Empower 2012 Begins

Following our camp for students in 6th-12th grade, Camp Overflow, we took 52 students and adults on the streets with an organized outreach to kick off our Empower 2012 week. Because of having 100 people at camp, everything took longer than expected, so by the time we were ready to go out, we really only had 45 minutes to minister in the various neighborhoods where God led us. By the time all of our teams had gathered back for dinner, we led 155 people to Jesus!
I was with Brian and Jay and we had tremendous testimonies! At one point, Brian (11 yrs) saw a large group of people on the basketball court and was immediately wanting to go minister to them. You see, at camp, Brian received the Holy Spirit and was empowered to be a witness (Acts 1:8). I told him to let me run grab the cooler full of water and we'd head over there. Jay was off getting another guy saved while Brian and I started wheeling the cooler to the court. Brian shouted, "Come get some FREE WATER!" It was like we had fish food! They all came over and grabbed a bottle. I presented the gospel and Brian led 16 young men and women in the prayer of salvation. After he got done praying, he said, "Now, who needs healing in their body?"

One guy perked up and said he had just twisted his ankle playing ball. I shared with him from our blue Miracle Working script and then Brian laid hands on him and commanded the pain to go! He said it was a little better but after we ministered to him once more, he said, "I'm straight now!"

I believe Brian is a shining example of Acts 1:8 and what happens when the Holy Spirit empowers believers! He said he would have never done that before camp!

This is just one of many miraculous stories that God did in just 45 minutes! What can He do if you give Him something to work with?

.more than a missionary

When you hear the word "missionary", what comes to mind?  Someone who spends a prolonged amount of time immersed in another culture with the purpose of spreading the gospel, right?  Google the word and you'll get plenty of results.  Look it up in your concordance, not so much.  The word "missionary" never appears in the Bible...not even once.  The word "witness", however, appears 175 times in the New King James Version of the Bible.

The word "missionary" implies that it's the job of certain people to spread the gospel.  The word "witness" implies that it's the job of EVERY believer to spread the gospel.  Hear just one of the 175 accounts: Acts 1:8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Acts 1:8 identifies two characteristics of the word witness and what Jesus meant by the concept. (1) They shall proclaim him king, and publish those truths to the world by which his kingdom should be set up, and he would rule. They must openly and solemnly preach his gospel to the world. (2) They shall prove this, shall confirm their testimony, not as witnesses do, with an oath, but with the divine seal of miracles and supernatural gifts.

The whole idea here is that the responsibility of sharing the gospel does not merely apply to a select few, but that it is the job of every believer to proclaim Jesus Christ and expect God to confirm this proclamation with the divine seal of miracles, signs and wonders.

The premise behind being a witness is not merely to tell, but to SHOW AND TELL.  I loved Show and Tell when I was a kid.  It was a time where if you had stuff, you got to show it off and if you didn’t have stuff, you got to see if the people who said they had stuff were really telling the truth.  Like that kid who always talked about his dog Spike and how it was the best watch-dog ever…but then when he brought him to Show and Tell, Spike wasn’t a Doberman, he was a dachshund.

Show and Tell is about furnishing proof.  You not only tell about something, but you back it up with a demonstration.  The door to door salesman has perfected this art.  "Let me tell you about my vacuum.  Now, let me pour this dirt on your carpet and show you how this vacuum sucks."

Here’s the bottom line:  Miracles confirm the truth of the gospel.  If Jesus was merely a good teacher, a Prophet, a good man, people would have dismissed him as the Messiah.  But He proved He was the Son of God and a sinner’s Savior through the works that He did (the deaf hear, the blind see, the lame walk and the dead are raised).  He gave us authority to do the same works that He did and commissioned us to do likewise.

