The Christian as "gaijin"

The Lord is firmly leading my family to become missionaries in Japan, to share the law of God and the love of Jesus Christ to a nation and culture that has little understanding of what either of these even are.  

As it has been shared with me by many brothers and sisters in Christ who have served and currently serve in Japan, beyond the barrier of lacking the cultural exposure to Jesus (which is something we Americans often take for granted in our own country), there also exists a cultural barrier against the foreigner; the Japanese word is "gaijin."

This is not to say that this concept is racist in tone, because I don't believe it is. Naturally, there are racist people in every country and culture.  Instead, whoever put in the Wikipedia entry on the term gives it fair treatment, and is worth checking out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaijin

Now, what about the Christian being gaijin to the world?  This is something I have faced every time I am on the street, and indeed I have also faced it among some I talk with in the church.  It is a daily struggle for me to not feel like I am on an alien planet, but I must remember I should not struggle against it!  

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Romans 12:2 (KJV)

As I continue in street ministry in anticipation of when I can do it on the streets of Japan, I wish to exhort you and remind myself to follow the strength of the early Ephesian church but to not make the mistake of forsaking my first love, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

"2 I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;

3 "and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary.

 4 "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

 5 "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place--unless you repent."

Revelation 2:2-5 (NKJV)

The Lord bless you and keep you!

5 things a disciple of Christ does

I have had this devotion for years, but recently sent it to a friend, and thought I would post it, as well.  

Of course, there are many more things a disciple of Jesus Christ does, but these are for me fundamental and I share them with those the Spirit allows me to on the street.  Not listed, but placed above all else, is of course to  "'...love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment." (Mark 12:30, NKJV)

5 things a Christian disciple does

1) reads and studies the Word daily

2 Pet 3:18

2 Tim 2:15

Joshua 1:8

Acts 17:11

     Psalm 119:9-16

Phil 4:8-9

     2 Tim 3:16-17

2) prays constantly

    1 Thes 5:17, "Pray without ceasing."

3) works toward the Great Commission

    Matt 28:19-20 "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."  

4) stays in fellowship with Christians

    Heb 10:24-25 "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

5) shows love and concern for others with exhortation and accountability

    2 Cor 9:5 "Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness."

    2Ti 4:1-5 v5- "But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry."

(image on this post is from the evangecube product)

Thanksgiving for deliverance from death- Psalm 116

This psalm was on my reading schedule this week, and it struck me hard that I have personally taken this heart, but I just pray I will more effectively communicate this on the street, and that is:

JESUS DID NOT COME TO EARTH TO MAKE BAD PEOPLE GOOD,

   HE CAME TO MAKE DEAD PEOPLE LIVE

As you sing this psalm in your heart, may you rejoice as the Lord does in the death of his saints because they will be in His presence in Heaven, and may you feel the fire within to desire that the Lord use you to reach the lost before their death leads to eternity without Him.

1 I love the LORD, because He has heard
         My voice and my supplications.
 ² Because He has inclined His ear to me,
         Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live. 
         
 ³ The pains of death surrounded me,
         And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; 
         I found trouble and sorrow.
 ⁴ Then I called upon the name of the LORD:
         “O LORD, I implore You, deliver my soul!” 
         
 ⁵ Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;
         Yes, our God is merciful.
 ⁶ The LORD preserves the simple;
         I was brought low, and He saved me.
 ⁷ Return to your rest, O my soul,
         For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. 
         
 ⁸ For You have delivered my soul from death,
         My eyes from tears, 
         And my feet from falling.
 ⁹ I will walk before the LORD
         In the land of the living.
 ¹⁰ I believed, therefore I spoke,
         “I am greatly afflicted.”
 ¹¹ I said in my haste,
         “All men are liars.” 
         
 ¹² What shall I render to the LORD
         For all His benefits toward me?
 ¹³ I will take up the cup of salvation,
         And call upon the name of the LORD.
 ¹⁴ I will pay my vows to the LORD
         Now in the presence of all His people. 
         
 ¹⁵ Precious in the sight of the LORD
         Is the death of His saints. 
         
 ¹⁶ O LORD, truly I am Your servant;
         I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; 
         You have loosed my bonds.
 ¹⁷ I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving,
         And will call upon the name of the LORD. 
         
 ¹⁸ I will pay my vows to the LORD
         Now in the presence of all His people,
 ¹⁹ In the courts of the LORD’s house,
         In the midst of you, O Jerusalem. 
         
         Praise the LORD!

