Spring Campus Tour

Change Collegian Network SMSU is announcing their spring Campus Tour

We will be traveling to three Minnesota Campuses in three days-

Southwest Minnesota State University- Tuesday March 20th
St. Cloud State University- Wednesday March 21st
Mankato State University-Thursday March 22nd

We started doing this mini tour four years ago primarily to glorify God and life up His holy name. There are some side benefits to us as well; Our students growth in evangelism and it is an encouragement to believers on other campuses that do not yet have a CCN chapter, or any real biblical fellowship on their campuses.

Please pray for us as we head out on this very important tour. Look to this site and our Change Collegian Network Blog for updates.

Super Bowl Outreach 2012 Reflections

An example of the reach of the Super Bowl: One of many buildings draped with Super Bowl images

In 1966, two very important things happened. It was the year of my physical birth, and it was the year of the very first Super Bowl. Since then, God has graciously saved me not because of works of righteousness but by His mercy. I have grown in grace because of the kindness of God and the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Super Bowl has also grown into an incredible social event. It is not only a game, but a museum of living history (The Super Bowl Experience) where hundreds of thousands of people descend on a city to join in the worship of a game and its players and the two best teams in the league for that year.

This year was the first year that I can remember that I did not gather with family and friends to watch the Super Bowl. In hundreds of living rooms and churches across the country, people gather around this event and use it as an ‘outreach‘ to their family and friends. Though I have been a part of these type of outreaches, in many of them the Gospel is watered down to a few trite phrases that won’t make anyone feel all that uncomfortable about their situation. Even worse, for the most part the entire truth of the Gospel is not presented at all for fear that it might ruin the mood or atmosphere. This opportunity is wasted more times than it is taken advantage of. The law that can convince sinners of their need is glossed over by a weak message of God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life, or I can do all things (like be a superstar NFL player) through Christ who strengthens me. Many false convertshave been created on Super Bowl Sunday.

This year I had the privilege of joining Sports Fan Outreach International and 102 other evangelists to preach in the open air, share one to one with people, and distribute over 103,000 gospel tracts to those attending the Super Bowl. The whole counsel of God was shared as people passed by. A few stayed and listened, those who did not got a tract so they could examine it later on. People from all over the country descend on one city over the Super Bowl week, so therefore the reach is incredible. The Sports Fan outreach team worked with Marv Plementosh of One Million Tractsto link with churches across the country that could help those who heard the message to get connected to a local fellowship. Over 100,000 of these tracts went out, and we pray that by His grace God would save some as the result of His Word going out.

Jake doing one to ones with Skaters who just heard the Gospel

Angela Braxton of Change Collegian Network breaking the sound barrier for the first time this weekend

The Super Bowl has become a manifestation and a microcosm of the wickedness that has descended on this nation. While there was 103 evangelists in our group, there were hundreds of prostitutes flown in for the overflow business being done. There were tracts handed out, but also cards encouraging men to go to the strip clubs that abounded in the area. There is a law in the city of Indianapolis that restricts the public consumption of alcohol that was rescinded for the Super Bowl week, so public drunkeness

Jake with a homeless man; shared the Gospel first for 20 minutes, then shared food and the New Testament with him.

abounded. There was such an awareness of the crime that would abound that many manhole covers had cameras installed as an attempt to catch the pickpockets that were working the area. This is what we were in the midst of, indeed darkness and wickedness abounded, and light was in the midst of this darkness. The gospel was proclaimed, but as it says in John 3:18-20

John 3:18-20 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 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. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

And the microcosm is thus, the law was rightfully applied ( 1 Timothy 1:8-11)and the Gospel that people could be saved from their

This priest said he agreed with my sign, but he used his church bells to heckle Tony Miano who was preaching about 100 yards away.

sins was presented, and those who were still in the darkness became angry. As is typical in these outreaches, we had many different kinds of Christians approach us. Some were genuine converts, busily distributing tracts or sharing the good news. Others were there with their families, relaxing, but happy that the Gospel was being proclaimed. Others were challenged- some because their profession of faith did not line up with the way they were dressed or the fact that they were drunk or using foul language. In all cases the good news was proclaimed, objections answered graciously, and the enemies of the cross were warned and loved all at the same time.

The challenge when returning from such an event as this is twofold: The evangelist who is married must return home and serve his or her spouse who has been holding down the fort while they were gone, so we must love and serve our families. But we also must return to our home towns and be salt and light inside and outside our churches.

The fields are white for harvest in your town- will you go?

We must proclaim the Gospel through our marriage, the way that we do our work, and by proclamation by tract, conversation, or on a corner. Any way that we do it, we must preach the whole counsel of God, demonstrating our love of God first and love of people second. And we must do it all for the glory of God. Will you go?

