 MAY
2004 |
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Volume
2, Issue 7 |
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The
bootcampers prepare to invade the Hollywood
strip in front of the famous Grauman's
Chinese Theater. |
Bootcamp
Report...
-- Ray Comfort
Last month, thirty-five people from overseas
and around the States spent three days involved
in intensive front line evangelism here in California.
This included outreach in Hollywood, open air
preaching at California State Long Beach and
in Santa Monica. Here are some remarks from
those who attended the bootcamp:
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Many
bootcampers (including Elizabeth D., pictured
above), open air preached for the very first
time on this trip. |
"If you are serious about being
trained in how to evangelize Biblically, there
is nothing that compares to it. In twelve years
of ministry and four years of formal Bible training
I have never seen anything like this boot camp.
Anyone who is serious about Biblical evangelism
should jump at the opportunity to go."
Jon S., Oakfield, New York
"I learned how to witness without
fear, and I learned how to operate in the power
of the Spirit rather than just the flesh."
Elizabeth D., Albert Lea, Minnesota
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Ray
(left foreground) shares insights with some
bootcampers (Henri P. and Ron O.) over a
meal. |
"I learned that I CAN do it,
because other people (all kinds of regular people
like me) are talking to people everywhere they
go... with no fear to preach the gospel."
Lori H., Gaithersburg, Maryland
"It’s a once-in-a-lifetime
experience. It’s liberating. It’s
practical. It’s encouraging. It’s
the body of Christ getting a work-out! And your
'drill instructors' don’t scream at you
and make you do push-ups... they encourage you
and remind you that you are part of the most awesome
army in the universe! You can’t beat that!"
Mark A., Crosby, Minnesota
"Amazing…the boot camp
was something that I cannot put into words. The
whole experience was beyond words!!!"
Sonia F., Sydney Australia
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One
of our bootcampers (Maceo J., pictured left)
takes a Hollywood tourist through the Gospel. |
"Sell your TV, your CD player,
do whatever it takes and go."
Maceo J., Phoenix, Arizona
"It was more than I expected.
I must admit, I did anticipate some 'book learning'
time, but I learned more in 3 days of 'getting
out there' than I could have in 3 weeks/months
just talking about it."
Lindsay D., Beaumont, Texas
"You can read all you want,
however getting to rub shoulders with those who
have a heart for evangelism and actually doing
it together is priceless. This was a once in a
lifetime event for me."
Rick B., Cedar Falls, Iowa
Next
GNN Bootcamp July 14-18
After an extremely successful inaugural camp,
GNN's second evangelism boot camp will have a
theme of "Focus on Family". Although
we encourage everyone to apply, GNN is dedicating
this Summer's camp to Mothers and Fathers with
teenagers. This is an extremely rare opportunity
for parents and their teenagers (or individuals)
to come to Southern California, July 14-18, 2004,
for 4-days of intensive hands-on evangelism training
at the GNN
Evangelism Boot Camp. The first step is to
submit
an application. If you are one of the chosen
applicants, you simply
|
Kirk,
Darrel and Ray in New York |
pay your fees and arrange for your own transportation
to and from Los Angeles. Once in Los Angeles, GNN
will accommodate, transport, train and feed you.
The fee for this once in a lifetime experience is
only $400 for an individual / $700 for 2 family
members / $900 for families of 3 to 4 (maximum family
size is 4 people). See more about this on the details
page. Meet
the GNN Team Leader:
GNN’s team leader is our friend
Darrel Rundus (pictured right with Kirk and Ray
in New York). Darrel is the Founder & Chairman
of America’s largest newspaper sales &
promotions firm -- Circulation Promotions Unlimited,
Inc. - www.circpromo.com.
He loves God with a passion, has a contagious
enthusiasm, and has such a leadership gifting
we call him “The General.” He loves
our teaching, and loves to give away money ($10's
& $20's) when he is preaching open air.
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| An Open
Door
While we were working on a script
for the San Francisco shoot, to our surprise a
woman opened the outer door to the front of the
building, and just walked right into our office.
(After coming back from open-air preaching at
the courthouse that morning, we had forgotten
to lock the building's front door.) She said that
she had heard the preaching across the street,
and wanted to talk further. After further going
through the Law and taking her through the cross,
she said that if she died there and then, she
would go to Hell. The three of us then bowed in
prayer, Kirk prayed, the woman prayed—asking
God to forgive her and yielding her life to Christ--then
Ray prayed for her. We then loaded her up with
videos, books and CD’s, she went on her
way rejoicing, and we went back to the script.
It was wonderful!
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| Todd
Takes the Plunge!
Our friend Todd
Friel (Christian Talk KKMS, Minnesota)
preached open
air for the first time at Minnesota
State University, this week. He said, "U.S.
Air Force jets roared overhead, gardeners
fired up roto-tillers and the rains drenched
us. Today was my first effort at soap-box
street preaching. Scared? Yes. Nervous?
You bet." God bless him.
“I
have never known greater joy in the Lord
or nearness to Christ, than to stand in
the public square and proclaim the name
of the Lord, with a loud voice, in the open
air.” -- Stuart (Scotty) Scott
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| Ammunition
In our one-on-one witnessing, we
have had some people recently who admit to lying,
stealing, ect. -- but still insist they are "good
people." God sees sin from a different perspective
than most of humanity. Here are a couple of verses,
from The Amplified Bible, which might
help you get that across to those you're witnessing
to. In these two verses the phrase "an abomination"
has been "amplified" into the phrase
marked in bold text: "Lying lips are extremely
disgusting and hateful to the Lord, but
they who deal truly are His delight." Proverbs
12:22, "Everyone proud and arrogant in heart
is disgusting, hateful and exceedingly
offensive to the Lord." Proverbs
16:5. These verses can have a very humbling effect
and open the door for repentance and grace.
