The Way of the Master Evangelism as a family

Morning, July 10 - “Fellow citizens with the saints.”

8:20 AM, Jul. 10, 2006 .. Posted in Main .. 0 comments .. Link

Morning, July 10

“Fellow citizens with the saints.”

Ephesians 2:19

What is meant by our being citizens in heaven? It means that we are under heaven’s government. Christ the king of heaven reigns in our hearts; our daily prayer is, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The proclamations issued from the throne of glory are freely received by us: the decrees of the Great King we cheerfully obey. Then as citizens of the New Jerusalem, we share heaven’s honours. The glory which belongs to beatified saints belongs to us, for we are already sons of God, already princes of the blood imperial; already we wear the spotless robe of Jesus’ righteousness; already we have angels for our servitors, saints for our companions, Christ for our Brother, God for our Father, and a crown of immortality for our reward. We share the honours of citizenship, for we have come to the general assembly and Church of the first-born whose names are written in heaven. As citizens, we have common rights to all the property of heaven. Ours are its gates of pearl and walls of chrysolite; ours the azure light of the city that needs no candle nor light of the sun; ours the river of the water of life, and the twelve manner of fruits which grow on the trees planted on the banks thereof; there is nought in heaven that belongeth not to us. “Things present, or things to come,” all are ours. Also as citizens of heaven we enjoy its delights. Do they there rejoice over sinners that repent—prodigals that have returned? So do we. Do they chant the glories of triumphant grace? We do the same. Do they cast their crowns at Jesus’ feet? Such honours as we have we cast there too. Are they charmed with his smile? It is not less sweet to us who dwell below. Do they look forward, waiting for his second advent? We also look and long for his appearing. If, then, we are thus citizens of heaven, let our walk and actions be consistent with our high dignity.

Happy 230th Birthday to our Nation! from SafeGuardYourSoul.com

1:19 PM, Jul. 4, 2006 .. Posted in Main .. 0 comments .. Link

These great men of our history spoke out Truth and Justice to every American they came in contact with...through much less means (no TV, no Gospel tracts, no huge mega-churches, no world-wide radio broadcasts) than we have today in life...however, they were not afraid or ashamed to speak of Him in Whom all liberty, justice and freedom has been created. Why are we? They feared the Almighty. Why don't we? Take a few minutes today on this "Independence Day" to read again what they said to many. Check out the words of the "Declaration of Independence". Shouldn't we as a people, free to worship Him openly, free to pray openly, free to gather in public & private to honor Him, "get back to the basics" in our lives? The foundation of our very existence is God.....the very rules we should live by are barely able to be recited by many much less lived out in DAILY sacrifice to our LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ! Make this the "first day of the rest of your life" to glorify Him!!! -- Contributed by Becky

Compiled by Becky:

A general dissolution of principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy. While the people are virtuous they cannot be subdued; but when once they lose their virtue then will be ready to surrender their liberties to the first external or internal invader. (Samuel Adams, letter to James Warren, February 12, 1779)

All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of superintending providence in our favor. To that kind providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need his assistance? I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth-that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the Ground without his Notice, is it probable that an Empire can rise without his Aid? (Benjamin Franklin, To Colleagues at the Constitutional Convention)

How many observe Christ's birth-day! How few, his precepts! O! 'tis easier to keep Holidays than Commandments. (Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanac, 1743)

And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with his wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep for ever. (Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia, Query 18, 1781)

The blessed Religion revealed in the word of God will remain an eternal and awful monument to prove that the best Institution may be abused by human depravity; and that they may even, in some instances be made subservient to the vilest purposes. Should, hereafter, those incited by the lust of power and prompted by the Supineness or venality of their Constituents, overleap the known barriers of this Constitution and violate the unalienable rights of humanity: it will only serve to shew, that no compact among men (however provident in its construction and sacred in its ratification) can be pronounced everlasting an inviolable, and if I may so express myself, that no Wall of words, that no mound of parchm[en]t can be so formed as to stand against the sweeping torrent of boundless ambition on the side, aided by the sapping current of corrupted morals on the other. (George Washington, fragments of the Draft First Inaugural Address, April 1789)

The liberty enjoyed by the people of these states of worshiping Almighty God agreeably to their conscience, is not only among the choicest of their blessings, but also of their rights. (George Washington, to the Annual meeting of Quakers, September 1789)

[A] good moral character is the first essential in a man, and that the habits contracted at your age are generally indelible, and your conduct here may stamp your character through life. It is therefore highly important that you should endeavor not only to be learned but virtuous. (George Washington, letter to Steptoe Washington, December 5, 1790)

[T]he propitious smiles of Heaven, can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained. (George Washington, First Inaugural Address, April 30, 1789)

If men through fear, fraud or mistake, should in terms renounce and give up any essential natural right, the eternal law of reason and the great end of society, would absolutely vacate such renunciation; the right to freedom being the gift of God Almighty, it is not in the power of Man to alienate this gift, and voluntarily become a slave. (John Adams, Rights of the Colonists, 1772)

The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence. If `Thou shalt not covet' and `Thou shalt not steal' were not commandments of Heaven, they must be made inviolable precepts in every society before it can be civilized or made free. (John Adams, A Defense of the American Constitutions, 1787)

But where says some is the King of America? I'll tell you Friend, he reigns above, and doth not make havoc of mankind like the Royal Brute of Britain...let it be brought forth placed on the divine law, the word of God; let a crown be placed thereon, by which the world may know, that so far as we approve of monarchy, that in America THE LAW IS KING. (Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776)

Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. (Thomas Paine, The American Crisis, No. 1, December 19, 1776)

When we are planning for posterity, we ought to remember that virtue is not hereditary. (Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776)

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

In Congress Assembled, July 4, 1776

The Unanimous Declaration
of the Thirteen United States of America

WHEN in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and, when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature, a right inestimable to them, and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing, with manly firmness, his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining, in the mean time, exposed to all the dangers of invasions from without and convulsions within.

He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.

He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers.

He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies, without the consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the military independent of, and superior to, the civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our Constitution and unacknowledged by our laws, giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us;

For protecting them, by a mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states;

For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world;

For imposing taxes on us without our consent;

For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury;

For transporting us beyond seas, to be tried for pretended offenses;

For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries, so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these colonies;

For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments;

For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection and waging war against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation, and tyranny already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow-citizens, taken captive on the high seas, to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands.

He has excited domestic insurrection among us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes, and conditions.

In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms; our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have we been wanting in our attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them, from time to time, of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity; and we have conjured them, by the ties of our common kindred, to disavow these usurpations which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too, have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity which denounces our separation, and hold them as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.

We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name and by the authority of the good people of these colonies solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved; and that, as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.

JOHN HANCOCK [President]

New Hampshire	Delaware
Josiah Bartlett	Caesar Rodney
William Whipple	George Read
Matthew Thornton	Thomas McKean


Massachusetts	Maryland
John Hancock	Samuel Chase
Samual Adams	William Paca
John Adams	Thomas Stone
Robert Treat Paine	Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Elbridge Gerry
	Virginia
Rhode Island	George Wythe
Stephen Hopkins	Richard Henry Lee
William Ellery	Thomas Jefferson
	Benjamin Harrison
Connecticut	Thomas Nelson, Jr.
Roger Sherman	Francis Lightfoot Lee
Samuel Huntington	Carter Braxton
William Williams
	North Carolina
New York	William Hooper
William Floyd	Joseph Hewes
Philip Livingston	John Penn
Francis Lewis
Lewis Morris	South Carolina
	Edward Rutledge
New Jersey	Thomas Heyward, Jr.
Richard Stockton	Thomas Lynch, Jr.
John Witherspoon	Arthur Middleton
Francis Hopkinson
John Hart	Georgia
Abraham Clark	Button Gwinnett
	Lyman Hall
Pennsylvania	George Walton
Robert Morris
Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Franklin
John Morton
George Clymer
James Smith
George Taylor
James Wilson
George Ross

GOD OF ALL COMFORT

9:27 AM, Jul. 1, 2006 .. Posted in Main .. 0 comments .. Link

GOD OF ALL COMFORT

Beloved of God, What ales you? Are you grieving? Struggling with sinfulness? Wounded? Tempted? In a fiery trial? Brokenhearted?

Who made us (spirit, heart, soul, body) from the dust of the earth and breathed into us His breath of life? (Gen. 1:26-28) Can He heal and comfort us? What does His Word say?

HE PERSONALLY COMFORTS US IN ALL OUR AFFLICTIONS

"Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ." 2 Corinthians 1:2-5

"Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle (Holy Scriptures). Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work." 2 Thessalonians 2:14-17

HE GAVE US HIS WORD TO COMFORT US

"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." Romans 15:4

HIS EMINENT RETURN COMFORTS US

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

GOOD NEWS: The "so great salvation" accomplished for us by Christ's one sacrifice and continual intercession (Jn. 19:30; Heb. 2:3; 7:25; 10:12), is all the believer ever needs to appropriate for all desired comfort, healing, deliverance from addiction, sins, etc. Let no one fool you friend, Jesus Christ, the eternal God, did a complete work. He failed in no way in His mission to redeem mankind, spirit, soul and body (Lk 4:18; 1 Jn 3:8; Acts 10:38). He crushed the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15) and frees His children of every affliction as they call upon Him in truth (Gal. 5:1; Ps 34:17,19; 97:10; Acts 26:18; Lk 10:17-20, etc.)

"The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of ALL their troubles." Psalms 34:17

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them ALL." Psalms 34:19

So-called "Christian psychology" and its deluded proponents call the Almighty a liar by daring to introduce their subversive theories and methods to bandaid the problems of those who erroneously seek their help.

Since Christ is our perfect Salvation, there is therefore no need for extra-Biblical mere theories which originated from godless, sinful men like Jung and Freud - men who are now burning in hell if they didn't repent before it was too late. Psychology is the religion of Satan friend, to rob us of the reward Christ died and rose again to grant every one of His disciples. Paul warns:

"Beware lest any man spoil (rob) you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: " Colossians 2:8-10

MAKE NO MISTAKE: There is no such thing and a "Christian Psychologist". No reference to such in Scripture. "Christians" who attempt to utilize psychology in any form are greatly deceived at best and should be corrected and led to believe in the total and complete sufficiency of the blood of Christ, the eternal Word of God (Holy Scriptures), and the power and presence of the Holy Ghost resident in each and every born again disciple of Christ.

Jesus Is Coming,

todd
www.SafeGuardYourSoul.com

Drifting... watch this video

6:07 AM, Jun. 26, 2006 .. Posted in Main .. 0 comments .. Link

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Great Link, SafeGuardYourSoul.com

10:05 PM, Jun. 25, 2006 .. Posted in Links .. 2 comments .. Link

Visit www.SafeGuardYourSoul.com today!

