While I was walking along the subway in NYC last month, someone gave me a card with these sites, protesting Scientology:
http://www.whyweprotest.net/en/
http://youfoundthecard.com/
I thanked them for their work, though they were not professing Christians. Right across from where they were, the Scientologists were set up with the e-meters. I walked up to one woman and asked, "Have you spent $7000.00 yet?" She was one 'Thetan' who did not appreciate the question!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Update on Administrative Work
Tomorrow I plan to order tracts for our NYC outreach in various foreign languages, to be kicked off in NYC next month with a new leader.
I will also get in touch with a publishing company in England, which publishes a great little booklet of Bible verses called "Pure Gold". We want to use that booklet in all of our table ministries of apologetics.
Links have been updated on the web site here.
Announcement:
I will also get in touch with a publishing company in England, which publishes a great little booklet of Bible verses called "Pure Gold". We want to use that booklet in all of our table ministries of apologetics.
We have a praise report--someone has offered to help us get a "spot" on the boardwalk at Venice Beach. Our leader, Mike, is out of town until August, but we hope to kick off this ministry with Mike as leader next month. (We would have been out there on Ocean Front Walk already, but we have not been able to secure a spot on the coveted boardwalk with the lottery drawing on Tuesday mornings at 8:30 at Venice Beach. Our leaders work full time, and have not been able to attend the lottery. It has taken us all summer to find someone who can show up on our behalf and help us get a spot for on the boardwalk. We thank God for this!)
Links have been updated on the web site here.
My new music CD entitled "My Prize" is a work still in progress. I am still in communication with graphic artists for the design. I will be re-recording the standard, "Old-Time Religion" in NYC with my producer there when I return next month. We want to try again with that old song for a more creative, current approach. As soon as I get to a stopping place with the graphics for my new music CD, I will send out a ministry update to prayer partners and press on to getting more goals accomplished.
Announcement:
I will be sharing my testimony and singing at Angola Prison in September in Louisiana, as well as singing and speaking at a women's conference there in Baton Rouge. I am looking forward to this. I plan on returning to Los Angeles to check on the ministries in CA the end of August. Thank you to everyone who prays for us and supports this ministry of evangelism through service and donations.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Last Week's Outreach in the Smokies (July 4th Update by Claudette Litz)
LTW to the SmokiesJuly 4, 2009
When Dwayna was two years old she sang “God is so good. God is so good. God is so good. He’s so good to me!” The second verse is “God answers prayer. . . He’s so good to me!” I thought of this short song today as I witnessed at the Sugarlands Visitor Center outside of Gatlinburg. A Muslim lady, dressed in black with her face covered, passed the LTW table on her way to her car. I caught a glimpse of her but was busy with other people. As soon as I was able to break away, she was gone. This is one time I would have approached someone, but I missed her. I had the letter “Dear Muslim Friend” published by www.arabicperspective.com to give her. In my heart I felt disappointed and began asking God to give me another opportunity to share with someone of another faith today.
Shortly, He answered that prayer. There were many people from India visiting. None of them had stopped at the table until after my prayer. One Indian lady came over wearing American clothes but was with a large group, and all of the other ladies had on their native sari dress. After introducing myself, I explained about how everything on the table was about Jesus Christ. She said she had heard of the Old Testament and asked if I had one. As I began showing her the complete Bible, I told her about how wonderful Jesus is. She listened as I showed her the New Testament and in it the book of John. I told her the plan of salvation and how much Jesus meant to me. I selected various tracts and put them in the Bible she was taking. She also took sermons by my pastor, Hollie Miller, and by my previous pastor, Tommy Fox. It was then she saw Dwayna’s CD which had “Wish I Could Give You Jesus” on it. She asked for it. As she returned to join her group, she showed the materials to all of them. I was praying that the men or other ladies would not ask her to bring anything back, and they didn’t.
Another answer to prayer was when a Messianic Jewish lady told me about her husband being unable to understand how Jesus was the Messiah. When she saw all of the tracts from the International Board of Jewish Missions, she began to hug me and literally jumped for joy. She took a copy of each one of them and is going to read them with her husband. After praying together, she asked me to share with other prayer warriors her desire for him to be saved. I assured her that God is sovereign, and His Holy Spirit would be with her as they read the material together. Her happiness and excitement was contagious. While we were off to the side in conversation, many people were at the table eager to find the right thing to meet their needs, too.
