Proclaiming the Truth

All Over Town (part 2)

2009-11-06T09:27:00.000-08:00

After lasts weeks surprises our team decided to visit the same areas again. We started off just like last week at Ritter Park. I read Rev.20, Dan read Rev 21, and Bill read Rev 22 as part of "Project Ezra" and then broke into his open air. Dan and followed later with our own open air. Several people were listening and we had opportunities to speak with them. Our next stop was downtown Huntington, WV. We camped out at 4th Ave and 10th St. I had the cross. We all handed out gospel tracts and engaged people in conversation. Dan spoke with a guy named Labamaba... (that is what he said his name was)... He had the belief that our beliefs are more important that the truth.. Dan was able to go through the law with him and he understood the gospel. We pray he will repent of his sin and trust in Christ. Dan was able to hand out 30 tracts and he is looking forward to who he will talk to throughout the week. One of Bills conversations was with a guy named Tony who said he understood for the first time that God would be a corrupt judge for dismissing sin without punishment. Bill eventually told him he needed to repent and put his trust in Jesus, and Tony said he would consider what they had discussed. Bill also talked with Justin, who has been searching for truth in various religions and initially claimed a belief in reincarnation. When Bill pressed him on his views of the injustice in our fallen world, he admitted that he believed there is a judgement awaiting all people in eternity. They went through God's law together and Justin was quite
concerned about his readiness to enter eternity. Bill shared the good news of Jesus with him and Justin said that their conversation had given him much to think about. Please pray for Labamaba, Tony, and Justin. Maybe we will see them this week as we hit the streets. Keep Fishin!!

All Over Town (part 1)

2009-11-02T06:27:00.000-08:00

Bill and I started off our day going to Ritter Park and doing our "Project Ezra" scripture reading and then we both did some open-air. We also had opportunities to engage several people in conversation or just hand them a gospel tract. During the open-air people were definitely listening to the law and the gospel. Some people even walked closer and stopped to listen. Then we went to downtown Huntington (4th Ave. and 10th St.) with the cross. It's a great location especially during lunchtime. We handed out a lot of tracts and several great things happened. One guy crossed the
street took a tract
and while he was reading it he said, "I have been thinking about
God lately....this is definitely a message
for me." We hope to see him again this week. The second thing that happened was a city bus stopped at the corner where I was holding the cross. The bus driver who had passengers onboard, unbuckled his seatbelt walked off the bus to get a tract. He thanked us and drove off. Then a police car pulled up to the curve..(we thought they were going to give us some grief) they said, "you guys need to go down by the police station with that cross, alot of officers need to see that and hear the message." We thanked them for their encouragement. That was our afternoon in downtown Huntington. Later on that evening I took the cross to 29th St and 5th Ave for a few hours to catch the rush hour traffic. I was able to hand out six tracts and had one guy stop and chat with a word of encouragement. It was a wonderful day. Looking forward to this week on the streets. Keep Fishin!!

Bill and His Cross

2009-10-26T09:59:00.000-07:00

Bill was ready to take his cross to downtown Huntington, WV. He walked into Starbucks, got his coffee and then grabbed a seat outside. When we planned this event we figured we would have about an hour or so till we had to leave and thats how it all worked out. Bill had a chance to speak with several people. He spoke with a Methodist Pastor and a few other people before he was asked to leave. We went to our next location. I read the Project Ezra scripture verses for the week and did some open air. Bill did his first open-air!! He was a natural at it too...he sounded like he's been doing it for years. We all alternated holding the cross as we each open aired. What an exciting day! Many heard the Truth that day, many seeds were planted, and our prayer is that God would draw them to Himself.
Keep Fishin!!!!

Making the Crosses

2009-10-26T09:13:00.001-07:00

Having been inspired and encouraged by Tony Miano and Paul Latour I decided to make a few crosses for our fishing team in Huntington, WV. This is a short description of how I did it and what I used.

I started out with my Materials List:
(this is for one cross)

1 - 1 x 6 x 10 Pine Select (no knots)
1 - 1 1/2 x 1/4 carriage bolt, wing nut and washer
1- English Chestnut Minwax stain
1 - Spray Polyurethane
1 - 4 inch Vinyl Lettering

I started out by cutting my boards to the desired length. The vertical piece measures 4 foot and the horizontal piece measures 3 foot.

