A Trip to Wal-Mart

As I walked by the check-out aisle I noticed a lady sitting next to a demo table. I started a conversation (asking how many she had sold) and we chatted for a while. I gave her a tract and a ten commandment coin, and we began working through the commandments. Another Wal-Mart employee showed up (she was going to take over the demo table for the other lady) and all three of us discussed the commandments. Both of them had a Christian background but neither was living for the Lord. Both understood the basics of salvation, but their walk with the Lord was questionable. In fact, one of them believed a person could be “saved” – but not quite yet “delivered” from sin. A lot of our discussion focused on repenting and obeying – along with the tests for salvation in I John. We talked about a person being securely in Jesus’ hands when they are saved – and that NO ONE can take them out of the Lord’s hand. We talked quite a bit about false converts, and how many of Jesus’ parables dealt with false converts (the wheat and the tares, the sheep and the goats, the soil, etc.). Considering the one lady wasn’t attending church and wasn’t reading her Bible, I encouraged her to seriously consider her salvation. I asked if I were to give her a Bible – would she read it? She surprised me by saying she would. I showed her how the chain of Scriptures that deal with salvation work, bent down the page that starts the chain of Scriptures, and also wrote that page number in the front. I gave both of them the more detailed “Are You Good Enough to Go To Heaven?” tracts – and then moved on.

The jewelry counter was next – a watch battery needed to be replaced. I talked with the worker behind the counter as she replaced the battery, and after awhile I gave her a Million Dollar Bill tract and we began through the good person test. She wasn’t quite as open as some, but was still receptive. After a minute or two, the phone rang and she had to go over to the Shoe Department to look something up for a customer. We had almost finished the “bad news” portion of the gospel – so I summarized the rest quickly and encouraged her to get a Bible and seek the Lord with her whole heart.

It didn’t take long to find the rest of the items I needed, and I was glad that the lines weren’t long. As I checked out I gave the checker a Titanic tract – for which he thanked me.

While I was paying, a checker in the next line over said “Aren’t you the guy with the million dollar bills?” I said I was – and asked if she had one. She did.

When I was done paying for my purchases, I stopped over at her register and asked if she accepts large bills. She said they do, and I said I had one for her. I pulled out the Giant Thousand Dollar Bill Tract and she was excited. I again pointed out the gospel on the back and she turned it over and started reading it. A mother and her 11 year-old daughter were just finishing up paying and the mother said she’d be interested in one of those. I said that was all I had, but I did have some Million Dollar Bills. She was even more excited about the Million Dollar Bill – and her daughter wanted one as well. I also gave the daughter an IQ test.

The checker with the Giant Thousand Dollar Bill tract was interested in our church information – and I shared that the tracts are about getting right with God and not attending church – that a person can attend church all their life and still spend eternity in hell. She readily agreed. I did share the time our church meets – but, again, encouraged her that the real issue is a person’s heart.

The “problem” with Sharing Christ while doing routine errands is that routine errands take quite a bit longer – but what better way is there for spending our time?

Phone Rejection…

Phone rejections seem to occur more often than tract rejections. I was in the process of ordering some products for a client, and had questions about the vendor’s web site that I was using to place the order. I called in and talked with Jennifer – who was helpful. It was a very short conversation, and at the end, I didn’t ask about the Good Person test because I felt she would be closed. As soon as I hung up I wished I had at least tried.

Later, as I was finishing up the order on the web site, I ran into additional problems and called back – again, Jennifer answered my questions. This time, after discussing business I asked about the Good Person test. She had never taken it before – but when I asked if she had just a minute she said no… I said that was OK, thanked her for her help, and life went on.

Rejection is never pleasant, but I need to remember that they aren’t rejecting me, but the Lord. On top of that, it’s important to realize that people are busy with work, they are being paid by their employer to do a job, and it might very well be that they don’t have time.

First SOULWINNING Outing - A Report!

Today was the first day that I went out and went “soul winning”. It was a very interesting experience, and I was surprised at how things went…

Yesterday, my sister, while out at lunch with a relative, ran into a believer from a nearby church that shared he was going soul winning in a nearby large town on Saturday afternoon – and that I (or any others) was welcome to join him. My heart confirmed that it would be a good thing to do, so I called him that evening and we talked through the plans.

