We spent a couple of hours this afternoon down at the Everett Gospel mission, handing out sandwiches and cups of homemade chicken soup to the men and women who were there. We also gave out a number of other food and some personal toiletry items.
It was a very successful mini-mission trip.
The team was Julie, and I, Emily, Denise, Becky and her husband Blaine.
I handed out Santa Million Dollar bill Gospel tracts, and had the opportunity to preach the Gospel to those waiting in line to get into the mission.
Here's what I said...
Caterpillars don’t Sky Dive
You may have a religious background. You may have grown up in a religious family, with a religious heritage. Maybe you would say to yourself I've tried to live the religious life, but I just can't. I've tried reading my Bible, and praying, and going to church, but it bores me to tears, and puts me to sleep. There's a reason for that and you shouldn't be surprised. Let me illustrate why that is with a little story;
Imagine, you were to find a little caterpillar crawling on a leaf of a tree, and you took that caterpillar, and dressed him up in little blue tights with little red underwear with a little yellow S on the chest and a red cape hanging off his little caterpillar shoulders. And you take the caterpillar up to the top of the empire state building. Then you dangle that little caterpillar in its blue tights and red cape over the edge. At that point, you let go of him and he falls down, down, down. Hurriedly, you take the elevator back down to the ground floor, and get off and go out to the street and you will find a little splat on the sidewalk.
BUT, if you take a caterpillar after it has transformed into a butterfly and now take it up to the top of the Empire State building and let it go, it will have a totally different experience. And that is why Jesus said, "You must be born again." Going to church and praying and engaging in religious activity will not save anyone from hell or get anyone to heaven. You will find no pleasure in the things of God. You must be transformed from within. But when that happens, you will love God. You will love the things God loves. You will delight in the law of God. It will not be a burden to
serve God.
Jesus said, "Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly of heart, and I will give you rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Testimony goes here…