A family came by whose house had recently burned. Everything they owned had been destroyed. There were four of them, and each took a Bible. Thanking me over and over for them, they were overjoyed as they took books, sermons, and tracts. After leaving, their daughter returned with a donation for the ministry, although I explained earlier that everything was free. She said her mommy and grandmother insisted that I take it.
Many Christians took testimonies on CDs from ex-homosexuals to share with members of their family and other friends who were struggling with same sex attractions, books and DVDs on family life, and the booklet of quotes from our founding fathers which shows our nation’s Christian heritage. Since today is the 4th of July, many people were attracted to this booklet. There were many children taking the Keys for Kids magazine, and some were Hispanic, taking the Spanish version. Some parents stood back from the table but said they would read the magazine with their children.
After looking at the banner around the table, one man asked me to quote Nehemiah 9:19, since these words were on the banner. This gave me an opportunity to take a Bible and read it to him. I explained how this verse applies to our lives as it tells how God’s Word is the light that shows us the way to go.
All conversations today were about “Our Great Savior.” As the words to this hymn states: “Jesus! What a Friend for sinners! Jesus! Lover of my soul; Friends may fail me; foes assail me; He, my Savior, makes me whole.”
Pope Calls for Global Authority
Don't miss this interesting article from a few days ago:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090707/ts_nm/us_pope_encyclical
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090707/ts_nm/us_pope_encyclical
Comments on Tim Keller
Here is a comment on Tim Keller and Redeemer Pres. NYC I received by email:
That article regarding Tim is interesting-- I remember listening to a video on YouTube about Redeemer's "missional" statement.... he was saying that Redeemer's way of bringing people (or unbelievers) into church and getting them to stay there is to basically not offend them.... to not scare them off with "Christian-speak" but rather make them aware that Christians are just like them! But I thought Christians are to be separate from the world?! His theology sometimes falls more under the guise of "human wisdom"; and, by doing so, lessens the power of the Holy Spirit. I understand the fear of offending someone by telling them the truth. But, for a pastor, it's a shame how some are afraid to offend the unbeliever/ believer. I think this could also be one of the reasons why so many are leaving the church or looking for other means to "find" or "encounter/ experience" God.... because they have no idea how much sin offends God or how to biblically develop their relationship in Christ.
Beware the Shack
I recommend the book Beware the Shack, by John Langemann, along with his web site: www.bewaretheshack.com .
Beware the Shack explains what is behind the man and the book. Never a dull moment when testing the spirits. (1 John 4:1).
Beware the Shack explains what is behind the man and the book. Never a dull moment when testing the spirits. (1 John 4:1).
Saturday, July 11, 2009
LTW in Prisons
I have been asked to speak and sing at yet another prison. This one is in Louisiana in September. I LOVE sharing my testimony and singing at prisons and loving the prisoners. I am going to be getting more copies of THIS video of how God has saved prisoners at Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola and how God is at work to save prisoners currently all over the world. I just found out by email that I will be speaking at this prison in September. I am so excited about it! After watching this video, I asked my mother to pray with me. We both got down on our knees, and the Holy Spirit touched us so much with God's love, we could not help but cry. It was such a great prayer time.
I will be calling the Brooklyn Tabernacle on Monday with the prayer of getting copies of this POWERFUL DVD for all of our ministry locations.
(Click here for the DVD).
I will be calling the Brooklyn Tabernacle on Monday with the prayer of getting copies of this POWERFUL DVD for all of our ministry locations.
(Click here for the DVD).
LTW to the Smokies TODAY!
I had the joy of working with my mother today in ministry. What an honor to call myself a "Christian" as the people approached the table. The Lord brought many Christians to our ministry location...
...as well as some lost people who had truly never heard the Gospel before...
One guy said he was saved, and I asked him to please share with me his testimony and how he got saved. He said, "I was baptized." I told him about the thief on the cross who believed in Jesus and never lived to be baptized, yet Jesus said, "Today, you will be with Me in paradise." I told him that baptism does not save.