Using a dado blade I cut a 1/4 dado in the vertical piece. This will provide stability for the horizontal piece when the cross is in its open position.

Center the horizontal piece in the vertical piece and drill a centering hole.

Drilled a 3/4 hole using a forstner bit to recess the bolt.

Next I made a circle hole jig to make the inlay to hide the bolt.

I mixed some JB Weld to add some additional support to the bolt and to keep the inlay piece from popping out.

Insert the inlay and let it dry for at least 24 hours.

Sand the crosses with some fine sandpaper. Theres not too much sanding due to the good grade of lumber that Pine Select is.

Add a coat of English Chestnut Stain and let dry for 24 hours.

Apply three coats of polyurethane. I used a commercial sprayed type but a wipe on or brush on type would work just as well. This would protect the crosses from the elements and give a good surface for the letters to adhere to.

I used some blue tape to help be sure the letters were all lined up properly.

The cross weighs 5.4 lbs.

This woodworker had a lot of fun making these crosses......but its alot more fun using them and seeing them used all over town for the glory of God.
Thanks again to Paul and Tony for the inspiration in this design.

Keep Fishin!!

Street Evangelism

2009-10-07T07:25:00.001-07:00

GO!!

2009-09-30T09:36:00.000-07:00

My friend David at church put this video together. Enjoy! Keep Fishin!!

Dan On The Box!!!!

2009-09-01T12:11:00.000-07:00

When I first came to Huntington, WV one year ago I had to try to assemble a street fishin team. I met several guys through Ambassadors Alliance Fellowship. One of those guys was Dan "The Man" Stokley. We first spoke by phone and eventually got together. I can expect a call from Dan every week to plan what pond we will be fishing at. He is faithful in taking the gospel to the lost whenever he has an oppportunity. Dan makes opportunities. I have asked Dan in the past if he wanted to " Get on the Box"...he shook his head and said, "No". Today was a different story...Today Dan got "On the Box" for the first time!!!!. He proclaimed the Law and the Gospel several times at the stoplight. Several people yelled from their vehicles thanking him. We also handed out several tracts and spoke with several people. I thank God that He has given Dan so much love for the lost that he would set aside his fears to glorify his Savior. What a wonderful day. Keep Fishin!!!

3 Guys at Marshall University for 2 Hours = 1600+ Tracts handed out...Priceless....What a great afternoon!!

2009-08-25T14:38:00.000-07:00

Bill "The Fisherman" Sikes, Dan "The Man" Stokley and myself were very excited to hit Marshall University. We had no idea what a great day it would be. Heres a bit of what happened as told by Bill and Dan.
Bill spoke with Jessica: Jessica was curious about the million dollar bills and asked what they were. I told her they were gospel tracts, and asked her what she thought happened when people died. She said she didnt really know and hadn't thought about it much. After going through God's law with her, she looked at me with a fearful countenance and said she was concerned for eternity and that she saw herself as a guilty sinner. I presented the gospel of Jesus Christ to her and she seemed to be locked on to every word as she listened. After thinking for a moment, she told me she had never heard the good news before. I encouraged her not to wait another day before repenting of her sin and putting her faith in Jesus to be saved. She said she would and thanked me for sharing.

Bill spoke with Travis: I spotted Travis coming from a couple hundred yards away because of his "Bad Religion" band tee-shirt(a well known anti-organized religion touting band). I approached him with a million dollar bill tract, pointed at his shirt and asked, "so do you believe the same things they do?". He professed to be an atheist that believes that there is not eternal life. My response caught him off guard a bit, as I asked him, so if there was a God, and a heaven, and a hell, where would you go? We reviewed his works together against the law of God, and by his own admission, he was guilty on all inquiries. He agreed to listen as I presented the gospel to him, and his only hangup was to say "but if Jesus was Lord, why did he say that his Father had forsaken him on the cross". I responded by explaining to him that a holy God not only can not look upon the sin that Jesus had taken upon himself, but also that God the Father had poured out his wrath upon the Son. I told Travis that the wrath poured upon the Son was wrath that currently abides on him, and will be stored for his day of judgement if he rejects the gospel. In that moment Travis seemed to really understand what I was telling him for the first time, like it had become something logical in his mind instead of "corny religious cliches". He thanked me intently for sharing with him, and promised to consider what we had discussed.

