Matthew 23:18-20 – “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.”
The following was posted on February 12, 2009 by baptistpress.com and was written by Erin Roach.
It tells of an atheist who respects Christians who proselytize (witness). This article can be viewed at this web address
LAS VEGAS (BP)–Penn Jillette, the verbal half of the magician duo Penn and Teller, and an outspoken atheist, has posted a YouTube video exhorting Christians to share their faith.
Penn and Teller are headliners in Las Vegas, and their shows generally are marked by foul language and shock appeal. Penn Jillette, though, used no coarse language in telling about an audience member who gave him a New Testament.
Jillette was signing autographs after a show last fall when he noticed the man standing over to the side of the crowd.
“And he had been the guy who picks the joke during our psychic comedian section of the show. He had the props from that in his hand because we give those away. He had the joke book and the envelope and paper and stuff,” Jillette said in the Dec. 8 YouTube video.
The man walked over to Jillette, complimented him on the show and handed him a Gideons New Testament.
“And he said, ‘I wrote in the front of it, and I wanted you to have this. I’m kind of proselytizing,’” Jillette said. “And then he said, ‘I’m a businessman. I’m sane. I’m not crazy.’ And he looked me right in the eyes.
“It was really wonderful. I believe he knew that I was an atheist. But he was not defensive, and he looked me right in the eyes,” Jillette said. “And he was truly complimentary. It didn’t seem like empty flattery. He was really kind and nice and sane and looked me in the eyes and talked to me and then gave me this Bible.”
Jillette then stated he doesn’t respect people who don’t proselytize.
“I don’t respect that at all. If you believe that there’s a heaven and hell and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life or whatever, and you think that it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward, and atheists who think that people shouldn’t proselytize — ‘Just leave me alone, keep your religion to yourself.’
“How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize?” Jillette asked. “How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that? If I believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that a truck was coming at you and you didn’t believe it, and that truck was bearing down on you, there’s a certain point where I tackle you. And this is more important than that.”
Jillette reiterated his impression of the man’s demeanor.
“This guy was a really good guy. He was polite and honest and sane, and he cared enough about me to proselytize and give me a Bible, which had written in it a little note to me — not very personal, but just ‘Liked your show,’ and then listed five phone numbers for him and an e-mail address if I wanted to get in touch,” Jillette said.
“Now I know there’s no God, and one polite person living his life right doesn’t change that. But I’ll tell you, he was a very, very, very good man, and that’s really important. And with that kind of goodness, it’s OK to have that deep of a disagreement. I still think that religion does a lot of bad stuff, but that was a good man who gave me that book. That’s all I wanted to say,” Jillette said at the end of the short video.
John Mark Simmons, pastor of the Las Vegas-area Highland Hills Baptist Church in Henderson and a member of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, told Baptist Press that Jillette’s video should inspire believers to share their faith even when they think people won’t be responsive.
“That episode is a wonderful encouragement for all of us to be salt and light,” Simmons said. “If you know anything at all about Penn or his shows, you know he pretty much represents the decayed and dark world we live in, yet someone’s obedience got his attention.”
Matthew 24:35 – “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”
I had set my alarm to wake me at 5:00 AM, November 18th, 1966. The local newspaper said that the Leonid Meteor Shower would be exceptional that year and I was eager to view it. A good meteor shower is one where 10 to 15 meteors enter Earth’s atmosphere over the period of one minute. On that incredible morning thousands of meteors fell every minute creating bountiful luminous trails to mark their paths.
I had taken a few steps outside the rear door of my childhood home before I looked skyward. Having looked up I froze in place in astonishment; completely unprepared for the stunning display overhead.
Moving further into our backyard; I craned my neck in an effort to look straight up. The streaks of light appeared to be falling in a circle around me. As rivulets of light began to fade others would appear to take their place. Words like phenomenal and breathtaking fail to convey the beauty in the skies that morning and all too soon the pageant ended as our planet’s movement took us out of the comet’s tail.
I consider myself blessed for having the opportunity to witness this remarkable event; an event unlikely to occur again.
It was an incredible few minutes looking into the sky, but like many other events, very brief. So many things in our lives are fleeting moments, moments that only continue to exist in our memories. Christ’s words are eternal, as are those of the most High God. Let us fondly remember special fleeting moments in our lives but always cling closely to the eternal Word.
ohn 1:16-17 (NRSVue) From His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. The following is a quote from Rev. Laura Harris-Adam. I’ve always been drawn to the word grace. Even as a young child, I noticed how adults would say this word with reverence. Grace has always seemed to be a gentle word. It’s not loud like “almighty” or “power.” Grace has a quietness about it, like it should be whispered. We have this impression of grace, that it is something to be grateful for, something to revere, something humble yet powerful in its own way. But I wonder sometimes if we truly understand grace. Grace—the unmerited favor or the goodwill of God which we have not earned. In spite of all that is broken in our world and even though we are all sinners who fall short, God continues to offer us grace. This verse from John declares: “We have all received, grace upon grace.” Grace may not be bold or loud, but grace may be the most transformative thing God offers us. God’s greatest act of grace is becoming human, offering us more than we could ever earn—new life in Christ.
Meridian Avenue Baptist Church will be promoting the American For Christ (AFC) throughout the month of March. This is one of the four special offerings that are promoted through our entire denomination every year. The goal of this annual offering is to raise funds to support American Baptist missions and ministries through our churches and community partners across the United States and Puerto Rico. The funds raised will be used to support our American Baptist regions and churches, as well as community organizations, through grants. Some of the ways that the grants will be used is to provide aid for children living in poverty, create new and innovative ministries, develop church leaders and by promoting discipleship. Meridian Avenue Baptist Church has set a goal of $1,200 for the America for Christ offering. Please give joyously to the America for Christ offering.