I gave him Ephesians 2:8-9 and explained Romans 3:23 and Romans 6:23, and he took materials. God also brought up some Hindus (pictured above), and they took tracts exposing demonic spirits in yoga and Hindu meditations. They had never heard of such a thing before!
This sweet, little girl took a CBH Ministry devotional, "Keys for Kids".
We have a great book to offer from http://www.flc.org/ called The Way of the Shepherd. I explained how we are like sheep in need of a Shepherd like Jesus. We gave out many copies of this book today.
Materials on our table...
One of my favorite articles is something my mother typed called "The Security of the Believer", as it explains the glorious Holy Spirit and how the Lord keeps His own. We only had one copy left by the end of the day.
Bibles and books to meet people right where they are to give them answers...
...and CDs and DVDs of sermons and testimonies...
This is a very busy location with tourists from all over the world visiting. We get to speak with Hindus from India, people from Russia who can hardly speak English, the Philippines, and Moslems from the Middle East.
My mother is pictured above with a new Christian friend God brought over to the table who works at a crisis pregnancy center in Rome, GA. She took a book for the girls considering abortions called A Grief Observed. 
Christians certainly don't have to take mission trips to foreign countries to do mission work! Come join us at a LTW table! We have an international ministry of evangelism and apologetics right here on American soil as God has allowed people from all over the world come to our booths through the scope of tourism.
This man was on his way to Cherokee, NC, on his motorcyle. He took a booklet on what happens after we die called "Where Do We Go from Here?" "Almost every natural man that hears of hell flatters himself that he shall escape it." Jonathan Edwards.
"It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:31
"In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you..." John 14:2
Innocent and Guilty--Simultaneously (by Daniel Mann)
We are sinners who need a Savior. This truth isn’t merely central to the New Testament, it’s also central to the Hebrew Scriptures that our best performance is “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6; 1:18) before the righteousness of God:
If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? Psalm 130:3
Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. (Psalm 143:2)
If this is our status before our God—and it is—how then can we explain those verses that talk about our innocence? For instance, in Psalm 44, the Psalmist proclaims the innocence of the people:
All this happened to us, though we had not forgotten you or been false to your covenant. Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed from your path. But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals and covered us over with deep darkness. If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart? Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. (Psalm 44:17-22)
How can the Psalmist plead Israel’s innocence when it’s patently obvious that “no one living is righteous before You?” To make matters worse, Paul applied the message of verse 22 to the persecution that the Church was enduring (Romans 8:36), suggesting that the Church too had been innocent.
I think that there is a simple solution for this dilemma. We find the clue in Psalm 143:2 (and in many other verses): “for no one living is righteous before you.” While none are innocent before God, Scripture clearly does make a strong distinction between the guilty and the innocent, at least before the courts and society. Therefore, murderers are guilty for having shed “innocent” blood (Deut 21:6-8).
Because Scripture makes a sharp distinction between innocence and guilt, we must do the same. It therefore would be foolish for a Christian judge to tell a complainant, “You shouldn’t bring a charge against this poor sinner for beating you. After all, we’re all sinners who deserve to die. So he is no more deserving of punishment than are you!” Such a response confuses innocence “before You [God]” and a relative innocence before a court of the law.
However, there is also an innocence before God. Returning to Psalm 44: “we had not forgotten you or been false to your covenant” (verse 17). The Psalmist is claiming that, at one point at least, Israel had been innocent before God, at least in this matter. Rather than understanding Israel’s innocence in terms of their perfect conformity to God’s covenant, it makes more sense to understand this as a “reckoned” innocence (Genesis 15:6) which accompanies a true confession of sin (1 John 1:9) along with a sincere determination to follow God.
In a similar vein, it is impossible to be pure before God. Our hearts are so desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). However, He consistently distinguishes between the pure in heart and those who aren’t (Psalm 18:26; Titus 1:15), but on the basis of what, since we aren’t pure? David points to His mercy:
He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. (Psalm 103:10)
However, we are “pure” when we confess our sins (1 John 1:9). We see the same mercy regarding “righteous Lot” (2 Peter 2:7) who had been living a compromised life in Sodom. As He ascribed righteousness to Lot, He also ascribed “faith” to rebellious Israel (Hebrew 11:29)! Even more importantly, if He ascribes faith and righteousness to them, He also ascribes it to us!