Here is their About Us page.

The Ministry of SafeGuardYourSoul.com

SafeGuardYourSoul.com is what we believe to be a called entity set forth to serve, empowered by the divine Person of the Holy Ghost for the exaltation of Jesus Christ the risen, only begotten Son of the Father who will soon return for the remnant of those He calls overcomers (Rev. 2-3). The assignment is to build up the saints, sharpen discernment in the body of Christ through the eternal Word of God, and equip believers for the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:1-12). Jesus is coming and the hour is late.

MINISTRY PURPOSE

The creation and development of Scripture-intensive resources to build up Christ’s body, including leaders, and, the creation and distribution of evangelistic tools for the winning of lost souls into the kingdom of God. These are supplied to Gospel workers around the world. One of the central thrusts of our service to Christ is to safeguard the souls of His people from deception by establishing in their hearts the final authority and eternal blessings associated with being rooted and grounded in His Word and in His love (Jn. 5:39; Acts 20:20-32; 2 Tim. 2:15;3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:3-4,12-21).

Ministry founded by Todd Tomasella under the guidance of the Holy Spirit: Since 1987 Todd Tomasella has ministered to Christian and non-Christian souls alike in numerous church environments as well as various aspects of the marketplace and streets. Included are public speaking in various local churches, gifts of the Holy Spirit, leading groups on evangelistic outreaches, daily personal evangelism and discipleship, along with the authoring and publishing of a variety of Gospel messages using various media formats. Todd has studied God’s Word for over 2 decades, including the study of biblical theology from a Christian University and a Bible College and understands that without Christ He is nothing (Jn. 15:5). Author and host of ‘Street Talk’, a Christian TV program from 1988-1990. Several radio guest appearances along with media outreach via the mail and internet. Author of the book Deceivers & False Prophets: End-Time Predators Among Us, a discernment manual for the safeguarding of the body of Christ and prevention of exploitation. (223 pages; the first of several volumes in a series) Several additional volumes of various biblically-based topics in preparation to be published including Lie of the Ages.

While the goal is to serve as Christ would have us do, in any and all opportunities which arise, following are some of the specific, existing and ongoing ministry outreaches and venues being undertaken, as well as the goals for the future work of this ministry:

WEBSITE

The ministry site contains rich and enlightening, Christ-centered, biblical truth/information.
SGYS owns several domain names for future ministry outreach use.
Word-intensive e-mail devotionals sent out 2-3 times weekly to “feed the flock of God.’ (1 Peter 5:2) Encouragement, discernment, heart-warming and inspiring testimonies, warning, and grace have been part of what comes through the messages sent out to appr. 90 recipients who have all requested to be on this growing devotional list intended to feed a “few” who are on the “narrow road that leads to life.” (Matt 7:13-14)
The SGYS ministry website is available 24/7 to the world and purposely designed to build up and strengthen God’s people. There are Study Guides, numerous Articles, devotionals, Gospel Tracts, Books, links, and evangelistic messages to lead people to Christ.
We have gotten a number of tract orders through the site and hope to get many more as the site is optimized for more exposure via promotions (search engine optimizations, etc).
Website Goals:
- There are plans to optimize the site for more exposure on the web. This will allow more people to be made aware of the site and its extensive available resources.
- 1-3 new articles are added to the site weekly. New resources are in development which include additional articles, tracts, books, and study guides. These all add to the richness and effectiveness of the website.
- Add new information as it becomes available on current issues and subjects of interest to the body of Christ.

GOSPEL TRACTS

25 tract titles have been written and published since 1987. At this time we offer 4 titles which have proven to be very effective in planting the seed of the Gospel and leading readers to Christ.

At this time I am sending out approximately 4,000 tracts monthly to Christian workers. The demand is growing due to the growing popularity of the tracts we currently offer (see the following link for testimonials from those who use the tracts (http://www.safeguardyoursoul.com/html/tracts.html) As more evangelistic groups and individuals discover these tracts, the demand increases.
Goals:
- To increase our supply of tracts to evangelistic groups at no cost to them. The short-term goal is 25,000 tracts supplied to Christian workers per month.
- Continue the development of new tracts on an ongoing basis.
- Raise funds to provide for the printing the tracts; cost is approximately $800 for each batch of 16,000.

BOOKS

Volume 1 in a series entitled Deceivers & False Prophets Among Us is now in print. With no promotion, several dozen copies have been sold with the feedback being very positive. Volume 2 is near completion and several chapters have already been finished for Volumes 3, 4 & 5.

Lie of the Ages, a landmark volume exposing the enemy’s original lie in the garden, is nearing completion and expected to be submitted to the publisher in early 2006.
The Gold of God, another powerful volume for the feeding and edification of the saints, is well under way.
Additional books under development and in various stages of completion, including a devotional we may entitle “Moments for My Master”.
Ongoing writings (various formats) to build up the body of Christ are being developed on a daily basis.
Goals for the development and use of these Books:
- It has been wisely stated that “The pen is mightier than the pulpit”. It is our desire to reach hundreds or even thousands with the Word of truth in this late hour – through the printed page.
- We are blessed and privileged to be in full-swing educating, informing and instructing others in acknowledging and applying God’s truth for victorious daily living while living in His glorious love and being fruitful in His harvest field (Matt. 9:35-39).
- To provide resources that will equip others to communicate the truth of God’s eternal Word, both to those who are saved and those who do not yet know Christ as LORD and Savior (1 Tim. 4:6,16; Philemon 1:6-7).

ONLINE MINISTRY

Ongoing ministry to atheists, Buddhists, Catholics, occultist, cultists and true believers. The response and impact of this ongoing ministry outreach to people from all over the world, has been overwhelming. Have been able to reach hundreds and even thousands of individuals during one time space with the message of the Gospel.
As a result of this ministry, I was recently challenged by a PhD at a major “Bible” Institute who says the Bible is “like Swiss cheese, full of holes.” It is frightening that a man who has never read the Bible himself (this was discovered in the debate he initiated) and is antagonistic against it, is actually leading dozens of other young and impressionable future “ministry” leaders. The faculty and students have invited me to fly up and debate them in person at their “Bible” Institute – at their expense.
The mission field online is vast. This medium provides contact with people from all over the globe, among whom are many searching souls to be reached. This ministry has been very fruitful and at times lasts into the wee hours of the morning, since it reaches people around the globe who are on different time zones.
Over the recent years, several helpful documents have been developed while ministering online. SGYS possesses files on numerous topics, including evangelism, edification of the saints, Seventh Day Adventism (SDA), oneness/Trinitarian issue, atheism, Catholicism, evolution, satanism, the defense of the faith, and many more. These documents have and are being developed during hundreds of hours of intense ministry outreach and are under perpetual development in order to assist men and women in coming to the knowledge of the truth which is in Jesus Christ.
It should be mentioned that while ministering online, the SafeGuardYourSoul.com website is constantly referred to and given to others who read and discover new and exciting things from God’s Word. Some of these souls choose to get on the growing email devotional list so we can feed them God’s Word on an ongoing basis.
Online Ministry Goals:

MISSIONARY TRIPS

Various invitations. Have not been able to accept them yet due to lack of financial support.
Mission Trip Goals:
- To minister to the lost.
- To refresh, build up, educate and inform the body of Christ.
- To be available to go where God leads.
- Eternal fruit for Christ and everyone involved.

FINANCIAL NEEDS

$850 per month in order to fund 2-3 missionary trips annually.
$1,250 per month for printing tracts and submitting new book titles (to publisher) for publishing.
$250 per month for website hosting, maintenance and promotion
Nothing included here for living expenses of servant(s).

Total $5,000 monthly budget

For information about financially supporting his ministry, see CONTACT US

FEEDBACK - What others are saying:

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE BOOK DECEIVERS & FALSE PROPHETS:
“Every Christian should read this book! It is a truly refreshing glimpse into a dark world of deception like none I have read. Anyone who seeks Truth will be blessed by the honest candor with which Todd Tomasella confronts the epidemic of heresies running rampant in pulpits all across America. This book is a clarion call to all who wish to honor their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The call is this: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33) Brother Tomasella is quick to point out that any other mindset leads us toward a path of deceptive destruction. Seeking our Lord and living a life of righteousness should be our all-consuming passion, and Todd Tomasella gets it! I praise God for this work of admonishment to the throngs of ravenous wolves and their prey. I pray this work guides a multitude away from the fad publications polluting their minds, and back to the only Book that offers living hope, the living Word of God, so they may be overcomers in these last days. (Matthew 24:13)” Pastor Dave Gaffney, AZ

“Delusions, Hypocrisy, & Falling Away in the Church: This book addresses the hindrances experienced by non-believers who encounter blatant error that we so readily accept in the church today. I have not had the blessing to read such a timely scriptural confrontation of what we as a church are accepting as true and yet does not line up with the truth of God's Holy Word. A real eye opener! Kills sacred cows that have long needed to be removed from today's church world. Todd Tomasella hit a home run -- the people who need this just might not buy it - so buy one and give it to them!” P.J., TX

“I have been reading your book (Deceivers & False Prophets). It’s very good, and makes you think about where to go to church these days. Another hurricane, more earthquakes, and no one can see the real reason for all of these things happening.” Mike C., TX

“Todd has addressed the number one issue of today’s Christian culture. A subtle enemy has been invading our Christian churches and lulling Christians to sleep. This book is a dynamic tool for the discerning Christian who wants to be an effective servant of the LORD.” Dan White

“I am simply astonished at your book.” Pastor Dave, AZ

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE GOSPEL TRACTS, STUDY GUIDES & MINISTRY SITE:
“I just checked out the website…It is very enlightening and I am looking forward to the Bible study I printed out...Boy, your website is intense! My head is reeling a bit from reading last night.” Becky Purcell, TX

”The site looks so WONDERFUL, GREAT, NEW, FRESH....you or someone or a lot of someones have been very busy!!! I will have a hard time going to bed tonight after the party because I want to peruse the site again and again! See ya, Becky”

Concerning the Study Guide titled Holy Ghost Baptism: “This is one heck of a Bible study!” Chris, WI

“Your emails have been challenging and correcting in my heart, and sometimes downright irritating! But I praise God for your diligence in being a messenger. I appreciate this article you sent, as the message has pierced my heart to evaluate my own motives and behavior before the Lord. I need to hear this message of repentance, and I appreciate your willingness to provide it.” Ashley H, AL

“This is in your new book isn't it? Wonderful words. I keep wondering how He does it? How does He get all of these words on paper thru you, like in the Old Testament/New Testament times when they listened and obeyed. You must be a marvel to watch work! Thank you for your obedience, Todd.” Becky P., TX

