Do You Think It's Wrong To Wear Polyester?

It is sometimes amazing that folks who do not follow the Lord will attempt to use His Holy Word to challenge those who do. The headline of today's article, "Do you think it's wrong to wear polyester?" is one such challenge. Let's look at this challenge in today's post.

When sharing the gospel it is common for a non-believer to become uncomfortable as you reveal truth. Darkness does not seek the light, so when the doorway to truth begins to open and light pours in, they seek to escape. Perhaps by moving the conversation in a new direction, the door will pause in its progress, halting the approaching brightness of truth. This type of defense is a non-sequitur, or a topic that does not fit in the logical progression of a conversation. A frequent type of non-sequitur, including tossing out random Biblical verses, is called a red-herring.

A red herring is used to divert attention, or change the course of the conversation. This tells you that the person is uncomfortable, and wants to either put you on the defensive or create a line of discussion that is more to their liking.

Do not allow the conversation to suddenly move off topic. Your reply should immediately lead back to the main point of the gospel. Consider handling it with a simple, "That's an interesting question, let's talk about it after I finish this point." I've heard Ray Comfort deflect red-herrings with the simple statement, "Interesting," before immediately returning to the point he was making. You do not need to get off track, but you do need to understand what is happening: the person feels convicted. Despite their protests and defensive moves, the truth is making a difference. Later, if you have the opportunity, you can address the question.

As for the red-herring that led off this post, "Do you think it's wrong to wear polyester?" this probably comes from reading into the text of Leviticus 19:19, which says (in part): "You shall not... wear a garment upon you of two kinds of material mixed together." Atheists and agnostics read this and conclude that Christians should not wear blends of material, such as polyester.

The fact is, Biblical scholars do not know the reason behind this commandment, which was given to the nation of Israel as they wandered in the desert shortly after the Exodus from Egypt. Some scholars believe the reference was to an idolatrous practice of the day, and the Lord was warning the Jews to not allow any appearance of sin.

If you think this might be far fetched, consider a reader in the future, without access to most of the literature of today, who reads the following: "It could be deadly to wear purple and gold in the city." Would they be right to conclude that our society thought that these two colors, when in close proximity, would create some deadly toxin? Would someone in the future mock a historian with, "Gee, do you believe that colors can kill?"

What if they discovered that these colors are the mark of a particular gang in a local city, and that wearing those colors into the territory of another gang could spark gun-fire? Suddenly the warning makes complete sense.

The fact is, we do not have enough information to determine why the Lord gave the command in Lev 19:19, but we do know clearly that someone who dies in their sin, without trusting the one and only Savior, will be eternally in torment.

Be bold, Christian, and do not allow red-herrings to deter the gospel.

How Bad Is The "How Good Is Good Enough" Book?

I must admit that I was suspicious of what I would find even before I cracked open the book "How Good is Good Enough?" by Andy Stanley. Stanley has made his theology clear, and I would argue that he is wrong on a number of points. Still, I wanted to see what he had to say about the most important topic each of us must consider during this lifetime: our eternal destination, and how to plan for it.

This book claims to address "what it really takes" to get to heaven. This is a powerful claim by the author, and one that has the potential to save or derail many people. Let's take a peek inside.

Stanley claims early, while talking about the common belief that good people go to heaven, "Every major world religion subscribes to the notion that our deeds here on earth determine our destination in the afterlife." (pg 21)

We could debate endlessly what Stanley means by "deeds" or "religion" I suppose, and this brings to the table early the problem with books such as this one: it remains nebulous enough to make it hard to pin anything down. Is Stanley including Biblical Christianity in his survey? Does he not consider Biblical Christianity a religion? There is enough squishy-ness here to make even a long-term politician admire the wiggle room he cuts out for plausible deniability. Unfortunately, Stanley is a pastor who should be clear in his message and take a firm position on the truth. Early on in this book, one wonders if that will be possible.

Stanley next makes the curious claim that the Old Testament is of no help, and specifically claims that "there is no connection between the Ten Commandments and heaven. None. Nada. Zero. It doesn't exist." (pg 40)

How any serious student of the Bible can make such a claim is beyond me, unless he is purposely attempting to redefine God's plan. The Bible is clear that the Ten Commandments are a mirror that reveal our sinful nature. They are a tutor to lead us to Christ. They expose the futility of trying to live a good life, and clearly reveal that there is "none good but God."