The idea was to meet up with some other believers, drive to a spot in the city that has a lot of people (a popular shopping district): set up a table with free hot cocoa near the park fountain (with a sign asking “are you going to heaven?”), those at the table would share with the people that stopped for something warm to drink, while others would head out in groups of two and pass out tracts and witness throughout the shopping district.

I rode with the brother into the city and everyone then met at another brother’s house. As we got out of our vehicle to go inside and meet, I noticed two young boys playing football next door. I grabbed a few tracts and went over. I asked if they were playing tackle football, and they said “yes.” I asked what would happen if they were tackled on the cement, and they simply shrugged their shoulders. I pulled out a million dollar bill tract and offered it to them – they were duly impressed. I then pulled out an IQ test (“paris in the the spring”) and went through that. It took them several tries before they saw the double words! I then explained what was on the back of the cards, and began going through the good person test with them.

I found out their ages (9 and 10) as we went through the test. They both readily acknowledged breaking the various commandments. Despite both of them having attended Catholic church, neither one of them had any idea of the good news of the gospel – and they both acknowledged concern over their eternal destiny in hell. I spent 10 to 15 minutes sharing the gospel with them, and encouraged them to get right with God while they are young. I gave them some more in-depth tracts, told them that everything I was sharing was from the Bible, and encouraged them to read it and to find a relationship with Christ. As I headed over to the house we were meeting in, they both thanked me and returned to their game.

After we had a time of prayer and planning at the brother’s house, we set out for the shopping district. We found parking, and loaded up with tracts. Once we were set (while still in the parking lot), I noticed two young fellows walking towards their car to leave the parking lot. I hustled over to them (one was already in the car, but the passenger had only opened his door to get into the car) and asked if he had ever been given a million dollar bill. He hadn’t – and thought it was very cool. I asked if he’d ever taken the good person test, and he said no. I asked if he was a good person, and he said yes. I’ve found it’s a lot more fun to take two friends through the good person test, because you can bounce questions off either one – so I then asked him if his friend in the car was a good person – he said he wasn’t (with a big laugh). I asked his friend if he also wanted to take the good person test, and he said “sure” – so he got out of the car and came around to talk with us.

We had a great time going through the test –as the one fellow continued painting his friend with a broad, black brush! I finally asked him what he was doing with him as a friend – and we all laughed. After the test, they acknowledged a destiny in hell, and that it concerned them. As we talked, the conversation was still upbeat and friendly, but you could see a visible shift as they became more serious and somber. They were truly listening and thinking. We discussed the various methods people use to try and “pay for their fine” (from promising to not break the law in the future, to confessing their guilt, to attempting to bribe the judge with good words), and they could see the futility of each. I then shared the gospel with them, and they appeared to understand. I asked if they had Bibles, and they both did. I encouraged them to read in the book of John – and to not delay in getting right with God. At the end, they thanked me for sharing and then headed off.

As we were walking back through the parking lot a couple rejected a million dollar bill tract, but another couple (with a child) accepted it. Two other young fellows were over by their sporty little car chatting – so I went over and asked if they would like a million dollar bill. They both did. We talked, and neither had taken the good person test – so we started into it. They caught on rather quickly and had fun with it. But, they, too, became more serious as we discussed the consequences to those “commandments” that were fun to joke about breaking. I again shared the various man-centered approaches to God (confession, seeking to do better, and good works) and they agreed that those don’t erase the penalty. I then shared the gospel and encouraged them to get right with God before it is too late. They were receptive and listened attentively (and interjected their thoughts as we talked – it wasn’t a one-way conversation!). We probably talked for about 10 minutes, and then I left them with some more in-depth tracts.

So far, we hadn’t gotten out of the parking lot, and, including the two boys playing football, had already been able to share with 6 people! I had a suspicion, though, that we were doing far better than we would when we got to the shopping district.