Paul understood this commission, but not before having a reality check.  In Acts 17, he had the opportunity to preach to a packed house of intellectual leaders in the great amphitheater on Mars Hill in Athens.  His sermon was flawless, filled with quotes from their own poets and philosophers, and he even used an idol from their city to show them honor and grab their attention.  But after all was said and done, the results were minimal.  The Bible says, “"And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, ‘We will hear you again on this matter’” (Acts 17:32).

After the meeting, a group of people stayed with Paul, but the Scriptures do not specify how many of them became believers.  When he left Athens, surely he thought about the results.  What happened?  Why weren’t more saved?  How could they reject such a well-crafted message?  (I’ve had these thoughts myself at different times!)  As he thought about these things, he came to a conclusion.  It’s found in 1 Corinthians 2:1-2.

1 Cor 2:1-2 NIV 1When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

After the Athens experience, Paul resolved to never again lean entirely on the extent of his brain power to preach the gospel.  He continues his resolve in verse 4.

1 Cor 2:4-5 NIV 4My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, 5so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.

He resolved to not merely tell of God’s goodness and mercy, but to demonstrate His power. The word "demonstration" refers to something that is outwardly seen or something visible that authenticates, proves, and guarantees the message to be true. It means to display or even to show off.  Paul learned that Show and Tell was a much more effective method than simply Tell.

So, how about you bring a little Show and Tell to your world?  Be more than a missionary.  Be a witness.

.shockwave challenge - day 56

Karis and I went to Wal-Mart to get a "shockwave sandwich" as she calls the shockwave challenge.  We went in armed with 7 invitations and were determined to leave without any left.  While we were doing our shopping for a few items, we were on the prowl for people who needed Jesus!  At one point, we were following a couple up and down several aisles looking for the perfect opportunity to approach them.  We invited 7 people to church and prayed with all of them for various needs.  One grandmother asked her grandson if he wanted us to pray for his school, so we did. They were already saved.

Another couple we met said they knew they would go to heaven because they were good.  Like many people we've met, we found out later that they had already accepted Christ as their Savior.  They said, "We haven't ever had anyone ask us that in a store before."  I laughed aloud, but cringed inside.  Isn't it sad that so few believers are doing our part?

While we were finishing up our shopping, I noticed a lady with a cane shopping with her family.  I told Karis that we were going to invite them to church.  The approach was a little awkward because Karis said, "Excuse me" when we walked up to them and they tried to move as if we were asking them to get out of the way.  I jumped in and said that she wanted to invite them to church.  There was a little girl there that was the same age as Karis, so she wanted to get out of the cart and personally hand the card to her.  She handed out a card to each person in the family and we told them about our Trunk or Treat event.  I asked them if they needed prayer, and immediately the lady with the cane said she had some serious health issues.  I inquired further about her health condition and found out that she had been diagnosed with quite a number of things from high blood pressure to blood clots and back problems and other things I couldn't remember.  I began telling her how Jesus healed the blind, lame, deaf and mute and that her problems were nothing for Him. I shared with her from John 14:12 and Mark 16 about how Jesus had given believers the commission to lay hands on the sick and we could do the same works and even greater works than He had.  I shared the testimony of the lady with the broken thumb, whom I prayed for last week, and told her God's power would work the same way for her.  Then, with her permission, I laid hands on her and commanded her body to be made whole.  After we prayed, I asked if there was any difference.  She looked at me, wide-eyed, and speechless.  I said, "Your back's warm, isn't it?"  She said, "Why, yes!  This is weird. I could hardly stand up in here shopping before, but I feel better now!"  I explained about the power of God working in her body to bring about a healing and a cure for her condition and then shared the gospel with her and her daughter.  The two of them prayed the prayer of salvation with me!  They were both so thankful that I had approached them because they needed what I had to offer.

And, if you're a believer, you have something to offer, too!  Get out there and give life to someone today.  Don't let another opportunity to minister healing or salvation to someone slip away.  Seize the moment and you won't have any regrets!

