Thursday, December 31, 2015

Happy New Year - 2016!


Tonight marks the 23rd anniversary of an accident that could have left me paralyzed or in hell. This is my testimony of how I was born again. 

On New Year's Eve '92, I was involved in the party scene. I thought I was living the good life. I had moved to Shreveport to manage the GNC (General Nutrition Center) at Southpark Mall. I had just bought a 1992 Dodge Dakota Sport. I was twenty-three at this time. Before this,I managed the GNC at Pecanland Mall in Monroe, La. I was into working out with weights. I had lost about 65 pounds through exercising and dieting. My friend, John, helped me with working out. In November, my boss asked me if I could transfer to the Shreveport store. I eagerly told him that I could. I was wanting to move up in the company.

I had met a young woman at one of the clubs where I hung out with my friend, Al. We started dating before I moved. She lived in Ruston. I stopped in to see her one day when I was going back to West Monroe to visit. She broke up with me that day. The day before New Year's Eve, she called me to ask us to hold a place for her at the club where we would be at in Monroe.  We all got to the bar that night with partying on our minds. I started drinking mixed drinks. Sometime after midnight, I blacked-out. I remember just bits and pieces of what was to happen after that. I remember walking out to my truck. After that, I remember shutting the passenger door to the truck. Then, I was walking on the other side of the bridge down Trenton Street in West Monroe. Then, I was at the door of Al's apartment. I woke up at 10:00 on New Year's Day. I told Al that we needed to find my truck. I didn't know where it was! We drove around looking for it in West Monroe and Monroe. I finally called the Monroe Police Department to ask If they had towed the truck. The woman on the line told me that it had been towed to Master's Auto Service in Monroe. I went to see it there. The hood and front was crushed in the middle. The owner of the towing company told me that I was fortunate to be alive. I had hit a utility pole on the corner of Pine and Walnut, which was several blocks from the club. The police had pulled some of my hair from the windshield where I had hit with my head. I had walked one mile from where I had wrecked. The officer that worked the accident called me at midnight on January 1st to ask me about what had happened. I lied about what I did, but they knew that I had been drinking. 
I had to go back to Shreveport without transportation. Over the next several months I was dependent  on my parents to come to bring my back home on most weekends. I walked to work sometimes and got a taxi at other times. One day at work I was talking with a regular customer about some of our products. She and her husband worked for the Shreveport Police Department. We ended up talking about church and Jesus. She asked where I went to church. I told her that I was trying to go back to church. She said "You're not doing anything! You better come back to Jesus now! "
There had been others who had witnessed to me before, but her words made me to think. I didn't write the exact date down, but around March the 15th I repented of my sins, asked for forgiveness, and was saved at my apartment in Kingston Village Apartments on Kingston Road! What a change! I got born-again! I told everyone what had happened to me! I couldn't go back to the clubs anymore!
I couldn't listen to the same music anymore! I didn't have the desire to drink anymore! I was a changed man! 
I was able to move back home and get my old job back in April. I started passing out tracts. I went to church whenever I could. I wanted all that the Lord had for me! I wanted to do His will! I met Todd at a revival one night. We passed out tracts at several bars around town. Later, we preached at some of the bars. I was nervous about street preaching, but I was hooked after I did it a few times! I love to tell the story of how the Lord saved me! 
I am thankful that I have had an extension on my life. I should have died and went to hell that night of my accident, but I am alive! I am saved! 
Happy New Year!


Sunday, December 27, 2015

Living For Christ The Rest Of The Year

Living For Christ The Rest Of The Year

Luke 1: 46 - 55

It's always a little sad, isn't it? Christmas is over, and soon decorations will come down and be put away in boxes for the next 11 months. It's like we experience this feel-good high that crashes to the ground.
Unfortunately, that's the way many live the spiritual life, just waiting for the next big event so they can get their feel-good fix. But Mary's first Christmas was anything but feel-good.
Mary sang and praised God for the same reasons that we ought to be singing every day of the year: She sang because of her salvation. Mary knew the challenges that were on the horizon and was getting ready to face some severe scrutiny for turning up pregnant and unwed! And never mind the anguish she was going to cause her family, who would be forced to disown her or face the same rejection.
True praise isn't grounded in your circumstances. So as you unwind from Christmas, don't just settle back into business as usual. Take something special from this Christmas like a better appreciation of who Christ is and what he did. Because while you may celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25th, you should experience the life of Christ every day as he lives through you.