In crossing the street we stopped at the island in the middle of the intersection to talk with the homeless man that was holding a sign and asking for money. I said the only thing I could share with him had to do with his eternal destiny, and gave him the million dollar bill – which he thought was great. We started talking, and again worked through the good person test, followed by eternal destiny (hell), and then the gospel. It was probably 10 or 15 minutes of interaction in the middle of the intersection. I again encouraged him to get right with God, and not to simply say a prayer and go to church and be like a hypocrite. He agreed that churches are full of people that go to church on Sunday and then cuss and swear and live dishonest lives the rest of the week – and he agreed that God wanted more than that. Supposedly this man has a master’s degree in biology – and I was inclined to believe him. I’m not sure why he was on the street, but he wasn’t anything like so many whose minds are ruined by drugs and alcohol. Before we left I asked if I could pray with him and he said ‘yes.’ In prayer, I asked God to open his eyes and reveal to him his condition before God, his breaking of the commandments (as we all have), and that he will stand before a righteous judge when he dies. I asked that God would reveal Himself and His Son Jesus to him, and that he would turn over his life to Christ, and would live for Him. Afterwards, he thanked me and we headed off.

We met another homeless person with a sign on the other side of the intersection and tried to talk with him, but he was less communicative and seemed to have a mind that was dulled with drugs or alcohol. We gave him a million dollar bill and started to talk with him, but after awhile he said he wasn’t interested. I said it was fine – he didn’t have to talk with us – but encouraged him to get right with God before it is too late and to read the back of the million dollar bill.

We then arrived at the fountain and talked with the brothers at the table for a few minutes. The initial plan had been an hour and a half in the shopping district, but we only had about 45-60 minutes left. So, we set out.

I have never had so many rejections in trying to hand out tracts or share the gospel as I did in that upscale shopping district. It was amazing! At times, it was actually hard to pass out a million dollar bill – sometimes there would be three or four rejections in a row before someone would accept it!

I was paired up with a younger brother from another family, and we were simply walking around trying to start conversations and pass out tracts. The million dollar bill made a great ice breaker, but it was also nice anytime someone had a dog (I like dogs and enjoy meeting them – although not all of them enjoy meeting me) and we could talk about that. Despite the many rejections, we were able to share with a number of people. Several started through the good person test but would leave as they started to feel conviction. Others went through and heard the gospel and understood it, but it wasn’t resonating within. Several times in sharing with a couple, the lady would be receptive whereas the man wouldn’t be. Or perhaps the mother would be open, but the father would say they needed to run along. I would always apologize for interrupting – and then they would say it was no problem and no interruption (but they still were heading off!).

The challenge was starting conversations with people. I tried to say “Hi!” to almost everyone we passed, and started a number of conversations that didn’t go anywhere.

At the designated time we met back at the table. Several of the brothers went to get the vehicles so they could load everything up. I noticed a lady with a pit bull over by the fountain and asked if anyone had shared with her yet. Since no one had, I headed over.

A bonus when sharing with some that has a pet dog is being able to meet the dog. Keep in mind that not all dogs are friendly – I’ve had several nip at me while I held out my hand to them. Turns out the pit bull was still a puppy (just shy of 1 year old) and was very friendly.

The lady accepted a million dollar bill and then we went through the good person test. When it got to innocence/guilt and heaven/hell she quickly said heaven because God has forgiven her. As we talked further, she mentioned her father was a minister. From our discussion I somewhat doubted whether she had a proper understanding of salvation and whether she was living for Jesus (two clues: she was smoking a cigarette while we talked, and she isn’t in the Word very often) – but it was still a good opportunity to share. We talked for about five minutes, and I encouraged her to be in the Word on a daily basis. I left her with a “Are You Good Enough to Go to Heaven” tract and then rejoined the group.

Interestingly enough, in summary, I found out that:
- Setting aside a time to go “soul winning” doesn’t make the process any easier, it is still difficult to approach strangers.
- As a result of an afternoon of “soul winning”, I was able to share the plan of salvation with about 15 people (and the majority of those were VERY open and realized their need).
- Having someone along with you can bolster your confidence.
- There appeared to be more success in the parking lot, neighborhood, and fountain area rather than in the shopping district.