“Todd, The messages you send are truly amazing. They really make you stop and think in this busy world.” Chris Aiello, WI

“Every single person I have given a JESUS tract to, has thanked me!” Christine, WI

“My all time favorite tract; it looks very morbid, which teens love, especially at Halloween... it ‘scares the hell out of them,’ check it out: It's called, ‘Secrets from Beyond the Grave’. It has been my favorite for almost a year now. A friend of mine tried to give this lady tracts and every one he showed her she refused, but when she saw the Secrets tract, she said ‘I'll take that one’ and grabbed it. It gets their curiosity going and they can't help but read it. I normally don't give it to kids, except the ones wearing the goth stuff already with skulls on them. Kids these days (even young kids) love Harry Potter and other dark stuff, so I don't think it would hurt to give them the truth from the Word. Hell is real...Satan is getting them young, if you go into Barnes & Noble, half of the books have witchcraft in them, they have books on how to cast spells and how to be warlocks, etc.., so I don't think it would hurt for them to hear that hell is a real place and God punishes sin.....!” Lis Fannin

“Thanks so much for the Secrets Beyond the Grave... that tract is so awesome! I can't wait to order them for our halloween outreach this year!” Jeff Fuller

'Thank you for your JESUS tract...What a beautiful message to the unbeliever!...I find the (JESUS) tract to be so right to the point of the Gospel, that I would love to pass it on also...enclosed is my check to order...Thanks again and for working in the harvest for our LORD." L.R., CO

“Hi Todd! I have been passing out your JESUS tracts. I like them…Everyone really likes them, including my son's teenage friends…God bless you Todd!” Chris

“Good Saturday Todd! Byron Comfort and I had the beautiful opportunity, last night, to share the message of Jesus Christ & the reality of hell through your "Hell...Don't Go There" tracts in front of the infamous SCREAMS haunted house in Dallas. Many gospel tracts were distributed and the message of the cross offended as over 10 security personnel who attempted to stop us from proclaiming the gospel. Though Satan attempted to stop us, God prevailed, as two young teenagers whom were watching how we were treated wanted to know more about this Jesus we were proclaiming. They both intently listened to the gospel presentation and vocally surrendered to Jesus as Lord! Then after talking with them a young Christian couple stopped us and testified that as a result of us being there and hearing others talking about these Jesus tracts we were passing out, they had decided not to enter the haunted house. The young lady mentioned that her and her husband felt "pulled" to the haunted house but they really didn't want to go in as they knew it didn't please Jesus. Our stance for Jesus solidified their decision not to enter the hell house...we encouraged their hearts and prayed for them. Many more received the Hell tract and heard about the love of Jesus Christ. Todd, your evangelistic ministry is needed in our world. Your provision of the tracts allows us to reach many for Jesus! Looking forward to seeing you again my dear brother and perhaps in front of a haunted house to share Jesus!” Jay

“I love your new tract (HELL: Don’t Go There!). Fits the season well. Me and Jay had them out in front of Screams in Dallas. It was an awesome night my friend. Saw two guy's publicly give their trust to Jesus Christ. A Christian couple turned away and went home when they heard people mocking us in the line. Was roughed up by 10 security personnel. It was great. Thanks for such a wonderful tract Todd. I love you brother.” Byron Comfort

“(concerning the SECRETS from Beyond the Grave tract) “This is just the kind of tract I was looking for to hand to people like Goth fans and hard rockers and bikers, etc... I would rather a sinner see the flames and smell their burning flesh in Hell, for just a brief moment, so the Fear of God will bring them to howl for rescue. Rather than give them the horrifying modern gospel of "It's a Wonderful Life" that guarantees they will be there. Better for someone to know the truth, and risk their rejection of you, than coddle them straight into hell.” Patrick Burwell

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Directions For Gaining a Passion For Christ

9:42 PM, Jun. 25, 2006 .. Posted in Main .. 0 comments .. Link

I received this from a ministry that I am subscribed to, SettingCaptivesFree.com. If you lack a passion for Christ, I would exhort you to heed the directors counsel. I am currently going through the entire Bible, in 90 days. God's Word is a feast and a blessing! Open your ears and read it daily! Blessings, Doug

Dear subscriber,

Greetings! I wanted to share with you a recent communication between Mike Cleveland and a person who wrote to him asking `How does one attain a deeper passion for the Lord?' It seems he has a friend who has grown listless on the seas of life and he was asking for some advice on how to help him `fill the sails' so to speak. Mike's counsel was highly instructional in my own life as I read his response and I believe it may also be helpful to some of you. Mike says:

Hi George,

I understand your friends situation, and am thankful he has contacted you to help him and walk with him:

⁹Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: ¹⁰If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

I can share with you what is bringing much zeal and passion to my previous lukewarm heart; I try to get in the fire of God’s Word for hours on end. I am currently reading through the Bible, from front to back, once a month. As I seek the Lord earnestly and pray for heart change as I read, God ignites passion for His truth and satisfies me in ways I cannot describe. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled”. This hungering and thirsting, and the experience of being filled, affects every area of life. As my 7-year-old son, Joshua, said, “I just love the Bible so much that yesterday I wasn’t even angry at Twins.” (Shon: Mike and Jody have twin daughters; Charity and Joy)

A person has to taste and see that the Lord is good; in other words, he has to begin nibbling the Word, and sipping grace from it. As he tastes and sees he wants to eat the whole feast, as he is acquiring spiritual taste buds that yearn for more of God as a deer pants for water. He has to violently push past his fears and doubts, his lusts and cravings, and lay hold of and apprehend God in His Word. This relentless seeking of God in His Word, and walking with God by His Spirit, is what subdues our flesh and all the works it produces. “Walk in the Spirit and you will not gratify the lusts of your flesh.”

Another thing of tremendous value is to go to Oneplace.com or SermonAudio.com and download sermons and listen to them in our spare time. That, combined with reading wonderful puritan sermons from www.puritansermons.com helps to ignite the fire (“did not our hearts burn within us as He spoke?”) I know that the promise for all believers is to experience Jesus in a “baptism of fire”, but this takes much kindling, a healthy spark, and much fanning the flame so as to experience the fire in the Word, by God’s Spirit.

Some of my favorite books which may be of help to your friend are (not in any particular order):

When I don’t Desire God: How to Fight for Joy—Piper

Christian in Complete Armor—Gurnall

A Body of Divinity—Thomas Watson

All of Grace—Spurgeon

Pilgrim’s Progress—Bunyan

These may be enjoyable for you and your friend, both, George. I am praying earnestly right now that our God, the Consuming Fire, would ignite His Spirit within you both as you pray and study, and that the smoke of your passion and fervor for Jesus would be seen clear across the continent.

Please let me know how things go as able, my dear brother.

Sincerely,

Mike Cleveland

Thanks, Mike. Very helpful counsel indeed!

Psalm:19:7-11

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

Freed by grace,

Shon Bruellman

Executive Director

www.settingcaptivesfree.com

Dead, Before Born... A true story

3:44 PM, Jun. 25, 2006 .. Posted in Main .. 0 comments .. Link

I wrote this on April 22, 2005. I hope it blesses you! ~ Doug

Dead, Before Born... A true story.

Contributed by Doug Renz

Friday, 22 April 2005
Tomorrow will be 6 years that we buried our son Isaiah Christopher who was a stillborn death at 38 weeks in the womb. Why am I sharing this with you?Tomorrow will be 6 years that we buried our son Isaiah Christopher who was a stillborn death at 38 weeks in the womb. Why am I sharing this with you?

For six years I had always wondered why our son had to die and for what purpose. No life is created without a reason and I didn't want his name to be forgotten. I had cried out to the Lord for an answer and this year God answered my prayers. God was trying to show me something in the natural that happens in the spiritual to many 'Christians'.

For about 20 years I have been a false convert, living in sin wearing the name of a Christian, a follower of Christ, living in sin, unrepentant and not caring for the lost going to hell.

I now realized that while I was being birthed by God to be saved and born again 20 years ago, I was a stillborn DEAD christian for almost 20 years and thought I looked alive in Christ, I was truly dead.

As Keith Green said, "Going to church doesn't make you a Christian, no different than going to McDonalds makes you a hamburger", or something like that.

God through the Holy Spirit and many others through SermonIndex.com and Fireonthealtar ministry has drawn me back to Himself through revealing me these truths. Things have changed. My eyes have been opened. The Lost are going to hell. I need to live in obedience to God as his servant and not a hireling. It has been only through the Law of God that He has stripped me of my self-rightetousness and pride to bring me to this place of complete dependance on Him.

Do you know if you are "born again?" Have you examined your faith to know if you are truly saved? Don't wait. You may not have a chance. I think back to how long it has taken and I could have died in my sins in the past 20 years, but this past week God has been doing a mighty work in me and I am ready be God's humble servant. Please pray for me. I will pray for you.

I would be more than willing to talk to anyone who would like to hear my testimony and may be questioning their faith and salvation. I have to tell others about this truth and reality.

my email address is: doug@dougrenz.com

In Christ,
Doug
doug@dougrenz.com

All this at the mall...

3:40 PM, Jun. 25, 2006 .. Posted in Evangelism Daily Journal .. 0 comments .. Link

This is an email from a brother named Jose who I met in NYC at an Evangelism Boot Camp with TheGreatNews.com network in May 2006. I will be posting more of his email's.

This is an example of what can happen when you go out evangelising on a regular basis. It's amazing what God can do through you. Just the other night I met group of old ladies and passed out Million Dollar Bill tracts and they were wondering why did this guy hand these to me and I then told them, "It's a gospel tract... Are you ready to face death and know what happens after you die?, then one lady said, I'm a Jehovah Witness.." So I encouraged them to read the tracts and take "The Good Person Test" because no good person will enter heaven. ~ Blessings, Doug

Saints

A young man was suicidal.........another man was in an adulterous relationship

a young woman was a witch.........another was a buddhist......another was a

man who said that GOD gave him permission to sin 3 times a day.......

and then the was a man who said he was the Holy Spirit.......and all

this happened at the Mall of Abilene.........can you imagine a total stranger

confessing to you that he was committing adultery with his wife.......well

it's awesome what the HOLY SPIRIT does when we go and be HIS vessels......