Stanley soon dismisses the entirety of the Old Testament as "a system of rules to live by" with "no eternal ramifications to keeping or breaking God's law." (pg 43) He even states that the Old Testament "seemingly ignores the issues of eternity". (pg 43) What of passages such as Isaiah 66:24, which clearly teaches that transgressions (breaking the law of God) will result in eternal torment? Look also to Isaiah 1:28, which warns that sinners will be crushed and those who forsake the Lord are doomed. Look too at Psalm 9:5, "You [God] have rebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked; You have blotted out their name forever and ever." Who are the wicked? Those who transgress God's law. What happens to them? They are blotted out forever. These points are repeated and clarified in the New Testament in verses such as Second Thessalonians 1:8-9.

The Bible is not a collection of disassociated books, like Stanley implies here, it is God's revelation to mankind of His redemptive plan of salvation through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

As Stanley begins to get to the heart of his argument, he plays loose and fast again with the truth. In rapid succession he states that "Jesus taught that good people don't go to heaven." (pg 49) and states that this idea "was so unsettling that Jewish religious leaders had the man arrested and crucified" for it. Nonsense. Jewish leaders had Jesus arrested and crucified for claiming to be God, not for teaching that "good people don't go to heaven". Even this claim that "Jesus taught that good people don't go to heaven" is twisting scripture mightily. Christ went well beyond this Kindergarten-level exegesis by teaching there is "none good, not one." He was building upon the Old Testament declaration of Jeremiah that "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked;" (Jer 17:9, KJV)

We get additional insight into Stanley's mind-set when he proclaims judgment upon God on page 53. After showing that Christ magnified the Ten Commandments prohibition on adultery by stating that God also examines the heart, regardless of the completion of the act (Matt 5:27-28), Stanley dares to state, "Now that's not fair, and certainly not reasonable." Dangerous ground indeed.

This also is where Stanley begins to go completely off-track with his understanding of the gospel. He ends Chapter 7 speaking of how Jesus seemed to contradict Himself when he assured "bad people" that they had a place reserved in heaven while the "best people" did not. In fact, what Christ was pointing out was that unless people recognize their sinfulness, humble themselves, repent and believe the gospel (that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah) they would not be saved.

Stanley's misunderstanding of repentance is evident a number of places following this poor introduction in Chapter 7. Not only through the balance of this little book but also on his church web-site. It is clearly shown, for example, in his discussion of what happened at Calvary with the salvation of one of those crucified alongside Christ. According to Stanley there was "no turning over a new leaf" for the thief who asked Christ for mercy. Yet, it is clear from scripture that the thief did exactly that. Read Luke 23:39-43,

One of the criminals who were hanged there was ​​hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the ​Christ? ​ ​Save Yourself and us!" But the other" [criminal] "answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving ​what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come ​in Your kingdom!" And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in ​Paradise." (NASB)

This is the Biblical model for salvation through repentance and faith. Note that the first criminal was defiant to the truth, even taunting the Lord on the cross, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!" His heart was deceitful and wicked, with no humility or sorrow.

The second criminal was completely different. He was sorrowful, "we indeed suffer justly". He was humble, "we are receiving what we deserve". He was repentant, "do you not even fear God?" and realized his lost state without salvation. He then sought expressed his faith in Jesus Christ. "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom." This last statement was an admission of who Christ is, and His power to save. It was an act of faith and a hope for the future.

Stanley sees only part of the picture, and for that his book is to be avoided.

Stanley does point out that most worldviews and religions get this all wrong by believing that good people go to heaven. It is unfortunate that he then scrambles the true message of hope that God offers for those who will repent and believe in the gospel.

In Part II of this book, Stanley focuses in on the forgiveness offered by God, and gets the basic idea right. It is a shame that he neglects to point out that forgiveness is not possible without humility and repentance. Scripture is clear that darkness has no place in light, and that those who continue in sin are of the devil. Stanley ignores these warnings. He apparently hopes he can charm people into agreeing with the easy part of the gospel (accepting unconditional forgiveness) without having to change anything about their sinful lives. The Bible teaches otherwise, and a clear warning for those who follow the easy path (described as "the wide gate" in Matthew 7:13) is given in Matt 7:15-23:

Beware of the ​false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ​ravenous wolves. You will ​know them by their fruits. ​Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So ​every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. ​ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will ​know them ​by their fruits. ​ Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

​Many will say to Me on ​that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many ​miracles?'

