The Week That Was

I have had no time this week to email. I wanted to be able to wish you all a Blessed Thanksgiving, but Panera was closed and I didn't really have time to use the computer before going to work anyway.

Yes, I worked Thanksgiving Day at Cracker Barrel. The only day that Cracker Barrel closes is Christmas. I worked more than 11 hours, and made a lot of money, and wore my feet out. But I thank God for it, because this week I worked three more days than I expected, and now all my bills will get paid on time.

Also, I have been able to engage my coworkers in several spiritual conversations during down time, and it has been awesome. Some of them are opening up to me, but, for me, it simply helped me to see the wall that Satan has built around their hearts. Please keep praying for my coworkers, including the one I already gave a Bible to (that was Jodie, back in October).

Thank you for your prayers about last Friday night. I was able to distribute about 200 tracts to the movie-goers/shoppers at Park Place mall. I went back Saturday night with 100 more and wasn't there for more than 40 minutes. I did see Sam (from the Rock). He thought he could just sneak up to me from right in front of me by turning his head until he got within two feet of me, but I had seen his face before he saw mine, so =). I did walk away from him while he was speaking filth, because it would have looked like I was endorsing his evil words. I was already done, anyway.

As I walked away, he called out, "I love you, Josh!" I replied, "Jesus loves you, too, Sam! Repent!"

Wow. Satan really is the god of this world, and he really has blinded the minds of those who do not believe lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ should shine unto them. Will you please continue to pray for these people?

What about the people in your life--can I pray for them? I figure, if every one prays for everyone else, everyone will be covered.

I'm going to continue working with the movie-going crowd there. The police don't bother me at all. Once I was inside the movie theater witnessing to people instead of watching a movie (I had walked out because of the evil in the movie I was there to see), and the police did not bother me at all until it was about time to leave anyway. Also, this past Friday night, an officer on horseback kept telling youths not to loiter, but she did not bother me at all, and I was not moving from my spot on the sidewalk. I guess Pinellas Park PD appreciates the power of the Gospel (praise the Lord!)

I did buy enough tracts to handle business tonight, tomorrow, and even Sunday, if I have some left. We'll see how long I can continue. I was going to attack Black Friday, but my feet can't handle that right now. I know that many of my friends around the country did take the opportunity of a captive audience to preach the Gospel loud and clear, and I am praying for fruit from those endeavors.

Thanks for praying. God bless you all.

Undercover

I've been bummed about not being able to go out with Team Hope lately, because of my work schedule. So I switched shifts with the other Christian server (Zack) in hopes that I would be able to go this past Friday. Well, as it turned out, I was so tired after being run so hard by the Friday lunch crowd, I was unable to do anything but rest--a first for me, because I've only missed Team Hope one other time when I wasn't at another spiritually-minded event.

But the Lord brought Team Hope to me during my shift. Now I know that, if a customer gets offended by my words, I could get fired. So, while I endeavor to shine the Light of the World, I am making sure that I do my job well so that the customer sees the connection between the great service they received and Jesus Christ. It's the only way to make sure I don't get fired, and it's a great way to glorify His work in my life in the process.

In fact, Wednesday I was learning the practicality of the words that Pastor Danny has quoted several times from the pulpit: "The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of cheap price." My friend's bicycle got a flat the previous Thursday on the way home, and Wal-Mart said they didn't have the inner tube size for it (it's a pretty big bike), and I didn't know where a bicycle shop was, so I just grabbed a Wal-Mart cheap-o and rode it to and from work. And regretted it.

The bicycles I've been riding all have that wonderful disconnect between the seat and the frame, held together by a spring on the shaft. It keeps the bumps from ramming your rear as you travel along. Well, a cheap bicycle doesn't have such a comfort-minded construction, and I said to myself, "I can get this quality from a pawn shop." So I did, and saved about $25 more (after replacing the inner tube twice).

And I regretted that, too, because the inner tube couldn't overcome the dry-rotted front tire. I had a flat on the way to work Wednesday, and I had to walk from Haines Road and 59th Ave N. the rest of the way to work. Someone from church was at Cracker Barrel when I got there, and he knew where a bicycle shop was and he got me a quality inner tube. But, in the meantime, I got to tell my coworkers about the saying and, while they were laughing, point out that I got it from my pastor.

