As Hot As Hell

“...but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire...” Jude 23

Sometimes I wonder if people realize what they are really saying. You’ve heard it said:

“I’m hot as hell.” “I’m sure as hell not going to do that.” “This house looks like hell.”

Do they know something about hell that I don’t? Have they been there and back? Where do they get their info on hell?

I think it’s because years ago we used to live in a Christian culture of sorts, and hell was feared. No one even used the word as slang. It showed disrespect for God. But in today’s enlightened culture, people seem to see disrespect as something to be admired, even daring. ‘Bad’ is good.

I understand if unbelievers talk this way but I don’t understand why pastors and Christians don’t use the word at all. Pastors don’t preach about hell, maybe because they are afraid of offending someone. Christians don’t talk about hell, maybe because they are afraid they will be seen as fanatical. Maybe if our government prohibited talking about hell, then we would begin to do it. But God talks about hell freely... and openly. He lovingly created it so people could see where the deceitful devil really lives. He never meant it for us.

So here we have it... unbelievers talk about hell... believers don’t.

I remember only one specific sermon my pastor preached when I was a child. You guessed it... “HELL.” I was sure I didn’t want to go there but was also sure that God made a way for me to go to heaven. (By the way, I never remember anyone preaching on the subject of heaven.)

Most people think hell is like a purgatory, where you do some time and then get freed.

But the Bible says that OUR HEARTS will be judged by a righteous God.

No other religion boasts of a God who gave His own life to rescue us from a sin-filled hell.

Why don’t we bring ‘hell’ back into our vocabulary? As evangelist Reinhard Bonnke says,

“Let’s plunder hell, and populate heaven!”

Ask God how you can save someone from hell. You can make a difference... for eternity.

Intentional for souls,

Tom Elie
Evangelist /President
Oasis World Ministries

Chocolate Overdose

“Give and it shall be given to you, pressed down, shaken together and running over, shall men give into your bosom.”

Most of the pastoral staff was jealous week after week at our staff breakfast. I could order anything I wanted, and still lose weight. I was 21, slender and everyone thought I had a tapeworm. Need I say anymore? But this time, revenge would be sweet for them.

My sweet tooth got the best of me, and I ordered the following:
-chocolate chip pancakes with butter and syrup
-a frosted sweet roll smothered in warm butter
-hot chocolate to wash it all down.

As they watched me eat bite after bite, they all drooled with envy. But 30 minutes later I had to rush to the bathroom.... I had overdosed on sugar! My stomach said, “don’t you ever do that to me again!” I agreed, and I haven’t.

My flesh has an insatiable appetite for more sweets, more money, more recognition, more, more.
I am never satisfied. God made me that way. He made the world for me to enjoy, but wired me to find COMPLETE joy only in giving... giving myself to Him, and giving myself for Him.

Here is God’s secret: ‘Give and it comes back to you.’
No, you might not be rich, but you’ll be satisfied!

I have found that when I share my testimony with someone, I am happier than when I don’t.
I have found that when I live to help others, I help myself.
I have found that when I care about where people will spend eternity, I feel eternally fulfilled.

The American culture tells us: ‘get all the gusto you can get.’
The kingdom culture tells us: ‘if you lose your life, you will find it.’

How about we say a prayer everyday like this:
‘God, please use me today to help point someone to You. Amen.’

Get ready for a ‘giving overdose.’

Intentional for souls,

Tom Elie
Evangelists/President
Oasis World Ministries

Do You Have An Appointment, God?

“Man makes his plans, but God directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).

Let's face it… appointments are made to be kept. You don't like to be kept waiting, and our days seem more productive when we can control our schedules.

But God likes to direct our steps, often interrupting our appointment schedule to bring us into His. He has exciting opportunities waiting for us…. TODAY … if we can fit Him into our busy calendar.

