Josef wrote to let us know he got the 200.00 for Spanish Bibles and will order them for his table outreach today.
The Great Need for Bible Literacy
By: Josef Urban
www.puregospeltruth.com
Update from Guadalajara, Mexico
One great, lacking, and desperate need of the people of Guadalajara is Bible literacy. What I mean by that is there is such a gross ignorance to the most basic truths of the Bible among the vast majority of the population to such a degree that the average person is not only Gospel-ignorant (as to the true meaning of the Gospel) but is also Bible-ignorant to the most basic Bible knowledge. Now this is to be expected in los campos (the remote, small-town farming regions) where many don’t know how to read, but here in the city, education is given high value. There are very few who can’t read. Therefore, it’s mind-boggling to think of how great a lack there is of knowledge of the Bible itself!
Of course, the fact that Catholicism has reigned here for centuries doesn’t help, nor the fact that Guadalajara is in what is arguably (by the word of the people we talk to around Mexico, and by certain missiologists) the most Catholic region of Mexico. A religion that holds precious souls in bondage to ceremonies and superstitions, with a form of godliness but denying the power of true salvation by grace, is the major culprit behind much of the evils we find ourselves confronted with here as we labor to spread the knowledge of the glory of God in the Gospel of grace. A religion that has historically discouraged the reading of God’s precious Word and martyred those who fought for such liberty, drunken with the blood of the saints of Jesus, is certainly guilty of veiling the message of God’s salvation from the common people all in the name of “the one true church." The power of tradition is a stronghold that only the mighty power of the love of Christ can break, and only the Word of God taught and followed can unleash the truth that will set souls free from the bondage of such religious deception (John 8:31-32).
Some Christians think that Catholicism isn’t so bad –that we have much common ground between us and Catholics, and that such is helpful in trying to evangelize them and win them over to truth. While the few things we have in common must be used as a bridge to relate to them, (i.e. the Trinity, the Deity of Christ, the virgin birth, etc.) they have mixed these truths with so many lies which contradict God’s written Word that most of what they have learned in the religion of their fathers needs to be unlearned before they can understand grace aright. The whole system is the Devil’s crafty counterfeit of the true church, and since it gives the outward appearance of godliness, it is all the more deceptive.
Charles Spurgeon said: “Did the apostles preach the sacrifice of Christ?—the devil’s apostles preached the sacrifice of the mass. Did the saints uplift the cross?—the devil’s servants upheld the crucifix. Did God’s ministers speak of Jesus as the one infallible Head of the Church?—the devil’s servants proclaimed the false priest of Rome as standing in the self-same place. Romanism is a most ingenious imitation of the gospel: it is the magicians “doing do with their enchantments.”
“And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.” (2 Cor. 11:14-15)
In the face of this harlot that rides the back of the kingdoms of the earth (Rev. 17), we are battling for truth. I firmly believe that the best, more sure, and effective strategy is by getting God’s written Word into the hands, heads, and hearts of the common people.
First, is getting God's Word into their hands. Every person must own their own copy of the Holy Scriptures. If they don’t have immediate access to the Bible, they are far less likely to read it. Putting a Bible in every home gives everyone access to the saving truth of God. It opens the door for the Holy Spirit to enlighten their understanding, which is the first step of conversion. Without knowledge people perish (Hos. 4:6).
Second, is getting God's Word into their heads. The people must read their Bibles. To facilitate this, they should be taught how to understand the Bible and its’ most basic truths regarding its key salvation-related themes; to see Christ in the Scriptures (Luke 24:27) that He may reveal Himself to them in a saving way (2 Cor. 4:6). The Word must also be preached, because it is the foolishness of preaching which God has ordained to save those who believe as a result of that preaching (1 Cor. 1:21). Good preaching and teaching will simplify the truth of the Bible so everybody can understand (Neh. 8:8) “Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.” (Psalm 25:8)
Third, is getting God's Word into their hearts. Once they possess the basic knowledge of salvation from God’s written Word, they will have a firm foundation upon which the Holy Spirit can impart saving faith to their hearts; a faith by which they can lay hold on eternal life. When the people come to understand God’s redemptive purpose and the true meaning of Christ’s sacrifice and why they need it, God will be gracious to sovereignly give the increase and bring forth an inward work of grace in salvation among those who are appointed to eternal life (1 Cor. 3:6-7, Acts 13:48), and thus He will glorify His name in the work of redemption by demonstrating the riches of His grace to those who least deserve His favor.