Two Phone Calls - Two Chances to Share

While making two phone calls this morning related to business I was able to share the complete plan of salvation with two customer service representatives that were very open and receptive to their need for salvation.

The first – after calling and ordering some product for our business, at the end of our phone call, I asked the lady if she had ever taken the ‘good person’ test. She hadn’t. I said it would only take a minute or two, and that if other calls were coming in and she needed to go – it wouldn’t be a problem and she should just let me know. We went through the commandments and she acknowledged guilt in each area. She was hoping to go to heaven, though, due to her confession and repentance. After hearing the courtroom analogy she readily agreed that simply confessing and repenting doesn’t change the fact a crime was committed. We probably spent 5 or 7 minutes, total, discussing her soul as she was very receptive. I encouraged her to repent and give her life to Christ before it is too late.

The second – I needed to call one of our major software vendors to discuss product registration questions. I called their 800 number and immediately got through (which was very nice). It didn’t take long to have my questions answered, at the end it was perfect, because the rep asked if there was anything else she could help me with. I said everything relating to the software was squared away, but I wondered if she had ever taken the good person test. She hadn’t – and I said it would only take a minute, and if other calls were coming in and she needed to go to just let me know… I even gave her a heads-up warning that everyone tends to fail the test – but I said it was fun and had a moral at the end.

I asked if she felt she was a good person, and she said yes. I asked if I could ask a few questions to see if that was true – and then asked if she was familiar with the 10 commandments. She wasn’t! I said most people are, and surely she has heard of some of them. I said one of them is “thou shalt not lie” and asked if she has ever lied – she had. I asked what that would make her, and she said a “temporarily bad person.” True, I said, but particularly, if I told lies what would she call me. She said it wouldn’t be a “liar” unless she knew the background information behind the lie. I said, “Isn’t it true that if I murder someone I’m a murdered, and if I lie, I’m a liar?” She agreed… So, we moved on to stealing, which she readily admitted. She had a hard time coming up with the word for someone that steals (a thief), so I helped her. Next was taking God’s name in vain, which she also readily admitted. For the fourth one, I actually gave her a choice – she could choose between murder and adultery. She laughed and said ‘murder’, but was a bit more serious as we went through the fact that God doesn’t simply see what we do, but also what we think. She acknowledged being angry at people, and laughed as we reviewed her confessed condition: a lying, thieving, blasphemous, murderer at heart. When asked about guilt before God, she said she would definitely be guilty, and when asked about heaven or hell, she didn’t outright answer but said it is something that concerned her.

We continued talking about how to “fix the problem” – and went through:
- Confession (won’t help a guilty criminal)
- Trying not to do it again (won’t help a guilty criminal)
- Doing good works (won’t help a guilty criminal – as it is considered either bribery or irrelevant to the case at hand)

We talked then about the good news of the gospel, and I encouraged her to repent, acknowledge her sin to God, cry out for His mercy, turn from the sin she’s involved in, give her life completely to Him, and start reading her Bible.

One very interesting aspect of the conversation was the opportunity to warn her of the seriousness of giving her life to Christ. We talked about hypocrites that go to church and know about Jesus, but haven’t been changed by Him – and how that would be similar to jumping out of a plane knowing that a parachute would save you, but not actually PUTTING IT ON. I encouraged her that, when she repents and “puts on Jesus” – her life will change. As we had been talking about the gospel, she had she shared about her “roommate”, who was her best friend. She lives in the same house (or apartment) as he for financial reasons – yet their relationship is completely platonic. His parents were very upset when he moved out of their house and in with her – and even had him meet with a pastor (who basically sided with the young man and agreed he needed to grow up at some point and move out?!?).

I was very surprised that this issue would come up, and was trying to seek the leading of the Holy Spirit in even sharing with her. Generally, as a young man, when sharing with someone that is a young lady, I have generally shared over the phone the first time - but will not follow-up (e-mail or future phone calls) with them to avoid the appearance of evil in my own life; but, if they are interested in follow-up, will encourage them to talk with my mother or sister.

