twenty years has just resigned, and the congregation awaits a new pastor. Meanwhile, a young pastor filling in has been critiqued by the congregation . The result , " his sermons are too long." He vowed the sermon would only last ten minutes today and from here on out.  He jested about the time as he preached, asking the audience, " do side notes count?" He doesn't want the pastoral job. It begs to wonder, why not?

Calvary Chapel is an "all you can eat buffet" compared to this! One of Danny's sermons would be a month long or longer series here!  It breaks my heart to see The Body wanting less of His Word.