Historically, the Bible being put into the hands of the common person by translation and distribution, and put into their heads by preaching and instruction, is what resulted in that truth penetrating their hearts, and in the response of their hearts which liberated world history from the dark ages of Catholic reign. –THESE are the things which sparked and fueled the great Reformation. THESE are the things which changed the entire course of world history. THESE are the things which have given us all the privilege of sitting right here, right now, knowing the truth of God and rejoicing in the salvation that has been revealed to us. And, it’s because of this that, in addition to proclamation evangelism, the ministry of distributing Bibles to the common people is such an essential, important ministry anywhere, especially on the mission field in regions where Biblical Christianity has not seriously penetrated the pagan beliefs and culture of the common people who lounge under the shadow of darkness. That is why we are committed to purchasing and distributing Bibles in Guadalajara, in addition to preaching and teaching God’s Word wherever the opportunity comes, that God may get glory where He is currently not worshipped in spirit and truth.
The ignorance to the Bible among the majority of Guadalajara is staggering. Many do not even know what the New Testament is when we have given them out alone, looking at it as some strange book, not knowing that it’s a part of the Bible! (NOTE: This is one reason why we must distribute complete Bibles and not just New Testaments.) Many do not know the most basic facts about the Bible, or have even heard the names of the books of the New Testament. Many have never even heard the 2nd Commandment of the Decalogue which forbids making and worshipping images (the Papacy conveniently removes this command from their version and splits the 10th Commandment into 2 in order to keep an appearance of having 10). Many exalt and pray to Mary to the extent that Jesus Christ is delegated to a second place position of honor, and they will freely admit this. One time, we even found that a group of children actually thought that Jesus Christ was the husband of Mary, and that He was still dead, not knowing He was the Son of God, that He bore our sin, nor that He is risen and alive.
There is gross Gospel and Bible ignorance in Guadalajara, as well as in the rest of the country of Mexico. Therefore, we must stand up and combat the forces of darkness and shine the glorious light of the truth of God’s Word to the farthest corners of the city and nation. We must distribute Bibles in the marketplaces. We must assimilate Bible-saturated literature. We must proclaim Christ in the public squares. We must instruct sinners in Gospel truth. We must meet the people where they are and confront them with the truth of God in love. We must take a stand against religious traditions which nullify the commandments of God. And, we must equip the remnant of saints who are already here to be solid disciples of Jesus who can effectively reach their own people, demonstrating for them how to reach the lost most effectively, that the task may be finished, the elect may be harvested, and the Lord of glory may return.
Marketplace Ministry and Bible Distribution
We have been blessed to obtain a central location in a local tianguis (outdoor street market) close to our house in Guadalajara, where we’ve been given permission to set up a table every week in order to distribute Bibles and Gospel literature and to share the Word with passers-by. The Lord really opened this door, and we were offered the booth for free. Every Tuesday the entire street is shut down and early in the morning it is filled with vendors selling everything imaginable. It is a great place to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, and other groceries, so nearby residents frequent the same market every week –an untold number of people. It’s a wonderful place to set up a booth from which to evangilize, and that’s what we’re doing.
So far we have been there a couple of times, and both times were a real blessing. We were able to share the Gospel clearly with quite a few people, young and old alike. Most are practicing Catholics and proud of their religion, but God has given us grace to share the truth in love with those who talk to us, and we have found some open hearts.