In this instance, I felt the Lord giving boldness to address the issue that she had brought up. It's interesting how often, in talking with a guilty sinner, they will bring up the issue that is weighing on their heart. In talking with her, she agreed that such a living arrangement gave the appearance of evil. As we talked about giving her life to Christ and then fully obeying Him, I shared that one of the first things that would likely change would be the living arrangement – and the difficulty and challenges that would come as a result. And yet, the Lord would give her grace as she obeyed, and she would never regret obeying the Lord once she gave her life to Him.

Another Trip to the Homeless Mission

First time going to the Mission with a supply of tracts. We brought the Titanic story tract and handed them out with home-made cookies as the men came out of the kitchen with their lunch. I don’t believe anyone turned down the tract, and it was good to see how many were reading their tracts.

Before the service started I saw a young African-American gentleman sitting near the front. I went over and gave him an IQ tract and said he would enjoy reading it. We chatted and I brought up the 10 commandments to see if he had kept them. We talked for a while and he admitted guilt, but he didn’t seem to be fully into the conversation. A number of others around us appeared to be listening, and at one point another gentlemen interjected by saying, “Why all this talk about judgment?” I reminded him that we all will eventually die and face judgment, and we’d better prepare now – and switched back to the conversation. I encouraged him to get right with God before it is too late. My goal was to plead with him, not preach at him.

One interesting part of the “good person test” – when I was talking about how anger is similar to murder, he shared that he had NEVER been angry with someone, so he wasn’t guilty of committing murder in his heart. A few minutes later, he was chatting with his buddy next to him, and the subject of the “yellow-vested city workers” came up (I believe these on police or city workers that are attempting to clean up the city and have encounters with the homeless). He said that he wished someone with a gun would go out and take care of them because he can’t stand them. I was absolutely floored, and reminded him that just minutes ago he had professed to be innocent of ever being angry with someone, and here he was – not only angry – but so angry with people that he wanted them to be dead. A perfect picture of someone that is committing murder in their heart!

I didn’t think our conversation had much of an impact on him, but after the service he shared with Dad that he had been deeply convicted by the Lord that he should be living for Jesus – and here he was at 32 years of age (I had shared I was 26) and there was no reason why he couldn’t live right. I was very encouraged to think he had been listening.

After the service and after passing out the tracts and cookies I went around the room to see who was interested in talking. It always seems very difficult to start a conversation with someone. Some of the fellows are open – others are very closed. I’ve had people get up and leave in the middle of conversations before!

I never got past small talk with a few men (I commented on either the food, the weather, the service, or the Titanic tract and would see what their response was). Eventually an older Hispanic gentlemen was open to conversation so we talked for awhile. I asked him about his background (he was a Catholic) and I said he should be familiar with the ten commandments. He was, although he said he couldn’t name them. I laughed and said I couldn’t until recently, and had just started learning them. I asked if he felt he has kept them, and he said “most”. I asked if we could go through some of them, and he said yes. We went through lying, stealing, blasphemy, and murder – all of which he admitted to (in action, or in his heart). He seemed genuinely open as we talked about guilt, judgment, and hell – so we then talked about salvation, and repenting of our sins, turning from them, and giving our entire life to Jesus. I encouraged him to read his Bible and to seek Jesus with his whole heart. He then had a work detail to join, so I prayed with him – he thanked me, and headed off.

It wasn’t quite time to leave yet, so I headed over to another table that still had a few fellows at it. It was about half-way back from the front, and since there was a Bible open on it I asked if this was the ‘Godly’ table where men sat that were seeking the Lord. They laughed and a few of the guys gave different responses. I asked if anyone had read the Titanic tract and we talked about that for a few moments… One gentleman in particular seemed open so I carried on the conversation with him – asking if he had gone through the “good person” test during the message. He wasn’t fully familiar with the ten commandments, but was open to the questions. He readily admitted guilt and an eternity in hell, and said he was in the process of seeking Jesus. He said he was struggling with ‘letting go.’ What a blessing to talk with someone who knows in his heart what is right and is seeking for it! I encouraged him to stay in the Word and continue until he has given up everything and only has Jesus.