Dan said he talked to one gentlemen that said he was a "Christian" that sang in Churches, but did not attend Church... I asked him how I could be saved, and he had no clue.. I shared the law and gospel with him.. pray for him that he would examine himself by looking nto the mirror of Gods Word and see if he is a believer or not.
Dan also spoke with a guy who was in a rush but was able to swap contact info with each other to finish the discussion later.

Dan also ran into several others that he had talked to before and was able to encourage them as well.

Please pray for these folks as well as all who took tracts.

We had no idea that we would be able to hand out over 1600 tracts today. What a beautiful day! What an Awesome Day.! Thank you Jesus!!! The gospel was proclaimed at Marshall University and God was glorified......Keep Fishin!

Huntington Rib Fest 2009

2009-08-16T06:51:00.000-07:00

It seems as the days of summer fly by there's an occasional "festival" to gather the people from the Tri-State area. Living in a place where the crowds aren't as big as Jax, FL or L.A. I have to take advantage of anything where people are drawn. This years Rib Fest had a Car Show, Concerts, Petting Zoo and Pig Races (too Funny!!) I decided to hit the streets on Friday and Saturday for about an hour and a half. 11-12:30 then I had to go to work. I set up on a corner where most people would enter the festival. This corner proved to be a great spot and I got to hand out several hundred tracts on each day. The first day fellow fisherman "Aaron" was riding by the festival entrance gate on his motorcycle and saw me, parked his bike and said "I saw you and wanted to hand out some tracts too". What an encouragement he was to me that day! There were several times during these two days that I was surrounded by groups wanting a gospel tract. I couldn't give them out fast enough. It was time well spent glorifying God by spreading the truth of the Gospel. Keep Fishin!!

Three Days with John Schaffer

2009-08-16T06:19:00.000-07:00

I had a friend of mine visit from Jacksonville, FL. He was my fishin partner back in Jax. He decided to come to Huntington, WV to hit the streets with me. It was a great 3 days on the streets.
The first day we went to the Charleston, WV the states capitol. We were able to talk with a lot of people and had several great conversations. John spoke with one guy with an arab background. He had never heard the gospel before. John took him through the Law and Gospel. He understood what he needed to ..Repent and Trust. He was prodded by his freinds to end the conversation but he stayed and listened. He also didnt have a Bible so we were able to provide him with one.
We next hit all the local parks, bus stations, and mall entrances speaking with people and handing out hundreds of tracts. While at the mall I spoke with a guy named Michael. He was told by someone else that his life was going to be perfect..free from any problems after he "accepts" Jesus. I took Michael through the law and the gospel and explained to Michael that Jesus doesnt need our acceptance....we need His and the only way to get it is by repentance and faith. He understood and thanked me for sharing the truth of the gospel with him. His ride arrived so he had to go. Pray for Michael.
The second day we hit the streets of Downtown Huntington, WV. We had several great conversations and handed out hundereds of MDB's. That was one exciting day that I will post at a later time. Tuesday evening John was able to share his testimony with our small groups mexican fiesta at the Sikes home.
The third day we decide to go to Ritter Park with my Church and hand out free water bottles and tracts to people walking or running by. Hundreds of water bottles and tracts were handed out.
Later on in the evening we met up with Guy and Aaron and read some scripture from "Project Ezra" and did some open-air. Several people stopped and listened to the message and then continued walking. We pray for them and also the ones that were listening that we did not see.
All in all it was a great 3 days. I was so blessed to have my fishin partner in town and to hit the streets with him. He is such an encouragement to me. We just enjoyed declaring Gods Truth to the lost. Praise God for the opportunity to share while we still have time. Keep Fishin!

Todd Friel: 13 Evangelistic Phrases That Produce False Conversions

2009-08-13T20:50:00.000-07:00

Written by: Marcus Pittman On August 11th, 2009

I came across this on the internet, an article written by Todd Friel called 13 Evangelistic Phrases That Produce False Conversions. This is great stuff, filled with truth. Enjoy.

Churches divide over carpet color, building additions and budgets. In the meantime, our fellow church members are going to hell by the boat load.

