Door knockers...

hat tip: wretchedradio.com

The Heart of The Gospel

"I have found, my brethren, by long experience that nothing touches the heart like the cross of Christ. When the heart is touched and wounded by the two-edged sword of the Law, nothing heals its wounds like the balm that flows from the pierced heart of Jesus." -The Heart of The Gospel, July 1886 by Charles. H. Spurgeon

Feeling down? Why don't you take an hour and do this...

Pick some flowers...

Grab the kids...

Find a local nursing home...

Bring joy to a dark place...


Let them smell the flowers.


Share the Everlasting Gospel...

with those whose heads hang low...

"Pure and undefiled religion in the
sight of our God and Father is this...

....to visit orphans and widows in their distress,
and to keep oneself unstained by the world." James 1:27

I can guarantee you will be blessed by the time you leave...

...and so will they.

Special thanks to my dear friends Damion and Julie
at HisCreations for providing these photos for my blog.
These photos are precious. They remind me of
decades ago when I was little and my dad
took me to see my great grandmother.
Thanks for capturing such wonderful moments.

The 7th most popular video TODAY on YouTube...

Enter to Win a "Modest Silver Handbag" - Make Sure YOU READ How to Enter!

I guess this is the month for give-a-ways, isn't it! - I have 3 different give-a-ways going at one time but this is a little different and you'll see why in a minute. You can find the other two drawings below this entry.

Now for my Sovereign Joy Friends reading this, don't be shy to enter...I know you all want that Calvin book and I won't think you're strange if you enter this one too - You're all so kind and want others to win, don't you. :-)

For this drawing, it's a little different because I'm partnering with Christa-Taylor (a modest clothing designer). So, I'm calling this the "Modest Silver Handbag" give-a-way.

Can you guess what's inside the handbag, ladies? Let me give you a hint. It has 7 pockets: 4 on the outside and 3 on the inside. And what do you think the pockets are perfect for? If you guessed "tracts"...your right!

To enter to win this handbag, visit: Empowered Traditionalist and leave a comment there. That's it!

Mark your calendar...Jeff Noblit is coming to town!

What: Jeff Noblit (Paul Washer's Pastor) will be preaching at Sovereign Joy Community Church. This event will be hosted at Redeemer Church

Where:
Redeemer Church
126 N. Judd St.
Fort Worth, TX 76108

When: Tuesday, August 4th 2009 at 7pm

Tables Displayed: Sovereign Joy book table will be available, an evangelism table with discounted materials, and possibly brother Justin Peters will be joining us and setting up a table as well.

Bring the whole family, child-care will be provided. Hope to see you there!

Ever wanted to visit Joel Osteen's church? Sit back and read a detailed trip of one man's experience...

Last Saturday my good friend Justin Peters visited Joel Osteen's church. I thought you'd be interested in reading what he wrote to me just last night about what happened. Here it goes:

"I looked on Lakewood's website for any Bible study classes. The only thing I could find was something called "Compass." I arrived early and asked the guy at the service desk what kind of adult Bible study classes were available. He said there were two classes - one for young marrieds and one for all adults. I chose the latter.

When the class began there were all of 10 people in attendance - this at the largest "evangelical" church in the country. Now, to be fair, I may have missed something, but I don't think so. The lady who was teaching the class began with talking about her and her husband's close friendship with Jerry Savelle, a popular Word-Faith teacher and regular guest on Kenneth Copeland's program. The entire lesson was laden with W-F terminology and doctrine.

At one point, surprisingly, she mentioned the Bereans, Acts 17:11 and talked about how we should judge everything preached by the Word. Well, I just couldn't help myself. I raised my hand and she said, "yes, Justin" (I was wearing a name tag). I said, "I appreciate you mentioning that passage as it is so important and it is one I mention often myself. In the spirit of being a Berean, I was watching Joel Osteen a few months back on the Glenn Beck program on FoxNews and in that interview he said that he had been to India and seen the Hindus over there and he knows that they love God. Now, given that Hindus do not even believe in God how can they love Him? They have millions of pagan gods. He had an opportunity to take a stand for the exclusivity of Christ and but he didn't. Why?" This caught her completely off-guard. She stumbled around for a few minutes but never offered a coherent answer. She struck me as a nice lady but she is steeped in W-F theology and tried to defend a defenseless statement by her pastor.

