U District Street Fair

Lots of people.   Lots of people with lots of false, incorrect even wicked views about God.

We were amazed at the sheer volume of people attending the Seattle U District Street Fair today.

We were encouraged to meet up with other evangelists, with banners and amplification.


We stood on our stool, and proclaimed the Gospel to many hearers.  We were mocked, but the Gospel went forth.

Here's what I wanted to say.   We'll see when the video comes out if I said anything like this.

God bless...

U District Street Fair

We’re born-again Christians.   We’ve been born anew, we’ve received an new nature.  The Holy Spirit of God has taken up residence in my life.  I come to bring a testimony of the miraculous work that God has done in my life.   We love God.   We fear Him.   We trust him.   We follow Him.   We serve the Lord of glory.   We adore our Lord, our master and Savior Jesus Christ.   So we come out and we proclaim the truth of scripture, the Bible, the Holy Bible to you, that you would hear the truth and the truth would set you free.   Jesus Christ made a claim of exclusivity; He said “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, and no man or woman would come unto the Father, except through Him.”    We come to you and bring an eternal perspective, yes, that someday you will have to face your own mortality.   One day we will all die.  Ten out of ten people die.   It is the ultimate statistic; the only one hundred percent statistic.    Some people do avoid taxes, but no one avoids death.   On that day, when you die, you will stand before your maker to give an account of your life.   It is appointed unto man once to die and after this comes the judgement.  When you die, you will immediately go to be in the presence of your Creator... The Bible says, to be absent from the body, is to be present with the Lord.   God knows everything you’ve ever done, whether good or bad.  The Bible says in proverbs 15:3, the eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good.   The Bible says in Matthew 12:36 every idle word you speak, you will be made to give an account of in the day of judgement.

Involuntary Actions

This morning we (Thomas and I) went to the Lynnwood Transit Center at 5:30 to proclaim the Gospel in the crisp morning air.   I was overjoyed to lift up my voice and share the Good News of Jesus Christ with the commuters as they waited for their buses.

One woman asked, "Do we have a choice?", to my greeting, "Good morning... I'd like to share a few thoughts with you this morning while you wait for your bus."   I went on to begin my message on "involuntary actions".   She responded, "yeah, like have to listen to you...".   Funny!

See our video here:   http://youtu.be/ebBhMQADaRo

Here was my message.

Good morning.  My name is Keith and I’m a born-again Christian, and I’d like to share a few thoughts with you while you wait for your bus this morning.   Think about this; we human beings have quite a few involuntary functions going on in our bodies.   Coughing, sneezing, hiccups, blinking and swallowing, to name a few.   But also, our heart beating, our breathing, our digestion; not to mention our reflexes.   Let that sink in for a moment... We all have involuntary physical actions that take place whether or not we think about them, and they’re completely outside of our control.

And in a very real way, we don’t have complete control over our minds... what we think, either.   If I were to say, don’t think of a Pink Elephant, what is probably the first thing that pops in your head?   A Pink Elephant.

Similarly, in the realm of morality; we don’t have complete control of how we behave.   Try going just one single day, being completely truthful in every situation.   Try going even one day not thinking or saying something hateful.   Try not looking lustfully at someone who isn’t your husband or wife.    Think of what your reaction might be when someone cuts you off, on the freeway?   Would the bird come out and the air turn blue?   Right moral behavior is not even possible unless you’ve had a miraculous transformation in your life from God.  I’m not saying I’m perfect, or I don’t sin, but I am saying I’ve been born again, and because of that I have the victory over sin and I walk in that victory every day.

The sobering thing is that God sees everything we’ve ever done, said, or even thought.   Even things we thought were done in secret, are laid open before the Lord, with whom we have to give an account. So when that heart that has so cheerfully beat in your chest all these years stops, and those lungs that have so consistently breathed in and out your whole life, stop, you will step out of time and into eternity, and you will stand before God to give an account of your life.

The Law...

The Gospel...

The New Birth...

It is no accident that you are here within the sound of this message.   God is sovereign.  He is in control.   And the Bible says that repentance is the gift of God [2 Timothy 2:25].   So if your heart is pricked by what has been said, I would urge you; I plead with you, to turn to God and beg Him for the gift of repentance.

First John Chapter One

1 John 1 (New King James Version)

What Was Heard, Seen, and Touched

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.