Alvarado St- an overview- by Maxx

I thought it would be good to offer up an overview of one of the main locations the SWAT Team ministers to, as a way of letting visitors to the blog get a better feel of things. Now, I'm not a long-standing native to Monterey like most on the Team, I've lived here since June 2008, but I'll offer what I've observed.

Alvarado Street in Monterey is in many ways considered the historic center of the town. There are historic buildings surrounding the Street, and Alvarado itself has a long-standing history going back to the 19th century.

The Street is a small, one-way, two-lane road lined with retail shops, restaurants and coffee houses, bars and nightclubs, a couple of hotels, and a couple of theaters. The transit center is at the entrance to the Street, where the majority of Monterey's public buses link up. It is only a few blocks from other attractions like Fisherman's Wharf and the Monterey State Beach.

While it is well visited during the day, as a location it seems to get more business at night. You can't miss it at night, since there are always white lights in the trees that line the Street. On Tuesdays a long-standing Farmer's Market takes over the Street in the late afternoon until early evening. In the evening and night, there are several nightclub bars that feature live music which attracts a large number of people. Also, the two theaters bring crowds; a major motion picture theater offers more alternative titles, and there is a historic performance theater that showcases a variety of live acts and film festivals.

The bars and restaurants stay open until 2 a.m. on the weekends. That's when the Team is on the Street, Fridays and Saturdays from 8 p.m. until around midnight or so. I speak for myself only that this time works for me because of my schedule during the week, and also for my intense desire to reach those who have never heard the truth about the Law of God and the love of our Savior Jesus Christ.

There is an incredible mixture of people who walk the Street on these nights, due to the variety of attractions there. There is a substantial number of homeless people, the majority of them young adults, who hang out there. The rest of the crowds are all ages, either to come and eat, see a show, or as the younger crowd does, cruise the bars and clubs. The only other night life scenes in Monterey are the Del Monte Center shopping mall and the Cannery Row district; the shopping center is private property and Cannery Row gets very quiet earlier than Alvarado. There is also a very large police presence on the weekends, which is always reassuring.

As for the spiritual atmosphere of Alvarado, it is like anywhere else in the world, filled with people who are antagonistic about organized religion but yet are often concerned about where they are going when they die. The conversations we have there run the full spectrum; from encouragement by believers in Christ, to people who consider themselves Christian but aren't willing or able to discuss the tenets of their faith, to plenty of people who can get openly hostile to us exercising our First Amendment rights in a public location.

Overall, it is a wonderful location the Lord has for us there. For me, there is not a night that has gone by where I do not get to have a real conversation with someone about their eternal destiny, where I get to share the truth of God's Holy Law and the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ who was crucified, died, buried, and was risen from the dead to be the Savior to everyone who repents of their sins and trusts in Him for their eternal salvation. I speak to plenty more people, and hand out plenty of tracts, without that level of conversation, but I trust the Lord to work in the hearts of all who hear me proclaim Him. Not that I do anything by my power- this ministry is completely fueled by the grace of God, and to Him alone be all the glory!

And that makes all the difference to me.

Please pray---

---For those lost souls on Alvarado Street, that the Lord would convict them of their sins and give them the grace to trust Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

---For believers to join us there to participate in the Lord's work, as a testimony to the presence of Christ in their lives and their obedience to His calling.

---For the Team to be united in Christ to the ministry He has given us, that we would surrender all to His grace, to be bold in love and truth, for the salvation or sanctification of every soul we meet.

Thanks for reading!

"Let your light so shine..."

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."  Matthew 5:16

Brothers and sisters of the SWAT Team, another weekend is before us!  Time to share the light and truth of Jesus on the streets.  Though I know the Lord has given us divine appointments throughout the week, I always get excited to participate in this ministry.

I recall last Saturday, especially when right around 11:30 all four of us on Alvarado St (me, Mitch, Dean, and George) all began strong conversations with four competely separate men who the Lord brought to us all within the space of a minute!  That was really awesome.  It truly is better to give than to receive.

It can be hard to talk with those who declare themselves Christians but then criticize us for the works the Lord is doing through us out there.  But be encouraged!  Ours is a mission of sanctification as well as salvation.  As iron sharpens iron, let the sparks fly!

God bless you all this weekend.  Let's share some posts on here in the coming week of what the Lord is doing in our lives, and how this ministry is being furthered, amen?

Your brother in Christ,

Maxx

Oh yeah, here's a link to a whacky video from one of my favorite bands, Newsboys, who recorded this single in the early 90s based on the Matthew verse, but it has remained one of their greatest hits up to the present, they play it in every concert they do.  The video is defintely 90s!

"Iron sharpens iron..."- From Maxx

Proverbs 27:17 may be a familiar verse to you, but I thought it a fitting one to dwell on for a bit, as I see this blog developing in the direction the Lord wills.

"Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend."

This verse has meant different things to me at different times.  While I used to think of it as a call to fellowship in a general sense, I find it now to be much more specific than that, at least in my own walk.  Here are some of my thoughts, in bullet form, take them for what they are worth to you:

--Iron sharpening iron creates a lot of sparks and makes a real spectacle to watch.

--Iron sharpening iron makes a lot of noise.

--Iron sharpening iron makes a strong smell.

--Iron sharpening iron makes the one doing the sharpening sweat and exert himself.

--Iron sharpening iron changes both tools into something new.

--The Hebrew for "countenance" is "Paniym" (paw-neem').  It means face or presence.

So...some questions:

--How do I want my presence to be sharpened?

--How willing would I be to let a friend sharpen me, knowing that it can very likely make a lot of sparks, noise, smell, and possibly even sting in the process?

--Since my best friend first and foremost is Jesus Christ, how willing am I to let Him do that to me?

--How willing am I to sharpen the countenance of my friends?  Am I willing to do it in love, knowing that it could be received with pain?

That's a small list of thoughts that come to mind.  I'm sure you could add or change them, and make the exercise even richer and more pleasing to the Lord!  Great!  Post a comment then, please.

Bottom line is that we all know that street evangelism is a sharp sword in the hands of the Lord.  We on the Team submit to the Lord's work through us in using that sword to reach the lost.  Among ourselves, I think this blog could very well be a sharpening tool, as well.  As we submit posts to encourage and convict and share our hearts with one another (and anyone else happening to read them), let us continue to do so in love and affection, being courageous enough to sharpen one another, knowing that the process creates sparks and might even be painful in some way.

God bless you this coming week.  I look forward to hitting the street again this weekend! 

"Remember them that are in bonds..." from Maxx

Hello, awesome SWAT Team!  Just wanted to post a subject that was especially on my heart today.

The website resource links list mid-way down the right side of the blog here shows two websites for ministries that I feel are convicting and encouraging to us who, by the Lord's grace, follow the Great Commission by being on the streets of Monterey County.  One is Voice of the Martyrs, the other is Compass Direct News.

These ministries provide the world, not just Christians, with the painful truth of persecution that thrives today in much of the world.  If you have never looked into this subject, I strongly encourage you to do so.  

The title of this post comes from Hebrews 13:3, "Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them, and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body."  This verse is the key one used by Voice of the Martyrs (VoM).  When I read the articles they publish, and my knowledge of present day persecution expands, I am greatly humbled by the strength of the faith that these brothers and sisters in Christ possess.

How very insignificant are my own petty ideas of personal trials and adversities when compared to these hardships!  What a glorious reward awaits these saints for persevering in the faith!  

As someone who wishes to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, I am also reminded by this verse that as severe as adversity may become for true disciples of Christ on this earth, it is nothing compared to the agonies that await the unsaved in the Lake of Fire.  In truth, the unsaved are the people in bonds, bound to sin and eternal damnation!  How well I remember when I too was a slave as they are!

So I ask myself two questions...how can I encourage the saints who are truly enduring persecution, such as I myself have never known?  And- how much persecution am I willing to endure to reach out to those who are still bound in the bonds of sin?

If you feel led to ask yourself the first question, I encourage you to visit VoM and consider how you can partner in their mission.  As for the second question...I'll just see you out on the streets!

May the Lord truly bless you as you remember our brothers and sisters in chains, both earthly and spiritual.

Maxx

Tracts working best for me right now- from Maxx

Choosing which tracts to use is always a decision for me.  I want to feel completely confident in giving them out.  While the Living Waters tracts are uniformally solid in their presentation of the Law and the Gospel, some work better than others in certain situations.  After all, the goal of giving out tracts is for the recipient to actually read and consider the message, right?!

Here is a brief description of which tracts are working for me best right now, and how I use them:

-The Million Dollar Bill

Kind of the big daddy of tracts.  Usually, it doesn't take much talking to peak a person's interest in receiving one.  The curiosity and realism of it intrigues people.  It also makes a fine tract to leave behind you for someone to find on their own.   I use it alone, but also in combination with the Ticket to Heaven tract, and I also include it in my Gospels of John from the Pocket Testament League.

-The Ticket to Heaven

Another super tract that can be left on its own but also is fun to give people.  I've enjoyed walking through a crowd coming out from a theater and handing these out very rapidly saying, "Would you like a free ticket to the big show?" or something like that.  

It is interesting enough to get people to read through it and try the trick of tearing it.  Lately, I've been giving them out along with the million dollar bill, mostly because it seems people enjoy getting a couple of items instead of just one, and this with the million dollar bill is unusual enough looking to get people to take it.

