link=gold vlink=white> Rich Beacon Easter fellowship Personal evangelism (sharing the gospel) has often been seen as a difficult, embarrassing and even frightening task that most of us simply avoid. But personal witnessing God’s way is a joy-filled and exhilarating experience, that is often as simple as carrying on a normal conversation. In this book you will find the secret that made the apostle Paul one of the greatest evangelists of all time – a secret that makes personal evangelism easier than most of us ever imagined – a "Secret to an Open Door." The Bible tells us that the gospel is "... the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations ..." Col 1:26. It also says that the gospel "... is foolishness to those who are perishing ..." 1 Cor 1:18, and "... it is veiled to those ... whose minds the god of this age has blinded ..." 2 Cor 4:3-4. Therefore, sharing the gospel is like handing a book to a blind man and asking him to read it. He simply cannot do it. So how do we break through this mystery and open the eyes of the unbeliever? We cannot, but God can. Touched by God by Richard Harrington I am a 56 year old divorced man living in Florida. I became an alcoholic at the age of 13. i had a real messed up childhood starting at the age of 3 when I was adopted into the Harrington family I felt unloved and unwanted from the very beginning which resulted in a lot of trouble at school in the service and in my marriage of 12 years to my high school sweetheart who divorced me in 1979 I could not hold down a job. every job I would get I would get fired or quit for one reason or another but the real reason was drugs and alcohol After my divorce I moved to Florida to start a new life. I stuck my thumb out and hitched hiked from northern California to south Florida worked odd jobs for awhile and eventually went to trade school and got a diploma in air-conditioning went from one company to another for 15 years and finally got fired at this point I was totally lost in drugs and alcohol i lost my apartment because I could not pay rent and ended up being on the street homeless. I stayed that way for 4 years my life was over and had contemplated on suicide many times but I didn't want to go to hell so I decided against it but I was extremely miserable and no friends. I was eaten up by staff infection and hospitalized on many occasions I finally got out of the homeless camp and broke into a warehouse where I lived in a 12x12 room One night i was sitting outside my warehouse on a bumper stop drunk as could be when a man came leaving the corner bar came walking down my street and as he approached I saw myself in him like looking into a mirror this part is hard to explain but I will do the best I can. as he got closer I started to weep and I cried out god! help me! I can not keep going this way just take me out of here I don't want to live any more!! and for 20 minutes or so I wept on my knees till I was exhausted then got up and flopped myself down on the old broken down couch I used for a bed and drifted off to sleep. at six o'clock in the morning, I was awakened by some one calling my name, Richard, Richard, Richard, you must stop drinking you must stop smoking and you must go back to church and as he said that a feeling of warm liquid flowed through my body starting from my head to the bottoms of my feet, and I yelled out thank you Jesus! I knew instantly that Jesus Christ had healed me and this was before I knew what any of this meant but i knew that i would never need drugs or alcohol ever again! i knew it! He put a love into me that there is no words to express it. he totally turned my whole life around I put my trust in him and asked him to lead me to the church he wanted me to be a member of and he did i asked him to find me a home and a job and he did and the good news is i have never looked