A.W. Tozer said, “It is my opinion that tens of thousands of people, if not millions, have been brought into some kind of religious experience by accepting Christ, and they have not been saved.”

D. James Kennedy said, “The vast majority of people who are members of churches in America today are not Christians. I say that without the slightest contradiction. I base it on empirical evidence of twenty-four years of examining thousands of people.”

Friend, we argue over so many petty things. May I suggest we have lost sight of the most important debate of all, “What is salvation?” My theology teaches that salvation happens when a man repents and places his trust in Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21).

I would like to present thirteen ways that we have re-defined how a person becomes a true convert. Have we done this intentionally? Certainly not. We have simply created lingo that has a grain of truth in Scripture, but it is so open to interpretation that the un-converted understand it in ways that lead to false conversions.

1. Make Jesus your Lord and Savior. We cannot make Jesus our Lord and Savior, He is our Lord and Savior. We are living in rebellion to Him and He commands us to repent and trust Him.

2. Ask Jesus into your heart. Does Jesus come into our hearts? Yes He does. The question is, “How does He get in there?” It is not by simply asking Him in; it is by repentance and faith.

3. Just believe in Jesus. The demons believe and they tremble. We must repent and trust.

4. You have a God-shaped hole in your heart and only Jesus can fill it. We have far more than a hole that needs to be filled so we can feel complete; we have a wretched, deceitful, sinful heart that needs cleansing. Repentance and faith applies the blood of the lamb for that cleansing.

5. Accept Jesus. Whoa. We need to accept Jesus? This is entirely backward. We need Jesus to accept us–and He will, if we repent and trust.

6. Make a decision for Jesus. Decisional regeneration puts man in the driver’s seat of salvation. When we repent and trust, Jesus decides to save us. That puts Him in the driver’s seat…where He demands.

7. It is easy to believe. While the formula of repentance and faith sounds simple, a complete surrendering of self in repentance is anything but easy. It’s hard.

8. God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. The only promises for the convert are trials, temptation and persecution. If that is how you define a wonderful life, fine. Otherwise we must command all men everywhere to repent and trust.

9. Come to Jesus just as you are. We should come to Jesus just as the sinners we are, but He also expects a broken heart and contrite spirit demonstrated in repentance and faith.

10. Come to Jesus and you will receive forgiveness of sins and ________________ (fill in the blank with money, health, a healed marriage). Jesus didn’t promise healed marriages; in fact He promised broken homes because we would divide when one member repents and trusts.

11. Come to Jesus and experience love, joy, peace. Do we get the fruit of the Spirit upon conversion? Yes. But if we come seeking the gifts and not the giver, we will receive neither. Instead, we must repent and trust.

12. Jesus is the missing piece. Um, no, the God of the universe is not the missing piece, He demands that He is the center of our lives when we repent and trust.

13. Jesus is better than fame and fortune. That is an understatement, and frankly, it is insulting. Saying Jesus is better than money is like saying that a steak dinner is better than eating a dung hill. He defies comparison and we trivialize the Son of God. Instead, we should be pleading with all men everywhere to repent and trust.

If I showed up at your door with a can of grapefruit juice and a roll of paper towels and offered to change your oil, you would say, “No thanks.” If we wouldn’t let someone mess with our car using the wrong method, why do we allow the Gospel to be presented so ambiguously?

Would you let a doctor operate on your child who was “sort of” accurate? The salvation of men is far more important than an appendix.

I beg you to consider how you share the Gospel. You and I know what we are talking about when we use these phrases, but do the unregenerate? Is it possible that we have so many backsliders today because they never slid forward in the first place? Is it because they were never told that they must repent and trust?

If we are willing to debate shag verse plush in the fellowship hall, shouldn’t we be more concerned about an issue that has eternal consequences?

