Sunday, June 28, 2009

American Idol Season 9 Auditions--Up-close and Personal

A few of us got up before dawn on Friday morning (some of us pulled all nighters) and invaded the throngs of hopefuls gathering at the new Dallas Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, TX to spread news BETTER THAN "You're the next American Idol!"

As with all special and public events, there are certain rules and courtesies to be observed when a team gathers to hand out tracts and share the Gospel. The American Idol security measures, the added police force and the organization of the whole event made it a challenge to get in...but we did and we were able to pass out tracts for just under an hour to those that were waiting in line. Photo from left to right: John Speed, Tim Crawford, Jeff Pittman, me, Brad Snow.



It didn't take long for security to ask us to leave. One member of the security team got downright angry at the message. I was disappointed that we had to leave but I knew that God was in control and that He would provide a way for the Gospel to be heard...but I had no idea just how many would hear the gospel at one time. We only had to go as far as the public street, where we were still able to hand out tracts and share the Good News with people as they arrived.



Jon Speed and Tim Crawford from TLC Ministries had brought along small amplifiers and when standing on the perimeter streets and preaching Gospel through those little amps, the message was BOUNCING OFF the sides of the Cowboy stadium and amplifying to levels that could be heard all around! The Gospel went out loud and clear...thank you, Jerry Jones for building this stadium! Just look at how many people were lined up to enter the stadium (below). The funny thing is that everyone in line couldn't see where the preaching was coming from. If you look closely you can see that Brad Snow is hidden by bushes. Everyone in line must have thought it was a voice coming from heaven or something...if only I could have seen the look on their faces. Photo: Zoomed out. Thousands are lined up to be the next idol. Special thanks to Dennis and Teri for the photos on this post and for composing much of this entry. You can read more about this event on their blog.


In addition to preaching, we continued to hand out Gospel tracts to hundreds as they arrived. We asked them, "Are you the next American Idol?" - of course they all were! - and then we asked them to sing. (Even Brad Snow belted out a hearty rendition of the theme song from the old TV show "Land of the Lost" - pun intended!)


After each performance, we handed them a Celebrity Million Dollar Bill tract, encouraged them to read the message on the back, and said, "You win! Here's your first million toward a record contract!" Everyone gladly took the tracts and smiled. Photo: Idol "wanna be" (left) Tim Crawford (right). This young man sang his lungs out...he sang very well.


I told everyone that I hadn't had "this much fun since I went to 13 countries in 13 days to film 13 episodes for The Way of the Master Season 4". Photo: Jon Speed in the back being silly and Brad and Tim are singing a duet, hilarious--these guys are great brothers!


So now it can be said that I've been to the American Idol auditions. I never thought I'd ever say that. Reflecting on the day, it amazes me how much people chase after fame but in the end all of the fame in the world won't matter on the Day of Judgment when we stand before the Maker of the Universe and have to give an account of all the things done in our bodies while we've lived on Earth. It reminds me of how short Michael Jackson's life was. Only 50 years. He's been called the "King of Pop" but none of that mattered on Thursday when he left this earth and left behind all of his worldly possessions and had to give an account to the King of Kings. While you're alive and still breathing please hear these words "the most important thing is this...NOTHING MATTERS more than where you will spend eternity". Where will you be? If you're not sure, read this!

Friday, June 26, 2009

Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances...

Even as Christ is now invisible and unknown to the world, so are we Christians also invisible and unknown therein. "Your life," says St Paul, Coloss. iii., "is hid with Christ in God." Therefore the world knows us not, much less does it see Christ in us. But we and the world are easily parted; they care nothing for us, and we nothing for them; through Christ the world is crucified unto us, and we to the world. Let them go with their wealth, and leave us to our minds and manners. When we have our sweet and loving Saviour Christ, we are rich and happy more than enough; we care nothing for their state, honor, and wealth. But we often lose our Saviour Christ, and little think that he is in us, and we in him; that he is ours, and we are his. Yet although he hide from us, as we think, in the time of need, for a moment, yet are we comforted in his promise, where he says, "I am daily with you to the world's end;" this is our richest treasure. --Martin Luther, Luther’s Table Talk—Of Jesus Christ, CCXXIV.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Christian Women Online Interview--Part 2

Where the rubber meets the road...Part 2
of my interview with Christian Women Online.
Watch as I keep looking back at the camera in the beginning...
I was terrified to hand out the first tract.
Watch what happens. But wait...
If you didn't see the Part 1, just click HERE.


Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Christian Women Online Interview--Part 1

Pass this on to any ladies that you think might be
terrified to share their faith...they're not alone...


Part TWO will be coming soon.

Monday, June 22, 2009

This just in from Justin Peters...

From our dear friend Justin Peters:

"Hey friends - I have an opportunity tonight to sit in on a taping of Hannity's America on FoxNews. I'm going to be able to visit with Sean for a while (not sure how long) and plan on at least giving him a copy of the WOTM book and CD of Hell's Best Kept Secret. The show will air (No, I won't be on it:) at 9 pm eastern. Keep this in your prayers as I hope to share the Gospel with him."

Sunday, June 21, 2009

The Nature of the World

As all people feel they must die, each seeks immortality here on earth, that he may be had in everlasting remembrance. Some great princes and kings seek it by raising great columns of stone, and high pyramids, great churches, costly and glorious palaces, castles, etc. Soldiers hunt after praise and honor, by obtaining famous victories. The learned seek an everlasting name by writing books. With these, and such like things, people think to be immortal. But as to the true, everlasting, and incorruptible honor and eternity of God, no man thinks or looks after it. Ah! we are poor, silly, miserable people! --Martin Luther, Luther’s Table Talk—The Nature of the World, CL.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Calvin Klein Post's "Racy" Photo and Ray Comfort Speaks Out!

Designer Calvin Klein has placed a "racy" new advertisement on a five-story-high billboard on a Manhattan building in New York City, which shows half-naked teenagers lying on top of each other in sexually explicit positions.

According to TV co-host and best-selling author Ray Comfort, Sex not only sells jeans, it gets massive free publicity on CBS primetime. CBS "The Early Show" (June 15th) more than willingly scrolled over and zoomed into the lusty billboard an amazing sixteen times, as the show's host interviewed an expert on why she thought it was wrong to show such images in public. The usual reasons were given: it wasn't good for children to see such pictures, etc.

Comfort says there's another reason why Calvin Klein should rethink the tone of its advertising. Presently there are 673,989 registered sex offenders in the United States,[1] and hardly a day goes by when some child isn't abducted, raped, and murdered.

Back in April 1999, ABC TV put a racy billboard of a naked woman lying on her stomach in Comfort's neighborhood in Southern California. The image had a small towel draped across her backside, to keep it legal. Photo (above) of billboard Comfort covered with orange blanket

When Comfort saw that, he purchased an 18-foot ladder, climbed up the billboard and stapled a huge orange blanket over that naked woman's body.

"I don't want some sexually depraved pervert getting off on ABC's dirt, and raping and murdering my wife or daughter," Comfort says.

Comfort then took a picture of the blanketed billboard and released it to the media, in the hope that ABC would take him to court for willful damage of their property. But they didn't.

"Calvin Klein's campaign not only reveals that they couldn't care less about the abuse of our women and children, it also shows that they have no regard for what God says is right and wrong," says Comfort. "So Mr. Klein, don't even think of bringing your dirt and dumping it in my neighborhood, because I will be up my ladder with a staple gun in hand before the glue on your smutty image is dry."

Ray Comfort debated atheistic evolution on ABC's Nightline in 2007 and earlier this year debated on the BBC. He is the author of some 60 other books including "God Doesn't Believe in Atheists," "How to Know God Exists," and "Evolution: the Fairy Tale for Grownups." He is the publisher of "The Evidence Bible" and more recently, "The Atheist Bible (Unauthorized Version)" and, "The Charles Darwin Bible." His booklet, "The Atheist Test" has sold over a million copies.

U.S. Map of sex offenders: [1] http://cybertipline.com/en_US/documents/sex-offender-map.pdf


To interview Ray Comfort contact:
M. Sliwa Public Relations, 973-272-2861, media@msliwa.com

How you can pray:

1. That this might become a platform for Ray to proclaim the gospel.

2. That the publicity generated would drive more professing believers to Way of the Master\Living Waters websites and get the word out about biblical evangelism and the true gospel.

3. That the Lord would use this to draw the lost unto Himself.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

8 reasons why you should stop picking and biting your nails

One of the things that convinced me to post this happened just about an hour ago.

Before I finished composing this blog, my good friend Jelena stopped by after a Laker game and we fellowshipped a few minutes. She heard I had rearranged some of my furniture and she wanted to drop in to check out the changes. Upon leaving, I walked her to the door and said "Let me read you something I've been writing tonight for my blog...maybe you'll get a kick out of it...it will only take a minute." After I was done reading the below to Jelena, she held her hands up and her nails were worse than mine! I was shocked. I looked at her in horror and said, "Oh no that's terrible." She told me that she got so nervous while watching the game that she had practically taken off her fingers.