After my shift, I got a ride home from another friend from Calvary Chapel (who had actually requested me as a server, but I was cut by the time he came in). While he was finishing up, he said to his waitress, "This is a good man." To which I immediately replied (as he expected me to), "No, I'm not a good man, I'm a redeemed man. The only good that you see in me is Jesus Christ." Thanks, John, for that lead-in. =)

With this inspiring memory in my mind as I worked Friday, I noticed a book held by one of my customers as he took his seat and I greeted him. It's author was L. Ron Hubbard. Yes, that guy.

So, as I took and entered his order, I prayed hard, “Lord, please let me get to this man!” I knew I didn't have a whole lot of time, and I didn't want to neglect my other tables, but I did not want to let this fish get away!!

After I had delivered his food to his table, I asked him, “So, I noticed that you're reading a book by L. Ron Hubbard. Isn't he the founder of Scientology?”

“Yes.”

“Are you a Scientologist?”

“Been one for four years.” Oh, so he's very deceived. Help me, Lord!

I hesitated, but he encouraged me to ask anything I wished about Scientology. So I asked if Dianetics was really a novel. He said that it's a “how-to manual” on the human mind. “So it's psychology?”

“No....If I drove to a mechanic and asked him to define what an engine is, and he couldn't tell me, do you think I would trust that mechanic with my car?” No. “I've asked many psychologists [to define the human mind] and they said they didn't know.”

“Well, that doesn't surprise me. I don't have any faith in psychology.”

Then he proceeded to tell me how Scientology doesn't really require you to believe—it helps you to see. I didn't comment to that, but a verse of Scripture came immediately to mind: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him...” So Scientology is clearly diametrically opposed to Scripture.

But even more than that, it is deceptive. Faith doesn't mean that you believe something that is obviously not even true. Faith is basing your decisions in life on revealed principles (I hope that they are revealed to us by God, or we're in real trouble) without necessarily seeing the results. The reason for having faith is that the One who promised has already proven Himself faithful—trustworthy.

Anyway, I didn't waste time arguing the point with him, because I had other tables to serve. So I excused myself, telling him that I would return. (And it helped him get to enjoy his food before it got cold.) I continued to pray, not knowing which direction to go. I considered using the Good Person Test, but Scientology is full of tests, and I didn't think I had time to administer it and still do well with my other tables.

I had already asked him what he believed about life after death, and he had said that we come back again and do it all over again (which he told me differs from reincarnation by the thought that your status in your next life is not determined by your behavior in this life--we all get a clean slate, according to Scientology); but I knew that if I followed that trail to try to show him how wrong it was, we could be there for hours.

When I finally got back to him, I apologized for not getting back sooner, and I tried to excuse myself, because I had a table waiting for me (fortunately, they were a group of ladies catching up and weren't bothered by the ensuing delay; the Lord blessed me that day with three tables for whom I had unwarranted delays, and another whom I did not serve extremely well, and I still had no complaints; I appreciate grace, but I need to do better), but he stopped me by asking, “So what is it in life that you are trying to accomplish on your own?”

I didn't need a line to turn the conversation. The Lord supplied one through him. “Nothing: I depend on Jesus Christ for everything.”

“That's great. You know, one of the basic tenets of Scientology is that you never change someone else's religion.”

“One of the basic tenets of Christianity is that you seek to change everyone else's religion!”

Then he tried to say that there were all kinds of Christians who were using the principles of Dianetics in order to help people overcome different difficult issues in life.

“The bottom line of Christianity is this: 'What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and yet lose his own soul?' It doesn't matter how good my life is if I end up in the flames.” I thanked him for his time, shook his hand, told him I hoped to see him in Heaven, and bid him adieu.

I didn't get to talk about sin, righteousness, and Judgment, but I think the Holy Spirit was already working on him. I didn't get his name, but you can still pray for him. Thanks for reading.