After class I talked with her about her position on healing given that she made several references to the subject in her lesson. She said that it is always God's will for us to be physically healed. I said, "Well, I prayed for my healing from Cerebral Palsy for years but 'm not healed. So, it must be my fault, right?" She said, "Well, maybe you just haven't gotten revelation knowledge yet." I then gently pointed out her own arthritis I could clearly see in her fingers and asked her why it was that she had not been healed from her illness. She said only that she had been healed "from many other things" and then said she had to go meet her husband who was waiting for her....

Osteen was not there as he was on his way back from a trip to Australia. One of his associate pastors, Marcos Witt, preached. Witt preached on bearing fruit and to illustrate his overall point, for much of the sermon he wore a hat with fruit piled up on top of it - a-la the Chiquita banana lady. I don't even remember him referencing scripture but if he dd so, it was only in passing. There was no Gospel presented at all. Very sad. All I could think of is how many thousands of people in Osteen's church and millions around the world who watch him and read his books are being presented a false hope."

Then he wrote to me this morning and said:

"Good morning Trish -

Forgot to mention a couple of things.

While talking with the Bible study teacher (I think her name was Susan but wouldn't bet on it) she said that when it comes to healing we should never pray for it. We should just believe for it and call it in. I mentioned the Lord's Prayer to her and she replied that that was a Jewish prayer and not meant to be followed today."

Enter to Win "John Calvin A Heart for Devotion Doctrine & Doxology

Did you know that it's been 500 years since John Calvin, the reformer, was born?

In commemoration of his life my husband donated a copy of this book from his library for this give-a-way. The good news is that he had two copies so don't worry, the one we're giving you is shrink wrapped and is brand new!

An excerpt from the book, "John Calvin A Heart for Devotion Doctrine & Doxology":

"John Calvin excelled in every ministerial duty he ever set his hand to. He stood out in his own generation for the sheer power of his preaching and his amazing command of Scripture. His skill as an exegete and biblical commentator surpassed anyone the church had ever seen. His proficiency as a teacher of theology was likewise superior to all who came before him. His influence as a discipler of young men bore fruit that is still multiplying today. His competence as a church leader, his forcefulness as an apologist for the truth, and his remarkable ability to educate and motivate others were all highly renowned. In the words of William Cunningham, "Calvin was by far the greatest of the Reformers with respect to the talents he possessed, the influence he exerted, and the services he rendered in the establishment and diffusion of important truth." (Phil Johnson, Pyromaniacs)

To enter the contest simply leave a comment on this post. That's all you have to do! To double your entry, simply blog and/or put it on your website, facebook, twitter, or any other networking site you have. Then leave the link below. Contest is open through July 26th 2009, winner will be announced on Monday July 27th!

Did you know that Calvin regarded the disregarding of evangelism as inconsistent with saving faith? He believed that the greater a man's eminence (prominence or superiority)...the more diligently he was to labor:

And shall say, Come. By these words he first declares that the godly will be filled with such an ardent desire to spread the doctrines of religion, that every one not satisfied with his own calling and his personal knowledge will desire to draw others along with him. And indeed nothing could be more inconsistent with the nature of faith than that deadness which would lead a man to disregard his brethren, and to keep the light of knowledge choked up within his own breast. The greater the eminence above others which any man has received from his calling so much the more diligently ought he to labour to enlighten others. (John Calvin, Comments on Isaiah 2:3)

Calvin urged his people to preach the gospel with such diligence that it would be unstoppable and that's how we should be as Christians--unstoppable!:

"Now we know that God prizes nothing above his honour, which lies mainly in men's knowing him and poor souls' being brought to salvation. So let us not be surprised if our Lord wants his gospel to be proclaimed with such diligence that nothing can hinder its course. For the only way men can come to salvation is through instruction in what the Bible teaches. Now since this is God's will, let us follow it." (John Calvin, Sermons on Acts 1-7 BOT p325)

Even Kids Pass Out Tracts!

Meet Gabye. You might remember her from this post a while back. Well, she is still at it and passing out tracts like crazy all over town. Just the other night after our Friday church service I heard a wonderful message from the Word of God, with a great time of worship and then to top it off Gabye ran up to me with her big smile and said, "Look! I got a new tract purse!" Then she opened it up, as fast as she could, to show me all of her tracts inside, and I just about fell over--isn't she adorable!

A Call to Discernment--An Interview with Justin Peters

This video was one year in the making. Don't be disappointed...the editing isn't that great though. I did it myself. Just remember it's the content that counts. :-)

Thanks Jason Delgado for your help with filming this!