Here’s what it looks like: We have a little table with Bibles, tracts, and booklets, and a little sign on it that says, “Un Regalo Gratis Para Usted” (A Free Gift for You). We set up from about 9A.M. to 2P.M. while the market is busy. We are right between a women selling fresh cut chicken and a man selling flea market type trinkets. As people walk by, we give them tracts and tell them that we’re giving out everything on the table for free. Those who stop, we quickly engage with the Gospel and try to engage in meaningful conversation about their eternity. Some at this point will proceed to browse through the items on our table, and when they find something interesting, they will ask, “How much does it cost?” (despite the sign and despite us having already said it’s all free). We tell them again, “It’s all free.” Then, they will take something and thank us. But, though we have a variety of appealing Catholic-looking tracts and other booklets, the thing that excites some people the most is the Bibles.
The Lord is giving us divine appointments and sending those to receive Bibles who really seem to be on the verge of encountering the true God. I can’t describe here every person who’s come for a Bible and what they’ve said, but those who had recently intended to read the Bible and seek the Lord yet didn’t own a Bible have run into our booth. They have received not only a free Bible, but a divine confirmation that God is calling them, and that now it’s time to seek the Lord.
We’ve only set up twice thus far, but both times the Gospel went forth. The first time, we gave out about 10 Bibles. The second time, we gave out 15 Bibles. In addition, hundreds of tracts and many booklets were distributed. Dozens of great conversations were held with individuals, some of whom were holding back tears. Amazingly, those receiving a Bible had not owned one and were clueless as to how to start reading it, so we explained to them where to start and how to read it.
Last week, there were a number of good encounters:
-A middle-aged man got blindsided with the Gospel and seemed deeply impacted. He did not own a Bible nor know what Jesus did to save him. By appearance, he looked like he would never have considered the things of God, but he was extremely open to talk to us and hear the truth about salvation, humbled under the Word. He left after we put a Bible in his hand, saying he would seek the Lord.
-A group of young girls (early teens) stopped by the booth as Lina shared the Gospel with them. They were gathered all around the booth. One of them, though so young, was already very Catholic. Yet, there was something different about her. She said that almost every day she would read the Bible. She knew many stories from it. Lina was able to take them through the Law, show them their need for a Savior, and explain to them what Jesus did to save them. They saw their sin and their need for repentance.
-A middle-aged woman who was a devout Catholic stopped by our booth. She was excited to find Bibles, and very gratefully took one. As we engaged her in conversation, the subject of Mary came up quickly as she asked us, “What religion are you?” "Christians," we answered. “Do you believe in Mary?” “We believe she was a blessed woman, but we do not believe she is a mediator between us and God nor that she is to be worshipped or prayed to.” With that, we took her to Exodus 20 to read the Ten Commandments. She was shocked to read the second commandment. Then, she told us that she had built a shrine to Mary! As we talked, she appeared to see her error and saw her need to study the Bible for herself and not just accept religious traditions blindly.
There are more such encounters I could share with you, but time and space fail me. Yet needless to say, this is a great way to reach out to our surrounding community in this corner of this vast city of countless multitudes. I know the Lord has opened the doors for this, and I’m hoping to get other believers involved in this type of ministry in other parts of the city, namely from our local church. It’s a lot less intimidating to sit behind a table and pray for God to lead those to you He’s preparing, and to talk to those who approach giving them free gifts than it is to randomly approach strangers on the street and confront them with the Gospel, especially in an open air preaching context; thus I think it will be easier to get others involved who really have a desire to reach out to the lost.
The Lord has also brought us to partner with an apologetic ministry called Lighting the Way Worldwide (www.lightingthewayworldwide.org) which has already been doing this type of table ministry around the USA and in different parts of the world for years. They are graciously helping us with Bibles and materials for the table as they’re able. We can never have too many Bibles to distribute, especially at a pace of giving out 50 or so per month! And, more Bibles would mean more opportunities to expand the outreach. We are so grateful for all who help us to be able to labor in this type of ministry and make the Word of God available free of charge to the people of Guadalajara. It will certainly bring forth eternal dividends as God gets glory for His name!