Aftermath

So Mike is a bit more wary when he's speaking and I'm in the room. I'm guessing that Laura explained the content of our conversation to him about the disrespect that characterizes his (and others') way of speaking. Or he just picked up on the fact that talking about sin makes me talk more about Jesus. =D

I did have a conversation with Jodie Wednesday. She was saying that God wasn't there Sunday night when her ex broke into her house, slashed her tires, and threatened her.

"You're still alive, right? So how wasn't God there?"

She had to think about that. "You know what? You're right!"

"God doesn't stop us from making bad decisions, but that doesn't mean that He abandons [the victims of the crime]." I asked her if she had a Bible. She didn't. She said that one of her customers had given her a Bible a couple of years ago (her first!) but she couldn't understand it. I asked about the translation and offered to get her another one that was a bit easier. She said she'd be delighted.

So I brought it to her Thursday, having picked it up from Chapel Books Wednesday night after service (which was another clarion call message from the Lord; very encouraging). Julian saw me bring it in and set it on the table in the break room (because she was busy at the time, so I just showed it to her from across the line and took it back there with a note on it) and asked her about it. Then he asked me about it. Then he wanted to know if I was Catholic or Christian. Then he wanted to know what the difference between Christianity and Catholicism is. I told him that our Bibles are different (which is very true). And now I have an open door to talk to him further. Leonardo was listening.

Please continue to pray for my coworkers. Thanks for reading.

Expected

Laura, our training coordinator, called me aside Monday. The Lord told me what it was going to be about: my witnessing on the job.

Well, Laura confirmed that in the kindest way possible. She is a Christian herself, and so is our GM, but someone had complained because I was pretty aggressive. So she just told me to wait until they ask me something. I guess I can do that. [smirks]

But it gave me the opportunity to explain my strategy: Cracker Barrel Old Country Store has a “country fresh” environment, by theory. Meaning that profanity and sexual innuendo aren't particularly welcome. Well, it may not be welcome, but it's certainly been abundant! Now, I'm not naïve, I have worked in restaurants before, and I know from experience the kinds of people who are drawn to the restaurant business.

I cannot handle too much verbal filth without sinking into it myself. I used to curse, and words still exit my mouth that I must apologize to the Lord for from time to time, and that is due to my acceptance of the cursing around me. I must resist sin in order not to fall prey to it.

I have two options in my fight: I can make myself the focus by claiming offense, or I can make the focus God by pointing it out as sin. I have, up to this point, chosen the latter. CBOCS policy prefers I do the former. Laura was delighted that I did the latter, but she has a job to do. I had chosen to do the latter because it gets to the root of the problem: if people are not saved, they will do evil without restraint. If they get saved, the Holy Spirit lives inside them to help the overcome sin, as He does in me.

I don't know who complained, but I have clearly witnessed to several of them. Admira actually asked me why I was so fervent about Jesus, and I was able to tell her, “Because Jesus saved me from my sin and gives me power over sin in my life.”

I'll continue to do the former. Laura was even further pleased that I had shown so much restraint by not constantly griping about the dirty talk around me. She was also glad to be apprised of the violations of company policy so that she could do something about it (we might be hiring some new servers). I'm glad it came out, and I went out and had a good night. May you have a good day. Thanks for praying for my coworkers.

International Busyness

No, I haven't been traveling (I'm waaaaaaaaaaay too broke for that), but I have recently signed up to volunteer with Friends of International Students, a ministry of Calvary Chapel Saint Petersburg, that reaches out to the world at our front door. A small group of us (I know of six volunteers, including myself, and the leaders, Dave and Trish Stevenson) set up engaging activities to help students from all over the world practice English so that we can share the love of Jesus with them.

This past Saturday, we went to several museums, as they had come together to offer an open house. I joined the group late because a) I didn't check my email until late, and b) I didn't call to see if they could pick me up on the way--I just took a bus downtown, thinking I could just catch up with them, and, if it had not been for the Lord and the kindness He put into the hearts of the helpful ladies at the Florida International Museum of St Petersburg College, I would have been stranded downtown unless I decided to walk home. All wasn't lost, though--I did get to see some of the spiritual meanings behind many artists' work and why art is such a powerful spiritual medium (hence the Commandment not to make graven images--not saying that that's what all art is, just acknowledging the potency of the forbidden). I also got to speak to a Jehovah's Witness who was drawn by my "Jesus Freak" T-shirt.

