Read | Acts 13:1-4

Paul and Barnabas set the standard for the church’s mission work when they obeyed God’s call to go forth. The local body of believers—those left behind to share Christ with neighbors and friends—equipped the men for their journey. They did so for the same reasons that apply today:

1. The spiritual condition of mankind. Romans 1:21-32 describes this sinful world. Unchecked sin leads people down a slippery slope toward a depraved conscience and, ultimately, a darkened mind that cannot perceive what is right. Every unbelieving person is sliding on that treacherous path.

2. God’s spiritual provision. The Father responded to mankind’s plight with grace: He sent His only Son Jesus Christ to save the world. On the cross, Christ bore the sin of every person—living, no longer alive, and yet to be born. The offer of salvation is for all; God’s grace is blind to race, creed, and color (Rom. 10:12). Those who believe in Jesus are forgiven their sin, and they will spend eternity with the Lord.

3. The commission from Jesus Christ. Acts 1:8 says we receive the Holy Spirit so we may bear effective witness to those who need salvation. Notice that we don’t simply begin at home and work steadily outward. People everywhere are waiting for the Good News. The word is to be carried far and fast.

The purpose of the church is to worship and witness. Some will go and some will send, but all are called to the work of spreading the gospel. This is not a suggestion; it is a command (Matt. 28:19). Believers living in God’s will are all to be involved in missionary work.

Copyright 2011 In Touch Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved. www.intouch.org. In Touch grants permission to print for personal use only.

Why Use Gospel Tracts?

Christians are often nervous when they first begin sharing the gospel. While some take the “all out” approach to evangelism and immediately start witnessing one-on-one, others look for a way to ease themselves into sharing the gospel. gospel tracts are a great place to start.

A gospel tract is a small handout that contains the gospel. Some are direct and only contain a gospel message, while others use an attention-grabber to swing from the natural to the spiritual and present the gospel. The attention grabber could be anything from fake money, to trivia, to cartoons. A good gospel tract will have two things: 1) A biblical gospel presentation, and 2) A good eye catcher.

1) Be sure the tract is biblical. Sadly, a number of “gospel” tracts used today do not contain the gospel at all. The message will tell the reader to believe in Jesus, pray a quick prayer, and then rest assured they will go to Heaven one day. They will have no reference to sin, God’s holiness, judgment, or Hell. Be sure that the tracts you are distributing present the gospel clearly, effectively, and biblically.

2) Be sure the tract is eye catching. Although this second point is not as important as the first, I highly recommend you purchase tracts that are not simply a piece of paper with no eye-catcher or theme. In my own experience I have noticed people often are drawn into the design of a tract, and that design makes them more likely to read the gospel message. Please note I am not saying text-only tracts are worthless. Quite the excpetion! I know many old preachers distributed tracts like this. Today however, I have noticed people read tracts that catch their attention, and then present the gospel. For a list of tracts that are eye-catching, please see the “Recommended gospel Tracts” section.

Many Christians view tracts as worthless (afterall, can somebody actually get saved from such a simple handout? Does anyone actually read those things?). Yes they can, and yes they do. Both Hudson Taylor and the great preacher George Whitefield were saved because the Lord used a tract to get them the gospel. Do not limit God by thinking He cannot use a tract in somebody’s life. He can, and He does! Charles Spurgeon said of gospel tracts,

When preaching and private tale are not available, you need to have a tract ready…get good striking tracts, or none at all…therefore, do not go out without your tracts…Let each one of us, if we have done nothing for Christ, begin to do something now. The distribution of Gospel tracts is the first thing.

Find a good tract supplier, purchase some good tracts, and begin spreading the gospel!

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SOURCE: Fearless Witness

Nina Shea, a Senior Fellow and Director of Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom had this to say about what we can do regarding anti-Christian violence in the Middle East:

Islamists exploded a bomb that killed 21 Coptic Christians and injured scores of others as they left a crowded New Year’s Mass at an Orthodox church in Alexandria, Egypt, thus continuing their practice of terrorizing this long-oppressed Middle Eastern religious group. This was hardly unforeseeable: Last holiday season, an Islamist attack killed six Copts celebrating Orthodox Christmas at a church in the Egyptian village of Nag Hamadi, and incendiary accusations and denunciations from various Islamist quarters against the Copts have been mounting since then. The Copts have begun to stage angry and desperate protests against Cairo’s failure to provide them with meaningful protection.

