Jesus Thank You

FREE WILL vs. ROBOT

A good video that answers the question of whether we have a free will or not.

Gospel Assault- 7/21

Last Thursday a group of us invaded one of the squares in Downtown Guadalajara for the Gospel. Brothers Artemio, Juan and I preach regularly in this particular square, but this day we were joined by Giancarlo and Joshua (a brother visiting from the States). We had a fireteam of armed-and-ready soldiers of Christ, and we took advantage of it.

Juan began by open air preaching in one side of the square.

Then, at the same time, Josh began to preach on the opposite side.

And as Josh and Juan were preaching, Giancarlo went to a busline nearby and began preaching to them.

After Juan, Artemio stepped up to the plate. Here he is just after the amp he was using ran out of juice. He kept on proclaiming the Gospel with that booming, thunderous voice of his. I don't know why he uses an amp, I don't really notice a difference when he preaches with one and when he doesn't.

He even got so bold as to get up right in front of the statue of Pope John Paul II and preach against idolatry! The Catholic temple was only a few yards in front of this statue, and had its doors open. As soon as the people in the temple heard him, they closed the doors!

We had several great conversations that day. As the three brothers mentioned above were preaching, a lady came up to me who had been having serious problems with her drug addict/acoholic husband who claims to be a Christian and saved despite his practicing sin. She was disgusted with his hypocrisy but really open and receptive to the Gospel. 

Later, as I began to open air, Giancarlo sat down and spoke with Jose Angel, a man sitting on a bench who likewise saw his need to repent and trust in Christ. He had realized on his own that no money, material posessions or sins could ever satisfy this great emptiness and longing he had in his heart, and was looking something real and true that would. Giancarlo sat down with him and shared the Gospel. They talked for about two hours! When I finished preaching I went over to where they were and was also able to minister to him. As Giancarlo was reasoning with him, a Catholic man sitting next to them heard what they were talking about and jumped in on the conversation. He began trying to "help" Jose Angel find the truth by giving him unbiblical and contradictory advice. On the one hand, he argued that Mary was the "Mother of God" and humanity's mediatrix, and that the Catholic church is the only true church...but on the other, he encouraged Jose Angel to go with our "group" of "separated brethren" because we were okay, that he should follow what "feels" right and gives him peace, and that God is in all of us and we are all His children. I asked the Catholic if he knew where he was going when he died. After the Catholic replied that he didn't, Jose Angel retorted, "Then why should I even listen to you? You're trying to give me advice, but you're not even sure where you're going! On the other hand, these two guys right here know where they're going when they die!" By God's grace he got it! And he understood that we weren't preaching "religion" to him, we were preaching Christ!

Fortunately, the Catholic promptly left, but a little while later another man who claimed to want to hear the truth walked up to us and asked us for help. It turned out, however, that he was an addict who didn't want to let go of his sins; all he wanted was money. It seemed that the devil was throwing these people at us to distract us from talking to Jose Angel, and to confuse him. But God be thanked none of it worked. He left telling us that he was going to get right with God that very night. 

Please keep him, the lady, and everyone else that heard the Gospel that day in your prayers. 

Wierd Creatures at Home

The following are only some of the many interesting and rare specimens of God's creation that live in and outside our home. In addition to this, bats seem to like to fly outside my room (I live on the roof), and there are other strange things I haven't been able to get a picture of. There's never a dull day here...

A wierd cocoon I found in the garage...

Which turned into a big moth like this one.

They tell me these secrete some kind of liquid that stings you.

A gecko right outside the doorway of my room.

A cocoon the kids found in the backyard one day. Nothing's come out of it yet, so we don't know what it is.

An ant-looking winged insect.

One day we found this huge moth in the garage. It's twice as big as the other one.

It camouflages quite nicely.

Freed from Pornography by Being Satisfied in Christ

God's Wrath is Against the Sinner

Today Could Be Your Last.

 

It could. Today could be your last day on this earth. Today could be the last time you hear the Gospel. This moment could be the last opportunity you have to surrender before your Lord and King. This very second could be the last time the offer of mercy and eternal life  is extended to you.

Today could be your last.

It was Miguel's. Not this very day, but "today" more than a month ago when the Gospel message was proclaimed to him for the last time in his life. I remember coming down from my room and seeing him sitting at the table in the dining room. I didn't know who he was. I simply greeted him and went about my business; I was too busy with my own affairs to be getting into the Urban's affairs. After all, he was there to see them, not me. I was in the house with him and his relatives but didn't witness to them.

But Lina did. Through a series of providential circumstances, he had met Josef and Lina once before, and they had preached the Gospel to him. He was really open. This day Lina sat down with them and again shared with him the hope of salvation in Christ. He received the Word and had an apparent desire to surrender his life to Christ...whatever the cost. And there would be a cost. He was a federal police officer, and like the majority of police in this country, he was crooked. And not only that--he was also buddy-buddy with the Mafia. But he seemed willing to pay the price, to repent and do what was right as a police officer, to glorify the infinitely worthy Christ with his life. He left the house hungry for the Lord and for His Word, assuring Lina that he would get right with God.

Facing death was nothing foreign to Miguel; he had already been shot at in the past--being severely wounded--due to his Mafia ties and dealings; he had already stared at death in the face, and by God's grace he had survived.

But, tragically, only a few weeks after seeing him the Lord would have him come near the door of death again...and this time he would not emerge victorious. It was a shock for me to hear it when Lina first told me. It was all over the news, she said...two gunmen murdered him in cold blood. Walking along the sidewalk, right outside a government building in the city where he lived, he was met by the hired killers. He tried to flee, but they managed to trap him, do him in, and get away. That it was a hit job was obvious; that he was the main target was undeniable.

Reading the online news reports was utterly sad. But alas! A glimmer of hope: some of the news reports stated that he had retired from his police job only some weeks earlier! Talking with Lina, she told me that the last time they spoke he mentioned that he was going to be transfered to another city soon. He was going to continue working. There was no reason whatsoever for him to quit the force. 

UNLESS...well...here's hoping that he actually repented and trusted in the Savior, and had had enough of his life of corruption and crime. Here's hoping that he left behind what he knew didn't please the Lord. Here's hoping that he indeed did come to know the living God. 

Will we see him in heaven? I truly hope we do. I may never know, this side of eternity. I may not know many things in this life, but there is one thing I'm certain of--

Today could be your last. Are you ready?