Sitting down to a great meal with your loved ones, enjoying the warmth of a crackling fire, hanging stockings, decorating the tree… these are the things that make for a splendid Christmas. Nothing beats snuggling into a comfy chair with a cup of hot chocolate, looking at the twinkling lights, and listening to the old familiar carols… 

Hark the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn king,

Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled…”

The Christmas season may mean different things to different people, but one thing is sure… it is the time of year set aside by Christians to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.  You’ve heard the story… a virgin was visited by God’s angel and told she would become miraculously pregnant with God’s one and only Son.  An angel told her fiancé, “You shall name the baby Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.”  

But what does this really mean?  Aren’t we pretty good people?  Sure, none of us are perfect, but do we really need someone to “save” us from our sins?  To clearly understand what Christmas is about, we must try to look at ourselves the way God sees us… and the way we do that is to see if we’ve obeyed his Holy Law—The Ten Commandments.

Have you ever told a lie?  Have you ever stolen anything?  (Think hard, and be honest… regardless of the item’s value, have you ever taken something that didn’t belong to you?)  Have you ever used God’s name in vain (such as exclaiming, “Oh my G-d!”)?  Have you ever felt hatred in your heart against someone?  Have you ever looked at someone and had sexual thoughts about them?

Here’s the ugly truth. If you’ve told lies, that makes you a “liar” in the eyes of God. If you’ve ever stolen anything, God sees you as a “thief.”  If you’ve used God’s name in vain, you’re a “blasphemer.”  According to God’s word, anyone who hates is considered a “murderer” (1 John 3:15).  And Jesus said that anyone who looks at another person with lust has already committed adultery with that person in their heart—anyone who has lusted is considered by God as an “adulterer” (Matthew 5:28).  

We’ve only looked at five out of The Ten Commandments, but if God judges you by that standard, will you be innocent or guilty of breaking his Laws?  Many people say, “Guilty… but God forgives.”  They may think that God is so good that he will overlook their sins.  Well, God is good, that much is true.  But in the same way that a “good” human judge could not let a guilty criminal go, God must see that justice is done.  You and I will be guilty when we stand before God—guilty with nothing to say for ourselves except that we’re sorry.  But the Just Judge of the Universe can’t let us off for being sorry.  We’ve broken the Law, we should be sorry, but that doesn’t change the fact that he has to pass sentence.  

The Bible tells us the sentence for breaking God’s Laws is Hell.  In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, God gives us a list of those who will not be able to enter Heaven.  Among others He includes: fornicators (those who have had sex before marriage), idolaters (those who put anything in their lives before God), adulterers (those who lust for someone they’re not married to, as well as those who go through with the sexual act), thieves (those who have stolen), and the covetous (those who have greedily desired something that doesn’t belong to them).  And in Revelation 21:8 God tells us that, “…all liars, shall have their place in the lake of fire…”  

You and I stand guilty before God—without a thing to say in our own defense.  But God did something amazing for us so that we wouldn’t have to go to Hell.  Do you know what that was?  He sent his own Son, born of a virgin, perfect and sinless, to die a criminal’s death on the cross in payment of our sins.  Then he rose again, defeating death forever.  

That’s why Jesus was born, to suffer punishment in your place.  That’s what the angel meant when he said that Jesus would “save his people from their sins.”  You see, we can never undo the sins we’ve already committed… we can never live a perfect life as Jesus did.  But God’s word says that if we will repent of our sins (feel sorrow for, and turn away from all the things we know are wrong) and put our faith (entire trust) in Jesus as the only one who can save us, then God will wipe out the record of our sins because Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross will be counted as the payment.  

That’s why Christians have such a meaningful time at Christmas.  At Christmas, a Christian is setting aside a day to celebrate the birth of the Savior.  Christmas can be truly splendid because God loved us so much that he sent his Son to take the punishment for our sins.  Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,” (John 14:6).  Don’t wait.  Repent and put your faith in Christ today

Courtesy of SplendidChristmas.com

On Friday, February 3, 2012, one hundred and nine evangelists from California to Canada hit the streets of Indianapolis for the Super Bowl. They had a mission to lift up the name of Jesus Christ by proclaiming the Gospel to the lost.

I (Duane Schneider) was blessed to be part of the team from our Fond du Lac-based Fishermen’s Call ministry. The Superbowl outreach was organized by Bill Adams of Sports Fan Outreach. It is an evangelistic ministry that has been reaching sports fans with the Gospel for over ten years.

Every morning started with 45 minutes of corporate prayer, breakfast, hymns and then two hours of challenging, encouraging Biblical teaching. We would jam into a school bus and reach the stadium about noon.

As we picked out our street corner next to a mall theater, the crowd began to build. I have never seen so many people in one place. One evangelist would stand on a “box” elevated platform and preach the Gospel to the crowd passing by. The reaction was everything from mockingly kneeling, blaspheming and sometimes, even some authentic questions.

