downtown ministries: Applebees

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Applebees

We stopped in to Applebees the other night for dinner and met a nice waiter named Kevin. When our food showed up, Stephanie told him we were about to pray for our food and asked him if he had anything he wanted us to pray about.

He had had a kidney transplant 2 years ago and was wanting prayer for continued healing.

I asked if he knew Jesus as his Lord and Savior. He did.

Pray for Kevin, for continued health.

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In the summer of 2007 I was at a park in downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado. I was doing some thinking about the men I saw there--men on the streets. Addicted to alchohol, addicted to drugs, addicted to various other things, aimless, hopeless, perhaps in despair.

I wondered, "If these men were the dregs of society, if they were outcasts, if they had no more value, then why was the devil still dogging them?"

Then it occurred to me: Though of some value, the value of a man is not their color, their social status, or their upbringing. The value of a person is in the soul. And the soul does not go to hell until it DIES without Christ.

There is still hope that a man might come to Christ as long as that man is still alive.

During that same summer, it occurred to me that each face of each man on the street has a story behind it. They are somebody's boy. They are someone's brother. They may have children of their own. They were once children. They had hopes and dreams. I'm sure that as children they never had the dream of being on the streets, on drugs, on alchohol, or anything else that destroys life.

What happened? What went wrong? Are they a child of God who has been deceived into thinking their Father has turned His back on them? Are they someone who has never given their life to Christ because they don't fully understand what God is offering them?

I believe God has put a burden on my heart for the men on the streets. So I decided to do something about it.

I want to get their stories. I want to put stories to the faces we see everyday. I pray God (and I ask that you would pray also) would make straight paths for me to do Search & Rescue (finding and encouraging our brothers in Christ), and to introduce Jesus in perhaps a more personal way to those who don't yet know Him.

And I want to bring these stories to you. So you can see the value of these men. And so you can effectively pray for them.

I hope to get these stories from all over the country. I will use only first names (sometimes these names will not be their real names, but when you pray for them, God will know who they are).

I ask also that you would pray for me and my wife, Stephanie. This is enemy territory, and we need God's protection.

God bless you.

Ticket to Heaven--Opening Day

Heaven is a free gift.

It is not earned or deserved. No amount of personal effort, good works, or religious deeds can earn a place in heaven for you. Why? Because...

Man is a sinner.

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23. Because of this, man cannot save himself. But...

God is merciful and doesn't want to punish us. Yet God is just and must punish sin. "Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished" (Exodus 34:7). But God solved the problem for us in the Person of...

Jesus Christ.

He died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins and rose from the grave to purchase a place for us in heaven. "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6).

This gift is received by faith.

This is the key that opens the door to heaven. Saving faith is trusting in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life. It means resting on Christ alone and what He has done, rather than in what you or I have done to get us into heaven. "...Believe (trust) in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31).

Would you like to receive the gift of eternal life? Jesus said, "I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20).

Here's a suggested prayer:

"Lord Jesus Christ, I know I am a sinner and do not deserve eteranl life. But I believe you died and rose from the grave to purchase a place for me in heaven. Lord Jesus, come into my life. Take control of my life. Forgive my sins and save me from judgement. I repent of my sins and place my trust in You for my salvation. I accept the free gift of eternal life.

If this prayer is the sincere desire of your heart, look at what Jesus promised to those who believe in Him: "I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life" (John 6:47).

If you have truly repented of your sins and placed your trust in Jesus Christ, you have received the gift of eternal life and you are now a child of God---FOREVER.

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY OF GOD!

You can grow spiritually by:

Reading the Bible

Start with the Gospel of John and read a chapter a day.

Prayer

Spend time each day talking with God.

Worship

Regularly attend a church that honors Jesus Christ and teaches you the Bible. Pray that God will show you a good church.

Fellowship

Gather with Christians who will help you grow in faith.

Witness

Tell others what Jesus Christ means to you.

For further help call Evangelism Explosion International @ 954-491-6100.

downtown ministries

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Applebees

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Ticket to Heaven--Opening Day