Augusta Co. Fair (Part 2)

MINISTRY PROFESSIONS OF FAITH

AUG 14 COURT SQUARE 20

Here are more stories from the Augusta Co. Fair. Enjoy and thank you Jesus!

KEYING THE BOOTH

The person who keys the front of the booth is vital for the success of the ministry. They initially greet the people who come by and invite them to receive the bracelet, sit down, and listen to our message. Karen did a great job with this for four days, and also led many to faith in Christ.

HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ALONE!

Ginger sat down first to hear our message. After receiving Christ, I invited her to pray what was on her heart...

"THANK YOU GOD FOR TAKING MY SINS AWAY AND GIVING ME ETERNAL LIFE."

Andrew came next. Andrew thought he might get into Heaven because 'I believe and I'm good.' We don't want to mix our righteousness with His. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. Andrew understood, and wanted to trust in Christ alone...

"THANK YOU GOD THAT I TRUST YOU NOW."

HUMBLE YOURSELF!

"If you really long to save souls, you must tell them a great deal of disagreeable truth." Charles Spurgeon

Sharing the sin part of our presentation is not easy. This is especially true when the person is proud. You can tell when the person begins to get uncomfortable. As I mentioned before, some of these people walk off.

Thankfully, Sharon 'judged herself worthy of everlasting life.' How? She really humbled herself under the law, accepting the fact that she was 'not good'. At one point, she was becoming so uncomfortable, I was sure she was going to leave.

By enduring the humbling of the law, Sharon was able to reap the blessing of grace. "Nothing can damn a man but his own righteousness; nothing can save him but the righteousness of Christ." Charles Spurgeon

Listen to Sharon's testimony after she trusted Christ alone...

"HE SAVED ME...(MY HEART FEELS) WONDERFUL. I CAN ACTUALLY FEEL A DIFFERENCE. I'M SPEECHLESS. I FELT THE DIFFERENCE WHEN WE WERE PRAYING AND WHEN WE WERE DONE."

HE DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE!

Todd was a humble young man who just didn't know any better. Like so many people, he thought he was a 'good person'.

Todd was very submissive to authority, and to the truth of God's Word. He had no struggle as I showed him his sin.

Todd was very happy to then place his trust in the one who had given His life for Him.

At the end, I invited Todd to pray and share his heart with God...

"THANKS FOR SAVING MY LIFE."

Todd actually hung around for quite some time, not wanting to leave.

THE LOVE WILL FOLLOW!

Neither Jason or Wayne were sure of going to Heaven. Wayne said, 'I have to meet his expectations.' Jason said he 'believed in the Son of God.' However, when I asked if that was enough for him to get into Heaven he said, 'No, I also have to live a good life.'

What are His expectations? "And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment." (1 John 3:23)

Step 1...Put all of your trust in Christ. Step 2...Love one another

The second is contingent on the first. That is, when you put all of your trust in Christ you are saved. At that moment, you receive the fruit of the Spirit which is love. Put all of your trust in Christ and then let Him love through you.

How can you put all of your trust in Christ if you still think you have to live a good life to receive eternal life? Thus, you are disobedient to step 1...'the obedience of faith'.

Not having all of your trust in Christ, how can you possibly love one another, not having the fruit of the Spirit? Thus, you are disobedient to step 2...'if I have not charity, I am nothing.'

Through the pure gospel of grace, both Jason and Wayne were able to place all of their trust in God alone as their Savior, being obedient to step 1. The result?...step 2...Love in their heart!

Jason..."HE PUT HIS LOVE IN MY HEART". (Jason did step 1 and God did step 2) Jason prayed, "THANKS FOR YOUR SUPREME SACRIFICE."

Wayne..."HE PROVIDED ME ETERNAL LIFE AND PUT HIS LOVE IN MY HEART." (Step 1 and 2) Wayne prayed, "THANKS FOR ETERNAL LIFE."

THE WHOLE FAMILY!