In Christ,
Josef Urban
http://www.puregospeltruth.com/
The Great Need for Bible Literacy
By: Josef Urban
www.puregospeltruth.com
Update from Guadalajara, Mexico
One great, lacking, and desperate need of the people of Guadalajara is Bible literacy. What I mean by that is there is such a gross ignorance to the most basic truths of the Bible among the vast majority of the population to such a degree that the average person is not only Gospel-ignorant (as to the true meaning of the Gospel) but is also Bible-ignorant to the most basic Bible knowledge. Now this is to be expected in los campos (the remote, small-town farming regions) where many don’t know how to read, but here in the city, education is given high value. There are very few who can’t read. Therefore, it’s mind-boggling to think of how great a lack there is of knowledge of the Bible itself!
Of course, the fact that Catholicism has reigned here for centuries doesn’t help, nor the fact that Guadalajara is in what is arguably (by the word of the people we talk to around Mexico, and by certain missiologists) the most Catholic region of Mexico. A religion that holds precious souls in bondage to ceremonies and superstitions, with a form of godliness but denying the power of true salvation by grace, is the major culprit behind much of the evils we find ourselves confronted with here as we labor to spread the knowledge of the glory of God in the Gospel of grace. A religion that has historically discouraged the reading of God’s precious Word and martyred those who fought for such liberty, drunken with the blood of the saints of Jesus, is certainly guilty of veiling the message of God’s salvation from the common people all in the name of “the one true church." The power of tradition is a stronghold that only the mighty power of the love of Christ can break, and only the Word of God taught and followed can unleash the truth that will set souls free from the bondage of such religious deception (John 8:31-32).
Some Christians think that Catholicism isn’t so bad –that we have much common ground between us and Catholics, and that such is helpful in trying to evangelize them and win them over to truth. While the few things we have in common must be used as a bridge to relate to them, (i.e. the Trinity, the Deity of Christ, the virgin birth, etc.) they have mixed these truths with so many lies which contradict God’s written Word that most of what they have learned in the religion of their fathers needs to be unlearned before they can understand grace aright. The whole system is the Devil’s crafty counterfeit of the true church, and since it gives the outward appearance of godliness, it is all the more deceptive.
Charles Spurgeon said: “Did the apostles preach the sacrifice of Christ?—the devil’s apostles preached the sacrifice of the mass. Did the saints uplift the cross?—the devil’s servants upheld the crucifix. Did God’s ministers speak of Jesus as the one infallible Head of the Church?—the devil’s servants proclaimed the false priest of Rome as standing in the self-same place. Romanism is a most ingenious imitation of the gospel: it is the magicians “doing do with their enchantments.”
“And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.” (2 Cor. 11:14-15)
In the face of this harlot that rides the back of the kingdoms of the earth (Rev. 17), we are battling for truth. I firmly believe that the best, more sure, and effective strategy is by getting God’s written Word into the hands, heads, and hearts of the common people.
First, is getting God's Word into their hands. Every person must own their own copy of the Holy Scriptures. If they don’t have immediate access to the Bible, they are far less likely to read it. Putting a Bible in every home gives everyone access to the saving truth of God. It opens the door for the Holy Spirit to enlighten their understanding, which is the first step of conversion. Without knowledge people perish (Hos. 4:6).
Second, is getting God's Word into their heads. The people must read their Bibles. To facilitate this, they should be taught how to understand the Bible and its’ most basic truths regarding its key salvation-related themes; to see Christ in the Scriptures (Luke 24:27) that He may reveal Himself to them in a saving way (2 Cor. 4:6). The Word must also be preached, because it is the foolishness of preaching which God has ordained to save those who believe as a result of that preaching (1 Cor. 1:21). Good preaching and teaching will simplify the truth of the Bible so everybody can understand (Neh. 8:8) “Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.” (Psalm 25:8)
Third, is getting God's Word into their hearts. Once they possess the basic knowledge of salvation from God’s written Word, they will have a firm foundation upon which the Holy Spirit can impart saving faith to their hearts; a faith by which they can lay hold on eternal life. When the people come to understand God’s redemptive purpose and the true meaning of Christ’s sacrifice and why they need it, God will be gracious to sovereignly give the increase and bring forth an inward work of grace in salvation among those who are appointed to eternal life (1 Cor. 3:6-7, Acts 13:48), and thus He will glorify His name in the work of redemption by demonstrating the riches of His grace to those who least deserve His favor.