Meanwhile, in Iraq, Islamist militants continue the killing spree that includes last October’s attack on a Baghdad Catholic church, which killed 58 Sunday worshipers, including two priests. According to news reports, several people have been killed and dozens of others injured since then in a spate of Islamist militant attacks targeting Christian neighborhoods across Baghdad. One of the survivors of that bombing, a Catholic woman who lived in central Baghdad, was shot in the head while she slept today.

The Islamists behind these attacks — who have also mercilessly killed and maimed Muslims they do not agree with, especially those with more moderate views — hope to eradicate the Christian presence, which they view as impure. Egypt and Iraq are the last two of three remaining large Christian centers in the Muslim Middle East (the other is Lebanon), and Christians are the single largest non-Muslim religious group there. This period of intensified anti-Christian violence has significant social and political implications for that region, as well as security concerns for the West.

What can the United States do, apart from offering condolences?

Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini proposed today that EU aid should be reduced or eliminated for countries that do not protect Christian minorities. According to Stratfor, the global intelligence news agency, “Italy cannot stay ‘isolated’ in the battle for Christians’ rights and must shift from monitoring to action, Frattini said. The European Union should work with and encourage countries that respect Christians’ rights, he said. Italy will present a resolution on religious freedom to the United Nations; the resolution is supported by the European Union, and several non-EU nations have expressed ‘great interest.’”

For humanitarian reasons and for our own security, the Obama administration and the new Congress should support these initiatives.

The greatest thing that we can do for Christians under persecution “Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” is to lift them up to the Savior Who we serve.

Sowing Seeds of Hope in Haiti

In just a month, Franklin Graham will bring the hope of the Gospel to Haiti. Find out how you can pray each day until then, and learn about a man who has overcome the tragic death of his wife and now is sowing seed of his own.

When Pastor Vladimir Dorsainvil pauses to hug a crying child or share a word of encouragement with a grieving mother, he is drawing on strength the Lord gave him when his wife and daughter were killed in the January earthquake.

“God will do the same for other Haitian people,” he says, “if they receive Jesus Christ as their Savior. The people of Haiti need hope. That’s why it is important not only to have a festival, but a Festival of Hope. I pray that the Gospel—the power of God—will heal our people.”

The pastor’s prayers will be answered on Jan. 8 and 9, 2011, when Franklin Graham brings the hope of the Gospel message to Haiti’s National Soccer Stadium in response to a heartfelt invitation from 75 Haitian pastors. The local leadership team has been working under the direction of Pastor Jean Robert Bilda, in cooperation with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), to bring this Festival to fruition.

According to Festival Director Sherman Barnette, Haiti’s pastors want to “take back their country” from voodoo, devastation and hopelessness. “Pastor Bilda and the others were telling us that before the earthquake, the people were going about their everyday business. At that time, they were not open to the Gospel, and now they are. They see that their lives can be turned upside down in seconds.”

Barnette believes that the Festival will provide much-needed encouragement for the pastors and the general Christian community who now face a cholera outbreak on top of the earthquake devastation.

“We had Festival information meetings in five different areas. About 700 people attended those, and 493 churches were represented in these meetings – which is excellent from our standpoint.

“In my 20 years of doing this,” he adds, “I have never worked with a group of people more excited about a Festival and having Franklin come. As far as preparation for the Festival goes, all you have to do is hint that something needs to be done and they are all over it. They get it done.”

Discipleship trainer John Cass would agree: “The people were so gracious. In all my years of doing this training—for the last 10 or 12 years—this was one of most engaged groups. They were very excited about the material and the long-term potential for their churches, using these tools.”

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In fact, more people are raising the term “depression” to describe our current economic crisis. Gluskin Sheff economist, David Rosenberg, told CNBC that “current economic conditions” are “a depression, and not just some garden-variety recession.” Whatever you want to call it, it seems as though the current financial crisis is not going anywhere for some time.

Interestingly, there is a story in the Old Testament book of Genesis (chapter 41) about a Hebrew man named Joseph who was living in Egypt, which was a world power at the time. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, received a disturbing dream, but he was unsure of what it meant. He called Joseph, who was known to be able to interpret dreams, and asked him what the dream meant.