And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; ​depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'

Stanley clings to the mistaken view that "believing in Him is the only requirement" for salvation, but the Bible teaches otherwise. "Even the demons believe, and shudder." - James 2:19

Given the choice between the entirety of the Bible, and Stanley's interpretation, I will choose the Bible. I hope you do too.

There will be many who die believing they are Christians, who have some level of confidence that they will breeze into heaven on the day of Judgment. But many will be wrong. Please do not be led astray by the ravenous wolves who would lead you off the true path. Recognize your sin, repent (turn from it with a firm commitment to avoid sin with the help of the Holy Spirit) and put your trust in Jesus Christ to save you. He will save you, you cannot save yourself. Trust Him now. Today is the day of true salvation.

Dave finds it "disturbing" that someone is watching?

David Letterman, who found it "creepy" and "disturbing" to discover that someone was watching him, seems to have missed the fact that God is omnipresent.

If Dave Letterman thinks the man who planned to blackmail him wanted payment, he needs to consider the fix he will be in on Judgment Day without a savior.

This interesting article by Russell D. Moore examines all of these issues, and the irony, in detail.

New Survey Shows Most Self-Described Christians Ignore Biblical Truth

Shortly after Christ was captured by Roman soldiers, at the insistance of the Jewish leaders, He was brought before Pontius Pilate. As the Roman governor of Judea, Pilate could pass sentence on Christ, or free Him.

As Pilate considered the fate of the Savior, he asked Him, "What is truth?"

The Greek word that is translated "truth" is aletheia (pronounced al·ay·thi·a). This word means, essentially: that which is objective in any matter. Another definition is: certainty, fact.

Truth is a question mankind has wrestled with, and, according to a new survey from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public life, Christians today fail to recognize what is truth.

Before I jump to the results of the survey, let's cover a few Biblical definitions of truth:

• God is truth (Deut 32:4, Isa 65:16) and His truth is unchanging (Num 23:19, Titus 1:2)
• The Bible is God's Word (Isa 34:16, Rom 1:2)
• The Bible is True (Psalm 119:160)
• Christ is truth (John 1:17)
• The gospel is truth (Eph 1:13, 1 Thess 2:13)

From this we know that the Bible is the true Word of God, and that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is part of that truth.

What is the gospel of Jesus Christ?

In John 14:6, Jesus answers Thomas about the only path to heaven when He says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me."

Further, as you read the Bible, you discover that the path to Christ is repentance from sin (Matt 4:17, 2 Cor 7:10, Rev 3:3), and surrendering your life to Christ (Rom 6:19, Col 4:1, 1 Cor 7:22).

The Bible also warns us that many people will miss the truth of the gospel. Read Matthew 7:13-14:

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it."

It appears that most of America's self-reporting Christians are looking at a wide gate.

Note: The term Christian, as used by the survey, is self-reported. That is, a person is a "Christian" if they call themselves a Christian. This is an objective standard. For the balance of this article, you can assume that I am using the objective standard. However, my desire is that people turn to God's standard (as shown above) and become true Christians.

Consider the fact that this new study finds that most Christians in America believe that you need not be a repentant slave to Christ to obtain salvation.

In fact, an astounding 65% of Christians say that many religions can lead to salvation! Before you dismiss this number and think, "well, there are Episcopal's and Baptists and Lutherans..." that is NOT what the survey respondents meant by "many religions". Upon further questioning, the Pew Forum discovered,

• More than 8 in 10 say that at least one non-Christian religion can provide Salvation.
• 69% say that Judaism provides salvation
• 52% say that salvation can be found in Islam
• 53% say Hinduism can provide salvation
• An astonishing 56% say that people with "no religious faith" can still obtain salvation, and
  
• Most amazingly, 42% say that atheists can obtain salvation.
  

How? Well, according to the survey respondents, all of these people can achieve salvation by what they believe or by their actions. What Bible verse is that?

If these self-reported Christians do not understand how others can achieve eternal life, what does that say about their own walk with the Lord?