Daniel Mann
http://www.mannsword.blogspot.com/
If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? Psalm 130:3
Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. (Psalm 143:2)
If this is our status before our God—and it is—how then can we explain those verses that talk about our innocence? For instance, in Psalm 44, the Psalmist proclaims the innocence of the people:
All this happened to us, though we had not forgotten you or been false to your covenant. Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed from your path. But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals and covered us over with deep darkness. If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart? Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. (Psalm 44:17-22)
How can the Psalmist plead Israel’s innocence when it’s patently obvious that “no one living is righteous before You?” To make matters worse, Paul applied the message of verse 22 to the persecution that the Church was enduring (Romans 8:36), suggesting that the Church too had been innocent.
I think that there is a simple solution for this dilemma. We find the clue in Psalm 143:2 (and in many other verses): “for no one living is righteous before you.” While none are innocent before God, Scripture clearly does make a strong distinction between the guilty and the innocent, at least before the courts and society. Therefore, murderers are guilty for having shed “innocent” blood (Deut 21:6-8).
Because Scripture makes a sharp distinction between innocence and guilt, we must do the same. It therefore would be foolish for a Christian judge to tell a complainant, “You shouldn’t bring a charge against this poor sinner for beating you. After all, we’re all sinners who deserve to die. So he is no more deserving of punishment than are you!” Such a response confuses innocence “before You [God]” and a relative innocence before a court of the law.
However, there is also an innocence before God. Returning to Psalm 44: “we had not forgotten you or been false to your covenant” (verse 17). The Psalmist is claiming that, at one point at least, Israel had been innocent before God, at least in this matter. Rather than understanding Israel’s innocence in terms of their perfect conformity to God’s covenant, it makes more sense to understand this as a “reckoned” innocence (Genesis 15:6) which accompanies a true confession of sin (1 John 1:9) along with a sincere determination to follow God.
In a similar vein, it is impossible to be pure before God. Our hearts are so desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). However, He consistently distinguishes between the pure in heart and those who aren’t (Psalm 18:26; Titus 1:15), but on the basis of what, since we aren’t pure? David points to His mercy:
He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. (Psalm 103:10)
However, we are “pure” when we confess our sins (1 John 1:9). We see the same mercy regarding “righteous Lot” (2 Peter 2:7) who had been living a compromised life in Sodom. As He ascribed righteousness to Lot, He also ascribed “faith” to rebellious Israel (Hebrew 11:29)! Even more importantly, if He ascribes faith and righteousness to them, He also ascribes it to us!
Daniel Mann
http://www.mannsword.blogspot.com/
Thursday, July 09, 2009
LTW to Boulder (new video)
Click here for our new video on our Boulder outreach in action.
(This ministry began in 2006; many of the photos taken were in 2006 when I moved to start this ministry in Boulder, before moving to start a new table outreach in NYC at the end of 2006. Jonathan took over as leader in 2008, and he is now leading the ministry of apologetics with his soon-to-be wife, Carrie. The pictures scroll to a song I wrote and recorded called "Wish I Could Give You Jesus".)
(This ministry began in 2006; many of the photos taken were in 2006 when I moved to start this ministry in Boulder, before moving to start a new table outreach in NYC at the end of 2006. Jonathan took over as leader in 2008, and he is now leading the ministry of apologetics with his soon-to-be wife, Carrie. The pictures scroll to a song I wrote and recorded called "Wish I Could Give You Jesus".)
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Recap
I like to share my goals daily and weekly on the blog. I want to let everyone know about our progress and all we are doing.
Today, I drove to TN to spend some time with my dad and his side of my family. I am meeting with some dear Christian friends in the morning from the Nashville area with another appointment on Friday night to be with prayer partners of the ministry before spending Saturday and Sunday with my dad. I may get to work the ministry, "LTW to the Smokies" with my mother on Saturday. I am certainly hoping that will work out with my dad's schedule. I did not get to spend Father's Day with my dad, so I told him I would come as soon as possible. He has a lot going on with our other relatives, too, this weekend, so it was a great time for me to visit.