On the way back from the Mission we stopped for a soda and chips. While checking out we talked with the clerk – and Dad offered to buy him a candy bar. He declined, but commented on Dad being a “nice guy”. I asked him if he was a nice guy as well, and he said “yes”. I asked if he was good enough to get to heaven and gave him the tract with the same title. I said it had a fair amount of text in it but was something everyone should read through. He took the tract and said he would definitely read it through later on.

Another failure…

While stretching after my walk I noticed a repairman getting tools out of his truck at a nearby house. The Lord prompted me to go over and give him some tracts and perhaps run through the “Good Person” test, but I delayed. By the time I was ready to get up and head over, he was already heading back into the house. If I had obeyed the Lord the first time, the fellow would have been there while I walked over…

One Month Report!

Over the past month as I’ve started to obey the Lord’s command to share with others, I’ve been keeping track of some numbers. The numbers have been overwhelmingly encouraging (very few rejections, and even those were minor ones where a person would usually say “ No thanks” when offered a tract).

Here is the good news:

Total:

Tracts: 155
Individual People: 97
Led to witness: 6
“Thank you”: 84
Simply accepted: 9
Rejected: 4

Phone Sharing (with telemarketers or customer service reps)
Open: 17
Closed/cold: 1
Plan of salvation: 8
Already saved: 6

Complete strangers who heard the entire gospel plan (most would first admit they were headed for hell, some were phone based, some were simply conversations): 20

The bad news is that, as a result of not being faithful, if I were to total up how many months have passed since I turned 18 and was somewhat an adult, the following numbers represent about how many people didn’t hear the gospel because of me:

Total: (from the time I was 18 through 26 – about 100 months of not faithfully sharing)

Tracts not given: 15,500
Individual People: 9,700
No witness: 600
Not thanked: 8,400
Not accepted: 900
Not rejected: 400

Phone sharing that never occurred
Open: 1,700
Closed/cold: 100
Plan of salvation: 800
Already saved: 600

Complete strangers who DIDN’T hear the gospel plan: 2,000

What an amazingly convicting set of numbers.

I wonder how many people will read these numbers and yet continue to build up numbers in the “tracts not passed out” section.

Visiting a Hospital

An elderly lady in our church (which meets at a nursing home) fell and broke her hip on Friday (at the same Wal-Mart, about the same time I was also there). The Lord put it on my heart to visit her on Sunday afternoon – so my brother and I drove the hour to the hospital she was in (a beautiful, state of the art facility!). I brought a supply of tracts, several New Testaments, my Bible, and a balloon pump and balloons.

During the visit we talked, prayed, read Scripture, and I made up some balloon flowers. She was encouraged by us taking the time to stop by – even though she was in a lot of pain!

Following that we stopped by the nurse’s station and asked if they had anyone else on the floor that might be interested in a balloon or two. She introduced us to an elderly lady and we talked while I made some balloons. Afterwards I asked if she had a Christian background (she did), and I said I had some gospel tracts that she might enjoy reading (people in hospitals don’t have much else to do). I left her with a few tracts and checked back in at the nurse’s station. The nurse that was there said all the other nurses were gone right then and suggested we check in at the nurse’s station at the other end of the floor.

On the way down we passed a room with an open door and noticed an older gentlemen sitting in the bed reading the paper. I stopped, stepped in, and asked if he’d like a balloon. He wondered who the balloon was for, and I asked his name. It was Mike. I said the balloon was for Mike – so we talked and I made a few balloons. He was lonely (no family) and grateful for the visit. I left him with some tracts (and the balloons).

We went on to the next nurse’s station and when I explained I had some time if they knew of someone that wanted a balloon, the nurse jokingly said she would – so, I gave her a million dollar bill tract (which she was grateful for). She checked one room and the lady wasn’t available, but suggested we head into a different room and visit bed #2.