For example, the other day I was driving home, and an auction sign caught my eye. I stopped to see what was going on, and ended up talking to the owner of this property. He was a talkative Muslim man from the Middle East. He asked me what I do for a living. I said, "I am a minister… a Christian minister."

When I tell people I am a minister, I never know if they will suddenly get shy and stop talking to me. But this man was different. He said, "Oh, I love to talk to ministers. I was watching 'Larry King Live' the other night. They had a Christian minister, a Muslim and a Jew interacting. It was very fascinating."

I recognized this to be a DIVINE APPOINTMENT. God had interrupted my day to have me stop at an auction… so I could meet a Muslim man that loves to talk about faith! WOW!

So I boldly asked him for his phone number so I could contact him later.

I said I would love to talk to him some more. Who knows how God will use this conversation? Only God knows, and he wants to surprise me! (I'll let you know.)

God's divine appointments can add great adventure to your life everyday.

Get ready…. another interruption is about to be entrusted to you today!

Living intentionally for souls,

Tom Elie
Evangelist/President
Oasis World Ministries

My Daring Experiment

Where do these ideas come from? Am I a glutton for punishment or what? Last Sunday in church, pastor George was weeping as he prayed for the lost people of our city. I have rarely seen that…. and I was moved.

I decided it is not enough to walk out of church and say, ''that was a great service'. After all, how many churches have a sign over their exit door that reads, "You are now entering your mission field"? Is all this motivation just for the 'other guy in the pew down from me?'

So I had this idea. Why not get a couple other people to be accountable to, and let's try to share our faith EVERYDAY this week with someone. I knew it was daring, but certainly I could do it for one week. After all, I am an evangelist! I love to share my faith, but like most others, I often find myself getting too distracted with the busyness of life. I felt I was missing many opportunities just because I was to busy, distracted and fearful.

I like the story of the pastor who was greeting people at the church door as they left the service. He found one lady he did not know, and said, "what is your name?' She said, 'my name is Mary.' "What do you do Mary?" She looked around herself covertly as if someone could be listening. She softly said, 'pastor, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ cleverly disguised as a corporate secretary!'

That's it! Our profession is not who we are. We are His ambassadors, His witness, His spokesman! I think it's time the church came 'out of the closet' and started lovingly sharing our faith often, don't you?

So here we go. For 5 days next week I will send you a daily log of my daring experiment….I am sure I will learn a lot about being an EVERYDAY WITNESS.

Monday, Day One

That's right, I am still doing "daring" things in my 50's! What's my dare? I'm going to be an "EVERYDAY WITNESS' for one week. I am going to share my faith with an unbeliever 'EVERYDAY' this week. How's it going? Well, I am 3 days into it, and by God's grace, I have now shared my faith with 6 people.

Here's what happened on Monday:

I'm driving home from the office and realize I haven't shared my faith yet. I realize I have to MAKE THINGS HAPPEN by allowing myself to be available. So I stop and get gas, even though I don't need any right now. Instead of paying at the pump, I go inside to pay. I figure I will talk to the cashier.

While I am getting ready to pay, I look behind me and see a teen with a cross around his neck. (Crosses are great door openers!) I complimented him on his cross, and asked him what it meant to him. He said it was a gift and he just liked it.

Well, this is my opportunity if I want to take it. So I asked him (remember, always get permission first), 'may I share what the cross means to me?' He said yes, and I shared my story. Nate was genuinely listening.

I said something like this: 'There was a time in my life when I was lonely, discouraged and knew there had to be more to life than what I was seeing. Someone told me about a God who really loved me… not just a dead, religious ritual kind of God… but one who even died in MY place for MY sin! His name was Jesus. I asked Him to forgive me of the junk I had done wrong in my life. I asked Him to be in the 'driver's seat' of my life. Since He is really the one who is making my eyes focus, causing my brain waves to work, keeping my heart pumping my blood one million miles a day, and holding this universe in perfect symmetry , I guess I should trust Him with my life. Anyway, after I surrendered to Him, He forgave me, gave me new peace and direction, and became my very best friend! And I just know that if I had not surrendered my life to Christ, I might be very successful in some areas of my life, but I would be highly dysfunctional in other areas. So, thanks for listening, Nate!"