John 3:19-20 says, “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.” As we revealed the light of God’s law, many rebelled. As the Gospel was being heralded, the others would hand out tracts and engage in one-on-one conversations. We handed out tracts with a picture of the Lucas Oil Stadium on one side and the Gospel on the other. These were taken by passersby with little effort.

At 9 p.m. we wrapped up our first day of evangelism and made our way back to camp.

Saturday was a day of light rain all day, but we knew that we had a message that needed to be taken to the streets. As I was handing out tracts, Mchill and Chris, two brothers age 15 and 13, stopped to ask me if I was with the man preaching the Gospel. These young men had a church background but were unsure of their salvation. As I shared the Gospel with them it became clear they had never been born again. I explained how I had also played the game, going to church, praying, doing good things for over 30 years, but I had never repented and thrown myself at the mercy of Jesus Christ to trust in Him alone.

As the three of us stood outside with tears in our eyes, they hung on my every word. I explained if they were the only ones that I got to share the Gospel with all weekend, it would have been worth it. These young men were hungry to know how to get right with God and I praise Him for using me to challenge them to do so.

As the day went on, I had the opportunity to speak with a couple of young Muslim men who knew the Koran very well. As I spoke to them, I challenged them, asking how they could be cleared of their sin. They took a tract and thanked me for the teaching.

Later in the day, I confronted two young men promoting a false religion. I explained the difference between grace and works righteousness. Galatians 2:16, “Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” They seemed more interested in seeking unity than the truth. As we traveled back, I wondered what the Church would look like if it had the same zeal for Jesus Christ as it has for sports and entertainment.

Sunday was a warm sunny day with high expectations. We set up on an elevated platform next to the bathrooms. This meant we had a captive audience at all times. While preaching, one of our team, Robert, had a man try to take his Bible and punch him in the ribs. He replied with a “Thank you sir.” Again evangelists covered the grounds with the Gospel and tracts. I was told of a man who purchased a Super Bowl ticket for over a thousand dollars from a scalper, and upon reaching the gate, he was informed it was a counterfeit and had to leave. I wonder how many professing Christians will hear those words of Matthew 7:23, “Depart from me; never knew you,” as they enter the gate of eternity.

Many are trusting in their good works, church attendance, “Personal Relationship” or the point they “invited Jesus into their heart.” All these things are good, but you must come to God on His terms. Repent (turn from sin, turn to God). Put your trust in Jesus Christ alone. I pray you will not be like the man trying to get his last minute ticket.

It was a true blessing to serve with all the brother and sisters in the Lord at the Super Bowl. Twenty years from now most who attended won’t remember who won the Super Bowl, but I am pretty sure some will remember Super Bowl of 2012 as the year their hearts were changed by the power of the Gospel that was preached.

We now have posted new articles located in the Articles page. Please enjoy for your training and education in biblical evangelism.

Soli Deo Gloria!

School is back in session. Football practices are daily.  The days are shorter. Summer is officially over.  The Bible tells us to remember God and His work lest we forget. It’s a good habit to reflect on your God-given summer. How did you spend it?  As a Gospel ministry, Fishermen’s Call would like to share with you how God used us this summer to call the Lost to repentance and faith in Jesus and to train the Called to reach the Lost. Christians from as far as Green Bay and Manitowoc gathered to serve and minister the Gospel in the Fond du Lac area.

Walleye Weekend

Walleye Weekend is a free, four-day festival featuring sporting events, national musical acts, fishing tournaments, and attractions for all ages. Walleye Weekend attracts over 100,000 visitors throughout the weekend of the festival. To draw a crowd, Fishermen’s Call used a signboard with intelligence questions to test the audience’s mind. Afterward, we would test their hearts with conscience-provoking questions eventually leading to the Gospel. Many attendees heard the Gospel with the use of the trivia signboard which had constant traffic. We also used gospel tracts as an ice breaker to talk to people about life and faith; like local teenagers Jorry, Gabriel, Cameron and Ty. This conversation first started out with a handful of teenage girls, then grew as the girls called for their guy friends to come over and hear what we had to say. When finished, they all walked away understanding God’s justice and righteousness as well as His mercy and grace.

Lifest

Lifest is a five day festival that promotes itself as “a party with a purpose.” This was an opportunity to clarify the Gospel to those who assume the Gospel like the churched, un-churched and de-churched. This event assured us that just because you host a Christian event does not mean that all attendees are Christian. After spending much time presenting the question, “What does it mean to be a Christian?” many of the youth responded with answers that were not biblical and lacked assurance.

One conversation spoke loudly to us: On Friday, a young girl, maybe 14 years old, stopped by our booth to take the Intelligence Test.  As she spoke, we noticed a sense of depression about her. Soon it was revealed that the source of her burden was abuse from her brother. We asked how her relationship was with God and she replied “not good.”  As we revealed the truth of the Gospel to her and showed her need to obey the Gospel command, we challenged her to get right with God before she laid her head on her pillow that night.