I stopped a man yesterday at the Mall and simply asked him if he could

name the 10 Commandments.........he said yes.......he could only get 3

#5, #6 and #7.......as soon as he said the 7th.........he said man I feel really bad

I asked him why...........he then told me that he was breaking a few of the 10

Commandments...........so I asked him which one...........he said "the adultery one"

he then walked off.................30 minutes later he came back and asked me to

pray for him........GOD's SPIRIT totally convicted him........he then told me that he

wants out of the sinful lifestyle that he's been living in........all at the Mall.......

then this morning at the club.......we ran into a man that was coming out as we were

getting there.........we offered him a Gospel tract........he stood there reading it.....

he lives in Dallas.....but he's in town working on the wind farms that are being built

here in Abilene........he's been a Christian for 21 years and tonight he was giving into

the flesh.......before the night was over he was helping us and had a great time

he even got to share with several people tonight.....please pray for Mr. Daniel

I better get a few hours of sleep.......we got to go to Aspermont in a few hours

to preach at Aspermont Community Church.......we love you all

I hope you invited someone to church this week...........

Jose & Amy

Matthew 6:33

Silver and Gold Have I Quite a Large Sum by David Servant

9:02 AM, Jun. 22, 2006 .. 5 comments .. Link

Silver and Gold Have I Quite a Large Sum by David Servant

Some years ago I was admonished by one of the wealthiest men in my city, a retired CEO of a huge multi-national company, with the following words, "It is the responsibility of guys like you to tell guys like me what God expects of us, lest we not be ready to stand before Him one day." It seemed, he elaborated, that too many preachers patronized "guys like him," fearful of offending and hopeful of gaining something---and in the process ultimately sealing the eternal doom of "guys like him." Sobering words to a patronizing preacher like me (at the time).

Emboldened by that old admonition, I'd like to address the subject of stewardship in the next few issues of HeavenWord. This month I want to focus specifically on the questionable example of stewardship being set by some spiritual leaders---because the church follows its leaders. There isn't any doubt in my mind that Jesus would address this issue if He were personally preaching on the planet today, because when He was preaching on the planet, He quite often made sobering statements about stewardship, and He also exposed the money-loving spiritual leaders of His day (see Matt. 23:14; Luke 16:13-15). Imitating Christ, Paul also lamented that many in his day were "peddling the word of God" (2 Cor. 2:17). He required that spiritual leaders be "free from the love of money" (1 Tim. 3:3). Peter, too, warned against false teachers who, motivated by greed, would exploit believers with false words (see 2 Pet. 2:1-3).

Last year I read Forbes Magazine's listing of some of the top-paid leaders of non-profit organizations. Forbes obtained its information from public records, primarily from the 990 forms that must be filed annually by every U.S. non-profit organization (with the exception of churches). The entire point of the 990 form is to inform the public of the financial affairs of non-profit organizations so that potential donors can make intelligent decisions about contributions. The U.S. government believes donors should have the right to know the salaries of those who head non-profit organizations if those heads receive more than $50,000 in annual compensation. All of the information about the salaries of ministry leaders which I report in this article is derived from the 990 forms of the actual ministries headed by those ministry leaders. I only report what the non-profits themselves have reported about the salaries of those who head them.

Reading Forbes' list, I wasn't surprised to see that Paul Crouch, head of the Trinity Broadcasting Network, was near the top, with an annual salary of $409,306. His wife, Jan, was paid $361,000. Making almost $3,000 per work day, they bring new meaning to the phrase "daily bread." Public records also indicate that they live in a five-million dollar, 9,500 square-foot house in Newport Beach that has nine bathrooms, an elevator, a six-car garage, tennis court and pool with fountain. But there is more. A TBN-owned, 80-acres estate in Dallas is worth $10 million. And there are 30 ministry-owned houses in California and scattered across the country at the Crouch's disposal. They can easily travel to those homes using the ministry's $7 million Canadair jet. (See www.trinityfi.org/press/latimes04.html and www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/138/21.0.html

Naturally, the Crouches are under the frequent scrutiny of Christian watchdog groups and the secular press. But they can ignore their critics, as contributions continue to flow into their coffers. And it isn't as if TBN actually needs money, as their own reported financial data indicates they have $341 million in cash and near-cash investments. Without collecting another dime, TBN could continue just as it does for two-and-a-half years. (See www.ministrywatch.com/mw2.1/pdf/MWDA_031805_TBN.pdf

)

What is perhaps most amazing is not the Crouch family, but the people who continue to funnel their contributions to TBN. Although Jesus plainly told His followers not to lay up treasures on earth and declared that those who do are full of darkness, serving Mammon, and not serving God (Matt. 6:19-24), and although Paul warned that no greedy person will inherit God's Kingdom (1 Cor. 6:9-10; Eph. 5:3-5), people who profess to believe in Jesus keep sending checks to TBN---headed by people who are laying up treasures on earth, full of darkness, serving Mammon, and whom Scripture says will not inherit God's kingdom.

Like most prosperity preachers these days, the Crouches often report the good they are doing around the world for the poor with some of the money contributed to TBN. But we can't help but wonder, if they are so concerned about the poor, why are they receiving salaries that put them in the top 1% of all Americans, the top .001% of the world's population, and living in very lavish luxury? Is this a picture of self-denial, something Jesus said is required of all those who would follow Him (see Matt. 16:24)?

The Crouches are not alone among prosperity preachers who frequently report of the good that is being done for the poor by their ministries. Many prosperity preachers do so as a means to motivate people to give to to their ministries. ("Your gifts are not only are helping us proclaim our life-changing message around the world, but are also helping us care for orphans in Haiti. Please send your most generous gift today!") Yet they themselves live extravagantly from the contributions that are given to their ministries. Thus, in reality, they are simply exploiting the poor as a means to further exploit their constituency in order to further enrich themselves. That is no exaggeration. Simply put, what should we conclude about someone who motivates people to give to his ministry using photos of impoverished Africans, but who keeps for himself large sums of what is contributed in order to sustain an extravagant lifestyle? Are we to think that such people go to heaven when they die?

Perhaps equally as troubling is the fact that also high on Forbes' list were two men who head large Christian relief ministries (ministries that are admittedly doing lots of good around the world for the poor and worthy to be supported). Richard Stearns, president of World Vision, received $384,772 in annual compensation, and Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse, received $368,115. In one sense, what they are doing is of even greater concern than what prosperity preachers are doing, because prosperity preachers don't claim to be heading ministries whose primary purpose is to help the poor. Yet World Vision and Samaritan's Purse do. These organizations that are raising money to help the poor are using a portion of what is being given to help the poor to make those who head them incredibly rich.

Both World Vision and Samaritan's Purse are charter members of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), which makes that organization's stamp of approval seem rather meaningless in my mind. How are such exorbitant salaries justified? It is sometimes argued that if the very talented heads of these organizations were working in corporate America, they could command even larger salaries. But so what? Who, in any industry, is paid based on what he could make in another field? I suspect that Jesus, a fairly talented guy, could have made more money doing something other than what He did when He was on the earth. He wasn't in it, however, for the money. If the only way to attract the kind of talent that is needed to head such ministries is through $375,000 salaries, then those who accept such positions are clearly in it for the money, because they wouldn't take those positions otherwise.

It is sometimes argued that only a small portion of every person's donation ends up as part of the huge salaries of such ministry heads. That is true, but that is not the point. Why must those ministry heads receive so much money, especially money that is given to help those suffering in deep poverty? If what they are doing is justifiable and they aren't ashamed of it, I challenge them to report their salaries openly in their ministry magazines along side the photos of starving children. If they did, is it possible that donations might drop? Not only are these individuals accountable before God for their exorbitant salaries, but so are the boards of directors who set their salaries.

Also weighing in high on Forbe's list was Charles Stanley of In Touch Ministries at $299,512 and Pat Robertson of CBN at $306,293. There was Dennis Rydberg, head of Young Life at $272,127, Billy Graham at $451,707, Wes Stafford of Compassion International at $202,679, Chuck Colson of Prison Fellowship at $218,614 and James Robison of Life Outreach International at $195,500 (see www.forbes.com/lists/2005/14/Revenue_1.html

). Other websites, using 990 forms as their source, reveal that Peter Popoff of Peter Popoff Ministries made $425,019 and R.C. Sproul of Ligonier Ministries made $221,576. (See for yourself at: www.charitynavigator.org and www.guidestar.org .) I suspect that most of these men would not want to be classed with typical prosperity preachers, yet they make salaries that would make welter-weight prosperity preachers salivate.

The Christian Research Institute's 990 form indicated that president Hank Hannegraaff, who is often critical of prosperity preachers, earned a total of $280,331 in 2002. But his salary was only part of his perks. An 2003 article in Christianity Today reported that the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability found fault with C.R.I., citing among other things the ministry's purchase of a $66,000 Lexus for Hannegraaff's use and $8,000 of ministry money used to purchase flooring for Hannegraaff's house in a gated community (To see C.R.I.'s 990 form, click here ).

So I hope I've made it clear that very high salaries are very common among heads of many high-profile Christian ministries. Why, I must ask, do these ministry heads need so much money? The average household income in the U.S. (where just about everyone is rich by world standards) is around $45,000. That means half of us live on less than $45,000 a year.

It could be argued that we have no right to judge these ministry heads, because we don't know what they are doing with the sizable salaries they receive. Perhaps they are giving all their money away. But we do have some idea of what they are doing with their money from looking at their lifestyles. And if they wanted to give a significant percentage of their salaries away, they would do it simply by taking a lesser salary, because that would enable them to give away much more---due to the fact that they must pay taxes on their incomes. Being in the highest tax brackets, as much as half of what they receive goes to income taxes. Thus they could give away considerably more by taking smaller salaries and designating the reduced portion to charity. By doing so, they might also give unbelievers less reason to be offended at the gospel, those who otherwise might cynically reject it, convinced that those who proclaim it are only in it for the money. These ministry heads know that their salaries are a matter of public record. And before anyone judges me for being judgmental, please read my article, "Judge Not" by clicking here . Christ commanded us to judge all spiritual leaders (Matt. 7:15-23).

Forbes' list doesn't include such well-known prosperity preachers as Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyer, and Creflo Dollar, whose salaries are essentially hidden from public view because their organizations obtained I.R.S. designations as churches (which is certainly questionable for all of them but Creflo Dollar). That means they don't have to reveal publicly their financial data each year as do all other non-profit organizations. But their lavish lifestyles are well documented. Some of them even boast of their extravagant lifestyles in order to prove how well their theology works.

Joyce Meyer, for example, lives like a queen. The St. Louis Dispatch reported, "Minutes of ministry board meetings show that for 2002 and 2003, the board approved compensation packages of up to $900,000 for Joyce Meyer and up to $450,000 for her husband." More recently, she and her board cut her salary to a humble $250,000, but she formed a private for-profit company from which she now receives royalties from her many books, royalties that were previously received by her ministry (see: www.ministrywatch.org/mw2.1/F_SumRpt.asp?EIN=431382734 ). Her ministry's financial report that is posted on her website informs readers that besides her salary, her board also grants her use of the "ministry-provided parsonage" (www.joycemeyer.org/projects/financial/FA_pg42.html ). It fails, however, to mention that the "ministry parsonage" is 10,000 square feet, has an 8-car garage, and is worth two million dollars (for a photo, click here ). And this is not a two-million dollar home in Southern California, but in Fenton, Missouri. Meyer also personally owns a $500,000 vacation home on Lake of the Ozarks with a $105,000 boat parked at her dock.

