Evangelism Success

The five day kids' club I hosted with the help of Child Evangelism Fellowship went great.
We had a total of 23 kids register in the five days, though there were some babies and teenagers who hung out here too. It was less than when I did it three summers ago, at that time a total of 34. But, this year there were three children who received Jesus Christ as their Savior!! Praise God!
I had talked with Pastor Greg about going on a mission trip to Rwanda and he disapproved the idea at that time, but my reaction was not dissuaded, because I knew God would have me go where He desired to use me. An hour later, Betty from CEF called saying "I had two homes back out of hosting at the last minute. Can you do it?"
I was tremendously blessed. I think we didn't get as many kids this year because I couldn't bait them with swimming time in a pool. But the kids pleaded with all sweetness for me to help them make a water slide off the playset. So I searched high and low through the garage and gave them my precious foam camping mattress. As I put it under the landing spot, I said "Well, you get it because I love you so much. But - who loves you more than I do??" They answered, and I said, "How do you know He loves you??"
Deena, a mother in the neighborhood, came and stayed with me in the house while they had their hour of gospel play. It was so neat to have her because I had many Spanish-speaking children here and when they scraped a knee she would comfort them in their language and send them on their way. I was awestruck. I need to learn this language!
Four or five years ago my husband and I made a deal with a developer so that they could build a house on the lot behind us. It was a deal I was not pleased with, but, I prayed about it asking God "let it be for your sake." God could not have answered it in a more numerous fashion. "Mom," "Dad," eight children, and three of those eight children having at least one child of their own, moved into that four-bedroom house. It is one of those traditional Mexican families. And all of the children under the age of twelve came to hear the gospel that week. Praise God! Just think, if one person receives the gospel, that whole house will hear about it! And they are such sweet neighbors. God is good!
I had the pleasure of meeting again with another neighbor who is a believer and was suffering a terrible addiction for several years, but, she finally gave it up, for good! That was very neat to hear. I want to encourage her faith to take off.
Well, our pool finally made it out and got set up. It seems the word has spread quickly amongst the kids of the neighborhood. Today and yesterday they have been hovering on the other side of the fence, and I go to them and say, "come." After two days of taking care of their nutritional, towel, and taking-turns with the floaty -- needs, God has given me a plan for how to not lose patience and use this for His glory. Almost all of these kids came for the kids' club, they either have put their faith in Jesus or at least have heard some kind of good news before. I know CEF is praying for follow-up. But that's really my job.
I've decided the theme to turn these babies into disciples of Jesus Christ will be: "Give God's Love Away." We will be spending time thinking about how much God loves us, and how much joy it gives us to think about it. By means of that joy our time spent in the pool will be time spent thinking of others with love and generosity.
There was only one low-point in the whole evangelism kids' club week. It was at the very end. The team trainer for the teenagers, who stays with them while they actually do the work of talking to the kids, he said a few interesting things to me as they were wrapping up. I guess it doesn't matter, I'll never know for sure what he was trying to say anyway. But as a parting gift he gave me a book teaching Christians how to evangelize. It heavily quoted RC Sproul. It was praised on the back by no less than Ray Comfort. I immediately commented to him and of course I was greatful but said, "ohh, I am not a believer of the kinds of things Ray Comfort teaches."
I want to check with Betty, because I don't think the gospel she believes in, the gospel CEF uses, is the kind this person gave me in this text -- the kind that preaches you must show others they are a sinner by the Ten Commandments in order to convince them to receive Jesus.
Ben called me down at the end of one day and said, "You need to see this."
The usual crew had gotten out their chalk and wrote across the front "Today is the last day of kids' club!" They went nuts, going on around the side of the house and even into the street, all because they got a crazy idea on their own and went for it.

Just in case there was any doubt on behalf of any of the neighbors for miles around, I'm sure they know what I believe now. :)
"The kids' club is totally awesome because it is in Michele's house."
"Limo to Jesus" -- out of the mouths of babes, thou has perfected praise



Am I not blessed? I hope you are all blessed.

Did John the Baptist lose his salvation?

And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”
Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”
As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written:

‘ Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.’

“Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

matt 11:2-11

John the Baptist lost his assurance that Jesus was the Lamb of God. At one time, he was confident.

John the Baptist preached about the "Coming One" before His arrival. John preached that this One would baptize with Holy Spirit and with fire, that He would cleanse the threshing floor. Next, he said to Jesus when he met Him in the Jordan River: "I need to be baptized by You, and You are coming to me?" (matt 3:11-14) Therefore John must have believed, at that time, that Jesus was the Coming One.

John the Baptist bore witness that Jesus was the One for whom he had been preparing the way:

And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”

john 1:32-34

In his moment of weakness look how Jesus defends John. “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? Yes... and more." I see how the LORD confirmed him, ironically when he was in the midst of the deepest confusion.

Can this be a comfort to anyone we know today in our world? Have any of us been pleased at one time to walk with the LORD and especially to suffer according to His will, and then, while there in the darkness, in the futility, in the loneliness... confusion and doubt and even bitterness become a constant struggle?

But God's salvation is bigger than our doubts. And He loves us when we suffer for Him, even when we suffer in the form of receiving circumstances that cause us to be unsure of Jesus.

John's example is of great comfort to me.

Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light
by Brian Kolodiejchuk