State of Evangelism

Part I -- State of Examination

Part II -- State of Repentance

Part III - State of Evangelism

I was lost and now I’m found.

I was blind but now I see.



When I was in high school and college, I was pretty good about witnessing and sharing Christ with others. During high school, my parents owned a Christian book store so it was fairly easy to be a “witness”. I was always the goody-two-shoes and it didn’t bother me that I was. But, what they didn’t know is that I wasn’t a good person. Nobody is good (Psalm 53:1) except God alone (Luke 18:19). What perhaps they saw in me was a person they wanted to look up to but that’s as far as it went. No effort to change and be like me. Honestly, they probably didn’t want to and shouldn’t have tried to be like me. I wasn’t the person in whom someone’s life should be portrayed as an example. It may have seemed like it was on the surface but I’m pretty sure I was just as lost.

When I look back now, I realize that my heart was there and perhaps some did see a glimpse of the gospel that may have been silently portrayed by me. But I am pretty sure that it didn’t save anyone. Back then I was engulfed in the modern evangelical message that hoped someone saw the love of Christ in me. That they would just turn from their wicked ways because me, a Christian, just happened to live the “Christian life” or was praying for them. I would pray that the Lord would bring someone to me and just ask me what it was that made my life so great. Know what? I never had one person do that. Never. Even to this day no one has ever thought my life was so wonderful that they had to have whatever it was. Why? Because they don’t need it. They are happy with their own lives. Happy living with their own sin because it makes them feel better. And worst of all – they really don’t know what their sin is. They don’t know that our God is a just and righteous judge. And He will judge us for our sins. “God is a righteous judge, and a God who has indignation every day” (Psalm 7:11)

A.W. Tozer once said, “Have you noticed how much praying for revival has been going on of late and how little revival has resulted? I believe the problem is that we have been trying to substitute praying for obeying, and it simply will not work. To pray for revival while ignoring the plain precept laid down in scripture is to waste a lot of words and get nothing for our trouble. Prayer will become effective when we stop using it as a substitute for obedience.”

If only I could turn back time.

If only I could do it all again.

I would tell them they must repent.

As a Christian, our purpose is to glorify God in every thought, word and deed. To love lost people enough to warn them that they are children of wrath who are waiting to be sentenced to eternity in hell for breaking God’s laws. We are to love lost people enough to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and that the only hope of avoiding the wrath of God is to repent and trust in the Lord Jesus. Our sole purpose is to proclaim the gospel – to fulfill the great commission.

The video above is alarming, but if it is offensive to you, then you might need to examine your heart and see if you are in the faith. I hope it has served it’s purpose in disclosing that hell is real. And people are going there. I am not on a high-horse. I am not judging and condemning. I am only professing what the Bible says. I have no way of knowing where you stand spiritually with the Lord – but He does.

However, if you are not actively engaged in sharing your faith with lost people or you can’t be bothered by it out of fear, doubt, unbelief, or if you have believed the modern lie that evangelism is only for ministers or those with the gift of speech, then you must look in the mirror and realize that you may be a false convert who has never fully repented and are living in disobedience to His Word as failure to share the gospel. Paul was fully aware that he was not an eloquent speaker and that he was weak and fearful (1 Corinthians 2:1-5) but he did not let that excuse stop him in being obedient.

I took a long hard look at myself as seen in the previous posts listed above. I was in disobedience in quite a few areas. This is why it is out of love and concern that I pour out my heart that bears the truth of the gospel, and his command for all men every where to repent because he has appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness (Acts 17:30-31), to you and to strangers on the street. I do it out of obedience. And, because I do not want anyone to spend eternity in hell.

I am reminded of what God said to the prophet Ezekiel when he commanded him to call the people of Israel to repentance. “When I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand” (Ezekiel 3:18).

I don’t need much more motivation than that!

Mark 16:15 (the Great Commission) states that we are to “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation” and that we are to do it all the time “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2).