-Giant Money

This is just about my favorite to hand out in large groups of people, especially if it is in a venue where other people are handing out flyers and things.  The size of it really hooks people, who think they are really getting something special.  And they sure are!  The text on the back is terrific and leads people right into the Gospel in a meaningful way.  When you're in an area where people see to be kind of resistant to getting what they think are Bible tracts, try handing these out to them, and watch them go!

-The Curved Illusion Cards

I don't give out too many of these at one time, but they have come in very handy when I am already talking to people and they try and tell me that they don't really care about where they go when they die, or they say they realy don't believe in Heaven.  To step back and break the ice a bit, I bring these out and lead them through the illusion.  Then I tell them how our minds can play tricks on us, and I also engage them to understand how precious their eyes are, and how much more precious their eternal soul is.  This usually gets the conversation back on track.  I've also left these behind me, because they have a great text that is self- explanatory.

-The Mind Game card, Optical Illusions pamphlet, and the Smart Card

These three tracts can be terrific ice breakers when talking to someone, especially to demonstrate how susceptible our minds can be.  (Unfortunately, a person can use that argument against the Gospel, as well)  I've found that these tracts are better received among the younger crowd, like teenagers and young college aged kids.  Handing them out in person to older adults doesn't have the same punch.  But how I enjoy using these the most right now is as leave behind tracts, especially on the bus, in stores, near ATMs, anywhere where people come to who will be surprised by seeing one of these there.  The tracts messages themselves are dynamite.

-The Pressed Penny and Gospel Coin

These tracts I use almost exclusively as leave behind tracts right now.  However, I do use the pressed pennies to give to young kids as often as I can.  This is the only tract that does not discuss the issue of lust, which is a topic I find unsuitable to bring to young children.  But they love the pennies, and I can talk to them about the 10 Commandments and encourage them that, since the print is so small and needs to be held to the light just right to read it, so to is Jesus Christ our light by which we can truly understand how we have broken God's Commandments and need a Savior.

-The Gospel of John

There are many great resources to use that present in-depth Scripture, but this is the one I keep using time and again.  The Pocket Testament League,  http://www.pocketpower.org/, is a neat ministry in that they make it very easy to receive these affordable small booklets.  While the Gospel message in the front doesn't quite get at the heart of a person's own sin and need for repentance the same way that Living Waters materials do, having the entire Gospel of John to hand to someone is a real blessing.  If a conversation with someone on the street goes well, I will offer this to them as an encourgement to get into the Word.  It also makes a cool leave behind tract, and I put a million dollar bill in there, marking the page which has John 3:16.

Well, thanks for reading this post, I know it was a little long.  I look forward to comments or other posts about which tracts are also working out there.  Oh yeah, I didn't mention the Celebrity Million Dollar Bills, which I just received and plan to try using soon, but in a slightly different way.  I will post an update once I see how it all works out.  God bless!

That's My King! by S.M. Lockridge- from Maxx

There are many versions of this, but here's one of my favorites!

For those who wish to see the actual text, try going to this site for the full transcript of his message:

http://across2u.com/ThatsMyKing.html

Enjoy!

Getting started on this blog- from Maxx

As we get started on making this blog a useful tool to equip and encourage the SWAT Team, I just wanted to post my speechless gratitude to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for being so faithful to us, to give us the desire, will, and strength to talk about him to people we have never met before.  

This amazing grace He gives us is, I believe, the strongest proof of His existence to those we witness to.

I'd like to share what I call my life verse, which is a key verse that defines my focus while I walk this earth:

"But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry."  2 Timothy 4:5

There are four main elements to this directive that Paul gives to Timothy, which I also believe Christ is giving to me:

1) "But watch thou in all things..."   For me, this includes being a Berean when it comes to learning the Word of God (Acts 17:10-11), but also being like the sons of Issachar (1 Chronicles 12:32) when it comes to understanding the times we are living in.

2) "...endure afflictions..."  Pretty straightforward; living as disciples of Christ ,we are to expect afflictions (John 16:33), and from many directions.

3)   "...do the work of an evangelist..."  Okay, got it, Lord!  (Mark 16:15)

4) "...make full proof of thy ministry."  The Greek word for proof means to make full or accomplish something.  Here is where I remember that my ministry is first to Christ, then to my wife and children, then to other family and friends, then to those who have not yet become my friends or family.

My prayer is that God will be glorified through this blog, and that we can rest in the assurance that we belong to Jesus Christ and that He has overcome the world, even now.

So let's get started!  God bless you.

Maxx