Fellowship with Him and One Another

5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

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Gen 1:3-4 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.   And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.   [The Hebrew day is reckoned from sundown, as the beginning of the day to the following sundown.   Light brings distinction, there is good and bad, right and wrong, black and white, there is order with God]

Exd 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:   [it provides illumination, so that you can make progress (move forward), when you wouldn’t otherwise be able to]

Psa 27:1 (A Psalm of David.) The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?   [it dispels fear... why is that? Think of a night light you put in your kid's bathroom or in their bedroom, so they won't fear the dark.]

Psa 90:8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.   [it exposes sin]

Psa 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.   [God's Word shows us the way to go]

Psa 119:130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple. [God’s word makes the simple wise]

Luk 11:33 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.  The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.  Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.   If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light. [Two things to note here: 1) be careful of deceiving yourself, by doing something bad and calling it good. 2) be careful of compromise.   I want to ask you to think about this. Do those around you know you’re a Christian?]

Jhn 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.   The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.   He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.   That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.   [So light here also represents life itself... As the hymn “Immortal Invisible” says,

To all, life Thou givest, both great and small

In all life Thou livest, true life of all

Great Father of glory, pure Father of Light

Thine angels adore Thee unveiling their sight

Jhn 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.   For every one that does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.   But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.   [be open to God’s correction, by allowing the light to shine into your life, for whom the Lord loves, He reproves.]

Jhn 5:35 He was a burning and a shining light: and you were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. [Get the imagery here... burning and shining... purifying and illuminating... bringing joy unspeakable]

Jhn 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.   [our COMMITMENT to Christ will be evident by the way we live. You can be committed to an ‘ISM’ if you want, or you can be committed to a set of principles, or a philosophy, that’s fine, but that will only get you so far, I’m committed to the PERSON of Jesus Christ, God the Son and I know and am persuaded that He is faithful to complete the good work He began in me.]

2Cr 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.   [it represents God’s Glory, and the knowledge of God’s Glory causes us to want to KNOW Him more and in a deeper way]

1Jo 2:8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.   He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.   He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.   [it signifies a change in our hearts and lives toward one another... I was a hater... I was angry... Not God has filled me with love toward the brothers, toward coworkers, even to those whom I may not know]

My Tenure With "Forgiven Choices"

Last night marked the end of my tenure with the prison ministry band, Forgiven Choices.   I have already begun my new responsibilities at the prison on the 4th Sunday morning of the month, with the prisoner church at Monroe Correctional Facility.

By way of history and background, for the last seven years, I've spent one Saturday evening per month going into the Minimum Security Unity (MSU) at the Monroe Correctional Center, with a prison ministry team called Forgiven Choices. We basically 'do church' in a little chapel at the facility, for the inmates.   Although, each time they announce our service over the loud-speaker, they call out, 'Forgiven Choices concert in the chapel!'.

Our team is led by none other than Bill Weldon (lead guitar, lead vocals, rock solid leader, group 'sponsor'.)   The team has expanded and contracted over the years; in fact, as I understand it, the team was originated by Daryl Jacobson (father to the now famous pastor of Calvary Chapel Arlington.)   At present though, the team is comprised of the following cast of characters: John Dominick (harmonica, percussion and preacher extraordinaire), Fred Jennings (the happy drummer), Ron Hogan (percussion, and evangelism partner),  Tim Dunham (bass player, super encourager, and race car builder/driver), Kevin Lang (very expressive backup vocalist who worships by exclaiming 'Jesus'), Doug Wallis (our Jewish scholar), and Wayne Wirth (true minister of our Lord and Savior's grace.)

We've seen inmates (AKA offenders) come and go.   We call the men that come to our meetings 'The Church on the Hill', since the whole correctional facility sits up on a hill in Monroe.   We are always encouraged by them.   They always express appreciation for us coming in to minister to them.  We lead them in the same worship songs we all sing at church, and then have a brief Bible study, led by one of the team members and then we spend time in fellowship, encouragement, counsel and prayer with the inmates.

As a worship band, we have also performed/led worship at a few other venues such as Shrimp Fest in Brinnon, Freedom Fest in Snohomish and Sunday morning worship services at Calvary Chapel Lake Stevens and Sunday morning worship service at LifePoint Church in Lake Stevens and Everett.

It has been a wonderful experience, but the LORD has called me to a new assignment as an overseer for the prisoner-led church on the fourth Sunday morning of every month.   Bill gave me the opportunity to lead the Bible study last night, so I spoke on First John chapter One.

Here are some pictures of the band...

 

God bless...