In Isaiah 58:1 we are instructed to lift our voice loudly, “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.” Notice in this verse it says “my people”. We also are to be reminding those who say they are in Christ to examine themselves and make sure they are repenting from sin and that they are in fact in the faith as they so claim.

With the Lord’s help and for His glory, I am now in obedience to Him and am being a witness to Him. From time to time, I hope to share some of the encounters that I have with people on the street. A lot of times I am just handing out tracts or leaving them everywhere. I am in continuous training through God’s Word in how to effectively preach the gospel of Christ.

I know that if I am correctly telling the lost and false converts about their sin, and that they must repent and turn away from their iniquities, that I will be hated, shunned and labeled as judgmental, harsh and unloving (Matt. 5:11-12, Matt. 10:22, Matt 24:9, John 7:7, Luke 6:22). The more I get out there and do it the more I see the hatred for me and for the truth. I have all ready had people who refused to associate with me because of my stand. Nobody is offended when we say that “God is love” or that we know “God will fill the empty hole in their heart.” When the correct method is used, they sometimes get angry, self-righteous and proud. Thus I know the Law is doing its job in revealing that sin is transgression of the Law.

How do you stack up against the Law of God's word (The Ten Commandments)? Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever stolen anything, regardless of the value or how long ago it was (time doesn't forgive sin)? Have you taken God's name in vain (said "Oh my G-d")? Have you looked at another person with lust, therefore commiting adultery? Then by your own admission you are a lying, thieving, blasphemer, and adulterer at heart and you are going to have to face God on Judgment Day. Because God is Holy, good, righteous and just He will sentence you to hell as the just punishment for your sins against Him (just like Josh).

Oh, but there is good news! Our righteous and just Creator provided a way out from that terrible wrath. He provided himself. God came to earth in the form of a man, the person of Jesus Christ. He suffered and died a horrible death on the cross, taking upon himself the puishment that we deserve for breaking his law.

What does God require of us? That we repent. It's not praying a prayer asking Jesus into our heart -- that does not save us. We must turn away from the sin and call upon the mercy and forgiveness of God. We must by grace alone, through faith alone, receive and trust in the Lord. Then, and only then, will our sins be forgiven and will we receive the free gift of eternal life.

Will you stand? Will you be in obedience to Him no matter what the cost? Will the Law and the Gospel of Christ proceed from your lips today?

The nets are not full...

Need help with how to witness effectively (and biblically)?

Need to purchase biblical tracts or other evangelism materials?

Want to read how me and others are sharing their faith?

Want to make sure you are not a false convert?

Still Thankful

With Thanksgiving 2007 now come and gone, I am still thankful!


Thankful that my turkey turned out pretty darn good if I do say so myself!

Thankful that we have family to share another Thanksgiving together. Thankful for those who came and enjoyed food, fun and fellowship with us.







I am thankful that the Aggies can beat Texas two years in a row. And, I am thankful that when change happens we can leave the past behind, remembering the good times, while we anticipate new and fresh beginnings.

I am thankful for our soldiers who volunteer to fight for their country and for millions of people that they don't know. I am thankful for their dedication and courage even when there is little applause for their service.

I am thankful that the wrath of God was satisfied on the cross for our sin with the death of his precious son. I am thankful for his faithfulness and his never ending grace and mercy.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. (1 Chronicles 16:34)

Thankful...still.

Always Thankful

(Reprint of Mark Cahill Newsletter)

As we enter this season of Thanksgiving, we all have a lot to be thankful for. “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” Psalm 100:4

Do you ever thank God for your family? I have met two different people in the last couple of weeks who were not being raised by their parents. One, a 17 year old, told me that he lived with his brother. His divorced parents live in California. Another guy told me that his Mom died as she was giving birth to him, and his Dad left him when he was 16 years old. He moved away to Canada. So, for the last two years of high school, he bounced around from friend’s homes each week to sleep. He told me that he didn’t like to spend more than a week at a time anywhere because he didn’t want to wear out his welcome. No matter how dysfunctional your family is, and they are all dysfunctional in some way, isn’t it nice to know there is a roof above your head tonight?