I gave him a tract he could read, and left my cell phone number on it. He seemed very polite and was intently listening to me. I asked him if he had ever heard this message before, and he said, 'no, not like that'.

I drove away a happy camper, knowing I had lovingly planted a seed that will be hopefully watered by someone else.


Tuesday, Day Two

I have decided to share my faith everyday this week! Notice, I said, 'I decided'.

It really is MY CHOICE if I want to be His witness.

So far, I am really having fun as an EVERYDAY WITNESS! Yesterday, I shared my faith with a 18 year old teenager named Nate. After I saw the cross hanging on his neck, I asked him if I could share what the cross meant to me. He listened intently.

Tuesday: On the way home from the office, I decided to follow up on Nate. He was working again in the gas station, so I went in to buy a newspaper. He was cashiering, so as other people are in line, I asked him how he was doing. He recognized me and said 'OK'. I asked, 'did you read the booklet I left for you?' He said 'not yet, but I will'. I told him I will stop in again.

Well, now I am having so much fun with this EVERYDAY WITNESS challenge, that I am looking for another opportunity.

Later that night, I ended up talking to a customer service rep on the phone. We had to wait a couple minutes for something to boot up, so I said: "While we are waiting, may I share with you the greatest thing that ever happened to me?"

He said yes! So I shared my lifestory: BC –what my life was like before I met Christ TP- what was the Turning Point in my life where I was searching AD- what change Christ has made in my life It only took about one minute, but afterwards he thanked me for sharing.

Once in a while I find myself sharing with someone who is already a Christian. They often say something like, 'I'm proud of you. I wish more people did what you just did." It's going well. So far in 2 days I have shared my faith 3 times. I have a feeling the best is yet to come!

Wednesday, Day Three

My daring streak is continuing. I am choosing to share my faith everyday this week. I am getting less nervous. Does that means I am getting more bold? Isn't that what Paul prayed for in Ephesians 6… more boldness? I guess we all struggle with our fears, don't we?

Wednesday: I am sitting in my office when the UPS man delivers a package. I complimented him on his great attitude and smile, and then asked, "Sir, may I share with you the greatest thing that's ever happened to me?" He said, "go for it."

So I did…. BC, TP, AD… what my life was like Before Christ, what was my Turning Point that got me thinking I needed a change, and what my life was like Anno Domini (Latin for the year of our Lord). In other words, how has Christ impacted my life personally?

When I was done, he said "congratulations!" And with a big smile, I said, 'THANKS!' And he was gone… but some powerful seed was sown.

Later I stopped into a Sprint store and saw a man waiting who was wearing a large gold cross around his neck. Again, cross jewelry is a great door-opener. I complimented him on the cross, and then asked him what it meant to him.

He was a little shy, but told me it meant a lot because he was a friend of Christ. I told him we were brothers! Now I am on a roll.

Later while shopping at the Sharper Image store, I engaged a clerk in conversation. After 5 minutes of chit-chat, I asked him if I could share the greatest thing that ever happened to me. He obliged, and I did. But his manager came around and asked what was going on. I told him, and asked him if I could also tell him my story. He said yes. So I did.

Now both were listening intently since there were no other customers in the store. I left a smile, a tract and my phone number... ..and they had something to talk about.

Wow! Three in one day… it's fun being an EVERYDAY WITNESS!

Tom Elie
Evangelist/President
Oasis World Ministries

Evangelism That Works Every Time

“Then Jesus said to the lawyer, ‘GO AND DO LIKEWISE.’” Luke 10:37

If Jesus was living in America today, who would He intentionally pursue? To whom would He go out of His way to reveal His kindness? I think we all know the answer: the outcasts, the poor and needy, the hurting, and those that society rejects as unimportant.