John Hagee, television preacher and pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio---perhaps milder in his preaching about wealth than other prosperity preachers but certainly not so in practice---was paid a total of $1.3 million from his ministry (GETV) and Cornerstone Church in 2003. Again, this is from GETV's own 990 form. According to a June, 2003 article in the San Antonio Express-News, "Hagee and his wife are listed in the Bexar County Appraisal District database as owners of their six-bedroom, 5,275-square-foot house in one of San Antonio's most exclusive gated communities, The Dominion" (to read the San Antonio Express-News article, click here ).

One common justification that some popular televangelists, like both of those just mentioned, offer for their sizable salaries is that their book and CD sales bring more money into their ministries than they receive in salaries. So they are supposedly giving more to their ministries than their ministries are giving to them, because those books and CDs are products of their personal labor. But they fail to acknowledge that the major reason they sell so many books and CDs is because of the marketing of those books and CDs on their TV shows and in their ministry magazines, marketing that is primarily paid for by contributions from donors. Without such exposure, sales would not be near as brisk. A televangelist claiming that he is entitled to all the profits from his books and CDs is like the CEO of McDonald's ignoring the contributions of all McDonald's employees and shareholders and claiming that he is entitled to all the profits from the sale of his hamburgers.

Ministers who capitalize on their God-given influence to obtain wealth put themselves in the same category as Balaam, a for-profit prophet who is now in hell (2 Pet. 2:15; Jude 1:11). And isn't it true that Jesus could have capitalized on His gifts and opportunities to make Himself immensely wealthy?

Beyond all of this, does Christ's prohibition against laying up earthly treasures have any application? Where are the modern Christian leaders like John Wesley of old, who could have become extremely wealthy from the sale of his books, but who lived very simply and gave the large majority of the profits from his book sales to charity? He did so out of obedience to Christ and died owning very little.

The New Testament instructs Christians not to associate with any so-called brother who is greedy or covetous, just as it instructs Christians to not associate with any so-called brother who is a homosexual, a drunkard, an idolater, or an adulterer (see 1 Cor. 5:9-13). In order for Christians to obey this very clear instruction, there must be some valid criteria they can use to determine if someone is greedy. What could that criteria be but the actions of those they evaluate? That being so, would it be wrong to conclude that a spiritual leader is greedy if he accepts a salary that puts him in the top .001% of the world's population and uses that exorbitant salary primarily for his own extravagant lifestyle? If the answer is yes (and what else could it be?), then Scripture says we shouldn't associate with such a person. He brings reproach to Christ, as his selfishness is the antithesis of everything Christ taught and lived. If we shouldn't associate with such a person, should we listen to his sermons and support his ministry? (If you are among those who have been misled into believing that greed is only an attitude of the heart that has nothing to do with what one does with his money, please wait a month before writing to correct me. I'll address that myth in next month's article.)

Another common justification for laying up immense earthly treasures by spiritual leaders is that their luxuries were gifts from generous donors. Creflo Dollar, for example, says that the two Rolls Royces he drives were gifts, so he can hardly be accused of greed for accepting gifts (To see the New York Times' article, click here ).

How much better it would have been if he had said to his confused benefactors, "Thank you for this gift, but because I love Christ and I love you, I must tell you the truth. By doing this, you are bringing a curse upon yourself. The Bible promises, 'He who oppresses the poor to make more for himself, or who gives to the rich, will only come to poverty' (Prov. 22:16). So let's sell these Rolls Royces and give the money to Jesus incarnated in some of 'the least of these His brethren' who need food and shelter. That way we can be sheep and not goats when we stand before Jesus, and you can avoid bringing a curse upon yourself on your way to that judgment."

Incidentally, the curse of poverty that the Bible promises to those who give to the rich is the only valid promise that applies to those who give to the prosperity preachers. While they promise their donors riches, the Bible promises them poverty. (I wonder why prosperity preachers, who almost exclusively find their proof texts in the Old Testament, never quote Proverbs 22:16?)

Finally, and most importantly, does it not seem odd that all of the ministers whom I've mentioned (and there are thousands and thousands of others who fall into the same category) say they believe in a book that says, "Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have" (Heb. 13:5) and, "Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction" (1 Tim. 6:9) and, "Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you" (Jas. 5:1)? Isn't it odd that they claim to follow the One who commanded, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matt. 6:19-21) and, "Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves purses which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys" (Luke 12:33)? Isn't is strange that they claim to represent the One who required a rich man seeking eternal life to sell everything and give the proceeds to charity, the same One who told a story of a rich fool who laid up treasures for himself, built bigger barns, and who died and went to hell, and the same One who once said, "Woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full" (Luke 6:24)?

The secular media often points out this hypocrisy among high-rolling Christian leaders. And while the "Satan-controlled" secular media demonstrates some biblical spiritual discernment, professing Christians keep writing checks to promote what is, according to Jesus, detestable in God's sight:

Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him. And He said to them, ?You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God" (Luke 16:14-15).

50 Fruits of Pride

7:27 AM, Jun. 22, 2006 .. Posted in Main .. 2 comments .. Link

50 fruits of pride

1. I tend to be self sufficient in the way I live my life. I don?t live with a
constant awareness that my every breath is dependent upon the will of God. I
tend to think I have enough strength, ability and wisdom to live and manage my
life. My practice of the spiritual disciplines in inconsistent and superficial. I
don?t like to ask others for help.
2. I am often anxious about my life and the future. I tend not to trust God and
rarely experience his abiding and transcendent peace in my soul. I have a hard
time sleeping at night because of fearful thoughts and burdens I carry.

3. I am overly self-conscious. I tend to replay in my mind how I did, what I
said, how I am coming across to others, etc. I am very concerned about what
people think of me. I think about these things constantly.

4. I fear man more than God. I am afraid of others and make decisions about
what I will say or do based upon this fear. I am afraid to take a stand for
things that are right. I am concerned with how people will react to me or
perceive my actions or words. I don?t often think about God?s opinion in a
matter and rarely think there could be consequences for disobeying him. I
primarily seek the approval of man and not of God.

5. I often feel insecure. I don't want to try new things or step out into
uncomfortable situations because I'm afraid I'll fail or look foolish. I am
easily embarrassed.

6. I regularly compare myself to others. I am performance oriented. I feel that
I have greater worth if I do well.

7. I am self-critical. I tend to be a perfectionist. I can't stand for little things
to be wrong because they reflect poorly on me. I have a hard time putting my
mistakes behind me.

8. I desire to receive credit and recognition for what I do . I like people to see
what I do and let me know that they noticed. I feel hurt or offended when
they don't. I am overly concerned about my reputation and hate being
misunderstood.

9. I want people to be impressed with me. I like to make my accomplishments
known.

10. I tend to be deceptive about myself. I find myself lying to preserve my
reputation. I find myself hiding the truth about myself, especially about sins,
weaknesses, etc. I don't want people to know who I really am.

11. I am selfishly ambitious. I really want to get ahead. I like having a position or
title. I far prefer leading to following.

12. I am overly competitive. I always want to win or come out on top and it
bothers me when I don't.

13. I like to be the center of attention and will say or do things to draw attention
to myself.

14. I like to talk, especially about myself or persons or things I am involved with.
I want people to know what I am doing or thinking. I would rather speak than
listen. I have a hard time being succinct.

15. I am self-serving. When asked to do something, I find myself asking, "How
will doing this help me, or will I be inconvenienced?"

16. I am not very excited about seeing or making others successful. I tend to
feel envious, jealous or critical towards those who are doing well or being
honored.

17. I feel special or superior because of what I have or do. For example:
*my house
*my neighborhood
*my physical giftings
*my spiritual giftings
*my intellect or education
*being a Christian
*my position or job
*my car
*my salary
*my looks

18. I think highly of myself. In relation to others I typically see myself as more
mature and more gifted. In most situations, I have more to offer than others
even though I may not say so. I don?t consider myself average or ordinary.

19. I tend to give myself credit for who I am and what I accomplish. I only
occasionally think about or recognize that all that I am or have comes from
God.

20. I tend to be self-righteous. I can think that I really have something to offer
God. I would never say so, but I think God did well to save me. I seldom think
about or recognize my complete depravity and helplessness apart from God. I
regularly focus on the sins of others. I don?t credit God for any degree of
holiness in my life.

21. I feel deserving. I think I deserve what I have. In fact, I think I ought to
have more considering how well I have lived or in light of all I have done.

22. I often feel ungrateful. I tend to grumble about what I have or my lot in life.

23. I find myself wallowing in self-pity. I am consumed with how I am treated by
God and others. I tend to feel mistreated or misunderstood. I seldom
recognize or sympathize with what's going on with others around me because I
feel that I have it worse than they do.

24. I can be jealous or envious of others abilities, possessions, positions, or
accomplishments. I want to be what others are or want to have what others
have. I am envious of what others have thinking that I should have it or
deserve it. I find it hard to rejoice with others when they are blessed by
God.
25. I am pretty insensitive to others. I feel that some people just aren't worth
caring about. I have a hard time showing compassion.
26. I have a know-it-all attitude. I am impressed by my own knowledge. I feel
like there isn't much I can learn from other people, especially those less
mature than me.

27. I have a hard time listening to ordinary people. I listen better to those I
respect or people I want to leave with a good impression. I don?t honestly
listen when someone else is speaking because I am usually planning what I am
going to say next.

28. I like to reveal my own mind. I have an answer for practically every situation.
I feel compelled to balance everyone else out.

29. I interrupt people regularly. I don?t let people finish what they are saying.

30. I feel compelled to stop people when they start to share something with me I
already know.

31. I find it hard to admit it when I don?t know something. When someone asks
me something I don't know, I will make up an answer rather than admit I don't
know.

32. I don?t get much out of teaching. I tend to evaluate a speaker rather than
my own life. I grumble in my heart about hearing something a second time.

33. I listen to teaching with other people in mind. I constantly think of those
folks who need to hear the teaching and wish they were here.

34. I'm not very open to input. I don?t pursue correction for my life. I tend to
be unteachable and slow to repent when corrected. I don't really see
correction as a positive thing. I am offended when people probe the
motivations of my heart or seek to adjust me.

35. I have a hard time admitting that I am wrong. I find myself covering up or
excusing my sins. It is hard for me to confess my sins to others or to ask for
forgiveness.

36. I view correction as an intrusion into my privacy rather than an instrument of
God for my welfare. I can?t identify anyone who would feel welcome to correct
me.

37. I resent people who attempt to correct me. I don?t respond with gratefulness
and sincere appreciation for their input. Instead I am tempted to accuse them
and dwell on their faults. I get bitter and withdraw.

38. When corrected, I become contentious and argumentative. I don?t take
people?s observations seriously. I minimize and make excuses or give
explanations.

39. I am easily angered and offended. I don't like being crossed or disagreed
with. I find myself thinking, "I can't believe they did that to me." I often
feel wronged.

40. I have ? personality conflicts? with others. I have a hard time getting along
with certain kinds of people. People regularly tell me that they struggle with
me.

41. I am self-willed and stubborn. I have a hard time cooperating with others. I
really prefer my own way and often insist on getting it.

42. I am independent and uncommitted. I don't really see why I need other
people. I can easily separate myself from others. I don?t get much out of the
small group meetings.

43. I am unaccountable. I don?t ask others to hold me responsible to follow
through on my commitments. I don?t really need accountability for my words
and actions. I think I can take care of myself.

44. I am unsubmissive. I don?t like being under the authority of another person. I
don?t see submission as a good and necessary provision from God for my life. I
have a hard time supporting and serving those over me. I don?t ?look up? to
people and I like to be in charge. Other people may need leaders but I don?t.
It is important that my voice is heard.

45. I lack respect for other people. I don't think very highly of most people. I
have a hard time encouraging and honoring others unless they really do
something great.

46. I am a slanderer. I find myself either giving or receiving evil reports about
others. Often times the things I say or hear are true about other people. I
am not concerned about the effect of slander on me because of my maturity
level. I think I can handle it. I only share will others the things I really think
they need to know. I don?t tell all.

47. I am divisive. I tend to resist or resent authority. I don't like other people to
give me orders or directions.

48. I like to demean or put others down. I often think people need to be adjusted
and put in their place. This includes leaders. Other people need to be more
humble and have a ?sober? assessment of themselves.

49. I tend to be critical of others. I find myself feeling or talking negatively
about people. I subtlety feel better about myself when I see how bad someone
else is. I find it far easier to evaluate than to encourage someone else.

50. I really appreciate somebody taking the time to put this paper together. It
will really be a big help to my friends and family. However, I don't really need
this because I think I'm pretty humble already.

By Grace Rid Yourself of Pride

1. Ask God to illuminate your heart so you can begin to see the fruits of pride in
your life. Ask friends to point out the fruits of pride in your life realizing your
heart is exceedingly deceitful.

2. You must meet the qualifications if you are to go on in God. Humility is the
attitude upon which everything else is built.

3. Ask God to convict you point by point (Psalm 139:23-24) and trust that he will.
You don?t want or need general condemnation, only specific, godly conviction.

4. Confess your pride to God point by point and ask for his forgiveness. Just as
importantly, ask him to cleanse you of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

5. Don't ask God to humble you -- the Scriptures say to humble yourself (1 Peter
5:6). Humility isn't an emotion; it's a decision of the will to think and act
differently. Vine's Expository Dictionary defines humble as "low lying." Ask
yourself how you could be low lying or put others before yourself in various
situations, and then do it.
*Respond to opportunities God gives you to humble yourself or honor others.

6. Confess your sins of pride to those you have effected and to your friends.
They can help to hold you accountable and bring the on-going correction you will
need.
*Be open, honest and transparent about your life and sins.

7. Ask God to give you a holy hatred for pride and its fruits in your life. Be
continually on the alert. Don?t allow pride to grow in your heart. Sow to the
Spirit, not to the flesh.

8. Remember your war against pride is life-long. It is not a battle won in a day.
Yet, as you faithfully put to death, pride, and put on, humility, you will
experience greater freedom and more importantly greater conformity to image
and likeness of Christ. In so doing, God will be glorified in your life!

Jack the cat chases black bear up tree

2:23 PM, Jun. 10, 2006 .. Posted in Main .. 1 comments .. Link

This is just too amusing of a story to pass up. Grin

Jack the cat chases black bear up tree
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060610/ap_on_fe_st/cat_scares_bear

Public Market June 10th, 2006

8:17 AM, Jun. 10, 2006 .. Posted in Evangelism Daily Journal .. 0 comments .. Link

Today we went to the Rochester Public Market with my oldest three sons. This was the first time we went to pass do any evangelism at the public market, so we prayed before. We passsed out only the Million Dollar Bills and most people too them. I hope to return with the GIANT MONEY bills again the next time we go.

There are Jehovah Witness people out there passing out their material. We were only there for about 1 hour and did some shopping and handed out tracts to about 30 people. It was good for my sons, because I wanted to encourge them to enjoy sharing the gospel with others and passing out tracts. We also dropped the MDB on the ground as well.

The good thing is what I want to encourage my children in as well as our FAMILY is to live a lifestyle of evangelism. Ray Comfort would tell his children, "Children, we are going to the supermarket to pass out tracts and talk to people about the Lord, and then do some shopping". I thought that made great sense.

I encourage you to take your children with you where ever you go and pass out tracts to everyone you pass by, in the grocery store, plaza, mall, doctor's office or wherever you have to go that day.

Serving the King!

Doug Renz

Rules of Evangelism

11:07 PM, Jun. 9, 2006 .. Posted in Main .. 0 comments .. Link

The owner of TheGreatNews.com network ministry, Darrel Rundus, shared these 11 Rules of Evangelism that are good to keep in mind when evangelising.

www.thegreatnews.com

Rules of Evangelism

1. Pray, pray and pray some more. He who prays and doesn’t witness is a hypocrite, but he who witnesses and doesn’t pray is a lunatic. The battle is won in the prayer room. Witnessing is about being obedient and going out to reap the spoils of your prayers. John 17:20, Acts 2:42, Romans 8:26, Romans 8:10, 2-Corinthians 13:9, Ephesians 6:18-19 & Phillipians 4:19 just to name a few.

2. The power is in the seed, not the sower. You can always count all the seeds in an apple but you can never count the apples in a seed. Everyone you share the gospel with, you lead to the Lord and they all make a decision. All you have to do is be a faithful farmer and sow the seeds of the gospel. God will do the rest. 1-Corinthians 3:6-8, Revelation 14:15

3. Don’t tell God how big your fear is tell your fear how big your God is! God doesn’t give us a spirit of fear of love, power and sound mind. Fear come from the enemy but God uses it so we will lean on Him and not on ourselves, others or even worse, the world. Remember the antidote to your fear is love for perfect love casts out all fear. 2-Timothy 1:7, 1 John 4:18, & 1-Corinthians 2:2-5

4. Submit to the Lord, resist the devil and he will flee from you. If you will obey the great commission, fight through your fears and sow the seed of the gospel, amazing things will start to happen in your relationship with Him. From the first or second word out of your mouth the fear will flee and you'll find yourself supernaturally supercharged by the power of the Holy Spirit. You may go out dragging your feet but you will come back clicking your heels! James 4:7, 1 peter 2:17 & Psalms 126:5-6

5. Never get mad at the blind man! If you were sitting at a bus stop and a blind man came by and tripped over you, would you say, “You stupid blind man, watch you’re going!” Of course you wouldn’t say that. Most likely you’d say, “Oh I’m so sorry, are you OK?” “Let me help you up.” Remember those people we witness to are blind and cannot discern the things of the spirit because they are blind to them. Be patient kind, loving and gentle as you instruct and reprove them. 1-Corinthians 2:14, 1 Peter 3:15, 2-Timothy 4:2 & 2-Corithians 4:4

6. Law to the Proud and grace to the Humble. Remember, God resists the proud but give grace to the humble. So ask question in order to ascertain if the person is proud or humble. Don’t just assume they are proud and hammer them with the Law when they may be humble, at the end of their rope and looking for hope. They made need the healer and not the hammer but the only way you’ll know is to ask questions and evaluate their answers. Remember, the Law is good if used lawfully. Psalms 19:7, Proverbs 3:34, John 8:7, Luke 18:18-20, Luke 10:25-29, James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5, Galatians 3:24, 1-Timothy 1:8

7. Always keep one eye on the cross. No matter what they say to get you off track, also remember the destination is the cross and God’s grace. It’s god’s kindness that leads us to repentance. When you take off for a flight the pilot files a flight plan. During the course of the flight they might make several adjustments but they never lose sight of the destination. So it is when we witness. Always keep you eyes and mind on the destination, not the distraction. 1-Corinthians 1:17-18, Romans 2:4, Romans 8:2 & Colossians 1:20

8. Love for the Lord and Love for the Lost. Our motive for witnessing can never be any more or less than love. We always must be focused on our love for the one who loved us so much He laid His precious and perfect life down for us. Remember, perfect love casts out all fear. John 14:15, John 14:21, 1 Peter 1:22, 1 John 2:5, 1 John 5:3

9. To be a complete Christian and to have a full understanding of all good things you have in Christ, you must actively share your faith. The act of the one (sowing seeds), will enhance all the others (Reading the word, prayer, compassion, fellowship, etc.). Daniel 12:3, Proverb 11:30, Matthew 6:33, Acts 1:8 & Philemon 1:6

10. You must remain humble in your walk, but bold in your witness. If Satan can’t stop you from sharing your faith he will try to make you proud that you’re doing it. The number one thing evangelists struggle with is pride. Do not fall prey to your pride but rest and trust in the Lord and let the Holy Spirit do the work. Psalms 25:9, Proverb 3:34, Acts 28:31, Matthew 5:16, Matthew 23:12, Luke 10:19-20, Ephesians 4:2, James 4:10 & 2 Corinthians 4:5

11. Remember your place in the body. Evangelists are the feet of the body of Christ and while the body can survive without the feet but the feet can’t survive without the body. Always stay plugged into your church and maintain fellowship with other Christians. If you aren’t there to encourage and to equip the other saints to share their faith, than who will train them up? You are also no better of a Christian than someone who doesn’t share their faith. Are most righteous deeds are but filthy rags to God. Isaiah 64:6, Ephesians 2:8, Ephesians 6:15 & Romans 10:15

PinPointEvangelism.com

3:42 PM, Jun. 9, 2006 .. Posted in Links .. 0 comments .. Link

I wanted to share a link of a brother and his father-in-law that are full time evangelists. We were doing ministry together in NYC.