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Do you ever thank God for the freedoms that you have to stand up for your belief in the Lord? We are losing those rights here in America and many of our brothers and sisters in other countries have already lost those rights.

Do you ever thank God for persecution? Recently, I was doing a radio show that originated from Toronto. A lady on the station said, “if you would witness the way you do in America up here, you would be torn apart.” I said, “According to Hebrews 11, why would that be such a bad thing?” So many people are concerned about how we look in other’s eyes and it just doesn’t matter when we die. Please the Lord. He judges all things.

“To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.” Psalm 30:12

Do you just thank God when you eat a meal, or do you really THANK Him for that meal? Isn’t it nice to know that you get to choose to fast, when others have to fast because there is no food?

Do you ever thank God that you know there is only one way to heaven and you know what that way is? I had lunch with a Nation of Islam follower named Rodney Muhammed. I met him because he regularly sells newspapers on the same street corner. So I always invite him over to my car to talk. We had lunch one day and he let me know that he believes there are many paths to God. Let’s just say I didn’t agree with that!

“Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.” Psalm 18:49

Do you ever thank God that you can read? I just read where 60% of the world cannot read. This is one reason we are paying for translations of the New Testament into audio of different languages. We do this so we can reach those people for the Lord as well.

“Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” Psalm 106:1

Do you ever thank God for friends? I met a guy the other day that just cried on my shoulder because he was so lonely.

Do you thank God for the job you have? Do all that you do for the glory of God. When He moves you to another job, great, and if He keeps you in this job for a long time, great. Either way, glorify the Lord.

Do you ever thank God that you don’t have to produce your own tracts to hand out? Isn’t it great that someone else has done that for you? You can find good tracts at:
www.customtractsource.com
www.livingwaters.com
www.chick.com

I received an email from a guy that said, “I stood in front of a book display around 3 or 4 yrs ago and asked the Lord to direct me to a book that would inspire. There was one copy only; and it caught my eye. Evangelism sections are never big.”

Do you ever thank God for that perfect book or sermon you hear at the right time, just when you and your soul need it?

Just received an email from a church where I spoke recently. They said, “PRAISE GOD Testimony: In the past 225 days there have been over 150 evangelism testimonies shared in daily emails from 92 different people.”

This church began collecting stories of the obedience of their people who had been faithfully sharing the Gospel. We should thank God for the people and opportunities He puts in front of us. Faithfully share the Gospel and let Him worry about the results. He does a great job at that. You just need to be faithful.

“Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.” 2 Corinthians 2:14

An inmate emailed me from a halfway house and said,“I participated in the study for this book while incarcerated at Skyline Correctional in Canyon City, Colorado. Currently I am in a half way house in Denver and providing the clients there with structured bible studies. Currently we are doing the Truth Project DVD study distributed by Focus on the Family out of Colorado Springs.”

Do you ever thank God for inmates? Being incarcerated is a time when many people’s lives finally slow down enough to think about eternal matters.

Do you ever thank God when life is smooth and there seemingly aren’t any problems? I was talking with a Marine named Antoine on the train the other day. He joined the military and four months later was in Afghanistan. He has seen a lot in his short time in the service. I asked him why he joined the service. He said, “My girlfriend was in the second plane that hit the towers on 9/11.” That event sent a ripple effect through his and his family’s life that has gotten him to the point where he is today.

A Russian friend sent this to me: “And of course greatest news came from the women’s prison camp from the Far East of Russia. One lady Tanya who is doing her third sentence for a murder and who used to be a trouble maker violating rules became a Christian after reading your first book! Administration and prisoners alike all see the difference in her life! She is plugged into the small fellowship that the have there. It’s so cool, Mark! I still didn’t give up with an idea of sending your book to every prison camp in Russia so I need more of contact info, which I’ll try to get.”