Funny, she tried to tell me that she was a Christian. "Really?" I said. "Every Jehovah's Witness I know tells me that Jesus isn't God."

And, of course, she used her cherry-picks just as she has been trained, and I returned with Thomas' worship of Jesus and Peter's refusal of worship from Cornelius: "Peter made Cornelius get up, Jesus didn't do that to Thomas." I am really appreciating Bill Perry for introducing the "Simply the Story" method of teaching the Bible--drawing our conclusions from the real life illustrations of biblical principles recorded in the Bible--to us in the Perspectives class. I hope that sticks with her.

I finally did catch up with the rest of the group. There were four students and, with the addition of me, four volunteers, and two tag-a-longs who brightened the experience (one of the volunteers' son and his school friend; they are 12). We went to the Pier and enjoyed the hats in the hat shop, visited the top level and got a nice view, visited the Aquarium, and then the fishing pier. While on the fishing pier/picnic area, I tried to engage one of the students in a spiritual conversation, but his English isn't great, and the conversation stalled several times and then died. I guess I'm going to have to learn Chinese (he is from Taiwan).

Then we went to the Museum of Fine Arts (more bad religion honored), and I got more looks at my shirt. In fact, I was looking over my shoulder (security guard habit), and I saw these ladies reacting to it. For those of you who have never seen it, it is a bright red T-shirt, with what looks like two taped messages on the front and back. The front says, "Yes, I Am A..." and the back says, "Jesus Freak!!!" and in small blue letters "1 Peter 4:16" [which says, "However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name" (NIV)]. The messages aren't taped at all, but whoever designed the artwork for the screen-printing did a phenomenal job. I've had so many people, including one of the Japanese students Saturday, try to pick at the "tape" to see if it was real.

Anyway, one of the ladies, as soon as I had turned my head, clicked a picture of it with her cell phone to send to her son. During the ensuing conversation (in which her friend got offended because those who hate are considered murderers by God; oh well), I found out that she is Jewish, and, actually, she was appalled at the idea that she needs Jesus. So, why she was so excited about the shirt, I'll never know. I just thank God that I got to witness to her. And right in front of the students, no less!

While going through the displays, Dave struck up a conversation with one of the contractors who was helping with the exhibit. The contractor mentioned that the public has to catch up to art, that artists are often far ahead of the curve, so far that they are thought ludicrous. I said, "That's just like science and the Bible. You know, the Bible says something, and then science has to catch up with it years later." He managed an awkward, "Right." I then walked away. I heard him laughing at me as I did, and he couldn't contain the smile every time he saw me thereafter. Dave later told me that he said to the museum worker standing with him, "Whatever!" I don't think he'll forget that soon. I wish I had had the Gospel tract that shows some proof of that, but I probably could not have handed it to him, anyway, so...

There was room in Dave's van to give me a ride home, so I did not end up stranded. And I had a great time. Please pray for the students as we continue to minister to them. You can contact Dave Stevenson about getting involved with this ministry here in St Pete by contacting me via email, and I'll forward your information to him. Thanks for your prayers!

He Calls Himself a Man of God

I met a man who used to be a pastor. He surprised me when he said he wasn't all that eager to enter Heaven: "I'm not trying to go there too soon." Now, that is something that I would normally agree with, because I would be thinking about 1 John 5:16, the sin unto death. But that's not what he meant.

"I want to get to that threescore and ten years that God has promised me."

"God didn't promise anybody threescore and ten."

"Oh, yes, He did!" Milt was counting Psalm 90:10 as a promise of length of years, but, if you read the verses above it, you see that Moses is acknowledging the fact that God is simply putting up with us to keep us here that long. In fact, Moses isn't calling this a long life, but a short life.

I tried to explain to Milt that, in the beginning, God let men live into the 10th century of their lives. Then, when He was preparing to send the Flood, He said that the years would be dropped to 120 (Genesis 6:1-5), and, here in Psalm 90, Moses is saying that we have so taxed God's patience that He again dropped the age to 70, maybe 80.