Arrested for Preaching the Gospel

Minneapolis Suspends First Amendment

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The United States Constitution guarantees a few important freedoms in the First Amendment to the Constitution. For all the talk about freedom of religion and speech in the United States of America, there are apparently a few exceptions to the rule if you live in Minneapolis.

1. If you are on a public sidewalk, you cannot utter any speech that might offend somebody unless that speech is directed at a Bible Believing Christian.

2. If you are a smoker behind a fence that sits on a public sidewalk your right to smoke supercedes the right of free speech and freedom of religion happening outside that fence.

3. If you are a wealthy business owner, your right to the means of speech, such as using amplification to get your message out supercedes the right of a person who wants to get his message out but cannot afford or will not be granted a permit to use amplification.

4. Disturbing the Peace, Public Nuscience, and other subjective charges can be used to silence free speech at any time without any legal recourse by any police officer.

5 Public sidewalks maintained and paid for by the taxpayers of the city of Minneapolis and County of Hennepin are not Public if they surround Block E, Target Field, Target Center, and in front of certain nightclubs.

6. If your religion supports the murder of people of other religions, or is based on hate of other races, or is basically anything other than Biblical Christianity, you have freedom of speech and religion, and can practice it in the public forum in Minneapolis.

7. If you are preaching the Word of God and proclaiming freedom from sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ, you have no protected first amendment rights in Minneapolis.

8. If you are offended by a Bible Preacher, you may spit, punch, kick, and verbally abuse that preacher in any way that you choose with no threat of legal consequences.

You should not be surprised, nor should this deter you if you are a Christian who wants to preach in Minneapolis in any way shape or form. Those who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer. That is a given.  This reality must not deter you from practicing true Christian faith, which means going into all the world and preaching the Gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15, Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:18-20). We must follow the example of all of the fathers of our faith that went before us and not fear what man can do to us. We must obey God rather than man.

How will they Hear?

Jesusʼ primary mission was, in His own words, “to seek and to save that which was lost”-wherever they are lost (Luke 19:10). That it is His intent for us to be just as concerned with this activity as He was is made clear by His parting words to the disciples. One weakness in our denomination in the past is that people have interpreted missions as requiring salt water. A missionary does not have to be cross cultural; a missionary can go even more effectively to his or her own home town or culture. When Jesus said go in Matthew 28:19 it is a greek word poreuō which can be interpreted in your going, go. In other words, wherever you travel you should be about the business of making disciples.

Brother John, Mark 1:15 Ministries, preaching and tracting at a Bus Stop in Minneapolis

Romans 10:13-17 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

John T. Baptist preaching open air at Mankato State

The word whosoever (hos) is used to express an objective possibility.
In other words, it implies a condition which experience or results must
determine. It does not mean that if someone names the name of Jesus
they will be saved. It does not mean that if someone identifies Christ as their Savior, or if they identify as a follower of Christ, they are saved.

Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into thekingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is inheaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we notprophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

What it does mean is that there is an objective marker that
determines whether or not they are saved. The objective marker is the
phrase epikaleo interpreted ʻcall uponʼ and means an action of turning to and appealing, crying out to Him. In the context of this passage, whoever turns (repents) and calls out to (appeals to) the name of the Lord, that is, the name He is known by, the proper name, the one true Lord Jesus Christ they shall be saved. They will be saved (sozo) in this context from death and judgment (as the consequences of sin). Not only that, but salvation brings in all positive blessing in the place of condemnation. Sozo, to be saved, means to save from the penalty of death and destruction and to bestow everlasting life as the result of the death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ. We are brought into his family (we know Him) and we are changed, able to walk by the Spirit not by the flesh. We are no longer enslaved to sin or to death, we now have new life in Christ. We are a new creation, Godʼs workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works that God has prepared in advance for us to do.

Preaching open air at St. Cloud State

That is the positive aspect; that whosoever calls out to the Lord Jesus
Christ in repentance and belief can be saved. Who He is, that is, believing on the the right Messiah is so important to the idea of this passage. In other words, having an incomplete understanding about who Jesus is will standin the way of a person being saved. If a person does not believe that He or she needs salvation. In other words, if a person is convinced that they are saved by good works, practicing their religion, even in working together with Christ to achieve their own salvation, they are not believing or trusting in Him fully. It is like my friends who came to visit me in Mankato this week. They knew that the flood had affected 169 between the cities and Mankato,
yet they chose to drive on 169 anyway. They had a knowledge that did not change their actions, and until they experienced the real road closure first hand, they did not change their direction. They did not really believe.

