Behind the Scenes of Way of the Master Radio (07-17-07)

Since I was "fishing" today in a "no photo zone" (my local mall), I decided to share a photo (dated 09/06) of the newest member of my family, Jay Joseph. Jay was recently adopted by Ian and Cheryl (my brother-in-law and sister). Jay is 3-years-old and from Uganda. My sister and niece (Allison) travelled to Uganda and returned home with Jay last Friday.

I met Jay for the first time, today. I watched him play at a local park, with his brother, sisters, and new friends. When I arrived at the park, my sister introduced us. He took my hand and gave me a good, manly shake. "Hi, Uncle Tony." His favorite color is green (smart kid). So, naturally, I gave him sheriff's department uniform patch.

Cheryl took a respite from her now-busier-than-ever home (Jay is Ian and Cheryl's fifth child, with two of their daughters being adopted from Liberia.), and joined me for today's "street fishing." It was a blessing to have her with me, today. Not only was the fellowship special (as it always is), but she proved to be an asset, helping me to land our "fish" for the second hour of the show.

Our guest for the first hour of the show was a young man named Giancarlo. Giancarlo and his friend, Martin, were leaving a restaurant when I asked them if either one of them wanted to be on the radio.

Giancarlo considered himself to be a good person and believed he would go to heaven if he lived a good life here, on earth. He also made mention, without providing details, that he was in the midst of some difficulties in his life.

Todd Friel took Giancarlo through the Law and the Gospel. I spent about five minutes talking to Giancarlo after his time with Todd. Although the conversation was short, it was good. Giancarlo said that his conversations with me and Todd were helpful to him. Seeds were planted. We left Giancarlo and Martin each with a copy of Ray Comfort's book, How To Live Forever Without Being Religious.

We walked around the mall complex for the next twenty minutes, looking for a guest for the second hour of the show. As so often happens, we got within 30 seconds of my scheduled call-in time before the Lord provided the person. His name was John.

John grew up attending a Christian church, but left the church for unspecified reasons. When we met him he believed that he was a good person and that he would go to heaven, along with his friends and loved one.

When I handed John my phone, his demeanor was lighthearted and confident. But as Todd took John through the Law and the Gospel, his demeanor changed. He became more serious, and maybe even a bit nervous. The reason I say this is when Todd began to take John through the Law (and I can tell by what the person is saying on my phone), John began to rapidly tap his right heel on the ground, beneath the table where we were sitting.

John had told me before the interview that he only had a few minutes before he had to return to work. So, I wasn't surprised when he tried to make a quick exit, after ending his conversation with Todd. John gave me just enough time to ask a couple of quick questions.

I asked John if he had ever heard the Gospel presented the way Todd presented it to him. He said, "No." He went on to say that Todd's analogies helped to drive the points home, and it was making him think. More seeds planted.

Sitting at the table, quietly listening to John on the phone, were Margarita and Ora. These nice ladies were John's co-workers. Margarita volunteered the information that she was raised in a Jehovah's Witness home, but she no longer practiced the religion. However, as you will here in our conversation, she was still holding on to some of the false teaching of the religion. Ora, on the other hand, did not volunteer anything about her spiritual beliefs.

I asked the ladies if they were curious about John's conversation. They said that they were. I explained to them that John had been taken through what's called the "Good Person Test." I asked them if they would like to take the test. They both said yes. What followed was a great conversation with two ladies who seemed humbled by the Law and appreciative of the conversation. In fact, after Cheryl and I said good-bye to Margarita and Ora, and started to walk away, I heard one of the ladies whisper, "That was nice." The other replied, "Yeah. I wasn't expecting that."

Please pray for Giancarlo, Martin, John, Margarita, and Ora. Pray that all of them will receive the free gift of eternal life that only Jesus Christ can give.

Another good day of fishing!