Enter To Win Take Up the Shield!

Tony Miano not only is one of my fellow co-workers at Living Waters Publications but he is also a dear friend to me. Tony has a huge heart for the Lord and he loves to share his faith. His blog has been a source of encouragement to me and his zeal for evangelism is contagious. Tony has written a book called, "Take Up the Shield--comparing the uniform of the police officer and the armor of God".

Recently Travis Yates of Ten-Four Ministries joined my husband and I at a One Day Evangelism Crash Course held at Grace Community Church in Arlington, TX and he surprised me with a copy of Tony's book and a Ten-Four Ministries Collectible Coin to give-a-way to one of you!

But not only are we giving the book away and the collectible coin (as seen below) but sit back, relax and enjoy as I take you on two interviews with my dear friends Tony Miano and Travis Yates:

Tony thank you for taking the time out of your day to be here. Tell us, how long have you been a Christian?

I came to repentance and faith in Christ on September 4, 1988.

You've served many years at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, how many years did you serve?

20 years (1987-2007). During the last 8 years I also serves as a department chaplain (pastor to the deputies)

When did the idea of "Take Up the Shield" first enter your mind?

The idea came as a result of a sermon I preached at several church's called "The Armor of God's Patrolman." My pastor at the time had asked me to preach through the Armor of God in Ephesians 6. He also asked me to preach in my sheriff's department uniform. Before long, I was preaching the message at other churches and law enforcement ministry events.

One day, after I preached the message at a church, several people approached me and asked me if I was going to write a book. I love to write, so I figured I would give it a shot. I figured the worse thing that could happen was that I would make a fool out of myself by setting myself up for repeated rejection.

At about the time I had finished the first draft of the manuscript, I read Ray Comfort's book, "What Hollywood Believes." I saw that his book was published by Genesis Publishing Group. I contacted Lynn Copeland with Genesis, via e-mail. I fully expected to either never hear from Lynn, or receive a short note of rejection. To my surprise, Lynn e-mailed me a couple weeks later saying she would like to publish my book.

In your mind, how are street evangelists and street officers similar?

Street evangelists and officers are similar in both positive and negative ways. Most officers and street evangelists have a genuine desire to help people. Officers do so by enforcing the law. Street evangelists do so by preaching the Law and the Gospel. However, there are some officers who do the job for no other reason than they get a buzz or a rush out of it. For these officers, helping people is of secondary importance, with people being little more than a means to an end. I think, sadly, there are some street evangelists who are the same way. They preach on the streets for the buzz or the rush, or out of a personal sense of glory.

In your chapter "Shoes Fitted For Readiness" you talk about the time when you were a member of your station's gang unit and you served a lot of search warrants, tell us about how you relate standing in the doorway of a suspects home to being ready and prepared to preach the gospel?

Sturdy shoes were a necessary piece of equipment in virtually every aspect of my job, as a deputy sheriff. I often had to walk in places, and through environments and substances (such as hot pavement, rocky hills, brush, broken glass, various liquids and other forms of debris, and even blood) where most people wouldn't dream of walking. My work shoes had to be sturdy, with a non-slip sole. I had to be able to maintain my balance in some pretty hairy situations and in some pretty strange places.

Sometimes, my shoes were the means by which I gained entry into a location. Sometimes people either didn't want me to open the door or they were in distress and they couldn't open the door for themselves, so I had to kick it open.

Like an officer who must be ready at all times to use his or her feet to either stand their ground, fight, or force access into an area; the Christian must always stand firm--must always be prepared to stand their ground, fight the good fight of the faith, and bring the gospel of peace to lost and dying people.

Unfortunately, many Christians these days are like the person who knows they should have a pair of shoes by their bed in case they have to get up in a hurry (i.e. a house fire, earthquake, tornado, intruder, etc), but never seem to have their shoes when they need them. They are not representative of the "beautiful feet" mentioned in Scripture. Their feet are not shod in preparation with the gospel of peace. One reason many professed Christians are never prepared to bring the gospel of peace to lost and dying people is because they themselves do not know the peace of God. They are false converts who have yet to truly repent and believe the gospel of peace.

Travis thank you for taking the time to be on here today. Tell about your serving as a captain in the Tulsa Police Department?

I've been with the Tulsa Police Department for 16 years and it has been an incredible blessing. I come from a law enforcement family. My father retired as a Captain with 27 years of service and my father-in-law was a trooper who was killed in the line of duty. I'm not originally from Tulsa and I intended to stay a few years and then move on to a Federal position but I was so blessed here and liked it here, it only made sense to stay.