Please, if your views conflict with the scripture above about the gospel, consider the following passage from Matthew 7:21-23,

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'

And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'"

The only way we can know the truth... the only way we can share the truth... the only way to obtain salvation is to search out the truth of the gospel in the Bible.

The Bible is truth. The gospel is truth. Surveys are not. Beliefs are not. Feelings are not.

Know the truth, and share it with others... even those who sit in church with you.

Two Amazing Witnessing Opportunities - Part 2

As a Christian, I am so very grateful for God's Word. It reveals God's character, answers most of our questions, and provides examples of true discipleship.

I did a search for the word "continually" in the New Testament, using the NASB Bible. I found that Christ's disciples were, at times, continually worshiping Him (Luke 24:53), continually praying (Acts 1:14), continually learning (Acts 2:42), continually loving others (Acts 9:36), and continually sharing the gospel (throughout the New Testament, but see especially the Book of Acts). So, when we share the gospel, the wrong attitude to have is, "Been there, done that." Our attitude should be to continually share.

Unfortunately, too often this is not my attitude. Sometimes I am tired, or upset, or allow my pride to get in the way, or have a conversation that went poorly. Rather than continually renewing myself in Christ, I stop sharing the gospel.

Thankfully, the day I shared the gospel with Beth was not like that. I had set my pride aside, decided that I would not allow Beth's eternal destination rest upon chance, and had a wonderful conversation with a sister in Christ.

That's when it struck me: I don't know if her mother is saved.

My wife and I are part of a support group that enables Beth's mother to work regularly. Some people spend a few hours with Beth, we spend one day each week with her. Beth's mom frequently comes home very late, and very tired. "How," I thought to myself, "am I going to share the gospel with Beth's mother?"

It never ceases to amaze me how inventive the human mind is. We can imagine all kinds of scenarios where a conversation will go poorly, or circumstances will prevent us from sharing the gospel, or how the other person will be insulted, etc., etc. Here I was imagining all the reasons why I would not be able to talk to Beth's mom about Christ.

So, I prayed.

I prayed that God would give me an opportunity. I prayed that my pride would not get in the way, and that I would not allow the opportunity He gave me to slip by.

Just a few hours later, God answered that prayer when Beth's mother walked in the house early, and energetic!

She even sat down to play a game with the three of us.

After a few minutes, I started praying again that I would take the next opportunity to turn the conversation from worldly topics to eternal ones.

Then, something amazing happened. Beth said to me, "Why don't you ask my mom what you asked me this afternoon?"

I did not have to bring up the gospel, Beth did! It was almost as if God was saying, "You want an opportunity? Here you go!"

So, I turned to her and said, "If you died tonight, are you 100% certain that you would go to heaven?"

Our conversation went on for several minutes, and since then Beth's mom has asked some interesting questions about the gospel. I now have an ongoing opening to continue our conversation about the gospel. "Hey, remember that question you asked me?" is a sentence I often use to restart the conversation.

If you haven't witnessed to a friend or family member, please do. Then, start sharing the gospel with the next member of the family, or the next member of your sports team, your club, or class.

And please pray for Beth and her mother.

What Every Christian Should Know About Gospel Tracts, Part 2

In the first part of this short series of posts, I discussed what a tract is, what to look for in a tract, and where to find tracts with sound gospel messages. I also explained why you should read every tract you plan to purchase or hand out.

This time, I will briefly cover the cost of tracts (and give a couple pointers on how to reduce your costs), describe how to distribute them, and answer the biggest question: Are they Biblical.

Let's begin with the biggest question: Are tracts Biblical?

Yes, you will be glad to know, they are.

Take a look at John 20:31. It's one of the verses that says that the gospel is written down so that others may believe. Another verse I often reference is Isaiah 55:11 says, “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” Tracts are based on these truths.

For most people, tracts are the easiest way to begin sharing the gospel with others.

You can begin in complete stealth. How? Simply carry tracts with you and always have them around at home.

Begin using tracts by stuffing them into bills or junk-mail return envelopes. When I receive junk mail, I open it, discard all the advertising, stuff a tract into the envelope, and return it. I will even use stamps for envelopes that are not "postage paid". When I send a bill, a tract goes along for the ride every single time. I recently started an on-line business, and every single package I mail includes a gospel tract.