Like Jelena, I bite the skin around my nails as well. I know...too much information, right! Well, I typically don't bite any of my other fingers but my thumbs tend to take a beating - maybe I'm lacking some sort of nutrient or something. But for some reason if I'm working on a project or answering emails, I'll just gnaw away. What a bad habit, huh!

So today is the day that I've had enough biting. I'm finished. I'm giving it up for good...or at least with the help of the Lord I'll give it up for good.

Recently, I passed out a few tracts and as I held up the red and blue curved illusion tracts to the cashier at the Dollar Store, I quickly hid my thumbs so that only my pointer fingers would show. How embarrassing.

So tonight, ladies, I pondered 8 good reasons why we shouldn't bite our fingers - that goes for the men reading this, too - especially while you are watching the Laker finals. :-)

If you have a problem with biting, I'd like you to think long and hard about these 8 reasons to quit and then I challenge you to stop biting your nails for good and don't waste your life on such trivial things.

Now for the 8 reasons....

8. You'll be a good example to the young women around you (Titus 2:3-5).

7. You'll save a good amount of money (perhaps Neosporin® would go out of business if we stopped all our biting)

6. Your fingers won't hurt for days (especially when you use nail polish remover, or cut lemons in the kitchen for a glass of cold ice-water, or eat salty foods)

5. You'll be able to freely pass out curved illusion tracts and not worry about others missing the illusion because they are so caught up with looking at your fingers.

4. You won't get sick as much (aren't kids supposed to be the ones we tell, "Now don't put your fingers in your mouth...you don't want to catch a cold!")

3. You will have more focused time (think of all the time and energy you spend biting your nails. My dad does stunt driving and with his spare time he is a Collision Avoidance Driving Instructor and trains young students at Willlow Springs Raceway how to do to handle their cars in stormy conditions. Then he takes the students to the race track where the rubber meets the road.
A few years back he invited me to come up to the track and for the first time I sat in the cockpit of a race car going about 60+ miles an hour around a turn - now that's enough to make you really chew your nails...I thought I was going to die!
In the classroom setting, he explains to the teens, "Imagine you're talking on the phone and watching television at the same time. Now think with me. Are you really focused on both things? I can guarantee that the individual on the phone is not receiving your undivided attention - the same is true when we talk on the phone and drive...so don't talk and drive!")
I bet the same is true when we work and bite our nails...so don't work and bite. :-)

2. You won't have to hide your fingers anymore - especially if your making food and trying to be hospitable to the guests who have been invited to your home for dinner (besides who wants to eat your lovely meal after you've touched their food with your swollen sored up fingers!)

And now for the number one reason why we shouldn't bite our fingers...

1. It will honor God! (1 Cor 10:31)

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Meditate on this...

"He (God) stretches out the north over empty space and
hangs the earth on nothing." Job 26:7 (parenthesis added)


"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God." Psalm 14:1

Monday, June 1, 2009

In my heart, won't come out my mouth

This email came in on Friday:

"Sorry for the weird subject title, that is the only way I can explain what happens when a opportunity arises to evangelize to someone. My heart is full of Gods love and I want nothing more than to save people from hell, but I just can't find the words.I know what I want to say but my mouth won't let me say it. Any advice?"

Dear Friend,

Thanks for writing!

Great question.

I'd start by simply handing out a tract and let the tract do the talking for you.

And check out these links for helpful information:
http://fishwithtrish.blogspot.com/2008/07/how-have-you-dealt-with-your-fears.html

Dont' forget to take your tracts everywhere you go.

And if you get rejected for handing someone a tract, don't sting the individual. In other words, it's okay if you get rejected remember that your reward is in heaven. Read here for more:
http://fishwithtrish.blogspot.com/2008/07/don.html

Also, take the time to go through this page that's filled with "2 Minute Evangelism Tips", and other helpful information.

Once you watch the videos, check out the challenges towards the bottom of the page. And if you take the challenges shoot me an email, I'd love to hear how it's going.

And if you're really really bored... :-)

Check out this interview I did with Christian Women Online:
http://www.christianwomenonline.net/issue/2009/03/sunny-interviews-trish-ramos-of-way-of-the-master/

It tackles the fear question head on and read some of the comments...I think you'll be encouraged to know that you're not alone!

Blessings to you!

Trish