An Evening at Ritter Park with Guy and Aaron

2009-08-07T09:42:00.000-07:00

It rained all day Tuesday and most of Wednesday. I was fortunate enough that God provided a few hours Wednesday night for me to go out with a couple of guys I met on Ambassador's Alliance Radio. We decided to meet at Ritter Park in Huntington, WV. We met at the fountain where there is a big track nearby for people to walk, run, and ride their bikes. As I was waiting for Guy and Aaron to arrive, I spoke with Brian. He was receptive and was very interested in talking about God. I was able to take him through the "Good Person Test" (GPT). He admitted to breaking God's commandments and knew he was guilty. He also knew, based on that, he was going to hell. He was very concerned and therefore, I was able to present him with the gospel. He told me he would definitely consider what we had talked about and thanked me for sharing the truth with him. I next spoke with Blake who was walking around the park. He stopped for a M.J. MDB. I asked him how does a person go to heaven when they die? He said he was a good person. After we went through the Law, he saw that he was like the rest of us. He realized he was guilty of breaking God's Law and there was no way he could save himself. He said there was no sin that he loved so much that was worth spending eternity in hell. Blake said that he would consider all that we had talked about. I ran into several people from my church and others who were very encouraging to me and what I was doing. My friends arrived and immediately started handing out tracts and starting conversations with people in the park as I did some open air. Then Guy did some open air. While he was speaking, Aaron and I spoke with Todd and another Blake. Todd understood everything that we said and agreed with it. Blake was really tuning in on what we had to say. He knew that he had broken God's law and while we were talking you could see his countenance change as he realized that God's wrath abided on him. He knew that he wasn't guaranteed tomorrow and said "If I died tonight, I'd spend eternity in hell". We explained the gospel to him and how he needed to repent of his sins and put his trust in the Savior. He said that he would consider what we had talked about. I invited him to come to church since he said he did not have a church home. Hopefully, I will see him on Sunday. Please pray for Brian, both Blakes, and Todd. It was a great day at the park and God was glorified. Keep Fishin!!

Money Giveaway and Stop Light Open-Air

2009-07-18T20:05:00.000-07:00

Dan "The Man" Stokely and I started off our day at the Huntington Junior College. We decided to give away some money for trivia. After giving away several dollars Aaron decided to take the GPT. He failed of course...but was very humble and got to hear the Gospel. He said ( with tear filled eyes ) it made sense and he knew he needed to repent of his sins and put his faith in Jesus Christ. I encouraged him to take care of it before he put his head down on his pillow tonight.

One of the interesting things that happened while presenting the Law and the Gospel was that a woman came down the stairs from the school entrance to the public sidewalk where I was standing and asked me to move on down the street. I politely said I would when I was finished speaking with the students. She then disappeared.

Dan spoke with several people after the first quiz. Sean, Marty, and Carl. He had some great conversations with these people and handed out a bunch of tracts. Dan also took this weeks pics and video which may be posted at a later date.

Next we did another trivia money giveaway which worked great. The girls declared it was their turn now...so Donna was up. She took the GPT and failed. She was a very nice lady and after going through the Law and the Gospel knew she needed to repent and put her faith in Jesus Christ. She tried to give the money she had won back to me but I told her to keep it. I also had a brief word with Classy who I've spoke with on several occasions. She said that she liked the way I explained the law and the gospel and that it made sense.

Dan and I headed for the courthouse to do some Stop Light Open-Air. As the cars stopped at the light for the minute and a half or so they got to hear the Law and the Gospel. So did the people in the Federal Building nearby as they stood outside smoking. I got several beeps and words of encouragement. We stayed at the courthouse for about an hour.

Alot people heard the Gospel and God was glorified! Keep Fishin!

July 4th - Independence Day - Ritter Park

2009-07-04T09:40:00.000-07:00

The day started out with a bang...out of the gates I went..solo this time to Ritter Park. My goals for today were to honor my word that was given to Project Ezra and to those brothers and sisters around the world in Christ engaged in the public reading of Scripture and to share the gospel with as many as I could. Needless to say I was very nervous and wished I had some back-up. I then remembered that God was my back-up!! I started handing out tracts as people walked or ran around the park. Then I read 1 John publicly. People heard the Word proclaimed as they went by. After that I handed out more tracts around the park. Then I broke out some amplification for the open air time. (My first open air in Huntington, WV.) While doing my first session a guy named Chris walked up, sat and listened to the gospel being proclaimed. After I finished he walked over to me and we talked for quite some time. Chris thought because he went to church that made him a Christian. He understood he had broken God's law ...ect. He was very humble...I encouraged Chris to get right with God. He knew he needed to repent of his sins and put his faith in Jesus Christ. Hopefully I will get an e-mail from him soon. Pray for Chris. I then continued to open air two more times and was encouraged by several people. There was no better way to start the day then sharing the gospel on Independence Day....sharing the truth that God doesnt want people to live their lives independent of Him.....Keep Fishin!!