back I have the same job and go to the same church that he led me to. but that is not the best news the best news is I know where I am going now when I leave this world heaven and I know why I am here and its to serve him and I do with all my heart. He is real! and if you don't know him I implore you to get to know him. he waits for you with open arms. he will be the best friend you will ever have and he loves you very much God bless you! and thank you for taking the time to read my testimony and if you know of any one who needs to here this, please don't wait! send it to them this might be the last chance they will have to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as there personal savior. 2000 YEARS AGO THERE WAS A MAN BORN CONTRARY TO THE LAWS OF NATURE. THIS MAN WAS REARED IN OBSCURITY. EARTHLY RICHES WERE NOT IMPORTANT TO HIM. HE DID NOT TRAVEL EXTENSIVELY, ONLY ONCE DID HE CROSS THE BOUNDARY OF THE COUNTRY IN WHICH HE LIVED AND THAT WAS DURING HIS EXILE IN CHILDHOOD TO EGYPT. IN INFANCY HE STARTLED A KING; IN CHILDHOOD HE AMAZED JEWISH LEADERS, IN MANHOOD HE RULED THE COURSE OF NATURE, WALKING UPON THE BILLOWS AS IF PAVEMENT. HE HUSHED THE SEA TO SLEEP. HE HEALED MULTITUDES WITHOUT MEDICINE AND MADE NO CHARGE FOR HIS SERVICE HE NEVER WROTE A BOOK, AND YET ALL THE LIBRARIES OF THE COUNTRY COULD NOT HOLD THE BOOKS THAT HAVE BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT HIM, HE NEVER WROTE A SONG, AND YET HE HAS FURNISHED THE THEME FOR MORE SONGS THAN ALL THE SONGWRITERS COMBINED. HE NEVER FOUNDED A COLLEGE, BUT ALL THE SCHOOLS PUT TOGETHER CANNOT BOAST OF HAVING AS MANY STUDENTS. HE NEVER PRACTICED PSYCHIATRY AND YET HE HAS HEALED MORE BROKEN HEARTS THAN ALL THE DOCTORS FAR AND NEAR. NAMES OF GREAT SCIENTISTS, PHILOSOPHERS, AND THEOLOGIANS HAVE COME AND GONE; BUT THE NAME OF THIS MAN ABOUNDS MORE AND MORE HEROD THE GREAT COULD NOT DESTROY HIM AND THE GRAVE COULD NOT HOLD HIM HIS NAME STANDS HIGHEST OF HEAVENLY GLORY, ACKNOWLEDGED BY ANGELS AND FEARED BY DEVILS. " FOR THE LIFE OF THE FLESH IS IN THE BLOOD AND I HAVE GIVEN IT TO YOU UPON THE ALTAR TO MAKE ATONEMENT FOR YOUR SOULS; FOR IT IS THE BLOOD THAT MAKETH AN ATONEMENT FOR THE SOUL " AS THE LIVING PERSONAL CHRIST, THE MESSIAH AND SAVIOUR, THE REDEEMER OF MAN. HERE IS GOD'S APPOINTED SACRIFICE FOR SINS LONG AGO GOD'S DIVINE PRINCIPLE WAS ESTABLISHED, THAT " WITHOUT SHEDDING OF BLOOD THERE IS NO REMISSION " TODAY GOD, IN WONDROUS LOVE TELLS US, "THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST HIS SON, CLEANSETH US FROM ALL SIN" JESUS IS THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS FULFILLED ALL OF THE SCRIPTURES REGARDING MESSIAH'S BIRTH, MINISTRY, DEATH AND RESURRECTION. THERE ARE OVER 300 PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT CONCERNING MESSIAH'S INCARNATION. JESUS FULFILLED THEM ALL GREAT IS THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESS GOD WAS MANIFEST IN THE FLESH IN ORDER THAT HE MIGHT DIE FOR YOU. HE CAME TO EARTH BUT WAS REJECTED BY THE PEOPLE AS THEIR KING AT THAT TIME. HE IS GOING TO COME TO THIS EARTH AGAIN AND THEN HE WILL BE ACCEPTED AS NOT ONLY KING OF THE JEWS BUT AS KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS TIME HERE ON EARTH IS SHORT ETERNITY IS FOREVER SOON JESUS WILL RETURN TO CLAIM HIS BELIEVERS ~~~ I KNOW I WILL BE ONE OF THEM BECAUSE I SAID A SIMPLE PRAYER FROM MY HEART THE BIBLE SAYS WHEN YOU ASK FOR FORGIVENESS AND EXPRESS YOUR KNOWLEDGE THAT JESUS IS YOUR SAVIOR THE ANGELS REJOICE All you need to do is say a simple little prayer- Jesus, Thank you for dying for me, I want to go to heaven and live with you forever. Please forgive my sins, come into my heart, I know I have been living a life apart from you, but I wish to receive you. Please show me light where I have know darkness, and guide me in your ways so that I may be like you.