“People talk about our being earnest and fanatical—about our being on
fire. Would to God the church were on fire! This world would soon shake
to its foundation. May God wake up a slumbering church! What we want you
to do is not to shout ‘amen’ and clap your hands. The deepest and
quietest waters very often run swiftest. We want you to go right to
work; there will be a chance for you to shout by and by. Go and speak to
your neighbor and tell him of Christ and heaven. You need not go far
before you will find someone passing down to the darkness of eternal
death. Haste to his rescue!” D. L. Moody
You all know How I love preaching Christ. We were at a park in Ramsey this afternoon with some friends. Some boys came and I watched as I knew they were up to no good. As my wife came over to see what was up. I told her what I just mentioned.
She says "get over there and talk to them". I get right up and go to the swing set. I begin by handing them a tract. I then continue about there state as the stand without Christ as there savior. With love and compassion. They were very concerned about the state they are in.
I share the gospel with them and continue to talk with these 3 boys. As I am talking with them 8 or 9 other kids come over to listen and all are concerned about eternity. I talked with kids for about an hour. I repeat the message I just gave the boys.
I tell them they need to ask Jesus to forgive them of there sins and trust in Jesus. I then explain what that means and they understand.
I give them all extra tracts for them to give there friends. They asked for them and I tell them you must give them away not throw them away. They all said they will with no hesitation.
I tell them they need to read there bibles everyday and do what is says.
I begin to walk back to our friends house to eat dinner. I thanked Jesus for the opportunity to be His witness. The joy of the Lord was pulsating through my body. WOW!
“So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.
God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in
him.” 1 John 4:16 ESV
Mike
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Friday, September 14, 2012
Servant
I rode in on Thursday morning ready for scattering seeds. I love morning evangelism.
I got to the walk bridge and there was a high school boy on a skateboard coming down the ramp. I seen him the day before but missed the opportunity to hand him a tract. This time I stopped him on his skateboard and continued to give him a tract and share a brief message.
This continued with four more witnesses on the way to work. All were separate encounters.
I even stopped at a park and ride in Maple Grove hoping to find a full attendance of people. There was one man standing outside the shelter and I rode my bike right up to him and gave a tract and a brief message told him to have a great day.
Every person that I hand a tract to says thank you with a smile on there face.
On the way home from work I had five more encounters. Two more after dinner on a bike ride with my daughter.
These words from a song have been in my heart for weeks;
"let my life become proof,the proof of your Love"
What song is in your heart?
Shouldn't we as Gods children be sharing with others what is required of them to receive eternal life. Remember we were once like the person you talk to. "Lost".
Think about this; you maybe the only person who tells that person about Jesus Christ. So will you pray and ask the Lord for opportunities to share the gospel?
Mark 16:15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.
I feel so blessed to be used by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Mike
I got to the walk bridge and there was a high school boy on a skateboard coming down the ramp. I seen him the day before but missed the opportunity to hand him a tract. This time I stopped him on his skateboard and continued to give him a tract and share a brief message.
This continued with four more witnesses on the way to work. All were separate encounters.
I even stopped at a park and ride in Maple Grove hoping to find a full attendance of people. There was one man standing outside the shelter and I rode my bike right up to him and gave a tract and a brief message told him to have a great day.
Every person that I hand a tract to says thank you with a smile on there face.
On the way home from work I had five more encounters. Two more after dinner on a bike ride with my daughter.
These words from a song have been in my heart for weeks;
"let my life become proof,the proof of your Love"
What song is in your heart?
Shouldn't we as Gods children be sharing with others what is required of them to receive eternal life. Remember we were once like the person you talk to. "Lost".
Think about this; you maybe the only person who tells that person about Jesus Christ. So will you pray and ask the Lord for opportunities to share the gospel?
Mark 16:15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.
I feel so blessed to be used by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Mike
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Running late
I was behind schedule Wednesday morning as I ride my bicycle to work. I was going to drive my car to give me a few more minutes in the house.Wendy had implied to just ride my bike. So I did.
As I was riding and praying I remembered four ladies walking on the walk bridge over Hwy 169 the day before. I thought to myself if they are there to day I will stop and give them tracts. As I approached the bridge I did not see them. I just kept riding and praying.