Matthew 25:40 ESV – And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of my brothers, you did it to me. In the wake of the tremendous earthquake disaster in Turkey and Syria I thought it appropriate to give recognition to a special group of men. Within hours of the earthquake a team of men and dogs departed from Hungary. These were some of the members of the Hungarian Baptist Aid; Rescue24. Hungarian Baptist Aid was formed in 1996 and now has a number of ministries. One of the earliest was the formation of a search and rescue team. The search and rescue first formed with a few men who trained their own dogs. They were so successful in their efforts that the Hungarian Government recognized their abilities and provided the men with Diplomatic Passports. Having diplomatic passports means that they can travel anywhere in the world where they are needed, immediately without need to make arrangements with the country they are traveling to, and begin their search for victims of disaster upon arrival. Rescue24 departed Budapest Airport, February 6th at 10:30 PM (their time). Their team consisted of 19 medical and search specialists and 7 rescue dogs. Arriving in Adana, Turkey they loaded 2 tons of equipment onto trucks and traveled 3 to 4 hours to reach the disaster. Once at the disaster site the team put their dogs to work and began locating and rescuing people trapped beneath the ruins. For more information you can visit https://www.facebook.com/HungarianBaptistAid and see photos of the team and view videos they have posted. You can also visit https://www.hbaid.org/hungarian-baptist-aid and learn more about some of the outreach programs of Hungarian Baptist Aid.
2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
In May of 2000, our mission team to Nicaragua had the pleasure of having lunch with Dr. Gustavo Parajón. During our lunch Dr. Parajón shared a story. It was a story that I shall do my best to retell here.
Along the northern area of the Nicaraguan Pacific coast lies the community of Corinto. Corinto is located on a natural harbor where ships were at anchor and the economy surrounded the business of trade and service.
Decades ago a woman boarded a train at Corinto and traveled to Managua to visit friends. While in the capital city she came upon a man selling Bibles on a street corner (a). Approaching the man she picked one of the Bibles up and was immediately impressed by the quality of the paper within.
When she returned to Corinto she showed the Bible to the others who lived in her home; commenting on the quality of the paper. She then ripped the first page out of the book and rolled a cigarette with the sheet. A practice that she continued through the entire Old Testament and well into the New Testament.
The woman was able to read only a few words and when she came to John 4, she saw ‘Jesús y la Mujer Samaritana’ (Jesus and the Samaritan Woman). Recognizing only the word mujer (woman), she became curious and she sent someone to fetch a student who lived next door. Having heard the boy read the story of the Woman at the Well, she sent a message to her friends in Managua; asking to be informed when the man returned to sell Bibles on the street corner.
When she heard that the man had returned she again traveled to Managua. Approaching him, she opened her then thin Bible and said, “Tell me what this means”.
The man spent time with her, explaining the Bible story in detail. When he finished his explanation of the Bible verses she told him that she too was the woman at the well. She had had four husbands and that she was not married to the man that she now lived with. After purchasing another Bible she returned home.
Her heart was touched by what had been shared with her and changes in her life came rapidly. She gathered the women who lived in her home and told them they would need to move out. Her home had been a place of prostitution; frequented by the sailors from the harbor. She then set out to understand the meaning of the full Gospels found in the Bible. It wasn’t long until she, herself, began preaching the Word of God and became what Dr. Parajon called, “The greatest Baptist evangelist in Nicaraguan’s history”.
(a) At the time of this story, in the overwhelmingly Roman Catholic society of Nicaragua, it was difficult for Protestant missionaries to find acceptance in the community. Selling Bibles on the street corners offered an opportunity to share the Gospel.
Romans 12:13 – “Contribute to the needs of God’s people, and welcome strangers into your home.”
Gustavo Parajón (1935-2011) could have been a successful medical doctor in the United States. Instead, accompanied by his young bride, he chose to return to Nicaragua to serve the people of his home country.
During his lifetime, he was many things to many people. He was a medical doctor who launched a campaign to rid his country of many common diseases. Following the massive 1972 earthquake that crumbled Managua, Nicaragua, Gustavo gathered church leaders and together they developed a program that would have a deep and lasting impact on the poor of their country. After the earthquake, First Baptist Church of Managua found itself without a pastor; Gustavo filled the vacancy. During Nicaragua’s civil unrest (1978-1989) he visited insurgents and Government leaders alike to promote peace; always traveling without bodyguards. During the armed conflict in Nicaragua, the Parajón family welcomed refugees into their home from either side of their nation’s conflict.
His legacy is that of a medical doctor, an American Baptist missionary, a pastor, a peace maker and community organizer. President Jimmy Carter once nominated Gustavo Parajón for the Nobel Peace Prize and he was awarded the Francisco Morazán Medallion by the Central American Parliament.
Gustavo rarely spoke of his accomplishments and when he did he downplayed them. Once, while being interviewed on television in London, the interviewer turned towards the live audience and said, “It’s difficult to interview the most humble man in the world.”
It is appropriate that a book has been written about his life and his service to God. ‘Healing the World: Gustavo Parajón, Public Health and Peacemaking Pioneer’, co-authored by Daniel Buttry and Dámaris Albuquerque, was released on January 24th of this year.