The room had a number of people in it (both beds were occupied and both people had visitors). It is a little bit disconcerting to walk into a room of strangers! I did so (walking past bed #1 and around the curtain to bed #2 – asking if it was OK for us to come on in) and said I had just finished visiting a friend with a broken hip, and that I had a few extra minutes and some spare balloons, and that the nurse had suggested we stop in – I said I’d make him a balloon unless he was too old for those types of things. He laughed and said he definitely was too old, but was interested in one anyways. I introduced myself and my brother and found out his name – along with his visitors (family members). We talked and laughed while I attempted to make a deer balloon (it was a deer with antlers, front legs, and a body – but no back legs or tail since I ran out of balloon!) and then made a parrot. After the visit I asked if he had a Christian background and offered some tracts. I said they were Biblically based and weren’t from a cult or anything weird – he was very interested. They were grateful for the visit, balloons, and tracts, as we headed out…

We stopped then at bed #1 and did the same routine – explained why we were there, introduced ourselves, and asked if he would like a balloon. We again talked and laughed while doing some balloons and then left them with some gospel tracts before heading out.

Errands Take Longer...

Sharing with others can lengthen the time it takes to run errands - sometimes quite a bit!

I had to run some errands over lunch. I stopped back by the dry-cleaner and talked with the same lady as last week. I asked if she had read the tracts and she said ‘yes’. I asked if she had gotten right with God and she said ‘no’. I said “Isn’t that taking an awfully big risk? Because you could die at any moment” – and she agreed. I left her the Ray Comfort “Save Yourself some Pain” tract and said I would be praying for her.

Then, it was off to Wal-Mart. I gave a lady I passed in the store a million dollar bill and pointed out the gospel message on the back – she thanked me for it. After checking out I gave the checker a million dollar bill and an IQ test – she was appreciative of both and started to read them right then (no one else was in line behind me). She laughed about the fact that it was one of those IQ tests that has trick questions, but I also encouraged her not to skip the important one about the gospel. She asked if there were answers on the back as she flipped it over – I told her not to read the answers first!

As I was leaving a fellow was outside the door having a cigarette. I asked if he had gotten one of the million dollar bills before, and he said ‘yes’ (but he still took it). I said that was fine, he could pass this one on to someone else, and pointed out the gospel message on the back. He asked what church we go to, and we started talking. It wasn’t long before the good person test came up (he was a nominal Catholic that was, as he admitted, headed for hell). I gave him a New Testament and showed him how to follow the chain of Scriptures that discuss salvation.

In the parking lot I asked two ladies if they would like a ticket to heaven, the one looked at the other and they kept walking past without accepting it – the other lady called back “we’re all going to heaven”. Two lessons learned:

1. Don’t say it’s a ticket to heaven, simply hand it to them and ask “Did you get one of these?” They probably won’t be as defensive, or perhaps they’ll ask what it is...
2. Also, the proper response when someone says that everyone is going to heaven is to ask “Even murders?” That way, if they keep walking off they at least have the question in their mind that not everyone is going to heaven.

This Time – No Failure

I was a few minutes late in leaving for my walk. Low and behold, the gentleman from the 3^rd (when I failed to share) was just setting out for a walk. I stopped and chatted with him. Turns out he used to walk every day but broke his foot and is just now getting back into the routine. I introduced myself and learned his name. Since he seemed like he was ready to head off I didn’t prolong the conversation – but there is a now an established “friendship” to build on in the future (hopefully, the near future).

State Prison Warden Receives a Tract

I recently read a great article by Ray Comfort about fear of man - and not being embarrassed or ashamed of a person. Today, I was out at lunch with a friend when I noticed the Warden of a State Prison was having lunch with several of his associates at a table nearby. I recognized him from newspaper photos. I thought it would be good to give him a tract, but didn’t want to interrupt.

While we were part-way through our meal I noticed he and his associates had just finished their lunch and were getting up to leave. I got up, walked over, and asked if he was the warden and shared how I recognized him. I asked if he had ever gotten a million dollar bill tract before – and he hadn’t – but he liked it. We chatted a bit, and I also gave him a ticket to heaven (he said he needed one of those). Since I had several of each tract, I gave him extras that he could pass along to others. He then thanked me and headed out. In looking back I realized I should have introduced myself by name, but in being caught up in the moment I didn’t.

So, it was a good opportunity to give a tract to a person who I would consider to be somewhat important, while at the same time a good learning opportunity (it is always good to introduce myself to people by name as it shows respect - although I don't want to do it out of pride).