Freds Devotional - Acts 19: 18-20

2009-06-23T06:58:00.000-07:00

Acts 9:18-20

There fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.

This passage does not say that Saul "immediately" launched on a missionary journey around the Gentile world. It does not say that many people believed his testimony and were saved. But it does say that "immediately" (eutheos) after his conversion and baptism, Saul began to teach the truth of God and to make into students of God's truth those he contacted right where he was.

Here is another example of the carrying out of the terms of the Great Commission. Saul had not been there when Jesus told His followers, "Wherever you go (poreuthentes), teach (matheteusate) all people . . . to observe whatever I have commanded you" (Matt 28:19-20). But, filled with the Holy Spirit, he instinctively began to be a witness to the truth of God:

You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me. (Acts 1:8)

It has become clearer than ever to me as I have been reading the book of Acts, that it is filled with examples of the carrying out of the Great Commission. Acts gives us one convicting incident after another of the early Christians doing just what Jesus had commanded them to do. I find that I am repeatedly forced to ask myself whether I am carrying out the Great Commission. "Wherever I go" do I teach--as Saul did--the truth of God concerning the Deity and the sacrifice for our sins of God's Messiah?

There fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.

Keep Fishin!!!

Biggest Team Yet

2009-06-17T14:42:00.000-07:00

Wow, How amazing it was that all four of us were able to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ on Wednesday afternoon in downtown Huntington!! Bill Sikes, Dan Stokley, and Ben Craft and myself were the most fisherman that we had out on one day....actually able to hand out more tracts and talk to more people....we were very excited. Bill and Ben were able to talk to several people. Ben handed out a ton of tracts. Dan spoke with Vince, Keith and Sunny. Please pray for them. I had several conversations but the one I will mention here is with a guy named Kyle. Kyle was very open to hearing the Law and the Gospel. He understood it and said he would definitely think about it. I hope to see him again. Please pray for Kyle. Hopefully in the weeks to come I will be able to post some audio clips and maybe even some video. Until then ....Keep Fishin.

Fishing with Ben

2009-05-20T12:20:00.000-07:00

Ben Craft ( who was on his first fishin trip ) and I made our way to downtown Huntington. He had a desire to to biblical evangelism in action. He also had "Did you get one of these?" down. He was excited and ready. As we were walking through downtown to give a tract to one guy, he turned around and told us to "get out of here with your Jesus stuff and stop doing what you're doing!". He was upset, so we replied that we were on a public sidewalk and that we would keep telling others about Jesus. Ben saw his first "heckler".
We first spoke with David. As we went through the Law, David tried to take us on a few rabbit trails..we quickly addresses those issues and came right back to the Law. As we spoke Davids countenance changed...he became less aggressive and saw we had a burden for him by the way we spoke to him with compassion and concern for his eternal destiny. He admitted to breaking the Law and said that He would spend eternity in Hell. He then said that he was very concerned about spending eternity in Hell because he didnt want to go there. We were able to share the gospel with David and He understood the message said it made sense to him and that he would not put his head down on his pillow without thinking about how he needed to repent and put his faith and trust in Jesus Christ for his eternal salvation. Pray for David.
Ronnie was sitting on a chair on the sidewalk downtown writing on his note pad. Described himself as a deep thinker and a good person. We went through the good person test and found out that ......He's just like the rest of us. He knew if he died tonight he would go to hell because he sinned against a holy God. He was concerned and was able to hear the gospel. He said that wasnt any sin in his life that he loved so much that he would spend eternity in hell for. He thanked us for sharing the message of the cross with him and said he would definitley think about what we said and that he knew he needed to repent of his sin and put his faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
I spoke with a big group of teenagers who all told me they were saved Christians. Of course, I asked them to tell ME how I could go to heaven if I had three minutes to live. Nobody could help me. I then able to share the gospel with one of them and the other four took off. Pray for this young man that he would think about what we talked about.
I went through the good person test with Tiara. After finding out that she was like the rest of us, Tiara still proclaimed that she was a good person and that God knew she was a good person. I shared Romans 3:10 with her and explained that she was creating a god to fit her beliefs...which is idolatry. She was concerned about spending eternity in hell and said she would think about all that we discussed. Pray for her.
We were walking by City Hall and the Mayor of Huntington ( who is a Mormon ) walked by us. We were able to talk with him for a moment about our city and let him know that we were praying for him..and of course, give him a million dollar bill. That was exciting.
We spoke with Ashley and Patti at the community college. We took them through the good person test and like everyone else, they failed too. They were concerned about spending eternity in hell and thanked us for sharing the gospel with them.
On our way back to the truck, I had a chance to meet James, a Huntington police officer. I was able to give him a copy of Tony Miano's booklet "Running Beyond Inspiration".
It was great to have Ben with me today at the pond. He said that he is looking forward to coming back. God was glorified today. Keep fishin!