But he would have none of it. He tried to tell me how many Bible colleges he's been to (three), how long he's been in ministry (33 years), and how many organizations he's a part of (I forgot). But that doesn't change the fact that he doesn't know what he's talking about, AND his greatest hope isn't Heaven, by his own proclamation.

I will probably see him again. He's Shane's spiritual advisor, and he was picking up Shane's wife and children in order to take them to see Shane in the hospital yesterday (Shane had to be sedated because he hates being in the hospital, so the visit was shortened), and he expressed a desire to "put [me] in [my] place" on the ride there.

If you have had any hesitation about praying fervently for Shane, please drop it now.

Pray for Suzy

So I was online at Panera yesterday morning and a young man dropped off a young lady who was wearing a green T-shirt that read "Green Monstah!" (a reference to the gigantic wall in left field at Fenway Park, Boston, Mass.). I greeted her with, "Oh, no! Are you from Boston?" which is the friendly way to greet a fan from a rival city (both Tampa Bay Rays, who BEAT the Red Sox last year for the AL championship, and the Saint Louis Cardinals, who were swept by the Sox in their 2004 run to the World Series).

I asked her what she was doing there, and she said that she was killing time while her boyfriend (who had dropped her off) was at work. Sweet. "So have you ever taken the Good Person Test?"

She didn't want to admit to stealing, but, once I gave her my example, she agreed that she had done it, too. She was shocked to find out that she is a murderer by God's standard, but I was surprised by her plan for Judgment Day: "Go to church?" Um. Nope.

So I mentioned Jesus, but she didn't understand how that worked. O_o What church was she talking about?

So I asked, "Would you be innocent or guilty before God on Judgment Day?"

"Probably guilty!"

"So what does God do with guilty people on Judgment Day?"

"I don't know...send them to Hell?"

"So what does that say for you?"

"I'm going to Hell."

"And we all deserve that, because we are all guilty before God. That's why God sent Jesus to come live the perfect life. Then, on the cross, God poured out His wrath upon Jesus, during those three hours of darkness, when everyone was silent, because they could feel the presence of God, and they knew He wasn't happy--so that He wouldn't have to pour out His wrath on you and me."

Somehow we started talking about her living situation: she is staying with her boyfriend's family until she goes back to Boston. But she only said that she was living with her boyfriend, so I had to ask. The answer was no, and her reason for it was that she was raised...Mormon. Then she told me that her boyfriend's parents are Christians.

"Wait a minute: They are Christians, and you're not a Christian, and..." I was going to say, "And they let him date you!?" but, before I could say that, she replied, "Well, that depends on how you view the LDS church."

"No, it doesn't. When I asked you what you were going to do about Judgment Day, you didn't say anything about Jesus."

"Well, some people are a little nervous talking to a complete stranger about this kind of stuff."

"Well, ma'am, Jesus said, 'If you deny Me before men, I'll deny you before My Father in Heaven.'"

"But...non-Christians probably won't feel comfortable saying that..."

"Exactly. You see, Faith is knowing, and living out your life with the confidence that He is there and that He has given you victory over sin, and death, and hell, so you just blurt it out!"

"That makes sense. Wow, you make me want to read my Bible."

"Yes!" [double fist-pump extended] "That's what I live for. I want people to go read their Bibles, because , you're right, I am a stranger off the street, I could be lying to you, but, if you have God's Word, then you can't be fooled by anything. ... Jesus said this, 'If you continue in My Word, then you are My disciple indeed (that means that you are actually a Christian), and you shall know the truth (you won't be taken by the devil's lies anymore), and the truth shall make you free (and He means free from sin, as He explains in the verses that follow).'"

She had been standing the whole time we were talking, so I asked her name (Suzy) and her boyfriend's name (I don't remember, but you can pray for him and his whole family: if they really are Christians, then they probably need help discipling her once she does get saved, and, if they are only Christian in name, then they need salvation just as much as she does), and she went inside. Please pray for her soul, and her family's. Thanks for reading.