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Grab
a cup of coffee
and dig in. We
offer these stories
to encourage you
that ANYONE can
share their faith.
These are real
people, just like
you... if they
can do it -- you
can do it!
Life is
quick -- stay
focused.
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..::
Fighting Fear
::..
This one sent
in by Karen
P., San Antonio,
Texas
If I told anyone
else this, they
would think
I had gone bananas.
I saw your
program on TV
a few nights
ago and wrote
down your website
so I could look
up more info.
Well,
after visiting
your site and
taking some
VERY serious
notes, I
decided to see
for myself if
this would really
work. Ray, I've
been saved for
16 years and
 I
was terrified
at what might
happen if I
tried your way.
I have been
feeding the
homeless every
Friday for 4
years now and
truly believed
I was "doing
my part"
for the Kingdom
of God. Yet
when I went
there tonight,
I told myself
that I was going
to try to do
even more by
sharing the
gospel your
way. I can't
even tell you
how afraid I
was but I did
it anyway. Well,
I can't say
that I was victorious
or at least
completely but
I can say I
knew I planted
a seed in this
man's heart
and he had to
admit that he
was not good
enough to enter
Heaven. Ray,
I'm going to
do it again
next week or
even maybe sooner
and I feel confident
now that I will
make it all
the way through.
I'm watching
your videos
right now and
taking more
notes. God Bless
you and Kirk
and keep it
up. There are
a lot of scared
Christians out
here.
..::
Taste and See
::..
This one sent
in by Lynn and
Jenny C., Port
Orchard, Washington
Some brainstorming
gave birth to
an idea that
we call the
"Taste
& See"
ministry. It
is a trailer
that is equipped
to give free
coffee and donuts
to people at
any location
like near a
movie theater,
waiting for
the bus, ferry
or train, or
what have you…
 On
the back of
the trailer
it says, "Got
Questions? Where
will you go
when you die?
How do you know
for sure? Are
you a good person?
Are you good
enough? What
is truth? WHY
do bad things
happen to good
people? Looking
for Answers?"
Our heart's
desire is to
provide them
with the truth
while we serve
them. The trailer
has lots of
tracts, free
Bibles, tapes,
CD's and thought
provoking articles
on the Bible.
And, of course,
it provides
an opportunity
to witness to
those we serve.
The trailer
became ready
to travel and
serve just days
before the release
of The
Passion of the
Christ.
It was and continues
to be a vital
tool to reach
out to many
people who have
questions after
watching the
movie. There
have been 3
people who have
asked Jesus
to be their
Savior after
seeing their
failure to meet
God's standard
and their need
for their sins
to be forgiven
through Christ's
sacrifice on
the cross via
the "Taste
& See"
ministry! Another
who is still
seeking and
asking questions,
and a number
of families
who have visited
our church.
We wanted to
share this idea
with you to…
give others
another idea
for witnessing!
Perhaps, other
churches would
like to serve
in this way!
And, once again
thank you for
your role in
encouraging
the body to
step out into
all the world
and preach the
good news!
..::
not even Jack
::..
This
one sent in
by Dick C.,
Durango, Colorado
I pastor a small
church in SW
Colorado and
have been praying
for my brother
Jack ever since
I have been
saved (22 years
ago). Ray
Comfort's teaching
bore fruit last
Monday. Jack
is now 80 years
old. He has
had two heart
attacks and
a quadruple
bypass, plus
assorted other
surgeries. The
Lord opened
the door (twice)
that day and
after going
through the
"Do you
consider yourself
to be a good
person"
routine, Jack
admitted to
his condition
and I asked
him what he
intended to
do about it.
"Repent?"
I replied that
was part of
it then told
him about the
stop signs and
even though
he had now repented
of running them,
the judge was
still required
to find him
guilty and fine
him. He looked
deep in thought.
I then told
him a story
something like
this: Jack,
you decided
to rob a bank
one day and
was successful,
getting away
with $500,000.
After some remorse
over what you
had done, you
decided to give
the money back,
which you did.
When you faced
the judge however,
he said he took
into account
the fact you
had returned
the money, but
was required
to find you
guilty of bank
robbery. He
said he would
impose the minimum
penalty required
by law; one
year probation
and a fine of
$25,000. "I
don't have $25,000
you replied
in anguish.
"Take him
away bailiff,
the law is the
law." Came
a voice from
the back of
the courtroom:
"Your honor,
I have already
paid Jack's
fine. . ."
"Who are
you?" asked
the judge. "My
Name is Jesus
Christ. I died
on a cross in
payment for
his sins 2,000
years ago."
"Case dismissed,"
said the judge,
"Bailiff
let the prisoner
go free."
Jack bowed his
head and received
the Lord as
his savior.
Ray and Kirk,
Thank God for
your teaching
and for an opportunity
to present it.
I had witnessed
to Jack many
times, and had
almost given
up hope, but
God is not willing
that any should
perish, not
even Jack.
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Do
you want to contribute
your witnessing
experiences, tract
stories and creative
evangelism ideas
to the "Coffee
Break" column?
Send them to: share@wayofthemaster.com,
and maybe we'll
use yours!
(Please
include your first
name, last name,
and location, in
case we use your
story!) |
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