John Westley said: "You have nothing to do but to save souls, therefore spend and be spent in this work." That statement has been ringing in my ears this month..... and lately, each time I've gone out to the streets to work with souls I've found...... that the fishing is really good! 

When doing some personal evangelism in the main square of Wastonville the other day I ran into a guy named Enrique. He had never heard the gospel before and he had never owned a Bible....  We talked for about a half an hour and he was full of really great questions.  He was interested in coming to church and starting a bible study together.....  I'm having epic conversations almost every day now and it seems as if the whole world has become increasingly interested in spiritual things.  Nothing like soul winning in these last days! ...... 

"The twelfth Imam is coming".... That's what the Muslim guy sitting next to me said when I asked him how he would interpret the crazy times in which we live.... We were in the San Jose California airport and we had begun a fantastic and very friendly conversation about the contrast between Christianity and Islam.  He told me that he's a medical doctor from Sudan and he teaches from time to time in one of the Bay Area universities.  

As I talked about the love and grace of Jesus, he talked about the exploits of Mahmud.  Soon people around us started turning their heads to look at us and listen in.  When he explained that Muslims are waiting for the twelfth Imam to reveal himself and become the ruler of the world, I showed him that the Imam he was describing seemed to correlate to the antichrist of Revelation.  He agreed and was fascinated at the thought that both religions share a similar eschatology, but from opposite sides of the coin.  After a great discussion about this he suddenly got up and said: "I'm sorry, I have to go"..... I was left by myself thinking that I had really messed up the conversation, but then after a few moments he came back and said: "Sorry about that, I just realized that I had to print off my boarding pass.... But I want to know more about Jesus." 

I immediately asked him what his opinion was about the Christian view of Jesus being God.... He said: "Well, we believe that Jesus is one of the prophets but not that he's God. Why would you come to the conclusion that Jesus is God?"  I answered: "Well, I'm glad you asked:)....  

"#1-Look at all the radical miracles that He did.  #2-Look at all the radical things that He said. #3-Look at His radical resurrection from the dead.  #4-Look at the radical birth and growth of the early church.  #5-Look at the horrific martyrdoms that the apostles were willing to die because they really believed that Jesus had risen from the grave." #6-Look at what some of the secular historians of the first centuries (Josephus, Tacitus, Lucian) wrote about Jesus." 

At this point we were being called to board the plane and my new friend asked: "Do you have a Bible? I'd like to learn more." .....

This last month I was able to preach in Oregon, Washington, New York and Texas.  All of these opportunities were great and the Lord seemed to use each one, but my highlight for September was a week of prayer with 17 men in Seattle.  These men traveled from several different places around the North America to meet at an Air B&B and pray.  JUST PRAY!  We spent a couple of days praying for souls.  We prayed for churches to be awakened. We prayed for personal holiness. We prayed for new life. We simply prayed that God would begin to do great things in our lives and in our nation.  It was an amazing time as God fanned the flames of revival in our own hearts!    

After our time of prayer in Seattle eight of us drove south to pray for and spy out the land of Portland. When we got to the main square downtown we split up and did some personal evangelism. I went around asking people the question: "What do you think the solution is to our nations problems?" 

I talked with an Antifa guy who was decked out in tactical gear, replete with a bulletproof vest and about ten loaded guns. He said that he and his buddies were there to ensure peace and safety and bring happiness back to the streets through militia-type force...... Oh the Irony!!!   

Then I talked with a group of teenagers that were part of a march to protest the causes of climate change. They said that the answer to our problems is to end world-wide pollution and stop the coronavirus pandemic... I asked about how to stop the sin pandemic... They just laughed......  Oh the darkness!!!

I talked to the leader of a homeless camp who said that there is no answer to our problems, so he just escapes through heroine.....  Oh the death!!!!

I talked to a right wing political activist who had set up several signs that described how our country is degenerating into socialism and losing its cherished freedoms.  I agreed with this guy on a lot of things but his view was totally devoid of God and devoid of love for our fellow man.  He thought it ridiculous that I believed in a real Jesus who is raised from the dead and returning soon.  He said that he was an atheist and that morality is relative to each individual's preferences.... At the same time he believed it was his mission to show people what the coming consequences of our nations impending social, religious, economic and political meltdown will look like if we continue down this path..... Oh the disconnection!!! 

At one point a fight broke out right behind me and one of the guys pulled a gun on the other.  After a few terrifying moments the altercation ended, thankfully no shots were fired.... 

Conclusion: This world has a whole lot of darkness and death and disconnection.  When you turn from God's light you get darkness.  When you turn from God's love you get disconnection.  When you turn from God's life you get death.  Politics wont solve the problem. Addressing climate change wont solve the problem. Drugs wont solve the problem. Antifa wont solve the problem. According to the Bible the only thing that will save this broken world is the gospel of Jesus Christ that radically transforms a person from the inside out... Jesus, who is the embodiment of light and life and love is the only hope for this world!

Missions quote for the day: "If you're not fishing, it might be because you're not following." .... Jesus said: "Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men."   

Micah for the Tuttle's