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Alan Buterworth Family Update
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Newsletters - click "Get Resource" to see complete PDF version with photos and more
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Entries from
September 2005
September 2005 Newsletter
Thursday, September 01, 2005 :: 387 Views :: Newsletter
SOWERS!
By Gary Timm
Some plant, others water, and some get to be part of the harvest!
This summer I came to St Louis to share in their Evangelism-Training event in the hope of better organizing our outreaches in New York. What I did not expect to experience was the awesome feeling of teamwork and the openness to the Gospel.
One gentleman I spoke with in Clayton, the Jewish area of St Louis, was Brian. I asked him what he thought about Jesus and he told me, “I‘m not sure what to think.”
I went on to ask if he had read the Bible. He said, “Yes, a long time ago”. Then I reminded him, “The Bible says that Jesus is the Son of God, that he died for your sins and mine and miraculously he arose again from the dead. Do you believe that to be true?” He thought for a moment and confirmed that he did. “So,” I continued, “let me ask you, if you were to die today would you go to heaven?” He said, “I hope so.” “You mean you don’t know for sure,” I asked. “No. I mean I’ve been a good person and everything so I hope I would get there, but I don’t know”.
The Flap over Gap Fillers
By Steve Cohen
OK, I admit it. I am a huge fan of anything dealing with outer space. The recent mission of the space shuttle Discovery was a fascinating event to watch first hand: live photos from space, interviews with the astronauts, and video feeds of the spacewalks brought us right into the scene and into the long-awaited return flight.
After intense scrutiny and photographic data was retrieved, the mission team on the ground discovered protruding gap filler pieces that were designed to keep carbon tiles from “chattering” and thus causing damage during takeoff. Two filler pieces had become dislodged from their original positions and posed a potential threat during the intense heat of re-entry.
After hours of intense scrutiny and theorizing, the mission team concluded that for the sake of the safety of the crew, those gap fillers had to be removed or cut away prior to reentry. This meant a historic and unrehearsed space repair. The world watched as one lone astronaut, with a team of people on the ground and in the shuttle working behind him, reached with his heavily gloved hand to remove the two offending pieces. Mission accomplished!
As I thought back on that historic flight and spacewalk, I was impressed with how every detail of the flight is scripted, practiced, and practiced again. The team prepared to carry out its mission in the most hostile of environments. One misstep could lead to the loss of life.
How does this apply to our mission here on earth? We, too, work in a hostile environment. The spiritual forces of darkness seek to dissuade and discourage us all from carrying out our mission. We meet with indifference on the part of those whom we are trying to reach with the Gospel, and on the part of many in our churches.
Every 4.6 Minutes
By Alan Butterworth
Every 4.6 minutes, 500 people die somewhere in the world; 20 live in America and one is Jewish! As the clock ticks... are we, as believers, doing everything we can to reach these precious souls with the Gospel before it is too late?
Are these just statistics? In 2003, I got a call that my father, Eric Butterworth, was dying. As I raced to the hospital, I thought about the times I shared the Gospel. I had no sign that he believed, so I prayed for his salvation as he was in a coma. I was about 15 minutes away when he died. Where is he now? Is this just academic?
Now my father knows the truth! But a great chasm prevents him from sharing that truth (Luke 16:26). Do you have a loved one or a friend who is facing eternity without faith in Jesus? May we help you share?
Winsome Witnessing 101
If you were called into a court of law to give testimony in a trial, you would be asked to either swear or affirm that your testimony would be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Going all the way back to the Ten Commandments, we are told not to bear false witness. When it comes to telling what God has done for our life, it is essential that we simply stick to the facts and not seek to embellish or expand on the truth.
People can spot what is phony, and we should be very careful to simply present our life in a frank way, with simple reference to the past without going into unwholesome details. Yet it is important to share that we sometimes struggle in our faith, also.
The old hymn said, “I once was lost, but now I am found, was blind but now I see” still carries great meaning today. Win-Some Witnesses may have had doubts about their faith in the past, but express them honestly so that others may relate, too.
Think through your personal testimony so that you can share it from memory in five minutes. You never know when you may be called upon to tell what God has done in your life. You can then be “instant in season or out of season” with your testimony to others.
Be prepared.
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