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE SHOULDN'T BE BASED ON FEEL-GOOD EVENTS BUT ON YOUR DAILY RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST.

From - crosswalk.com

Christmas Witnessing - 2015


I've had a great time using tracts this Christmas. Mostly everyone took them. I had a few conversations with some. Most of the time you will never know the results after the tracts are taken.We just  pray that God waters the seeds that are planted and that some will respond to the call to repent & be saved! 

Sunday, December 6, 2015

The 9th Annual Redneck Christmas Parade - West Monroe, La - 12/5/2015



 We had a great day of evangelism at the Redneck Christmas Parade. Bro. JJ, Sis. Tiffany, and I gave out between 600 - 700 tracts and bookmarks. We walked a little over half a mile of the parade route. The tract that we used the most was the Camo Card. There were many people wearing camouflage jackets and clothing. We also gave out Christmas Trivia tracts, Christmas tracts, and The Legend of The Candy Cane bookmarks. Bro. JJ gave a Camo Card to a man who said that he has picked one up at a laundry mat. I saw several people who I knew. (I grew up in that area.) I met a man named Kenny who was delivered from a life of drug addiction. I gave a tract to Daniel at a gas station. He thought that he knew me from somewhere. We only had 2 - 4 who didn't take a tract. Please pray that these seeds will bloom into salvation for many!






Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Monday Witnessing - November 16, 2015





After work: I went to the neighborhood Walmart to pick up something for my wife at the pharmacy. I gave a Give Thanks tract (leftover from last year's tract club) to a man in the parking lot. I left one at the Redbox. Farren, who was working in the pharmacy took one along with two for her co-workers. Jose took the Spanish Yolo tract. He said that he wasn't a Christian. At the Super Walmart, I gave 4 Spanish Yolo tracts to men at the produce section. I spoke with two who said that they were not Christians. In the foyer, John took the May The Lord Be With You tract. Outside, Craig took the Bucket List tract. He said that he didn't know where he was going when he died. I urged him to read the tract and and told him that we were all headed toward the judgement.

There are people everywhere who need the Lord. Don't let opportunities go by. Be prepared to share your faith at all times!

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Saturday Witnessing -November 14, 2015



I met both #DailyTractChallenges for today. One was to give out 14 tracts in honor of Carl's birthday. At Goodwill, I gave Yolo tracts to 3 who were with a Georgia ladies volleyball team. I gave a tract to a man wearing camo at Walmart. Two Spanish men took Yolo tracts when we went in. I gave out a few Football Trivia tracts, one to a man wearing a Washington Redskins jacket. Ralph took a Spanish Yolo tract. He thought that he had seen me somewhere. He said that his wife was a Christian. He had been going to church with her for the last month. A Hindu man took the May The Lord Be With You tract when we were at the checkout. Kimple took the Eternity:Where? tract at Super One when I asked him if he had plans for eternity. He said that he didn't. At Taco Bell, the cashier took the Thank You tract.



Saturday, October 24, 2015

Using The "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!" Tract

This tract was in the October  Bezeugen Tract Club mailing. There are endless places to leave this tract this time of the year. It can be slipped into Halloween bags and  buckets, on Halloween cookies and candy displays, pumpkin pictures and displays, and more. Here are a few places where we have left them this year.  

    
    
    
   

Thursday, October 22, 2015

The Story Of The Million Dollar Eye Test Booth At The Texas State Fair



This is from the site of the Full Gospel Business Men of America. They sponsor the booth - 
We rent a 10’ x 10’ x 10’ outdoor, weather protected, well-lighted, heavy duty canvas booth. It is strategically located on the busiest thoroughfare inside the Fairgrounds across from the world famous fried food vendors. We mount an attention grabbing sign in the booth that says “Take the Million Dollar Eye Test”. People are drawn to the booth to take the test. The test allows us to diagnose their spiritual condition; they are either alive in Christ or dead in their sins. We then proclaim the gospel to those who need it. This gospel proclamation process goes non-stop for 12 hours each of 24 days of the Fair.