Historically, the Bible being put into the hands of the common person by translation and distribution, and put into their heads by preaching and instruction, is what resulted in that truth penetrating their hearts, and in the response of their hearts which liberated world history from the dark ages of Catholic reign. –THESE are the things which sparked and fueled the great Reformation. THESE are the things which changed the entire course of world history. THESE are the things which have given us all the privilege of sitting right here, right now, knowing the truth of God and rejoicing in the salvation that has been revealed to us. And, it’s because of this that, in addition to proclamation evangelism, the ministry of distributing Bibles to the common people is such an essential, important ministry anywhere, especially on the mission field in regions where Biblical Christianity has not seriously penetrated the pagan beliefs and culture of the common people who lounge under the shadow of darkness. That is why we are committed to purchasing and distributing Bibles in Guadalajara, in addition to preaching and teaching God’s Word wherever the opportunity comes, that God may get glory where He is currently not worshipped in spirit and truth.
The ignorance to the Bible among the majority of Guadalajara is staggering. Many do not even know what the New Testament is when we have given them out alone, looking at it as some strange book, not knowing that it’s a part of the Bible! (NOTE: This is one reason why we must distribute complete Bibles and not just New Testaments.) Many do not know the most basic facts about the Bible, or have even heard the names of the books of the New Testament. Many have never even heard the 2nd Commandment of the Decalogue which forbids making and worshipping images (the Papacy conveniently removes this command from their version and splits the 10th Commandment into 2 in order to keep an appearance of having 10). Many exalt and pray to Mary to the extent that Jesus Christ is delegated to a second place position of honor, and they will freely admit this. One time, we even found that a group of children actually thought that Jesus Christ was the husband of Mary, and that He was still dead, not knowing He was the Son of God, that He bore our sin, nor that He is risen and alive.
There is gross Gospel and Bible ignorance in Guadalajara, as well as in the rest of the country of Mexico. Therefore, we must stand up and combat the forces of darkness and shine the glorious light of the truth of God’s Word to the farthest corners of the city and nation. We must distribute Bibles in the marketplaces. We must assimilate Bible-saturated literature. We must proclaim Christ in the public squares. We must instruct sinners in Gospel truth. We must meet the people where they are and confront them with the truth of God in love. We must take a stand against religious traditions which nullify the commandments of God. And, we must equip the remnant of saints who are already here to be solid disciples of Jesus who can effectively reach their own people, demonstrating for them how to reach the lost most effectively, that the task may be finished, the elect may be harvested, and the Lord of glory may return.
Marketplace Ministry and Bible Distribution
We have been blessed to obtain a central location in a local tianguis (outdoor street market) close to our house in Guadalajara, where we’ve been given permission to set up a table every week in order to distribute Bibles and Gospel literature and to share the Word with passers-by. The Lord really opened this door, and we were offered the booth for free. Every Tuesday the entire street is shut down and early in the morning it is filled with vendors selling everything imaginable. It is a great place to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, and other groceries, so nearby residents frequent the same market every week –an untold number of people. It’s a wonderful place to set up a booth from which to evangilize, and that’s what we’re doing.
So far we have been there a couple of times, and both times were a real blessing. We were able to share the Gospel clearly with quite a few people, young and old alike. Most are practicing Catholics and proud of their religion, but God has given us grace to share the truth in love with those who talk to us, and we have found some open hearts.