Can you just imagine that whole scenario taking place? A triple murderer becoming born again in a Russian prison!

By your donations to the ministry, we were able to help pay for the printing of the book into Russian. That testimony above is a direct result of your giving. They have just finished One Heartbeat Away in Russian, and it will be ready to print it in a few weeks. Praise the Lord.

“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.” Romans 1:8

So let’s end this newsletter the way we should have started it. Is anybody out there thankful to the Lord Jesus Christ in that He died and rose again just for you and me? Is anybody out there excited enough to go tell someone about the great news of what He has done? Let’s be so thankful to the Lord for the redemption of our sins by His blood, that we will not only go tell some, but that we will go tell all the truth of His Gospel.

Until the nets are full,
Mark Cahill (E-Newsletter)

Rescue the Perishing

By: Billy and Cindy Foote

Are you sharing your faith??

"Have you no desire for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself, you can be sure of that."
Charles Spurgeon

Sally Sunshine

Sally Sunshine had a pretty normal life. Nothing too great and nothing too bad. She was happy with how things were going. Nothing much to worry about and not many fires to put out. She figured that she had a pretty good perspective on life and what she thought the future would hold for her.

The days and weeks that went by were filled with the normal things, work, marriage and an occasional night out on the town.

And so was the life of Sally Sunshine.

On Monday she got up excited for another day at work to get things done. She put on her Jesus shirt and got ready for work. This morning she was out of milk for her coffee. Oh well, she would grab a cup of coffee from 7-11 on her way to work this morning. All in all it was a great day even though she had to work a little later than usual.

On Tuesday, she was a little tired and stole a few more minutes of sleep before she crawled out of bed. She burned her toast for breakfast and still didn’t have any milk. She had forgotten that she had a dentist appointment later this afternoon. She may have to just cancel it – too much work to do. She put on her Jesus shirt and headed to work.

Wednesday was welcomed by a loud thunderstorm and sheets of pouring rain. Great, she thought, it will take me forever to get to work today. She hurriedly put on her Jesus shirt and rushed to get in her car – only to find that she had a flat tire. Terrific, this day just couldn’t get any worse. Her husband was out-of-town again so she called a neighbor to see if she could get some help. Luckily, she was able to get the tire fixed and off to work even though she was quite late. Today, maybe it was the weather, but she felt lonely and tired. All day she just felt miserable. She couldn’t put her finger on it but something was out of place.

Thursday was a terrible day for Sally Sunshine. Nothing seemed to go right. A client called very annoyed with something that wasn’t even her fault. Her boss blamed her too and told her so. She went home exhausted. When she got home she discovered that her dog was not feeling too well. He had thrown up all over the carpet. Her husband called and said that he would be late again and not to wait up. It seemed like he was never home anymore. She wondered what was going on. She wondered what was happening to her normal, happy life.

Friday couldn’t come fast enough. She was so glad it was almost the weekend. She put on her Jesus shirt once again. When she got to work her boss met her at the door. “We need to talk.” Sally went into her office and was horrified to hear that her position with the company may be cut. There was some financial difficulty and she may only have a matter of days left. She could go ahead and take the rest of the day off. They would call her soon and let her know if she would be able to come back. Sally was upset. How could things turn out like this? Nobody cares she thought. Where was this perfect, happy and peaceful life that was promised to her? Sally was sad. Some things are going to have to change. She even thought that she might change her name.

Sally Sunshine went home. When she walked in the door she saw her dog on the floor. He was dead.

Sally slowly took off her Jesus shirt and threw it in the trash. It just wasn’t working. There was no way that he would let this stuff happen to her. She didn’t believe he loved her anymore. She was angry. It just wasn’t fair.

Poor Sally. She was not identifying with Jesus. She didn’t know that Jesus came not to give her a better life but to save her from the wrath to come. To save her from hell.

She was only putting him on hoping for a better life…when he didn’t work for her…she just threw him away.

Poor

poor

Sally.