In order to have a chance to believe, they must first have an
opportunity to hear. People who do not know about Christ must be able to hear about Him. Today, we can hear about Him many different ways, the source of information should always be the Bible. In the context to which Paul was writing, the ONLY way that people could hear about the Lord Jesus Christ was through the preaching of the Word. Not everyone could read, they did not have the printing press, the internet, or other more advanced forms of communication. In todays’ world, this is the exception, rather than the rule. In most places today, you do not have to preach (kerusso) that is, be a herald, proclaim the Gospel on a street corner or out in a public forum. You can actually share through one to one encounters at work, school, when shopping, etc. Imagine this: In this community you can be a missionary to Wal-mart, your high school, your neighbor, SMSU, the Jail, co-workers, at the Drive thru window, your bank, and the list goes on. I believe that the primary way in which people hearand understand is through the spoken word from a trusted individual (like a friend). While sharing the Gospel verbally is the ideal, if you simply cannot speak out, you can be a tract missionary. Tracts speak 24 hours a day, never having to sleep or rest. Tracts can be reused, passed on, and they do not require an education or training. They also do not need to have a permit or get permission to speak. Tracts can go places that you are not permitted to speak out, they can get into homes of people that you do not know or will ever meet. In this way, people can hear. What I want to emphasize is that we are all called to be missionaries, and there are many ways in which we can see the great commission completed. Can you think of places that you can go that you can hand out or leave Gospel tracts?

Brother Brad sharing with curious college student.

How will they hear without a preacher? Unfortunately, today, many
people have heard about Jesus, but only enough to be dangerous. When we bring the Gospel to people, we must be sure we are preaching the truth. There are many preachers out there who are presenting a false or incomplete picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. On my travels, I have heard of the Jesus who saves and forgives everybody, the Jesus who approves of continued lifestyle sin, the Jesus who is the brother of Satan, The Jesus who is not fully God. This is why it important that the preacher is sent. We ought to give sacrificially financially as a church to see to it that trained
missionaries are sent to home and to abroad. We ought to give of our time and reputation sacrificially to see to it that people around us have heard the true Gospel. And the beauty is in the feet, that is, in the going out and sending out to preach the Good News. The Gospel is the best news ever, that sinful men and women who have offended God and have sinned against His holiness can be saved by trusting in Jesus. It is a fragrant offering to God when we give of ourselves and of our finances until it hurts to see this good news spread. When we do it with joy, God is honored and He is pleased with this sacrifice.

Our responsibility as Christians is not with the result, it is with the
obedience to proclaim the Gospel, to bring the good tidings. Just because people hear, that is, just because they have been given the good news, does not mean that they will respond. Now those with different theological leanings will take this truth differently. Essentially, If God does not give you ears to hear, if the god of this world (Satan) has blinded your eyes from seeing the truth, then I believe the scripture teaches that you will not respond. The responsibility is placed squarely on the individual, however. If they will not obey the Gospel, if they will not repent and call out to God for
their salvation, then they cannot be saved. The indication that they have believed our report, that they have believed God, is that they would obey the Gospel.

When you are speaking to one person, others listen in. These are international students at St. Cloud State. To the right is a professor.

So, true Biblical faith comes when the hearer of the Word of Christ,
that is, the Gospel, responds and obeys the Gospel. There is no other
prescribed way in the scripture that God has given that people can be
saved. Good works cannot save, religion cannot save, Jesus Christ plus
___________ can not save. No, faith comes from hearing the word of
Christ. Faith means that the hearer must respond. It is not our response that saves us; it is the work of God alone. We are justified, sanctified, glorified all by the work of God. It is not our belief that saves us; it is the shed blood of Christ that pays for our sin that saves us. But we must obey the Gospel, we must call on the name of Christ. We cannot do that if we do not believe, we cannot believe if we do not hear, and people cannot hear if we will not share.

It is Godʼs grace that has saved you, and the reality of that
salvation is demonstrated by the fruit that your life bears. If you truly believethat mankind is lost, and that if they die in their sins that they will go to a place called Hell, that the shed blood of Jesus Christ is the only way that sin can be atoned for, then you will share the Gospel with them so that they can have a chance to respond and be saved. Jesus Christ came to seek and to save the lost. His parting words to his disciples are His words to us, that we ought to go, that we ought to make disciples, that we ought to preach the gospel to every creature by the power of the Holy Spirit, and that we ought to teach them all that Christ has commanded us. With the command comes the promise of his presence, never leaving nor forsaking us. Will you go in His power and with his presence to a lost and dying world?

Mn State Fair/Lady GaGa

This is video of our trip with Mark 1:15 Ministries and The Way 1711 Ministries to St Paul. We hit the Lady GaGa concert and the State Fair. This is preaching, later on we will post further videos on dealing with Police.

Why I do what I do

This is a little interview that I did with brother Steve after preaching in St. Paul.