Joseph’s interpretation was stark: After seven years of great plenty, there would be seven years of severe famine. In a modern context, we could say Joseph was forecasting a seven-year economic meltdown. Pharaoh very wisely decided to allow Joseph to lead the Egyptian government in figuring out how they would survive the coming depression. Joseph’s plan was quite simple, really. During the seven years of plenty, he decided to store up the surplus so that when the hard times came, the country would still have enough to eat. As a result, Egypt and the surrounding nations survived the famine.

Joseph was able to interpret Pharaoh’s dream and construct an effective plan for surviving the disaster because he trusted in God’s wisdom. Joseph’s Heavenly Father cared for him, and helped him to see the best way to avoid an economic disaster where millions of people could have starved to death.

Did you know that Joseph’s Heavenly Father is still alive today, and that He loves you just as He loved Joseph, and that He wants to help you and your family survive the difficult economic times that we face. If you want the peace and assurance of knowing that you have a relationship with the God who will give you wisdom and guide you through difficult situations, please read the following to find out how you can have a personal relationship with Him.

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Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, claims that his company uses high-tech security technology and investigative journalism to “report and publish important information.” Anonymous sources leak secret material to the company via its website.

It’s No Secret

Like the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, many people feel as though God has hidden the way to Heaven from them. So, they search for the path to Heaven through religion, meditation, doing good deeds, living by a set of rules, or just hoping that their good actions outweigh their bad actions in the end.

In reality, though, the path to Heaven is not a secret. God has plainly shown the way to Heaven in His Word which is through His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” If you want the peace and assurance of going to Heaven when you die, please click here to find out how.

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Sound like a scene from an action movie? Not quite.

Todd doesn’t deal drugs, run arms or launder money for the mafia. He’s a Southern Baptist worker who supplies a medical team with anything from syringes and tongue depressors to Bibles, toilet paper and cash because there are no banks in town.

The 39-year-old Virginia man came to North Africa in 2008 with his wife, Kathryn,* and their two teenage sons. The Riddles are serving a two-year term as logistics coordinators for a team of Southern Baptist medical workers that go by the acronym TRUTH — Trailblazers Reaching the Unreached Through Healthcare.

The TRUTH team operates out of a remote town more than 100 miles from the capital city. The area has few stores and almost no infrastructure, which means it’s up to the Riddles to supply the team with nearly everything they need for medical work, ministry and day-to-day life.

The latest supply shipment for the TRUTH team also includes fresh fruit, furniture and propane cylinders for cooking. It must be transported via a chartered flight because the road linking the town with the country’s capital is too dangerous to drive.

Much of the shopping for the TRUTH team falls to Kathryn, who’s an expert at haggling over prices at the capital’s massive open-air market. The experience isn’t pleasant.

Baked by the Saharan sun, the market is hot, noisy and crowded, teeming with life like an oversized Petri dish. There are at least twice as many flies — lured by a sickening bouquet of spoiled fruit, raw fish and sweat — as there are people. Ratty beach umbrellas mark each vendor’s stand; looming over them are the minarets of the capital’s largest mosque, a reminder of just how badly this country needs Jesus.

“The spiritual darkness they’re under is so frustrating,” Todd said. “It crushes your heart because you come to love these people and you want them to see the Light, but their eyes are veiled by Islam.”

MORE THAN LOGISTICS
In addition to handling logistics for the TRUTH team, the Riddles manage a steady stream of volunteer teams, run the International Mission Board’s guesthouse and homeschool their two children.

The Riddles also teach English classes three times a week at a language school set up by the IMB. Every class uses the Bible as its primary textbook, working from a specially prepared curriculum of stories that walk students through the Gospel.

Saleh,* 16, is a pupil in Todd’s intermediate-level class. He wants to be a doctor and says he’s studying English to pave the way for his career. After roll call, Todd asks him to stand and read the day’s lesson: Luke 16, Jesus’ story of the rich man and Lazarus.

“What does Muhammad say you must do to get across the pit that separated the rich man and Lazarus?” Todd asks the class after Saleh finishes reading.

They throw out answers from the Quran about righteousness, daily prayers and doing good deeds, but Todd doesn’t let them off the hook.

“So how do you know whether you’ve done enough good to reach heaven?” he presses. Saleh and others fumble for an answer but come up short. Todd gives them a homework assignment: Write an essay detailing the Quran’s requirements for eternal life.

In the meantime Todd gives the class an alternative view, explaining Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

Saleh isn’t convinced. He says the Christian way seems too easy because it doesn’t require any work; Jesus already paid for everything.