Downtown Huntington

2009-05-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning thinking that there wont be too many people at Marshall today because finals are over. We drove through downtown looking around and didn't see too much activity. We decided to just park and check it out on foot. As soon as we got out of the truck, put our quarters in the meter people were just coming from the right and the left. Dan and I first spoke with Matthew who claimed he believed in a goddess and would be reincarnated. He admitted to breaking Gods Law...but in the same breath denied Him. He said he would be going to hell anyway since he led an alernative lifestyle. We stayed our course on the Law with compassion for Matthew but in the end after speaking with us for about 10 minutes threw the tract back at us and walked away. Please pray for Matthew.
Dan conversed with Chris who was on his smoke break. Dan would come to find out the Chris had a patchwork theology. He took what he liked from each different religion and made his own. We told him that was idolatry..making a god in your own image. His co-workers called him in.......He took two Obama Millions. Pray for Chris.
We made our way towards the Big Sandy Arena and spoke with Tara and her two friends. It felt like a mini-open air. They were very receptive to going through the Law and the Gospel. Tara's whole demeanor changed going through the Law then the Gospel. "I understood and it made sense", she said!!! In fact her two friends were shaking their heads and agreeing that they too understood and thought it made sense. Tara and her friends said they would consider what we talked about. They thanked me for sharing the gospel with them. Praise God and pray for Tara and her friends.
Our last conversation took place in front of Huntington Community College. Spoke with Tiffany, Classy, and another young man. Mini open-air. Two of them admitted if they died right now they would go to hell. All three people were very receptive to the Law and the Gospel. They all understood what they heard. Tiffany and I spoke for several minutes. She asked if I knew of a good church that she and her son could go to. I gave her the name of my church and I hope she walks through the doors on the days to come. Please pray for Tiffany, Classy and the young man. All in all on a day when I thought not much was gonna happen (because of most of the college kids going home)...God had other plans and He gave us a wonderful day to proclaim the story of redemption and forgiveness to a lost world. Its all for His glory....Keep Fishin.

New Fisherman At Marshall....Dan Stokley

2009-04-07T12:34:00.000-07:00

We had a great day at "The Pond". I was able to meet up with fellow fisherman Dan Stokley. Ya'all know that I have been praying since before I left Jacksonville, FL for some faithful men who just love Jesus like nobodies business and want to proclaim the truth of the Gospel to the community. So over the past two weeks I have had both Bill Sikes and Dan Stokley with me out on the pond at Marshall University. What a blesssing these two guys have been to me. I just get so excited just watching them in action...sharing the most awesome message that the world will ever hear. Whether by word or simply handing out a tract...they are Glorifing God!! Thank you for your prayers. Keep Fishin.

Proclaiming the Truth

2009-04-01T15:10:00.000-07:00

Me and Bill hit the pond today desiring one thing...that God would be Glorified with our words and the way we present the Gospel. We desire to speak that truth with a compassionate heart. We started off sharing with a group of guys....two of them engaged in conversation. Jonathan grew up in a Christian home, went to church growing up and then joined the military. When he got back from serving he found some things had happened to the church that he didnt like..he said he was let down and hurt. He described himself as living dangerously kinda guy. He didnt try to play Christian..He knew he wasnt one and said he would not pretend to be one like he had seen so many others do. Man will always let you down....you can tell who the play actors are.... Dont put your faith in men.
Jonathan heard the law and the Gospel and knew that he was living life under his own authority and not Gods authority. Please pray that Jonathan would think about the things we spoke of and repent of his sins and put his faith in Jesus.