A lawyer was testing Jesus by asking how he could be sure he could go to heaven. Jesus responded by saying, “Love God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself.” The lawyer then said, “Who is my neighbor?” hoping to justify himself as a pretty good guy. Jesus proceeds to tell us the well-known story of the Good Samaritan, who found a half-dead man who had been robbed and beaten and left on the road to die.

Here’s where it gets interesting! This man took this stranger and bandaged his wounds, put him up in a hotel and arranged for continued care until he was better... all at his own expense. The story gives us no indication that he joined their church or ever put something in the offering plate. Perhaps he was never seen again. But it was ‘love in action’! Effective evangelism will cost us. It must intentionally pursue the outcasts of our neighborhoods. It won’t be cheap, and it won’t be inside our comfort zone... BUT IT WORKS EVERY TIME!

Intentional for souls,

Tom Elie
Evangelists/President
Oasis World Ministries

FREE Sofa Evangelism

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify you Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).

My wife decided to get rid of a used sofa in our storage room. So instead of trying to sell it, she thought she would try to give it away to someone in need. It was a little ragged, but it could still be a blessing to someone just starting out.

We advertised it in a free internet site. She received only one call. After some time, this woman arranged to come to our house and pick it up. I told her to be sure to bring a friend to help move it. So when her friend and I were done loading it into her truck, I was prayed up and ready to see how I could share my faith with them before they left.

I asked them if I could share with them the greatest thing that had EVER happened to me. (It's always good to ask for permission to share first.) They said sure, and were all ears! I said something like this...

You know, I used to be searching, lonely, and depressed. I wondered what purpose MY life had, if any. But one day someone told me I could have a living relationship with Jesus Christ. Not just dead ritual... but a best friend who would never leave me. I invited Jesus to forgive me and be in the driver's seat of my life. And do you know what happened? He did... He forgave me, He gave me new purpose and new hope! So I just wanted to share this with you before you left today. By the way, who is in the driver's seat of your life?

Well, I call it Good Works Evangelism. You see, people ought to be able to see something in your behavior that attracts them to the Jesus in you. What can we do for people out of love for Jesus? When you are done doing the good works, then pray if God will eventually give you an opportunity to tell them why you love to do GOOD WORKS. Enjoy the journey!

Tom Elie
Evangelist/President
Oasis World Ministries

I Can't Wait!

"God has set eternity in the hearts of men." Ecclesiastes 3:11

We recently flew into the Minneapolis airport during a rain storm. Because it was also lighting, the outside ramp crews were prohibited from servicing the planes. We taxied within 200 feet of our gate. We could see the empty gate. We could've walked there in 60 seconds if they allowed it. But, the pilots were prohibited from parking the jet because there were no service personnel available while it was lightning.

So there we sat… longing for something that was temporarily unreachable.

That's how God made us. We all have a deep longing for the perfect No matter how great the vacation, the night-on-the-town, the job promotion or the earthly accomplishment, it never brings the lasting joy for which we had hoped. Tomorrow always has new challenges.

According to author Mark Buchanan in his book, "Things Unseen", this is not a flaw. "God made us this way. He made us to yearn- to always be hungry for something we can't get, to always be missing something we can’t find, to always be disappointed with what we receive, to always have an insatiable emptiness that no thing can fill and an untamable restlessness that no discovery can still. It's not the wanting that corrupts us. What corrupts us is the wanting that's misplaced, set on the wrong thing."

What can I see in the distance, but can't obtain?

HEAVEN! We all have a longing to live life to it's fullest. But the only time and place it will ever happen is in heaven! Our life here can either frustrate us, or remind us that I am only experiencing life half-way on this earth. We often have a homesick feeling. Someday soon the dream will be a reality. Let's stay focused on the stuff that matters for eternity… SOULS!


Living intentionally for souls,
Tom Elie
Evangelist/President
Oasis World Ministries