You you travel for business or please and stay in hotels or other lodging, help future guests by bookmarking the restaurants section inside the Yellow Pages. Then, when you check out, leave the maid a tip and a million dollar bill tract in the Thank-You envelope you often find on the dresser or desk.

Next, start taking them with you everywhere you go. I like to keep a stack in the convenient ‘tract slot’ of the driver’s door that every auto manufacturer builds into cars. I’m sure your car has one too - though the engineers mistakenly call them "map pockets". Then, rather than park right next to the store, park beyond the other cars and as you walk slide tracts between the window and the weatherstripping right above the driver’s door handle.

When you pull into a gas station, look for those little “Please take one!” containers and put a tract inside.

My son and I recently went to the grocery store. I did not mind taking an extra minute or two as he walked down the beer aisle and slipped a tract into the convenient tract-deposit slots on the top of beer cases (some people use these slots as carrying handles too!).

Another favorite way to distribute tracts is to leave one with my tip every time we visit a restaurant.

You can also leave them in magazines as you browse the local bookstore (they already have several inserts anyway). Another favorite is to slip them into books that we browse at the local public library. Everyone needs a bookmark!

Once you start carrying them around, you’ll find that the number of places to leave them is limitless. So, start taking them with you everywhere.

Tracts are not very expensive. A typical pack of 100 will cost between $5 and $8 (plus shipping, and possibly tax). This means that it only costs about 5 to 8 cents to share the gospel. An eternity of meaning for less than a dime!

But, there are ways you can reduce your costs.

Shopping on the Internet usually means you don't have to pay sales tax. This can reduce your overall cost by 5 to 10%. The key is that you purchase your tracts from a company that does not have a brick and mortar store (or distribution center) within your state.

If you order in bulk, your shipping costs are nearly always lower. If your supplier does not automatically reduce shipping, send them an e-mail and ask for it. Most companies would prefer to reduce your shipping than see you walk away (or, click-away when shopping on-line).

If you volunteer to coordinate the evangelism effort, or tract distribution at your church, you might be able to arrange to split the shipping cost if you combine your personal orders with church orders. The larger order will probably have lower cost shipping, and you might be able to order larger quantities for greater discounts. You and the church benefit!

Finally, like everything else, tracts do go on sale. Watch your favorite sites, or subscribe to their e-mail alerts or newsletters. Tracts go on sale for a variety of reasons: introductions of new tracts, selling off of old tracts, and the promotion of seasonal tracts. In addition, some suppliers occasionally send out "Thank You" discount coupons to prior customers.

Now we come to the part where most people become uneasy: How to hand tracts to people.

I find that the vast majority of people (probably 80% or more) take a tract and say "Thank you!". How? I think the key is not in what you say, or how you approach them, it is in your heart.

If you have a true heart of concern and compassion for the lost, you will literally be filled with joy when someone approaches who might need to read the gospel. The smile on your face is enough to disarm nearly everyone who would normally walk coldly past.

So, pray that God would give you strength, boldness, and true joy for reaching the lost. Go to a public place (the more people the better). Get a tract into your right hand, and the next person who walks by (or who you walk by) do the following:

• Smile
• Make eye contact
• Reach the tract out to them
• Joyfully say, "Hi, did you get one of these?"
  

Most people will smile back, take the tract, and thank you.

If the person hesitates, just keep smiling, and holding the tract out.

If they don't take it, you might follow up with something like: "It's free!"

If they continue walking on their way, that's fine. It means that this tract is meant for the next person... praise God that you didn't give it to the wrong person!

It's that simple.

You probably now know more about gospel tracts than you need to, and certainly more than most Christians do. I hope you have enjoyed these posts.

Now go get some gospel tracts with a sound gospel message, carry them everywhere, and share the gospel of Jesus Christ!

What Every Christian Should Know About Gospel Tracts

Today's topic is: Gospel Tracts.

Over the next few posts I will answer questions like: What are tracts? How expensive are they? What should you look for in a tract? Where can you get them? How can a Christian spread the gospel through tracts? Are they effective? Most importantly, are they Biblical?

The term "Tracts" is short for "Gospel Tracts." Most people use the two interchangeably.

