Witnessing Offsets: Resolution for a Guilt-Free New Year

Are you afraid (2 Timothy 1:7) to share your faith with others? or perhaps you are too busy with your business (Matthew 22:5), farm or family (Matt. 19:29) to take the time to fulfill the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19,20) which Jesus commanded us to do. Or maybe you're just lazy (Matt. 25:26).

If you fall into one of those catagories but still think you are a Christian, I have good news for you: Witnessing Offsets! An idea borrowed from the environmental movement (see carbon offsets) we have come up with a way for you to help advance the Kingdom of God without actually getting involved. If you are not able to witness for God you can donate to us & we will witness for you! No having to deal with funny looks, tough questions & rude rejections. When you invest in witnessing offsets we will deal with all that. Now for a limited time we are making an introductory offer of 5 (five) witnessing encounters for only $3.16 (John 3:16) per sinner. Yes, for a initial donation of $15.80 (John 15:8) we will witness to five people as you contribute to bearing fruit for the kingdom of God. Thereafter for a suggested donation of $6.12 (Mark 6:12) per lost person we will go to the streets and speak repentance to them. What a great way to start the new year by allowing someone else to fulfill your spiritual obligation so you can spend your time doing the important things in life without feeling guilty. So get started today!

Introductory offer: $15.80 for 5 sinners ($3.16 per sinner)

All future witnesses: $6.12 per sinner

We will eventually figure out how you can donate on line, but in the mean time make checks payable to: Green Meadow Church of God, reference: Evangelism 101

Mail checks to:

Evangelism 101

c/o Green Meadow Church of God

P.O. Box 294

Alcoa, TN 37701

Confessions of a Weak Christian

A young man recently was found lying unconscious on the floor in his living room from an apparent drug overdose. Still in the hospital as of this writing, the prognosis doesn't look good. We can think to ourselves, "He brought this on himself, each of us is responsible for his own actions." I guess that is true, but the thing that keeps going through my head is, this young man has visited our house many times when he was a boy & has stopped by to visit us recently also. As many times as I have seen this young man I have never told him about the saving grace of Jesus Christ. As many people over the years I have talked to about God I have never explained to this young man who has come to my house that he should repent of his sins. Why did I not do that? Forgive me Lord.

He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9b

We must work while it is still day.

I went downtown by myself to witness last night & let fear grip me. There was a purpose for Jesus sending his disciples out in twos. Doubts and excuses filled my head & I missed opportunities more than once. Why? I don't know. I remember reading about John Wesley & his travel how many times he fell off his horse. I left downtown & walked back to my car at the park. God had mercy on me. Two guys were shooting basketball at on of the courts. I walked up to them, gave them a track, spoke to them about eternity, the Law, sin, judgement,hell, the Cross, repentance, and faith. Lord help me when I fall off that horse, to get back on and ride.

Intelligent Design "Expelled" from Science

Ben Stein's movie/documentary "Expelled" should be interesting showing how hard the left is fighting to keep Creationism/Intelligent Design from being studied or even discussed.

Holiday Show for Atheists, Agnostics & Pagans

For all of you out there who are upset over Mitt Romney's speach not being inculsive of athiests & agnostics, you can take comfort in knowing there was a holiday show for you. No, I am not talking about The Golden Compass, what I wanted to mention was a TV show I saw today. I was sitting with the family tonight flipping through the channels to see if there were any Christmas shows on we noticed Channel 8 had "Frosty the Snowman" coming on at 8 (you know, the cartoon with Jimmy Duranti as the narrator). After the they had a new (new to me anyhow) sequel called "Frosty Returns". Jonathan Winters was the narrator & John Goodman was Frosty. The cartoon was illustrated very similarly to the "Peanuts" characters, which made sense when I saw that Bill Melendez was producing it. I believe he produced most, if not all of the "Peanuts" shows. As with most cartoon sequels, there was way too much singing & the songs weren't very good. But what really caught my attention was a little Linus-type character who was talking to a girl about going outside in the snow when he said, "Let's go out and make a fertility goddess." After that I paid closer attention & seemed to notice an AlGorian message about the dangers of "no snow". All the "bad" kids wanted 10 months of summer and snow only one day a year: the day of the "Winter Festival". No mention of Christmas at all. The decorations they had out for the festival looked more like something you would have at a county fair than anything Christmasy (is that a word?). Stalin would have been so proud. I guess I shouldn't be suprised of anything coming out of the TV industry though. There will be a re-airing of this show Wednesday December 19 at 8:30 on WVLT channel 8.

Whom Did God Call?

While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" (Matthew 9:10,11)

Handing out gospel tracks on the streets the other night and as three people passed by I tried to give them a million dollar bill track. One of them, a man with a "Miller Beer" t-shirt on under his leather jacket said, "That's fake" & they laughed & went on. It was getting late & I had just about decided to head back to my car when I thought I should just stand there on the sidewalk a minute. I noticed way up the street the three people (two men & a woman) were heading back toward me. The guy in the middle was about 6'6" & at least 300 pounds. I thought to myself, "I'm either going to get the _____ beat out of me or I am going to witness to these people." Luckily for me it was the latter. After having a good conversation about repentance, getting into the Word, and examining "...yourself, to see whether you are in the faith;..." (2 Corinthians 13:5) the big guy told me, "You know, Jesus didn't just hang out at church, he went to where the drunks and the sinners were, and here you are!" What a priviledge!

On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healty who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Matthew 9:12,13)

Read what George Macleod of Scotland said:

I simply argue that the cross should be raised at the center of the marketplace as well as the steeple of the church. I am recovering the claim that Jesus was not crucified in a cathedrel between two candles, but on a cross between two thieves; on the town's garbage heap, at a crossroad, so cosmopolitan thay had to write His title in Hebrew and in Latin and in Greek. In a kind of place where cynics talk smut, and soldiers gamble. Because that is where He died. And that is what He died for. And that is what He died about. That is where church-men ought to be and what church-men ought to be about.

We need to work while it is still day.

Archeology Substantiates the Bible

One reason mant people give for not wanting to believe the Bible is that they say there is no historical or physical evidence to back up what the Bible says. The only reason for that is we don't have all the information, yet. But the more that is researched on the subject, the more evidence is found in favor of the Bible. Look at the link on this recent study:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071130/ap_on_sc/israel_jerusalem_dig Not that we need proof, but it gets found because it is true.