There is usually no one on the streets when I ride. As I was half way to work 3 miles in I noticed two men waiting for a bus.
I slow down and tell the men have something for them. I pull out two million dollar bills and tell them that there is a gospel tract on the back side and ask if they would read it.
I tell them I am not here to judge or condemn anybody. I am here to spread the word and you guys have a great day.
There were two more at a stop about a mile and a half down the road. I did the same exact thing as the first time.
I am writing this to encourage people to take the most out of every opportunity to share the gospel.
Mike
Mark 16:15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.
As I was riding and praying I remembered four ladies walking on the walk bridge over Hwy 169 the day before. I thought to myself if they are there to day I will stop and give them tracts. As I approached the bridge I did not see them. I just kept riding and praying.
There is usually no one on the streets when I ride. As I was half way to work 3 miles in I noticed two men waiting for a bus.
I slow down and tell the men have something for them. I pull out two million dollar bills and tell them that there is a gospel tract on the back side and ask if they would read it.
I tell them I am not here to judge or condemn anybody. I am here to spread the word and you guys have a great day.
There were two more at a stop about a mile and a half down the road. I did the same exact thing as the first time.
I am writing this to encourage people to take the most out of every opportunity to share the gospel.
Mike
Mark 16:15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
vote Yes
We went for a bike ride this after noon. Nora and I stopped at a garage sale spent a dollar and gave the lady a tract.
I kept seeing signs that said vote yes Marriage One Man, One Woman.
As we got close to our house I went up to a sign to see were I could obtain one. There were two High school boys on the deck. I yelled " where did you get the sign". They came down and talked with me. They told me there church was giving them out. I asked where they attended? It was a Russian church in Dayton.
The boys spoke in their native tongue and one left for a few minutes. The other was telling me his cousin at the local High School was being taught evolution and he could take it no longer and stood up and started preaching against it with the truth. "AWESOME" I stated.
His brother came out of the garage with a sign for me with his mother following. I raise my hand and yell "Praise Jesus". They had told me that one sign has been stolen already and they stopped someone from stealing another.
I gave the boys (Illya and Danny) a bunch of million dollar bills to hand out. They said thank you and told me that they will definitely hand them out and will give some to their cousin.
Wendy and I have seen vote no every where and wanted to stand up for the truth. Now we have a vote Yes sign in our front yard. We will see what kind of reception the sign will receive.
John 15:18
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you."
Mike
I kept seeing signs that said vote yes Marriage One Man, One Woman.
As we got close to our house I went up to a sign to see were I could obtain one. There were two High school boys on the deck. I yelled " where did you get the sign". They came down and talked with me. They told me there church was giving them out. I asked where they attended? It was a Russian church in Dayton.
The boys spoke in their native tongue and one left for a few minutes. The other was telling me his cousin at the local High School was being taught evolution and he could take it no longer and stood up and started preaching against it with the truth. "AWESOME" I stated.
His brother came out of the garage with a sign for me with his mother following. I raise my hand and yell "Praise Jesus". They had told me that one sign has been stolen already and they stopped someone from stealing another.
I gave the boys (Illya and Danny) a bunch of million dollar bills to hand out. They said thank you and told me that they will definitely hand them out and will give some to their cousin.
Wendy and I have seen vote no every where and wanted to stand up for the truth. Now we have a vote Yes sign in our front yard. We will see what kind of reception the sign will receive.
John 15:18
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you."
Mike
Fearless
This jumped off the pages this morning at me. If we know the world hates us there should be no fear in sharing our faith.
John 17 :14-18
14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by[d] the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
Do as Jesus commands us;
Mark 16:15
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
Pray for opportunities to share your faith and be obedient and follow through with your witness.
A great place to start is to hand out a tract to a stranger. We were all once lost. You may be the only one who tells them about Jesus Christ.
Ecclesiastes 3:11
He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
Mike
John 17 :14-18
14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by[d] the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
Do as Jesus commands us;
Mark 16:15
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
Pray for opportunities to share your faith and be obedient and follow through with your witness.
A great place to start is to hand out a tract to a stranger. We were all once lost. You may be the only one who tells them about Jesus Christ.