My current rank, Captain, is a management rank and I have been at that rank for 5 years. At the time I wasn't sure why God enabled me to get to that position so quickly but as I look back I can definitely see why. Many doors have been opened up to me and I have met many officers from around the country that I would not have normally met if it wasn't for my rank and various assignments. In fact, the ministry is currently partnered up with a Muscle Shoals Lieutenant and giving away free ballistic vests along with The Gospel - http://www.vestforlife.com/ - . I met Clint through a training course that I would not have been eligible to attend if it were not for my rank.

It's ironic that when I was getting promoted it was for selfish reasons, the wrong reasons. I was not saved and getting promoted was just a way to make more money, to have power. After obtaining virtually every career goal that I had in mind in about a decade, God saved me and my position is now used for His glory, to further The Gospel. God is amazing.2. "How has Tony Miano's book "Take Up the Shield" impacted you as an officer and a Christian"?
The book was amazing. I had pre-ordered the book and read it as soon as I received it. I had never seen anything like it. A presentation of The Gospel from a law enforcement officer's perspective. I could identify with everything in it. It made The Gospel real to me. It impacted me greatly. In fact, I haven't told many people this story so I will break it out on Fish With Trish.

I had been exposed to Christianity as a child and at a young age made a profession of faith and was baptized. My life never changed and while in a worldly sense I seemed better morally than most, I was a wretched sinner. I loved my sin, I planned it and I would half-heartedly apologize to God afterwards. I thought that because I had made a "Decision" at one time I was fine. Well I was not and about the time I became a police officer I felt something was wrong.

This was further confused with what I saw in the church. Even though I thought I was a false convert, I looked and acted just about like everyone else in church. I went to church leaders over the course of several years and told them about my feelings. All of them reassured me that I was saved and one of them simply led me through the sinner’s prayer again and then proclaimed my salvation.

I had tried just about everything I could and had given up. I had no peace. I was miserable. Here I was in the middle of the Bible Belt and I had never been witnessed to, the church wasn't helping and from what I know now, I had never heard the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. Several years ago I was leaving church and I saw a funny looking blue tract in the corner of a bookshelf. It was really funny looking and cheesy but it talked about sin and it convicted me. I took it home and kept it in my office for a few years. I must have read it 50 times and then I got a copy of Tony's book.

While I cannot tell you the exact time God saved me, I can tell you when He gave me peace and assurance. I was in a hotel in Houston, Texas for work. I had already read "Take Up the Shield" but I brought it with me anyway. I sat on a couch in that hotel room and I turned to the back of the book. It was Tony's Gospel presentation. That presentation was also unique because it talked about the Law of God. I had read it many times but this time was different. I was broken by what I read, by what I knew. I was sent to my knees and I wept for my transgressions against a Holy and Perfect God. God enabled me to Repent of my Sins and trust in Him.

You originally asked me how "Take Up the Shield" impacted me. It may have literally been the last tool God used to save me. That is why it has been so important to get this book in the hands of as many law enforcement officers as possible. We launched the "Take Up the Shield" Project - http://www.takeuptheshield.com/ - where churches and individuals can provide these books to law enforcement in their area for just $5 per book. Over 5000 have been given out so far and we hope to give out thousands more.

Travis, would you encourage others that are not in law enforcement to read Tony's book, "Take Up the Shield"?

Absolutely, in fact more non-law enforcement reads the book than law enforcement. It is a great book, with great stories and a great Gospel presentation. In general, people are interested in the police. Just take a look at the television shows out there. If you are looking at a tool to give to a non-believer, this book may do the trick simply because it is coming from a police perspective.

***Contest Rules:
1) Comment here and some way for me to contact you if you win--email or blog link is fine (as long as there's an email address attached to the blog link).

2) Get an additional entry for blogging about this contest or putting it on your website, facebook, twitter, or any other networking site you have. Then make sure you tell me where you've posted it.

Note: You do not have to leave a comment to win. Winning isn't based on what you say. One winner will be drawn randomly...so, it's fine to simply leave your name and email. * No duplicate comments please.* Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail. *You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

***If you are not able to post a comment, please send your entry to email [at] fishwithtrish.com. Comments will be opened NOW until July 19th and I will announce the winner on the comment section of this blog on Monday, July 20th 2009! Open to U.S. residents only.