“Muslims know Jesus as a prophet,” Todd said. “They can’t grasp the fact He is the Son of God because they’ve been told all their life that God can’t have a son.”

The Riddles depend on these kind of classroom discussions to ferret out students whose hearts have been softened by the Holy Spirit and to discover whether they’re open to knowing more about Jesus.

“There are those that have no interest whatsoever in what we’re teaching, but there are others who are truthfully discerning between what they’ve heard in the mosque and what I’m teaching from the Bible,” Todd said.

Nadjwa* is one of those students who wanted to know more. Todd befriended the 26-year-old Muslim at the school and gave him a Bible to read. For months, Nadjwa lingered on the edge of believing but was held back by fear that his family would kill him if he left Islam.

“We’ve heard that it takes a Muslim seven times to hear the Gospel before they’ll believe,” Kathryn said. “So we have to constantly keep plugging Jesus and pray that God is working and that one day a light bulb comes on in their heads and they say, ‘I’m ready, I want this.’”

That persistence has paid off. To Todd’s delight, Nadjwa finally surrendered his life to Jesus earlier this year. He’s now being discipled and attends church regularly. So far, he’s been spared any severe persecution for his newfound faith.

DARK DAYS
Despite bright spots like Nadjwa’s salvation, there have been some dark days in the Riddles’ ministry.

Todd remembers a particularly promising young student named Youssef* who had won a scholarship to study in Egypt. But Youssef’s college dreams were crushed when an identity thief stole his visa just two weeks before he was to leave for school. Youssef couldn’t handle it, and his mind snapped.

The next time Todd saw Youssef he was lying on the floor drenched in sweat, mumbling gibberish, flailing his arms and legs wildly. He wouldn’t speak and didn’t seem to recognize anyone. Todd knew this behavior was beyond anger or depression. He believed Youssef was possessed.

Todd visited Youssef several times over the next few weeks. With each visit he saw his former student getting worse. He asked Youssef’s father for permission to pray over his son in the name of Jesus in an attempt to cast out the demons that were destroying his mind and body.

But when Todd arrived at the house, Youssef wasn’t there. His father had taken him to an Islamic witch doctor. Todd found him.

Youssef was lying on the floor in a fetal position with his hands and feet bound like an animal in a rodeo. The witch doctor covered him in white powder, blindfolded his eyes and bound his hands and feet. As a stereo blasted Quranic chants, the witch doctor beat Youssef’s chest and slapped his face, then repeatedly forced his mouth open and poured water down his throat.

“Tears were streaming down my face,” Todd said. Overwhelmed by what he saw but powerless to stop the ritual, Todd agreed to meet the family back at their house. Because his father was present, Todd didn’t think Youssef’s life was in danger.

Later that afternoon Todd got a call from one of his students. Youssef was dead.

“I was so mad and upset that I couldn’t face God,” Todd said. “I just couldn’t believe He allowed this to happen, because I had a plan…. God was going to allow me to go cast out this demon with His power and His strength and deliver this guy from Satan, and then Youssef was going to lead his family to Christ through his deliverance.”

Though they still don’t understand God’s timing, the Riddles say Youssef’s death has inspired them to be much bolder about sharing their faith.

“We’ve definitely realized you don’t stop short of the invitation,” Todd said. “You have to invite the person to believe. We could tell them every story in the Bible and inadvertently lead them straight to hell because we didn’t ask them to accept Jesus. That’s where the urgency lies because we don’t know if we’ll be here tomorrow.”

GOING HOME
The Riddles have led at least three people to the Lord and prepared the way for dozens of others.

The couple is nearing the end of their two-year term and making plans to go back to the United States. New workers are needed to replace them to continue supporting the TRUTH team and running the English ministry at the school.

“God has been great and doing so many things here,” Kathryn said. “We stand amazed constantly at His goodness and His mercy…. Pray that God will continually peel back the layers of darkness here and allow His light to penetrate.”

*Name changed. Don Graham writes for the International Mission Board.
Copyright (c) 2010 Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press www.BPNews.net

Craig Gross shows us that no matter who you are or what you have done, Jesus does and always will love you.

I met Ron Jeremy at a porn show. A few years later we were sleeping on top of each other in a bunk bed on a tour bus. My family was with me, at times there were swingers on the bus and on occasion had some other pastors as well. We were on “The Porn Debate” tour of 7 cities in 7 nights.