.shockwave challenge - day 32

I hit up one of my favorite dining establishments for lunch today with two Jesus Freaks - Jason Netzler and Cullen Grady.  While talking about evangelism and the Holy Spirit, we were all fired up!  I had it on my heart for some time now to share the gospel with one of the employees there because every time I go in, he always serves me up right...but I had a feeling it wasn't because of his Christian character and attitude.  Every time I've been in before, the restaurant has always been so busy that I haven't gotten an opportunity to talk with him.  Well, we were there so long that I noticed they weren't very busy at the time.  I quietly prayed under my breath, "God, give me an opportunity to share the gospel with him today!"  And no sooner had I said the prayer than it was answered.  The guy came out from the back into the dining room and gave me the "pez" - the "what's up" head nod.  I jumped out of my seat and walked over to him thanking him for the excellent service and deliciousness he had once again whipped up for me.  I then asked how long he'd been working there.  He said he'd been there for a couple of years.  I told him I saw him in there all the time and he laughed and said, "Yeah, you come here a lot!"  We both laughed.

I then told him that there's been something I've been wanting to ask him for a long time, but never had the chance.  I asked him the million dollar question and he said he would probably go to heaven.  Then I asked him why.  He said he was a good person and that he believed in God.  I shared the gospel with him and then I told him that even the demons believe in God, but what gets you into heaven is believing in the resurrection of Jesus and confessing Him as Lord.  I asked him if he'd like to do that and he said, "Of course!!"  So we walked out behind the restaurant and I led him in the prayer of salvation.  After we prayed, I asked him if he meant it from his heart. He said yes and that he was feeling good!  He pulled his hand out of his pocket and said, "my hand's not even burning anymore!"  He had burnt two of his fingers earlier and God healed him as soon as he said the prayer of salvation!!!!  Ha!  I explained more about salvation to him and how it included deliverance, healing, preservation and a whole slew of other benefits that are now available to him!  You should have seen the smile on his face.  He said, "That made my day!"  As I was telling the fellas about the conversation later, Cullen said, "You didn't just make his day.  You made his life!  You made his eternity!"

After we prayed, his boss came out and when he found out what we were doing, he jumped right in the conversation and shared a number of testimonies about God's provision in his own life. When I invited the employee to church, his boss said he has about 5 or 6 to choose from because of all the people that have been working on him and praying for him.  He said that he kept telling them he wanted to get his life right and be pure before he came to church.  This was another chance to share another facet of the true gospel that God isn't so much concerned with perfect people as He is about perfecting people through the sacrifice of Christ.  As we walked back in so he could get back to work, I told him that he was a new person now, that his spirit was made new and he won't be satisfied with the things that he used to do.

It's so amazing to be a part of God's mission and seeing Him do work in people's lives.  What an honor to take part in the great commission!

How about you?  Are you taking part in God's mission?  Are you giving Him something to work with as you open your mouth and present the good news to people?  If not, then start today.  It just might make someone's day, life or eternity!

.shockwave challenge - day 28

We were at the Arts in the Heart festival downtown and shortly after we walked in, a couple of guys were walking behind us playing ukulele and singing. After commenting on their music, I invited them to church and asked the million dollar question. Neither of them knew if they would go to heaven, so I share the gospel with them. After my presentation, I asked if they believed in God. This is when I learned that one of them was agnostic and the other was a Buddhist. I shared with them about how Jesus went about performing miracles and then shared a miracle story of my own. This got their attention and they were willing to let me pray for them that God would reveal Himself to them. Another seed was planted and watered and I believe God is good for His word.

A little while later, I met a guy at the children's area while waiting for Kristen and Karis to do the craft tour. We spent some time talking and after I invited him to church, he told me he and his family were talking about going back to church. I shared more about our church and then asked him the question. He assured me he was already a believer and then shared an incredible testimony of God's saving grace and power. He said he'd definitely be at church soon!

If you're out and about this weekend, be on the lookout for your chance to share the gospel with someone!