I am so tired tonight that I will have to put off the creative projects (like more work on graphics for my new music CD and working on web site links) until tomorrow.
However, I have proofed the new video for our Boulder outreach just last night, and we are still hoping to meet our goal in having that done by the end of the week.
I heard from "In Touch" today, from Charles Stanley's office, and they will be donating "In Touch" Magazines to our evangelistic locations. I will call them back tomorrow. Plus, I will call American Tract Society again and order more tracts in various languages for our NYC ministry.
It has been confirmed that we are kicking off the NYC outreach with Christine in leadership the first weekend of August. She will need me to fly back up to work with her to train her, so I am also getting details of my trip arranged. (Thank you so much to everyone who has given a donation this summer with these added expenses.)
Tonight I am thanking ministries who have partnered with us in resources by emailing certain individuals links to pictures of people with books, Bibles and sermons at our booth locations, which they sent. Many ministries and individuals have given us discounts or donated materials for free, and I wanted to take the time to send them an email of recent photos of people taking their tracts, books, sermons, and Bibles donated.
It is great to be busy. Last night I practically fell asleep on my computer after midnight and was up again this morning at 6:30. Before leaving town I sent out more materials to leaders and individuals. We have an answer to prayer: I am interviewing some people to be my bookkeeper. Staying organized is a full time job!
"He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30),
Dwayna
Today, I drove to TN to spend some time with my dad and his side of my family. I am meeting with some dear Christian friends in the morning from the Nashville area with another appointment on Friday night to be with prayer partners of the ministry before spending Saturday and Sunday with my dad. I may get to work the ministry, "LTW to the Smokies" with my mother on Saturday. I am certainly hoping that will work out with my dad's schedule. I did not get to spend Father's Day with my dad, so I told him I would come as soon as possible. He has a lot going on with our other relatives, too, this weekend, so it was a great time for me to visit.
I am so tired tonight that I will have to put off the creative projects (like more work on graphics for my new music CD and working on web site links) until tomorrow.
However, I have proofed the new video for our Boulder outreach just last night, and we are still hoping to meet our goal in having that done by the end of the week.
I heard from "In Touch" today, from Charles Stanley's office, and they will be donating "In Touch" Magazines to our evangelistic locations. I will call them back tomorrow. Plus, I will call American Tract Society again and order more tracts in various languages for our NYC ministry.
It has been confirmed that we are kicking off the NYC outreach with Christine in leadership the first weekend of August. She will need me to fly back up to work with her to train her, so I am also getting details of my trip arranged. (Thank you so much to everyone who has given a donation this summer with these added expenses.)
Tonight I am thanking ministries who have partnered with us in resources by emailing certain individuals links to pictures of people with books, Bibles and sermons at our booth locations, which they sent. Many ministries and individuals have given us discounts or donated materials for free, and I wanted to take the time to send them an email of recent photos of people taking their tracts, books, sermons, and Bibles donated.
It is great to be busy. Last night I practically fell asleep on my computer after midnight and was up again this morning at 6:30. Before leaving town I sent out more materials to leaders and individuals. We have an answer to prayer: I am interviewing some people to be my bookkeeper. Staying organized is a full time job!
"He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30),
Dwayna
Church History
Click here for a great blog post on church history. Read about the early Methodists versus what the denomination has become.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Change of Plans
With my mother and Sue (on the end) just two months before she suddenly passed awayA friend of mine passed away, someone I have known since I was 15 years old in Florida. My mother and brother were good friends with her, too. Sue Galbraith went to be with the Lord early on July 4th. Sue used to be the bookkeeper for our old church back when I was a teenager in Florida, Windermere First Baptist.
She and her husband, Sam, had long since moved here to Atlanta, so I took the day to fight the traffic and drive over to their house in honor of her life and friendship. Words cannot express what it meant for me to be there.
Everything has been put on hold, for the most part until tomorrow, when it comes to goals for work. God has the right to change our plans. I left tonight thinking about how precious every day is and how each moment of life is a gift from the Lord. I want to make the most of this short life for His glory, never really knowing what tomorrow holds. As the Bible teaches:
"This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24)
With true Life for all eternity,
Dwayna
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