Ron is arguably the biggest porn star in the world with 2,000 XXX rated videos. He claims to have had sex with over 5,000 women.

I started XXXchurch.com 8 years ago, created a software called X3watch that is keeping almost 1 million people accountable online and I am most often known as the Porn Pastor. I have only had sex with one woman who happens to be my wife.

Ron says we are just alike. He has been with 5,000 women and I have been with my wife of 12 years almost 5,000 times.

Just alike… Well not really.

Ron is for porn and I am against porn. We are opponents on stage. In fact we have debated each other over 60 times in the last 4 years. We have debated at Yale, Ohio State, University of Southern California, Texas Tech, and in a few weeks we start the school year off with another debate at the University of Tennessee.

We are opponents on stage but off stage we are great friends. That’s really what this is about. Jesus dined with tax collectors and befriended prostitutes. I don’t want to be known as the guy who debates Ron, I’d rather be known as the guy who loves Ron.

Love wins. My old pastor in Grand Rapids said that a lot. I have come to realize not only does love win, but love works and love waits.

Last year, Ron was in Vegas for Easter weekend. Before he hit the topless pool at Mandalay Bay, he said he was free so I picked him up in my minivan with my two toddlers in the back, and wife as well, and we all headed to church.

Ron loves worship music. If you don’t believe watch this YouTube video.

He loved the song “Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So.”

Ron and I travel quite a bit on for the porn debates. When we see each other at porn shows across the country we go out and when he is in Las Vegas or I am in Los Angeles , we connect up for a meal or just to hang out.

Ron and I talk about sex, the Bible, marriage, family, kids, heaven, hell, turtles, and so much more. He is never short on words. He has told me he is afraid to die. What if he is wrong and Jesus is really who he said he was?

For the last four years we have hit up college campuses and a few nightclubs with the porn debate. We have never been to a Christian university or a church.

Why not?

I am always the underdog and I kind of like it that way. Although, I think it would be great to bring Ron into my world just a bit, no one invites us.

The great thing about the debate is it is fair. I speak for 20 minutes, then Ron for 20 minutes then we do an hour of questions and answers.

Why is the church so afraid to hear the other side? I think it would be a great outreach to bring the debate to a church but every time I pitch it to a church or Christian college they say, “We could never let him on stage at church.”

I don’t get it. But then again, these are often the same people who say I should not even be friends with him, let alone on a tour bus with him. I know Zacchaeus was a short dude in the Bible but how can we overlook that story and see the example Jesus set for us to go after people?

Two friends of mine, Miles McPherson and Ryan Meeks have agreed to do the unthinkable. On October 9, Ron and I will do the unthinkable and head over to The Rock, a church in San Diego. A few months later on March 5 we will bring the debate to Eastlake Church in Seattle, Washington.

My friend Ryan is a bit out there. That’s why we are friends. He traveled with Ron and me last year for a couple of debates. He said he would host the debate but only if Ron came back on Sunday and shared with the congregation about faith, God and his life.

Ron does not claim to be a Christian. Why share a church stage with someone that does not claim to be a Christian yet? What can we possibly learn from that?

A whole lot I believe. I believe if Christians and others would listen to more people who are not just like us, and give them opportunities in our environments, we both might experience change.

What do you think?

Craig Gross is the founder of XXXchurch.com and the author of 7 books. His latest two books Eyes of Integrity and Pure Eyes release this week. His previous book Jesus Loves You This I Know explains more about his relationship with Ron Jeremy and other outcasts. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife and two kids.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

The Heavenly Father

In a world of much uncertainty, you can be certain about one thing: God knows everything about you: everything you have ever done; everything you have ever said; and every thought you have ever had. God, our Heavenly Father, is the Creator and Sustainer of the the universe. He created all humans, and cares for us and loves us deeply. When Adam and Eve, the first man and woman on earth, sinned against God in the Garden of Eden, God had to separate humanity from Himself. He did this because He is holy and cannot be associated with sin.

However, God was grieved to have to do this, and because He loves us deeply, He put in motion a plan to bring sinful humanity back to himself. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Our Heavenly Father gave His all to try and reestablish a relationship with us.

He sent His only son Jesus Christ to take our sins upon Himself and be punished for them on the cross of Calvary. Why did He do this? He did it for you and for me. Click Here to Read More about Jesus and you.