I find that the best gospel tracts use an attention-grabbing image on one side, use bright complimentary colors around the text, or both. A glossy finish is preferred to minimize the effects of rain and to help draw they eye. The use of a material that is stiff, similar to most post cards, is better than thin paper. As you read about how to distribute tracts and you begin to use them, the importance of a stiff, glossy material quickly becomes evident.

If an image is used, it has one purpose: attract the eye and generate curiosity. Therefore, you should look for tracts that you find attractive or interesting. Chances are, the same image will be attractive and interesting to others.

Next, read the tract! I really can't stress this enough. You must read every tract you plan to purchase and distribute. A great image may draw the eye, but poor text is more likely to be immediately discarded. Even more importantly, you need to ensure that the gospel message is Biblical. For example, I like a number of tracts from the American Tract Society, but I don't use very many. The text is well researched and written, and the materials are top quality. However, the gospel message is weak, so although I read them for the information I rarely give them to non-believers. Tracts from the web sites listed in the left-hand column (see Recommended Evangelism Supplies) typically have very sound gospel presentations.

You should also read each tract so you can answer questions about it. While most people will take a tract that you offer, some will ask, "What is it?" That's not the time to suddenly realize that you have no idea what it says.

Not only do you educate yourself with the facts and points made in the text of a tract, they also include great examples of how to switch conversations from worldly topics, to spiritual topics (see an example of how Christ did this in John 4:7-26).

For example, the Mind Game tract from the Living Waters gospel tracts page shows a simple card trick, then includes this two sentence transition from the trick to a gospel presentation: "Most of us feel unintelligent when we find out how it's done. Of course, the most unintelligent thing any of us could ever do is ignore where we are going to spend eternity." Think of all the other ways you can change the topic of any conversation to things of eternity using this model!

Most importantly, tracts such as this one include a concise, but clear, gospel message: Repent, and put your complete trust in Jesus Christ as your savior (Mark 1:14-15).

Next time, I will continue the discussion of gospel tracts. Until then, be bold and remember that Christ can only work through you if you put some effort into the work.

Festivals... Why they are the perfect place to share the gospel.

Weekends can be beautiful here in the mid-Atlantic. The trees display magnificent colors, certainly better than any man-made fireworks display; the air is crisp and clean; the sky is sparkling blue. What better time for outdoor activities and festivals?

One local community held a typical fall festival a few weekends ago. They line the streets with vendors, community groups, businesses, or anyone else willing to fill out an application and pay a nominal fee. On some streets I found amusements for children, on others demonstrations by skateboarders and martial arts groups. Everywhere people were milling about to take in the sights.

Festivals such as this are perfect places to meet others and share the gospel. If you've never shared the gospel before, there are a number of reasons you should begin at the next festival near you.

For one thing, handing out tracts could never be easier. Chances are you will quickly run into someone who wants to hand you something: a sale flier, a map of the event, a list of activities, the latest offer from the neighborhood bank, even an invitation to a local church. This is the easiest time ever to hand someone a tract. I simply say, "I'll trade!" I have never had the person turn down a tract. Why would they, they want me to take their material, and I know they need mine.

Secondly, there a lots of people with time to spare. If they were in a hurry, they would not be at the festival, so they are more likely to stop and talk with you than, for example, people heading into a grocery store. Also, with so many people around you are sure to get into good conversations. Even if one does not go well, there are plenty of other people to chat with.

Next, you are likely to run into other believers who can encourage you and hold you accountable.

• Other believers encourage with their strength, their prayers, their words. Christ, when he sent his disciples out, sent them in two's. I think part of the reason was so they could lift each other up when they were confronted with resistance or intimidation.

• Fellow believers can also hold you accountable. You've probably spoken of your desire to share the gospel with others, well now is the time to show them that it's not just talk.

Finally, places like fairs, festivals, carnivals, and the beach all have one very important thing in common, it's what some might call a "target rich environment." No matter where you turn, there are people who need the gospel. This means if one person turns down your offer of a tract, there's someone else who will be along in a few seconds. It means that if you try to start a conversation with someone who is not interested in talking, there is someone else just a few feet away who will. You simply need to obey the commandment to "be ready" and to "share the gospel." God has already provided you with the field, and it is ready for the harvest.

Be bold! Head out to the next well attended event near you.