This one was very special. Becky (mom) stood in the back as I shared with her two boys Caleb and Nathan. As I shared, I was waiting for mom to get upset and yank the boys away. That never happened.

Both Caleb and Nathan wanted to trust in Christ. I decided to invite mom to pray, and she did to.

Caleb: "HE GAVE ME ETERNAL LIFE."

Nathan: "HE CAME INTO MY LIFE AND SAVED ME."

When we closed in prayer, Becky said this to God:

"THANKS FOR SAVING ME."

Just as we were finishing, Tracy (Dad) came over. He too wanted a bracelet and wanted to hear the message. Becky volunteered, "I will take the boys aside for a bit, and let you focus on him."

I was amazed at how receptive Tracy was to the gospel. He prayed and then told me...

"HE SAVED MY LIFE."

Then, we closed in prayer. He was pretty blown away by the whole experience. Listen to what he told God...

"GOD, I DIDN'T EXPECT THIS TODAY. THANKS FOR COMING INTO MY LIFE TODAY."

WHY DOES HE FORGIVE?

Almost everyone knows that God forgives. Most people have no idea why. Kim was one of them.

If you don't know upon what basis God forgives, how can you possibly know that you are forgiven? It is not anything we do. It is only based upon the work of God in Christ.

Kim placed her faith in both the person and work of Christ and found her forgiveness right there...

"HE CAME INTO MY HEART. I'M TRUSTING GOD."

GOOD INTENTIONS?

Jessie said, 'I have good intentions.', and was hoping to get in.

Jessie decided to trust in Christ alone and prayed with me...

"HE ACCEPTED ME INTO HEAVEN."

When we prayed at the end, Jessie told God...

"THANKS FOR DYING FOR ME AND THANKS FOR ACCEPTING ME."

WHAT A BATTLE!

This one was very special. Thank you Jesus.

Ed was very defensive at first. He said to me...

"Nobody can be 100% sure! Are you 100% sure? Are you that good? Have you never sinned?" (I can feel the attack again even as I type these words) We don't wrestle with flesh and blood.

I did not respond to the attack. I just stayed on course and shared the gospel. Little by little, the truth of the gospel was beginning to dawn upon Ed.

At the very end, just before we prayed, I clarified with the following question...

"Is trusting God enough to get you into Heaven?" Ed replied...'No, you also have to live right!'

So, I shared the dessert illustration and asked the question again, to which Ed responding with a resounding...'YES!'

Ed prayed with me and said...

"I LET GOD TAKE CONTROL OF MY LIFE. HE DID EVERYTHING. HE FORGAVE ME OF MY SINS. (MY HEART FEELS) WARM."

The same guy who attacked me at the outset and said no one could be sure was now 100% sure! THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL! HALLELUJAH!

GOOD JOB ROB, ALAN, AND PAM!

Here is Rob leading a young man to Christ. Alan is in the background to the left, and Pam is off to the right. All three led many souls to Christ!

GREAT JOB MICHAEL!

Michael Cash shared the gospel with Fawn and Leann. After hearing about sin, tears began to flow from Leann. Both confessed to having messed up lives.

After hearing about God's provision found in Christ, tears began to flow again, this time from both Leann and Fawn. Both wanted to trust Christ as their personal Savior.

THREE NEAT TESTIMONIES!

Listen to what little Kaiden said after trusting in Jesus...

"HE SET MY HEART FREE."

After trusting Christ as Savior, Alistair told me...

"I GAVE HIM MY SIN SO HE COULD BE MY SAVIOR...(MY HEART FEELS)...AMAZING!"

Another young man named Abraham told me...

"THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU HELPED ME TO CROSS A LINE TONIGHT. IT WAS A TURNING POINT."

After trusting Christ, an older man named Mike told me...

"HE CLEARED MY MIND."

I am extremely grateful for the job the Lord has given me. Thanks so much for your love, prayers, fellowship and support!

SOLI DEO GLORIA!