Here’s what it looks like: We have a little table with Bibles, tracts, and booklets, and a little sign on it that says, “Un Regalo Gratis Para Usted” (A Free Gift for You). We set up from about 9A.M. to 2P.M. while the market is busy. We are right between a women selling fresh cut chicken and a man selling flea market type trinkets. As people walk by, we give them tracts and tell them that we’re giving out everything on the table for free. Those who stop, we quickly engage with the Gospel and try to engage in meaningful conversation about their eternity. Some at this point will proceed to browse through the items on our table, and when they find something interesting, they will ask, “How much does it cost?” (despite the sign and despite us having already said it’s all free). We tell them again, “It’s all free.” Then, they will take something and thank us. But, though we have a variety of appealing Catholic-looking tracts and other booklets, the thing that excites some people the most is the Bibles.
The Lord is giving us divine appointments and sending those to receive Bibles who really seem to be on the verge of encountering the true God. I can’t describe here every person who’s come for a Bible and what they’ve said, but those who had recently intended to read the Bible and seek the Lord yet didn’t own a Bible have run into our booth. They have received not only a free Bible, but a divine confirmation that God is calling them, and that now it’s time to seek the Lord.
We’ve only set up twice thus far, but both times the Gospel went forth. The first time, we gave out about 10 Bibles. The second time, we gave out 15 Bibles. In addition, hundreds of tracts and many booklets were distributed. Dozens of great conversations were held with individuals, some of whom were holding back tears. Amazingly, those receiving a Bible had not owned one and were clueless as to how to start reading it, so we explained to them where to start and how to read it.
Last week, there were a number of good encounters:
-A middle-aged man got blindsided with the Gospel and seemed deeply impacted. He did not own a Bible nor know what Jesus did to save him. By appearance, he looked like he would never have considered the things of God, but he was extremely open to talk to us and hear the truth about salvation, humbled under the Word. He left after we put a Bible in his hand, saying he would seek the Lord.
-A group of young girls (early teens) stopped by the booth as Lina shared the Gospel with them. They were gathered all around the booth. One of them, though so young, was already very Catholic. Yet, there was something different about her. She said that almost every day she would read the Bible. She knew many stories from it. Lina was able to take them through the Law, show them their need for a Savior, and explain to them what Jesus did to save them. They saw their sin and their need for repentance.
-A middle-aged woman who was a devout Catholic stopped by our booth. She was excited to find Bibles, and very gratefully took one. As we engaged her in conversation, the subject of Mary came up quickly as she asked us, “What religion are you?” "Christians," we answered. “Do you believe in Mary?” “We believe she was a blessed woman, but we do not believe she is a mediator between us and God nor that she is to be worshipped or prayed to.” With that, we took her to Exodus 20 to read the Ten Commandments. She was shocked to read the second commandment. Then, she told us that she had built a shrine to Mary! As we talked, she appeared to see her error and saw her need to study the Bible for herself and not just accept religious traditions blindly.
There are more such encounters I could share with you, but time and space fail me. Yet needless to say, this is a great way to reach out to our surrounding community in this corner of this vast city of countless multitudes. I know the Lord has opened the doors for this, and I’m hoping to get other believers involved in this type of ministry in other parts of the city, namely from our local church. It’s a lot less intimidating to sit behind a table and pray for God to lead those to you He’s preparing, and to talk to those who approach giving them free gifts than it is to randomly approach strangers on the street and confront them with the Gospel, especially in an open air preaching context; thus I think it will be easier to get others involved who really have a desire to reach out to the lost.
The Lord has also brought us to partner with an apologetic ministry called Lighting the Way Worldwide (www.lightingthewayworldwide.org) which has already been doing this type of table ministry around the USA and in different parts of the world for years. They are graciously helping us with Bibles and materials for the table as they’re able. We can never have too many Bibles to distribute, especially at a pace of giving out 50 or so per month! And, more Bibles would mean more opportunities to expand the outreach. We are so grateful for all who help us to be able to labor in this type of ministry and make the Word of God available free of charge to the people of Guadalajara. It will certainly bring forth eternal dividends as God gets glory for His name!
In Christ,
Josef Urban
http://www.puregospeltruth.com/