Ecclesiastes 3:11
He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
Mike
Friday, September 7, 2012
great weakness
|
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Spiritual Light Piercing Uptown
Saturday night September 17, at 7:25 PM, the followers of Christ known
as the "Jesus Freaks" once again were fervently in pursuit of rescuing
the lost souls through the word of God. The leader of Jesus Freaks, Mike
Karlstad asked me to join him in God's mission to testify the Truth to
those who are spiritually bankrupt. I met some other faithful believers
such as Cathy and Dan and their two wonderful daughters, Katie and
Ellie. There were also some other faithful and committed believers, Gail
and her two children, Joshua and Hannah. Scott another humble member of
Jesus Freaks was present as well.
We all prayed before we dispersed in different directions to feed the word of God to hungry and destitute souls. Mike and I started walking with great energy and enthusiasm.
The streets were congested with diverse group of people that were occupied with their daily routines without being conscious of their death and seemed unconcerned with respect to where they'll be after they die. I sighed as I continued walking on the side walk on Lake Street and all of a sudden, I was urged by the Holy Spirit to stop and do another prayer.
Mike was passionately involved in handing out the tracts to the passers by.
I walked to the bus Stop where two middle aged African Americans were waiting for the bus. I got engaged in the conversation with them; they appeared to be receptive of what I wanted to say. Mike started talking to one of them and I continued the dialogue with the fellow who was sitting on the bench. I gave him a brief information about my Islamic background and how God has chosen me through His grace alone by placing my trust and faith in His son Jesus alone. This man was so passionate to hear more. He said "hurry up man, tell me more about Jesus because my bus will be arriving any minutes." I continued talking very fast without taking another breath. I told him that we all perish and he needs to be born again in order to see the kingdom of heaven. I told him that I was lost spiritually but a few years ago I was led by the Holy Spirit to embrace Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I added, "we're all sinners and we need to confess our sin before God and humbly ask Him to forgive our sin and lead us to His son Jesus." I placed my hand on his left shoulder and prayed for his soul. The tears welled in his eyes as he was getting his belongings together to catch the bus.
I also noticed that Mike was on fire for the Lord, his humble demeanor during his testimony was just awesome. I could tell that the Holy Spirit was with him. I continued praying and beseeching the Lord to give me the spiritual stamina to do His mission tonight. I came across a large number of Muslims who seemed to be from Somalia. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit I approached them and succinctly shared my story with them about my sin and how Jesus saved me. It was imperative for me at that given moment to recite the Quran – to bring to their attention that the Quran also confirms the deity of Christ and His return on earth to render His judgement on humanity. There were two Muslim pastors (in Arabic it's called "Imam") there. They were hesitant at first to allow me to elaborate on the deity of Christ but then, when I started to draw their attentions to the verses (Sura) contained in the Quran which clearly and concisely confirmed that Jesus is Holy, Just, and Sinless. All of a sudden, I noticed they modified their behaviors and became congenial and open to listen to me with a degree of enthusiasm. One of them said, continue brother finish it and we don't have all night here.
I think my unadulterated passions about Jesus and what he's done for me softened their heart. At the end, I appreciated that they gave me the opportunity to share the majestic and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in my personal life and the redemptive work of Christ on the Cross for those who surrender their lives to Him.
Mike and I departed from there rather urgently because there was a group of Muslim adolescents who appeared to be indignant with me for what I was trying to accomplish.
The night was very fruitful and the Holy Spirit was with us through out the night. Let me tell you something, the God of the bible is an awesome God through whom I have truly found contentment, richness and spiritual salvation.
Furthermore, I am so proud of our Jesus Freaks who relentlessly go out there once a month to share the gospel with the believers and the unbelievers. Each one of them is so committed to serve the Lord without any hesitations or reservations; I am so blessed beyond description to have these courageous men and women in my life and call them brothers and sisters in Christ.
Saturday night was certainly a night that was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and I know for sure, the word of God has penetrated the hearts and minds of the people that we came in contact with. Those we gave our testimonies to will look back and see the Truth and hopefully the Holy Spirit will draw them to the cross.