Please take time and visit.

www.pinpointevangelism.com

Trial By Fire

3:40 PM, Jun. 9, 2006 .. Posted in Main .. 0 comments .. Link

Trial By Fire

by Ray Comfort

www.livingwaters.com

Peter thawed his cold hands by the warm fire. He said that he would never be ashamed of Jesus. But he was about to deny Him…to a maid. He was about to go through a fiery trial, and three times be found guilty of being ashamed of the one he called his Lord.

Peter made a number of mistakes that dark night. He slept while Jesus prayed (see Luke 22:45). He had missed his Gethsemane experience, and when the hour of temptation came upon him, in one sense he was still asleep. It would take the loud crowing of a rooster to waken him. He was supposed to be a follower of Jesus--a fisher of men, but he followed Him "afar off." Peter seated himself in the midst of the ungodly (see Luke 22:55) without any thought for their eternal well-being. He didn't want to rock the boat by casting out any nets.

Scripture tells us "a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire." She was sure that she had seen him with Jesus, but Peter adamantly said, "Woman, I do not know Him." Two more accusers, then two more denials. The accusations came out of the mouth of three witnesses. The trial by fire was over. He was three times guilty.

When he came to himself Peter went out and wept bitterly (see Luke 22:62). He had already lamented over his own sinfulness when he once fell at the feet of Jesus and said, "Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man." But this experience was different.

Peter's denial at first seems a mystery. He had unashamedly walked with Jesus of Nazareth for three years. He had even stayed by His side when he knew that the Jews sought to kill Him (see John 11:8). How then could Peter be afraid of a maid? He stepped out of the boat to walk on water. He had boldly taken his sword into his hand in defense of his Lord. He was no wimp. No, his fear was not simply because he belonged to Jesus. It was something deeper.

It would seem that it was the Roman cross that Peter feared. This instrument of punishment was no mere lethal injection. This was a torture stake. It was cruel and usual punishment. The Romans used the cross to execute lawbreakers as if it was going out of fashion. They had raised the crossbar of human suffering to a higher level.

The cross was meant to be something that caused fear. Its grizzly public display was a freeway billboard, designed to deter the busy traffic of crime. Peter, no doubt had seen men writhe like worms, as barbed Roman steel penetrated their tender flesh. He had seen soldiers dutifully hold down unwilling and grasping hands. He had heard the unforgettable thud of the hammer as it pushed cold nails through warm human flesh, releasing gushes of blood from hands and feet. He had been a silent witness as hardened men suddenly became screaming animals, horrified by the stark reality of their terrible plight. One look into their eyes was enough to terrorize the most callous of human hearts.

He had also watched the unspeakable torture as the cross was heartlessly dropped into the ground, ripping apart mortal flesh like a great beast viciously tearing its helpless prey. No. It wasn't the maid he feared. It was the terrifying threat of the Roman torture stake.

Perhaps you too once dropped to your knees at the feet of the Son of God and confessed your sins. You know what it is to lament over your wicked heart. Now you belong to Jesus…and you are not ashamed to confess Him before men.

Let me therefore ask you a few probing questions. It's a cold night. Come closer to the fire so that you can warm your hands. Come nearer to the light so that we can see your face. Let's see how cold you are. When did you last share your faith? I'm not asking if you have a "God is good" sticker on your car, or if you wear a "fish" badge. I'm not asking whether you are ashamed to say that you belong to Jesus. Of course you're not. I'm asking when you last shared the bloodied cross. When did you last preach Christ crucified? When did you last beg with a sinner to flee from God's wrath, and to shelter in the cross?

Perhaps you have been following Jesus, but you've dropped back just a little… because of the cross. Any mention of its bloodstained frame will mean that a sinful world will stop smiling at your walk with Jesus. It will instead begin to spit out its hatred. You are afraid of what the Apostle Paul called the "offence of the cross." Like Peter, you dread it because of the personal pain it would bring. The hymn-writer's "To the old rugged cross, I will ever be true. Its shame and reproach gladly bear" have been nothing but empty words.

Perhaps this is because you have been sleeping when you should have been praying. You have missed your Gethsemane experience. You are following Jesus "afar off." You have been sitting with the ungodly with no real concern for their eternal welfare.

Are you guilty of denying your Lord? Do you hear the crowing of conscience? Has its voice woken you? Perhaps you need to go somewhere and weep bitterly.

Use Good Gospel Tracts

12:01 AM, Jun. 9, 2006 .. Posted in Main .. 2 comments .. Link

If you have any good testimonies about God using tracts in your life, please email me at doug@dougrenz.com

The first consideration in the use of Gospel tracts is to be certain

that the content is scriptural.

There are three problems with many gospel tracts:

1. Many tracts do not contain a clear and biblical presentation of the

gospel. Many refer to salvation in an unscriptural and confusing

manner, such as "asking Jesus into my heart" or "giving my life to Christ."

Salvation is not to give one's life to Christ, but is to trust the

finished atonement of Christ. Nowhere in the New Testament do we see

the Lord Jesus or the Apostles telling people to give their lives to

Christ or to ask Jesus into their hearts. We need to follow the Bible

very carefully in the terminology we use so that people are not

confused and so they do not make false professions of faith.

2. The second serious drawback is that most tracts do not deal with

repentance. Most don't even mention the word or even hint at the

concept, yet the Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles preached

repentance plainly and demanded it from those who would be saved.

Salvation only comes by "repentance toward God, and faith toward our

Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:21). Any presentation of the gospel should

include the fact that God "now commandeth all men every where to

repent" (Acts 17:30). Whether or not the word "repentance" is used in

a gospel tract, the idea should be. What is repentance? It is a

turning, a change of direction

(1 Thess. 1:9). When I receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I

am turning my back to the old life.

3. Another problem is that many simply do not give enough information.

Large numbers of people in North America today are as ignorant of the true

God of the Bible and of the basics of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus

Christ as any Hindu in darkest Asia. It is crucial that we begin with

the basics with these people, and that we explain biblical terms

thoroughly, otherwise, when they hear terms such as "saved,"

"believe," "Christ," "God," "sin," they won't have the proper idea of

what we are talking about, and any "profession" they make will be

empty.

THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN PASSING OUT TRACTS

Giving out tracts is something every born again believer can do, young

or old.

1. Remember that it is each believer's responsibility to give out the

gospel (see Mat. 28:19-20; Mk. 16:15; Lk. 24:45-48; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor.

5:17-21; Phil. 2:16; 2 Tim. 4:5).

2. Remember that by giving out the gospel you are offering the

greatest gift in the world. When we give out the gospel we are

offering dead people life; we are offering poor people riches; we are

offering sick people healing; we are offering lost people salvation.

3. It is wise to read the tracts first yourself before giving them out

to others. This way you will know exactly what it says and you can

refer to it when you talk to people. Also, by first reading tracts

before giving them away you can see if the tract contains something

that is not true or leaves out something important such as repentance.

4. Make a commitment to give out so many tracts each week.

5. Always be pleasant and polite. Remember that you are a complete

stranger to the people you are approaching. Ask kindly, "May I give

you something special to read?" or "I have some Good News for You" or

"May I give you something that has been a blessing in my own life?"

If they are busy ask them to put it in their pocket and read at home.

6. Keep in mind that the goal is not merely to give out tracts but to

find opportunities to witness to people about the Lord Jesus Christ

with the goal of leading them to salvation. Use the tracts to open the

conversation, and when you find someone who is interested take the

time to talk further with him and see if he or she is willing to meet

again. We must remember that it is not enough to give out tracts; the

objective is to see people come to Christ and baptized and discipled

(Matt. 28:19-20).

7. Don't get upset or discouraged if someone says something against

Jesus and the Bible or they mock you and what you are doing. "For unto

you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him,

but also to suffer for his sake" (Mat. 5:11-12; Jn. 15:20; Lk.

9:26; Phil. 1:29).

8. Give out tracts to those who look like they might be interested and

to those who don't. We cannot look upon the hearts of men and we

cannot know who God might be dealing with. Jesus said preach the

gospel to every creature (Mk. 16:15). "In the morning sow thy seed,

and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not

whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall

be alike good" (Ecc. 11:6).

Ecclesiastes 11:1 says, "Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou

shalt find it after many days." This refers to the custom of casting

seed on the marshy ground after a river such as the Nile had

overflowed its banks, trusting that the seed will take root and bring

forth a crop. "When the waters receded, the grain in the alluvial soil

sprang up. 'Waters' express the seemingly hopeless character of the

recipients of the charity; but it shall prove at last to have been not

thrown away" (Jamieson, Fausset, Brown).

9. Be sure there is a name and address stamped on each tract so that

if someone is interested they have a contact for further help. A

gospel correspondence course is a good way to follow up on tract distribution.

10. One of the most important things about tract distribution is

faithfulness and persistence. Some may be thrown away but others may

find them. We have a man in our church who first got interested in

Christ by reading a tract that was given to his friend. This has

happened many times.

God wants faithful workers. Don't get discouraged if nothing seems to

be happening. We must do this work by faith, not by sight. Keep your

eyes on the Lord and trust Him to accomplish His will and to give

fruit and just continue to give out the gospel. "But this I say, He

which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth

bountifully shall reap also bountifully" (2 Cor. 9:6). "Moreover it is

required in stewards, that a man be found faithful" (1 Cor. 4:2).

11. Remember that our real enemy in tract distribution is not people

but the devil. He is the god of this world who is blinding the minds

of the unbelievers (2 Cor. 4:4). Thus we must have on the whole armor

of God as we go about this important work (Eph. 6:11-12).

12. Pray much for your tract distribution, both before and after.

Pray that God will open the eyes of the people so that they desire to

know Him and that they will read and understand the tracts.

What about the "What ifs?"

1:07 AM, Jun. 1, 2006 .. Posted in Main .. 0 comments .. Link

What about the "What ifs?"
- By Ray Comfort

LivingWaters.com

You are standing in a supermarket line. You have a tract ready for the
lady at the checkout. You've given out tracts at checkouts before. You
have it down. You simply say, "I have something for you that you may like
to read when you have a minute." Then you check out. You get away fast.
You have learned to conquer your fears.

But as you wait this time, you hear "Price check!" and your heart sinks.
You know that you will now be waiting in line for a few extra minutes. You
shake off any thoughts of impatience because you know that you shouldn't
have them.

As you stand in line, you hear a muffled male voice behind you. He isn't
so patient. Your heart skips a beat because there are now three or four
others standing in the line behind him. Oh dear. You feel a tinge of fear
grip you as you prepare to turn around and offer a million dollar bill
tract to the man. That's when the "What ifs" kick in. They begin with
"This isn't an ideal tract situation. You are not walking away from the
checkout. You are stuck in line. What if you give him a tract and he reads
it out loud? It's happened before as you walked away from a checkout, and
it made you smile as you heard "The million dollar question? Will you go
to Heaven?" You smiled because you were leaving. But what if this man
reads it while you are stuck in line? What if other people hear him?
Imagine the whole line of people looking at the back of your head as you
stood there, thinking, "Religious fanatic!"

