Open Doors

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Public Reading of Scripture

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Deliver those being taken away to death, and hold back those slipping to the slaughter. If you say, “But we did not know about this,” does not the one who evaluates hearts consider? Does not the one who guards your life know? Will he not repay each person according to his deeds? Proverbs 24:11-12   It is most appropriate to begin public proclamation with scripture. Only then does preaching follow after. People need to hear God's word, not my opinion. Always after reading am I assisted mightily in power and in spirit. I have, in the course of my meager experience, compiled different portions of scripture that present the gospel in a linear fashion, so that it forms a singular paragraph and a consistent train of thought. Reading it alone is equivalent to preaching. If you have been given the heart to take the gospel to the lost but are afraid of preaching, I highly encourage you to read scripture. Anyone who can read can do this. If you want to kill the flesh, reading sc...
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The Lamb's Book of Life, And The Eternal Will Of God For The Security Of Those Who Have Been Graciously Called To Come & Believe

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A journal entry. One early morning of October. A study on my readings, on John 1:13, Ephesians 1:4, Revelation 13:8, 17:8 and 21:27.  From eternity past, even before the beginning of the beginning, the Lamb wrote a book.    In this book were special names. Names He had elected, in His gracious sovereignty, to be His very own people. His divine, covenantal will, was to bless them with the continual light of His presence, and to bring them to Himself, there to dwell before Him in blissful glory, for all eternity. These names were written in tender affection, with great love, and with great zeal, amidst a great plan to reveal to them this love, through sacrifice. He had written these names down permanently, determined and precisely, without any intention to erase or blot them out. He had written them down from eternity, and there will they remain throughout all eternity. He who wrote them embodies eternity, for He is eternity, and whom He loves He loves with a love that kno...
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Dinner Guest

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My wife and I were waiting at our table as our dinner was about to be served when I noticed a young lad of about 19 years approach the table beside us and asked the gentleman sitting if he could spare a few minutes to talk to him. It didn't come as a surprise when he was waved away, this rejection coming across as something all too familiar already as I myself have learned since endeavoring to talk with people of differing personalities. I've had numerous instances also in the past where people such as this youth would approach me specially when I am at a meal, either to ask for money, sell me small items, or even delicacies, to raise funds for one reason or another. I also have always consistently declined them, aware of such schemes, but more often than not I simply did not want to give money, but this time thoughts suddenly ran through my mind that clearly told me, "talk to him." I knew then that he would approach us next. He went as if he would have skipp...
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God Loves You

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 A journal entry, one early morning of October in silent communion. 2AM God loves you. It takes faith to believe this. It is a phrase proud people have no problem affirming. But for the truly repentant, it is often one of the hardest, if not, almost impossible truths to believe. The more he sees God's mercy in the pool of blood collecting underneath the cross of Christ, the more he sees his daily failures and repeated offenses. The more he lifts up his voice to God, the fewer answers seem to come. The darker he sees his true self, the harder he finds to believe God can indeed forgive him. The more he strives to be perfect, the more easily he falls. Weakness is such a blessed place where God often takes His children for a time of silent communion. Here he realizes how God saved him, but to the question 'why', he finds no answer in himself, only in God. The reason it is impossible for the true child of heaven to believe he is loved by God is that it takes faith t...
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One Soul

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As I journeyed toward my fishing hole, my soul was much exercised in prayer, repeatedly asking the LORD to grant me some searching soul unto whom I might declare the glorious tidings of the Gospel. A quiet assurance rested upon me that He had heard. For this hath long been the desire of my heart: that He would permit me to spend the remainder of my days in this blessed employ, declaring before a heedless world the unmerited gift of God—Christ crucified. There is a strange mingling of joy and fear in such a calling. I know the duty laid upon me, yet by nature I shrink from the attention of men. And herein I cannot but wonder at the wisdom of God. He hath taken this insecure creature from that hole of shame and darkness wherein I once sought to hide myself, and placed me in the very station, and appointed me to the very work, from which my natural disposition would have fled. What room, then, remaineth for boasting? None in the creature. If such a man is made to stand before othe...
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Kenneth

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Kenneth is around 15 years of age. He did not look anything like the typical street dweller we commonly see because he was even healthier than my children by appearance. But he was obviously hungry. The guard was not at his post when he entered the establishment we were in. This was just a chance meal we thought of having after distributing bibles and tracts at a busy market near the university belt in Manila, but some of our best divine appointments come about suddenly and without warning. Kenneth went from table to table, asking everyone eating for money, to buy food. He was waved off every time. When he came to us at last, we asked him to sit with us and told him we cannot give him money, but we can buy him food instead. I have learned that one of the best opportunities to share the gospel is when people are asking something from you. I asked him if he knew who Jesus is, to which he blankly replied, "tagapagligtas", (savior). "From what?", I asked. ...
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