At 9:40 PM, we all returned to our vehicles to talk about the night. Let me tell you this: The excitement and joy were written all over our faces; we incessantly glorified God and appreciated one another's fellowship in Christ. I pray that Harvest Bible Chapel continues to grow in Christ and for Christ glory alone. I pray that God continues to bless Pastor Brent's commitment and dedication to the mission of the Cross. I pray that we all as a congregation continue to keep our steadfast faith in Christ alone.
Amen,
Farhad
We all prayed before we dispersed in different directions to feed the word of God to hungry and destitute souls. Mike and I started walking with great energy and enthusiasm.
The streets were congested with diverse group of people that were occupied with their daily routines without being conscious of their death and seemed unconcerned with respect to where they'll be after they die. I sighed as I continued walking on the side walk on Lake Street and all of a sudden, I was urged by the Holy Spirit to stop and do another prayer.
Mike was passionately involved in handing out the tracts to the passers by.
I walked to the bus Stop where two middle aged African Americans were waiting for the bus. I got engaged in the conversation with them; they appeared to be receptive of what I wanted to say. Mike started talking to one of them and I continued the dialogue with the fellow who was sitting on the bench. I gave him a brief information about my Islamic background and how God has chosen me through His grace alone by placing my trust and faith in His son Jesus alone. This man was so passionate to hear more. He said "hurry up man, tell me more about Jesus because my bus will be arriving any minutes." I continued talking very fast without taking another breath. I told him that we all perish and he needs to be born again in order to see the kingdom of heaven. I told him that I was lost spiritually but a few years ago I was led by the Holy Spirit to embrace Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I added, "we're all sinners and we need to confess our sin before God and humbly ask Him to forgive our sin and lead us to His son Jesus." I placed my hand on his left shoulder and prayed for his soul. The tears welled in his eyes as he was getting his belongings together to catch the bus.
I also noticed that Mike was on fire for the Lord, his humble demeanor during his testimony was just awesome. I could tell that the Holy Spirit was with him. I continued praying and beseeching the Lord to give me the spiritual stamina to do His mission tonight. I came across a large number of Muslims who seemed to be from Somalia. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit I approached them and succinctly shared my story with them about my sin and how Jesus saved me. It was imperative for me at that given moment to recite the Quran – to bring to their attention that the Quran also confirms the deity of Christ and His return on earth to render His judgement on humanity. There were two Muslim pastors (in Arabic it's called "Imam") there. They were hesitant at first to allow me to elaborate on the deity of Christ but then, when I started to draw their attentions to the verses (Sura) contained in the Quran which clearly and concisely confirmed that Jesus is Holy, Just, and Sinless. All of a sudden, I noticed they modified their behaviors and became congenial and open to listen to me with a degree of enthusiasm. One of them said, continue brother finish it and we don't have all night here.
I think my unadulterated passions about Jesus and what he's done for me softened their heart. At the end, I appreciated that they gave me the opportunity to share the majestic and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in my personal life and the redemptive work of Christ on the Cross for those who surrender their lives to Him.
Mike and I departed from there rather urgently because there was a group of Muslim adolescents who appeared to be indignant with me for what I was trying to accomplish.
The night was very fruitful and the Holy Spirit was with us through out the night. Let me tell you something, the God of the bible is an awesome God through whom I have truly found contentment, richness and spiritual salvation.
Furthermore, I am so proud of our Jesus Freaks who relentlessly go out there once a month to share the gospel with the believers and the unbelievers. Each one of them is so committed to serve the Lord without any hesitations or reservations; I am so blessed beyond description to have these courageous men and women in my life and call them brothers and sisters in Christ.
Saturday night was certainly a night that was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and I know for sure, the word of God has penetrated the hearts and minds of the people that we came in contact with. Those we gave our testimonies to will look back and see the Truth and hopefully the Holy Spirit will draw them to the cross.
At 9:40 PM, we all returned to our vehicles to talk about the night. Let me tell you this: The excitement and joy were written all over our faces; we incessantly glorified God and appreciated one another's fellowship in Christ. I pray that Harvest Bible Chapel continues to grow in Christ and for Christ glory alone. I pray that God continues to bless Pastor Brent's commitment and dedication to the mission of the Cross. I pray that we all as a congregation continue to keep our steadfast faith in Christ alone.
Amen,
Farhad
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