Or what if he asks what it is that you gave him? Then what are you going
to say? Even if you are able to find the courage to mumble that it's a
gospel tract what if you have to speak loudly, and the people behind him
hear you?

Kirk and I were in our Way of the Master Radio studio recently when the
what ifs hit. Todd Friel (our co-host) said, "If you are not a Christian,
and you would like to talk to a dreamy Hollywood actor, call in. We would
love to hear from you."

We smiled as we waited for some sweet talking starry-eyed Growing Pains
fan to call in and hang onto every word Kirk said. A moment or so later we
heard, "We will have a commercial break, and then we will come back to Tim
from Connecticut."

Kirk and I looked at each other. This was no wide-eyed, infatuated female
fan. This was Tim from Connecticut! Connecticut is the home of Yale
University. What if Tim was an Einstein anti-Christian intellectual?
Having the gift of insight, I remembered that the word "intimidating"
contained the word "Tim." What if Tim hated Growing Pains, and what if he
especially hated Kirk?

A few minutes later Kirk was witnessing to Tim. He was a Roman Catholic,
and he was questioning the unbiblical practices of his church. What's
more, he was a soft-spoken, humble-hearted sincere seeker of truth.

What ifs are lies from the father of lies. They rarely materialize, but
they are the fertile soil in which paralyzing fear thrives.

A week or so earlier, Kirk and I were conducting a conference in a church
in Louisiana. As we walked into the lobby we saw a painting of a coliseum
in Rome. In the painting a huge crowd had packed into the massive stadium.
Huddled in the middle of the arena were about sixty people.

A closer examination revealed that they were made up of a few elderly men,
and the rest were women and children. Around them stood wooden crosses
upon which a dozen or so men were cruelly impaled. At the base of each
cross fires had been set to slowly burn those who were already enduring
the agony of crucifixion.

Their pain-filled deaths were no doubt slow enough to make sure that these
witnesses of Jesus of Nazareth were witnesses of a terrible horror. At the
edge of the arena stood a massive lion, and directly behind the hungry
beast, a ferocious tiger was entering the scene. The dying men were about
to observe the grizzly sight of their precious loved ones being torn limb
from limb, no doubt to the roar of a blood-thirsty and delighted mass of
spectators.

These men, women and children were martyrs, who chose death above
deliverance because they refused to renounce their faith in Jesus. They
were unashamed to bare His reproach. These precious brothers and sisters
in Christ make me feel ashamed of my shame. Their torn limbs, spilled
blood, and burned bodies stand as a stark testimony to my cowardice.

The word "martyr" and the word "witness" come from the same Greek word. I
am called to be a martyr for Christ as I stand there in that supermarket
line. But I am not called to die for Him. Not yet. I am simply called to
live for Him. I am to be a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God,
which is my reasonable service.

If fear begins to torment me in the supermarket line, I have to deal with
it. And I deal with it by thinking of the courageous martyrs in that
arena. I deal with it in the shadow of their agony. I deal with it by
considering my wretched fear of looking foolish in my comfortable life,
and their incredible courage in their terrible death. I deal with it by
thinking of the liberty that I have to walk out of that supermarket and go
home to my loved ones. I deal with it by thinking how pathetic I must look
to God, as He considers their honorable humility and my horrible pride.

And I deal with it by looking to Jesus, the author and the finisher of my
faith, who for the joy that was before Him, endured the agony of the
cross, for me.

Christ-centered Confessions & Declarations

6:41 AM, May. 30, 2006 .. Posted in Main .. 1 comments .. Link

POWER of LIFE & DEATH

Christ-centered Confessions & Declarations

"A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." Proverbs 18:20-21

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue" - It is definitely biblical that the words we speak affect our lives in a big way. "Death and life" certainly are in the power of the tongue. But only the Almighty determines what is truly death and what is truly life. Modern deceivers have cleverly capitalized on this truth by leading people to confess such self-serving things as shown below. This is what they teach - that man is his own god and in control of his own destiny. Below is a sample motto prayer of the self-serving person who is using the LORD and the gospel as means of personal gain:

"I ______________ am a child of the King and as such am financially prosperous. Everything I lay my hands to is blessed and prospers abundantly. I am becoming a millionaire. People love me and are drawn to me. I _______________ am anointed to make money and have everything my heart can desire..... Money cometh......Jesus was a rich man and I can be also!!!....I _____________will have favor and success in all I do.....my faith will allow me to escape all trials....."

Friend, there is some truth in this confession but it is also laced with poisonous self-idolatry which was the sin of Lucifer who has become Satan - the eternal foe, forever cast away from the Almighty. Ever notice they never include anything about being cleansed of sin and iniquity, taking up the cross and being crucified with Christ? How convenient. Ever wonder why they conveniently leave such foundational Bible doctrines out of their teachings? Read 2 Timothy 3:1-7 and 4:2-4 and you will see exactly why they purposely omit such necessary divine truth.

To seek to use God's Word divorced from a genuine relationship with Him, is to operate in unmitigated sorcery/witchcraft/divination, by using words to procure for ourselves things He has not necessarily set forth for us to have. It is the mantra of those who vainly believe they are their own little gods and are in control of their own destinies and universe. This is all done in the name of the LORD, which means those who do such use His holy name in vain and are therefore under His holy wrath.

Here's the test of whether this is true or false: Are there 2 or 3 Scriptural witnesses? Do we have record of any of the apostles of Jesus or Christ Himself saying anything remotely coinciding with such? The answer is a resounding "No".

Below is a sample confession that might be prayerfully spoken by the true disciple, who wants nothing more than to bring glory to His Master - Jesus. Since "death and life are in the power of the tongue", why not confess His Word like this?

"According to the command of God, I _______________ am this day crucified with Jesus Christ and His resurrection life teems within me. I am not my own but bought with the ultimate price of the precious blood of my LORD Jesus Christ and am today being conformed to His holy image as the Father has predestined. According to the grace given me of Christ, I _____________ will not seek to elevate but rather deny myself, take up my cross and follow my LORD Jesus Christ. My life is laid down and being spent in the worship of the one true God, which includes esteeming others above myself. As He enables, I will build up His beloved saints - feed His sheep - and communicate His Word in love to others that they might be found of Him. Every penny I have is from the LORD and I will joyfully use as much as possible for the furtherance of His eternal kingdom - I am a cheerful giver. I rejoice today to suffer shame and persecution for the holy name of Jesus Christ who bled and rose again for me. This is the day that the LORD has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it as I set my affections on things above and not on earthly things. This mind will think only on those things which are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, virtuous, and of good report. Heavenly Father, into Thine hands I commend my spirit and beg You to breath Your life into me and live through me. I love you Jesus. As Christ enables by His holy grace, I _____________ will live this day in fervent expectancy of the soon return of the King of all kings and LORD of all lords who is eternally the blessed Creator and only holy Potentate (supreme Ruler) of all. Amen."

(feel free to print this out and use it as you wish - I printed it out and have it in my prayer closet ;)

Pass This On.

www.SafeGuardYourSoul.com

Million Dollar Bills - Tract Evangelism

5:53 AM, May. 30, 2006 .. Posted in Main .. 0 comments .. Link

This past weekend we had a great time taking these awesome Tracts from Living Waters Ministries and giving them to people every where we went. They look so real most everybody takes them.

Even our children can pass them out...

Go to Here to buy them.

Million dollar bill

This tract has the Gospel message written around the border on the back of the bill.

The million dollar question: Will you go to Heaven? Here's a quick test. Have you ever told a lie, stolen anything, or used God's name in vain? Jesus said, "Whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery already with her in his heart." Have you looked with lust? Will you be guilty on Judgment Day? If you have done those things God sees you as a lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulterer at heart. The Bible warns that if you are guilty you will end up in Hell. That's not God's will. He sent His Son to suffer and die on the cross for you. Jesus took your punishment upon Himself -"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Then He rose from the dead and defeated death. Please, repent (turn from sin) today and trust in Jesus, and God will grant you everlasting life. Then read your Bible daily and obey it.

Evangelism Linebacker

10:07 PM, May. 28, 2006 .. Posted in Main .. 1 comments .. Link

Do you go Door-To Door and share your faith? You may want to think twice before you meet...

About Me

Links

Way of the Master Radio

The Way of the Master Evangelism as a family

Morning, July 10 - “Fellow citizens with the saints.”

Morning, July 10

Ephesians 2:19

Happy 230th Birthday to our Nation! from SafeGuardYourSoul.com

How many observe Christ's birth-day! How few, his precepts! O! 'tis easier to keep Holidays than Commandments. (Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanac, 1743)

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

In Congress Assembled, July 4, 1776

The Unanimous Declaration
of the Thirteen United States of America

GOD OF ALL COMFORT

Drifting... watch this video

Great Link, SafeGuardYourSoul.com

Directions For Gaining a Passion For Christ

Dead, Before Born... A true story

All this at the mall...

Silver and Gold Have I Quite a Large Sum by David Servant

50 Fruits of Pride

Jack the cat chases black bear up tree

Public Market June 10th, 2006

Rules of Evangelism

PinPointEvangelism.com

Trial By Fire

Use Good Gospel Tracts

What about the "What ifs?"

Christ-centered Confessions & Declarations

Million Dollar Bills - Tract Evangelism

Evangelism Linebacker

About Me

Links

Categories

Recent Entries

Friends

The Way of the Master Evangelism as a family

Morning, July 10 - “Fellow citizens with the saints.”

Morning, July 10

Ephesians 2:19

Happy 230th Birthday to our Nation! from SafeGuardYourSoul.com

How many observe Christ's birth-day! How few, his precepts! O! 'tis easier to keep Holidays than Commandments. (Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanac, 1743)

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

In Congress Assembled, July 4, 1776

The Unanimous Declarationof the Thirteen United States of America

GOD OF ALL COMFORT

Drifting... watch this video

Great Link, SafeGuardYourSoul.com

Directions For Gaining a Passion For Christ

Dead, Before Born... A true story

All this at the mall...

Silver and Gold Have I Quite a Large Sum by David Servant

50 Fruits of Pride

Jack the cat chases black bear up tree

Public Market June 10th, 2006

Rules of Evangelism

PinPointEvangelism.com

Trial By Fire

Use Good Gospel Tracts

What about the "What ifs?"

Christ-centered Confessions & Declarations

Million Dollar Bills - Tract Evangelism

Evangelism Linebacker

About Me

Links

Categories

Recent Entries

Friends

The Unanimous Declaration
of the Thirteen United States of America