Riches profit not in the day of wrath; but righteousness delivers from death. (Proverbs 11:4)

Did You Get My Email?

I sense it a lot these days.

“Hey, girl I never hear from you.”

This is somebody’s nice way of saying, “Hey, you idiot pick up the phone and give me a call!” And, it’s ok because…..well they are probably right.

I swallow my pride and bite my tongue and don’t say, “And I don’t hear from you either,” because I know that it wouldn’t be true. Not entirely.

My blessing of a friend Michelle and I were discussing this subject the other day. With tears in our eyes we both acknowledged that we always think about calling….but we just didn’t. Because we had so much catching up to do that we would be on the phone all day. Not that I wouldn’t want to stay on the phone all day with my precious friend. But we know that wouldn’t be wise. We’d be stealing employers time, time with our kids or husbands, or plain unwinding time.

So what is my defense….hear me out. Truth be told I can be lazy. But I also know that my intentions are heartfelt and not out of sheer laziness. Why? Well, for me it’s because I’m a writer of sorts and admittedly not the best one but I try. Does it count that I can sit and write you a carefully thought out 30 minute email vs. a 5 minute phone call? It’s like a personal, hand-written letter sent by a super fast horse and carriage. This is one reason I started this blog…a futile attempt at keeping my family and friends up-to-date and involved. Even so, this small attempt at a hand pecked conversation has not developed into what I imagined in that regard at all. But still I’ve learned a lot about myself in the process.

Is there some sort of unspoken taboo about emails that I don’t know about?

Yes, I love technology. I can sit and write something with screaming kids in the background and no one is the wiser…can’t do that on a telephone. It sometimes can be easier to sit and really think about what I want to say before I open my big mouth and say something dumb and destructive. And, man have I done that! I should alertly bridle my tongue. Sometimes I just need to be quiet.

He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity (Proverbs 21:23).

The tongue is powerful.

It can hurt.

It can cause pain.

It can destroy.

But it can also bring truth.

Truth can sometimes hurt.

Better is open rebuke than hidden love (Proverbs 27:5). He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor than he who has a flattering tongue (Proverbs 28:23). A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed - without remedy (Proverbs 29:1). So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him” (Luke 17:3). Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction (2 Timothy 4:2).

Sometimes truth is not what I want to read or hear. Sometimes I just don’t want to believe what I read or hear. Sometimes, most times, that is wise.

But it’s not about whether or not I believe it…..it’s if whether or not it is true.

The Bible is truth. Some chose not to believe it. Some pick and chose what parts of it they want to believe. A few have rewritten it to suit themselves. But it doesn’t change the real truth. It is still a guide book. A spoken and written instruction book. The true and untarnished penmanship of God. It’s God’s phone call…his personal email…to us. Will we answer it? Will we delete the words of our Lord and Savior? Will we love His commandments or will we chose to destroy the message with unfruitful lip service?

Don’t get me wrong….I am not watering down the importance of personal, human contact and delightful conversation. I love it and need it. Most of the time there is no excuse not to have a face-to-face talk. The clicking of computer keys can not replace the sound of a friend from far or near. The gentle tone of a concerned or well-wishing friend is hard to get across in written text. I would much rather spend an hour at lunch with a friend than just sending emails back and forth for eternity. But sometimes something worth being said is just as good written as it is spoken. After all, it is still me doing the “talking”!

I wonder where we would be if we didn’t have the written word of the Bible to guide us. What if our eyes and ears had never seen or heard the carefully drafted personal letters written by men who were inspired by God. We’d be blubbering fools…making it up as we went along…drafting our own rules and dictating how we think it should be done. Sadly, some live like this…no written guide…no written law upon their hearts…choosing to toss aside the instructions and go at it themselves.

And I’ve unwisely been there.

So where is the line drawn…the perfect balance between the written and the spoken. I believe there is one. Know that I write with love to all who reads…deliberately constructed with affection and care.

So, don’t forget to check your email (or this blog!).