We start the conversation like this (idea from Ray Comfort - http://www.christiananswers.net/gospel/goodperson.html)

Would you sell one of your eyes for a million dollars? Would you sell both for $50 million? I’m sure you wouldn’t. Your eyes are priceless, yet they are merely the windows of your soul. What then must your life (soul) be worth?

Then, we take the person through the  law. (The Good Person Test.) 


Tuesday, October 20, 2015

The State Fair Of Texas Gospel Outreach - 2015






My oldest son, Braylyn, and I joined Carl along with students from Gospel For Asia, Darrell Rundus, and several others on Saturday at the State Fair of Texas Gospel Outreach in Dallas. We gave out around 5,000 tracts throughout the day. We had many conversations as people came to take the Million Dollar Eye Test. At least 5 people prayed. Some left when we went from the natural to the spiritual. Several said that they were already saved. We asked them to join the tract club. Carl spoke with two young men who said that they were atheist. Mike said that he would believe if we could answer one question for him. We did, but it wasn't the answer that he wanted. He is real bitter. Please pray for him. Cylandria prayed after I took her through the law and told her about God's grace. We used the "3 minutes to live with a knife in my back" illustration  with several people. After I told one woman that I had broke all the commandments and was dying, she said "You're in trouble!" and walked off. You should have seen the look on another woman's face! Kimberly and her daughter were about to leave the fair when they stopped by the booth. She came back after our 1st conversation to inquire about the Ten Commandment coins. She then said that they were Catholic, but didn't believe in purgatory. She had a few reservations. She thanked me for being there and believed that God had put her in our path. Please pray for her family. This was my third year to be at this outreach. It is always an encouraging time.











Monday, October 5, 2015

The Story Of The Eternity: Where? Tract

The Eternity Where tract made its debut in the October 2015 mailing of the Bezeugen eternity where icon

Tract Club. Scott recalls, “A few months back, I was thinking about another idea for a tract. I remembered a sermon illustration that my pastor, Tracy Boyd, had used years ago. He got it from a sermon called “Eternity” by J. Wilber Chapman.”

This is that illustration: The old cobbler sat day after day on his little bench, hammering away at the shoes, and before him was an old-fashioned clock. After a while he thought that the pendulum of the clock was speaking to him and he heard it say as it swung one way, – Eternity, and when it went the other way, – Where? And the old clock became a preacher and he heard it speaking like this:

“Eternity, where? Eternity, where?

The question is a solemn one. Eternity, where?

I messaged Carl about putting the words “Eternity: Where” on the front of a tract. He designed the lettering with the clouds in ” eternity” and the flames in “where”. The result is an eye catching design with a solid Gospel message.

We pray that the Eternity Where tract will be useful in sharing the Gospel with the lost.


Saturday, October 3, 2015

The Ark-La-Miss Fair Outreach - Oct. 2, 2015

We had a great time at the Ark-La-Miss Fair outreach on Friday night with a group of seven. Bro. Charles McGuire, Bro. JJ Austin and his new bride, Sis. Tiffany, Bro. Jonathan Day, Braylyn (my son), Bro. Stephen (Braylyn's friend), and myself gave out around 1700 tracts. We had several conversations and Bro. JJ did open air preaching. The tracts that we used were the Million Dollar Eye Test, MyCard, Got Peace?, and the What Happens After #Yolo?. We didn't have too many rejects. One young man named Charlestom told me that he was going to hell. He took a Yolo tract. Please pray for fruit from this outreach. 




Sunday, September 27, 2015

Saturday Witnessing - 9/26/15


Yesterday, I went to a National Hunting and Fishing Day event with my sons and Lance. We gave out around 30 Camo Cards as went to the booths and activities. At one table where Lance gave them out, I heard a man say "The book doesn't say that you have to go to church."
That evening at the mall, I gave the Yolo tract to Kevin as we were going in. I gave the Camo Card to several Camo wearers there. Two ladies at Raising Cane's received the Thank You tract. At Game Stop, I gave the new MyCard to Jamarius at the counter. He had John 3:16 tattooed on his left arm. I used that to start the conversation. His mother has cancer. He said that he was a 6 on a scale of 1 - 10 in being spiritual. A Spanish man took the Spanish Yolo as we were leaving. At Circle K, I gave out a tract to the cashier, a man going out, and to Will at the pumps.