A Missed Opportunity

While on my walk this morning a friendly, older, gentleman that I have had slight interactions with before was out in his yard. We exchanged greetings as I walked by. I believe the Lord prompted me to stop and have a conversation, but I kept on going – and was able to regret my action the entire rest of my walk. I have purposed to share with him the next time he is out as I pass by I’ll stop by, introduce myself, give him a million dollar bill (or a ticket to heaven) and see if we can discuss his soul.

A Trip to our Little Mall…

With the arrival of the New Year I needed to stop by and get a calendar, and, upon announcing my plans, a number of others (family member) also asked me to get calendars for them. I took a pocketful of tracts since I knew I would be around a number of other people at our little mall.

After buying calendars I gave the lady working the checkout some tracts and started talking about spiritual things. After going through the “good person” test she said she was saved – but as we talked further it didn’t sound like she was living for the Lord (she hasn’t been attending church, doesn’t read her Bible, and works at a kiosk which also sells some wicked calendars). We only talked for several minutes, and she again heard the gospel, as well as the importance of following what the Lord has told us in his Word…

I headed off to Sears to see if there were any good deals on shirts (I’m hard to fit, in terms of measurements I have a small neck, small to medium chest, and large/long arms - yes, I know, I should probably look into shirts that are sized for orangutans). As I was walking through the mall I handed out a few tracts to men that were waiting outside stores for their wives.

At Sears, as I was looking through the shirts a teenager with several younger boys (probably brothers) came through the area, and it was obvious he was having trouble controlling them. I said I had something he could use to keep the boys’ attention and gave him a million dollar bill tract, as well as an IQ test tract. I told him they were gospel tracts and to make sure he read the backs. Then I shared the curved illusion tract with the younger boys. They enjoyed the illusion and I showed them the gospel message on the back – and then gave it to them. They thanked me, and I went back to browsing. About that time their mother arrived and they were very excitedly showing her their tracts. I shared with her that they were gospel tracts that the boys would enjoy – and she shared that they were out shopping for funeral clothes since her father-in-law had passed away the day before. I expressed my condolences. On the positive side, a family that was going through a death now had gospel tracts, but, I also feel I should have shared more with the mother. Missed opportunities are never pleasant to reflect upon.

Afterwards I went to a hardware store looking for a part for my brother. As I was checking out I gave the lady a ten-commandment collector’s coin as well as an optical illusion card. She was grateful for them, and even surprised they were for her to keep (she thought I was simply showing them to her and that she had to give them back)!

I was about to leave the mall and noticed the lady at the movie theater ticket counter. It was noon, and we have a very small mall – the place was practically deserted. Since she wasn’t doing anything I walked over and asked if she was interested in reading something. I gave her a million dollar bill and said it contained the “good person” test on the back side. I asked if she had ever taken the “good person” test and she said ‘no’. I asked if she wanted to take it and she hesitantly said she would.

We started with lying, then stealing (she professed and maintained innocence in regards to stealing and I didn’t belabor the point), followed by blaspheme and murder. Part way through she said, ‘I don’t think I want to take this test!’ I asked if she wanted to stop because she was failing it – but then shared that we ALL fail the “good person” test. At the end, she acknowledged guilt before God and, in a quieter voice, said she would be headed for hell – and that it concerned her. It was exciting to share the gospel with her.

We talked about deadly diseases, and I asked if she had a terminal disease, would she seek a cure or simply live the rest of her life trying to have as much fun as possible? She said she would seek for a cure. I shared how our sin is a deadly disease, that the ten commandments are clear indicators that we have this disease, and I said I was offering her the cure.

I encouraged her to not simply pray and then go to church, as God doesn’t want another “church attending hypocrite” – He wants her heart and her life (you could tell she really understood that point). I challenged her to get right with God and deal with her sin and guilt.

I gave her a more in-depth tract (and shared that it went back through the “good person” test in more detail) and that it had our website on the back, and that my mother or sister would be more than willing to answer any questions she has about the Bible and God. She thanked me for sharing and I then went on my way. She heard and understood the gospel - and we're praying that she will repent and put her trust in Christ.