Below Jay Hubbard has sent me a journal of evangelism testimonies spanning approximately a year and six months. I will start with the first post and periodically update it with new entries from the journal until we reach the end. Enjoy!

Feb 28/10 Talked to a software engineer today. He wanted to know why, if God commands us not to kill, did God require the Israelites to kill all the Canaanites in the cities they captured, even children. The answer of course is that God is Holy and He must punish sin. God waited until the sin of the Canaanites was “ripe” or full blown. I fear for our own country as we sadly see and experience the vast increase in wickedness in all aspects of life, even in our churches.
This brings up the question of why does God allow evil to exist. All world views struggle with why evil exists. The Bible and the resulting Christian world view offer the best and only explanation that bears up under the test of what we experience in everyday life.

March 6, 2010  Talked to a Jewish woman, Madeline.  Told her how impossible it was for her to appear before an infinitely holy God with her own righteousness.  God’s holiness and his justice required payment for sin.  Only an infinite payment could satisfy an infinitely holy God. 2 Cor. 5:21.

Talked to a man, Joemo, and his wife Renee, who had gone to a Southern Baptist Church all their lives, 30 years.  I told him, “Joemo, God made Christ who had no sin to be sin in your place, so that in Christ you might have the righteousness of God.”  He said he had never had the Gospel explained that way before and that he didn’t have that kind of righteousness.  They said they were lost and had been trusting in their own righteousness.

March 13, 2010  Talked to a young Catholic man, Nathan, 25.  He understood that Jesus died for him, but did not understand that he needed Christ’s righteousness. 2 Cor 5:21.  He said that certain good things a person does are saving works in God’s eyes.  He felt that if his own righteousness was not enough then he would go to purgatory and be saved from there.  But: Gal. 2:16, 2:20-21.   Note:  In the course of evangelizing I run into so many Orthodox and Catholics that don’t have a clue about the Atonement and what it means for them.  To be fair I would also have to say that I have run into a Baptist couple that had been going to church all their lives and didn’t understand Jesus’ Atonement as well.  Most of the these people have not understood that they need Christ’s righteousness and are seeking to be justified on the basis of their own righteous deeds.

I guess I see a wonderful beauty in the way God does things.  I can say with David Brainard, missionary to the Indians, that I would want the Atonement to be accomplished in no other way.  All my righteousness is of filthy rags, I can add nothing to what Christ has already done.  I can praise Him for the joy He gives me in serving Him in my poor way.  And I also see that no man, no matter how great and how respected and how righteous can add anything to Christ’s Atonement by any kind of good deeds.  I love Christ and I want only Christ.

March 20, 2010  Brian and I talked with a young black woman, Amber.  She held a small girl, Victoria, the whole time we talked with her.  She said she was a Seventh day Adventist.  She understood that Jesus died for her but was amazed He took her sins upon Himself.  To her Jesus was sinless.  I explained to her that this sinlessness was transferred to the believer in the Atonement.  That is, Christ not only took our sins upon Himself but He also gave us His righteousness, 2 Cor. 5:21.  She then asked if I thought only the 144,000 in Revelation were going to Heaven.  This is what the Jehovah Witnesses believe.  So I showed her John 1:12 – that as many as believe have the right to become children of God.  but she said just because I have the right doesn’t mean I will.  (she meant just because I have the right to become president doesn’t mean I will.)  How awesome it is that when God gives us the right, He not only runs the campaign for us but elects us the to highest possible office in His kingdom, giving us full rights as His children.