We spoke with James next and were able to go through the Law and Gospel with him. He understood and we gave him a Bible. Pray for Jonathan and James. Keep Fishin

Great Day at the Pond!!

2009-03-18T09:51:00.000-07:00

I couldnt wait to get to the pond at Marshall University this moring. I was able to stay there for about 2 1/2 hours. I spoke with Brandon who was rushing to get to class. He wasnt too sure what he believed..but definitely listened (most of the time) and understood the Gospel.

Sean was on campus trying to get people to vote for him. A great opportunity to speak with him. He said he was a believer but only knew part of the Gospel. He was very busy and pre-occupied by everyone walking by so I gave him a tract..pray he reads it .

Chris thought the conversation was deep ( I could barely keep up with this guy as fast as he was walking but praise God he gave me the energy to stay right with him...haha) ...he thought he could work his way to heaven and that going to church automatically makes you a Christian. He is going to become a police officer. I gave him a copy of Tony Mianos "Living Beyond Inspiration" to read. (Thanks Tony). He listened and understood the Gospel.

Robert (seen in the pic) is from Africa. We talked from quite some time. He lives in Huntington with his mom. He is studying Bio-something. He was a joy to speak with...he had heard the Law and the Gospel. I hope to see him again. Hopefully he will take me up on the offer to have him and his mom over for dinner. I also gave him a copy ESV NT Bible since he didnt have one here.

Neil grew up in the Methodist church and just had alot of questions about the Bible and its authority. He didnt understand the Gospel....but after he heard the Law then the Gospel he understood.

Charley just moved up to Huntington, WV from Augusta, GA. I spoke with him as I was getting ready to leave the pond. He thought the good and bad just evened out. I shared the Law and the Gospel with him. He understood and I gave him a ESV NT Bible.

Please pray for these guys. It truly was a wonderful day because God was Glorified through the sharing of his glorious Gospel.....Keep Fishin.

Hittin the streets of Huntington, WV

2009-01-07T08:26:00.000-08:00

My friend Sean and I started the year off right with a trip to the Huntington Mall. We were able to talk to several people. I spoke with two youths who although they went to church on twice on Sunday and on Wednesday evenings couldnt tell me how a person could go to heaven. "Just by being a good person and doing the right thing, " they said. I was able to take them through the Law and the Gospel.....they said if they died right now they would go to Hell. I encouraged them to Not waste time Repent of their sins and put their trust in the Savior. Another older man said He had seen all sorts of things in the mall but had never seen anyone sharing their faith in the mall. He was a believer and asked for some tracts to give to his family who he said desperately needed Salvation. We were an encouragement to Him. God was indeed Glorified. Keep Fishin.

UNF...a great fishin hole.

2008-04-11T20:41:00.000-07:00

Me and John went to UNF Thursday evening got a chance to talk to several people and share the Gospel. It was a great night!!!

Hit the Streets.....Why do we go?

2007-09-21T07:29:00.000-07:00

Tonight we are going to Regency Mall. We have had several great encounters there. The team is looking forward to seeing what God will do tonight.

Why do we go?

We go because Christ commanded us to go and preach the Gospel. We share because we believe the message which initiates the action to go out and proclaim the truth.

Romans 10:14-15
How are they to call on one they have not believed in? And how are they to believe in one they have not heard of? And how are they to hear without someone preaching to them ? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How timely is the arrival of those who proclaim the good news.”

Keep fishin,

Vernon

Better Job, Bigger House

2007-08-17T10:41:00.000-07:00

What are our desires? Do we want to have a better job, a bigger house, thicker carpet, and more money? Are we controlled by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life? Or have we been transformed from the way of this world by "the renewing of [our] mind?" When that happens, we are told that we "may prove what is good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God". So, ask yourself, "Are my desires in line with God's desires?" Am I "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance?" That's God's perfect will. Is it yours? When it is- when your desires match His and you delight yourself in the Lord, you are promised that he will give you those heart's desires. - Ray Comfort