The following afternoon the same girl came back to our booth, this time with a different demeanor; a sense of peace.  She confessed that last night she had turned to the Lord and put her trust in Him. Oh the joy to be an instrument in the hands of a sovereign God!

During Lifest, Fishermen’s Call were introduced to Christians who wanted to learn biblical evangelism or to be networked with other evangelists.

Fond du Lac County Fair

What a joy it was to minister to the people in our city for six days.  Our Fishermen’s Call booth drew in numerous amounts of locals to have conversations on a spiritual level. The first conversation started out with the man very confident that he was a “good person.”  After the mirror of God’s law exposed the man’s true condition of his heart, this man was left asking, “What must I do to be saved?”  After a clear explanation of the Gospel, our response was not to “say this prayer,” but to do what the Bible says: to turn your back on sin, turn your heart to God and put your trust in Jesus Christ alone.

Not all conversations ended like the first one, but many were fruitful like the conversation with Carlie the atheist.  Our dialogue with Carlie didn’t focus on the existence of God but rather examined the claims of Christianity and raised questions directed at her heart. It was a pleasant chat that left her understanding the Gospel, maybe even for the first time.   Many Christians stepped out in faith and joined us in sowing seeds. Some of the Christians we met for the first time at Lifest, participated at the Fond du Lac County Fair.

What a blessing it was to minister the Gospel in the area where we live.  Even more, how God used Believers from different cities, different denominations, and different churches to unite on the one Gospel for His glory and our joy. Thank you to all who support us by your prayers and labor.  Soli Deo Gloria!

The day after Thanksgiving Day is culturally known as “Black Friday.” It is traditionally the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Merchants and the media have named it “Black Friday” to refer to the beginning of the period in which retailers go from being in the red (posting a loss on the books) to being in the black (turning a profit). This year, on Friday, November 26, six Christians, from five churches, from four cities, from two ministries came together to address a need that most Black Friday shoppers had probably not given much thought to… eternity, specifically theirs.

The mission to evangelize the Appleton shopping area on Black Friday was solidified when two gospel ministries, Burnbrothers Ministries and Fishermen’s Call, came together to be obedient to the mandate to seek and save the lost. All the people involved in this mission were united in faith on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This endeavor began at 2 AM, as the laborers woke and gathered to start their trek to Appleton using the travel time as an opportunity to pray. The teams dispersed in two groups of three and headed towards the long lines at the stores that opened at 4 AM. The teams distributed a specially designed gospel tract to the many shoppers in line. The gospel tract’s message concluded with a challenging comparison between Black Friday and Good Friday. As the crowds were waiting for the stores to open for their “doorbuster sales,” they received the tracts with anticipation and curiosity.

Every shopper the team came in contact with received tracts. This opened doors to conversations on a spiritual level. For example, Anthony, a diabetic, was standing in line at Menard’s for a TV. After receiving the tract, he asked what it was and that opened up a 20-minute conversation. Anthony was convicted over his sins and his eternal destiny, and he was told the Good News of what God has done for him in Christ Jesus. He was left with the admonition to turn from his sins and turn to Christ and trust in Him.

One gentleman, after reading the tract returned it, explaining that the team could give it someone else. This opened up an opportunity to clearly explain the Gospel. After a ten-minute dialogue, the gentleman shook the evangelist’s hand and thanked him for his concern.

In one instance, a professing Christian was quick to criticize the method of evangelism being done by Burnbrothers Ministries and Fishermen’s Call while he waited in line at Best Buy for hours with non-believers around him as he remained silent about his faith. May the Lord open his eyes to the truth in 1 John 2:15-17: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions – is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

After all the stores opened their doors, the teams went to the mall to take advantage of the crowds on this busy shopping day. The fields were plentiful for the Gospel to be sown. Two foreign men from different kiosks were engaged in conversation with members from the team. One from Turkey and the other Nigeria. By God’s providence, three teenage girls from Appleton, Texas were shopping in Appleton, Wisconsin with their parents. While resting after an early shopping spree, one of the members of the team engaged them in honest conversation for half an hour about the reality of their eternity.

The two ministries finished the morning with breakfast at Mc Donald’s and received a sweet affirmation of the work done; they observed a woman in a near-by booth eating her breakfast sandwich as she read the Black Friday tract that she must have received early in the morning.

Let this be an encouragement to the Body of Christ that the Lord of the Harvest is increasing active laborers, so that much may be sown and much may be reaped. No immediate results were seen, but to pray for a harvest you must first plant the seed. Please pray for the souls of the shoppers that received gospel tracts on Friday, November 26, 2010 that the Lord would draw them unto His Son, the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ.