Interview: This will be of no Interest to Atheists

Q: ChristianInCollege.com specifically wants to help Christian young people live out faith. What were you up to around 18 to 24 years of age?

When I was 18 years old I was deeply into surfing. I worked at a bank, but left at the age of 20 to start my own business--a combined surf shop and leatherwear store. I made a fringed jacket (cowboy style) which some friends liked, so I made one for each of them, and ended up making 240 jackets. From there I began making leather jackets to order for people (fully lined, covered buttons, etc.) I did that for ten years and ended up making 1500. I was married when I was 20 and became a Christian when I was 22.

Q: Can Christian young people make a difference for eternity?

The Bible likens Christians to firefighters (see Jude 1:23). Think of a firefighter on a ladder. He’s 60 feet above the ground, reaching out to a woman who is clutching two children. Flames are beginning to catch her clothes on fire. She is screaming in horror. Is he afraid? Sure he’s afraid. Would he rather be with his wife and kids watching an old movie on TV? Absolutely. But he ignores his fears. He denies himself his own pleasures--because he is thinking of the terrible fate of that woman and her two beloved children.

That’s the attitude of the Christian. We have fears when it comes to reaching out to the lost, but we don’t listen to them. We deny ourselves legitimate pleasures of this life because we are consumed by thoughts of the terrible fate of the unsaved. They will be damned in Hell if they die in their sins, and it’s because of this love that we study how to reach the lost. I would suggest that one effective way to do this is to listen to "Hell’s Best Kept Secret" and "True and False Conversion" on www.livingwaters.com There is no charge.

Q: How is my generation different than the generations of the past?

This generation is no different than any other, other than it has had access to instant sin, and its ungodliness has been accelerated.

Q: How can you build a bridge to a friend or fellow classmate to reach them with the gospel?

Give gifts when it’s not Christmas. Show kindness for no reason. See 1 Peter 2:15 as to why. Be careful though that you don’t fall for the fallacy of what is commonly called "friendship evangelism." Jesus spoke to the woman at the well (in John 4) immediately. He didn’t befriend her for 2 years before He spoke to her about her salvation. The reason for the urgency is that someone can be snatched by death overnight. More than 150,000 people die every 24 hours, and once someone is gone, there’s no second chance to speak to them.

Q: In your books and materials, you go into great detail about the concept of Biblical versus modern evangelism. What is Biblical evangelism and what resources are out there to help us learn these principles?

Biblical evangelism imitates Jesus. It doesn’t preach the "God has a wonderful plan" unbiblical message, or the "There’s a God-shaped hole in your heart." While these may sound good, they are not found in Scripture, and they are the perfect recipe for producing false converts, of which our churches are full. I would suggest reading The Way of the Master (Bridge Logos).

Q: Recently you reached out to thousands of students by widely distributing free copies of Darwin's Origin of Species with a special gospel centered introduction as well as arguments in support of intelligent design. What inspired you to do this and how did the project work out? Do you anticipate specifically reaching out to university students again in the future?

I was frustrated that students were getting a lopsided view of their origins, and I wanted to get the gospel into their hands. Conversion settles the issue. I recruited 1,200 volunteers to distribute 170,000 books at 100 universities, and it was wildly successful. We are in the middle of planning to do something that could be even more far-reaching. Atheists will be trying to find out what universities we're going to visit and when we're going to visit them, but they have more chance of flossing the teeth of a lion at the L.A. zoo at feeding time than they have of getting that information.

Q: What advice do you give to a Christian young person today who wants to be all God wants him to be?

Don’t be caught up in legitimate Christian activities, while ignoring the irksome task of evangelism. Anything else is nothing but straightening the furniture while the house is on fire. It is polishing the brass in the lifeboat, while people are drowning around us. There’s nothing wrong with straightening furniture, but not while the house is burning. There’s nothing wrong with polishing brass, but not when you should be reaching out to drowning people. Reaching the lost is the Church’s priority. The Book of Acts makes that clear. Every turn, they are seeking the lost. We are to love God and then show that we love Him by doing what He tells us to do. His command is to "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature." We should study it, then do it.

Q: Many Christian college students are searching out "the will of God." You talk about this on your program, The Way of the Master. What is your advice for people searching out God's will?

The will of God is very clear. The Bible says that if you don’t understand it, you are not wise (see Ephesians 5:17). It is that none perish. It’s to reach the lost. That’s what the cross was all about. Charles Spurgeon said, “Have you no wish for others to be saved. Then you are not saved yourself, be sure of that.” He was right. If you are not concerned for your neighbor’s salvation, I’m concerned for yours. The key is to read and obey Romans 12:1-2: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Q: What do you see in the future of your ministry?

I see a very exciting future. We are working on Season 4 of our television program. Our production team is very talented and it’s already shaping up to be gripping and inspiring. We are expanding the Origin in Schools project, and have new books and exciting unique tracts coming out. Those and other things are our plans and vision, but ultimately our future is in the hands of God. I’m praying and believing for His blessing whether we become bigger or smaller. That’s all we need.

Brief and fun questions:
Q: What is your favorite food? Film? Place you have traveled?

My favorite food is wholegrain cereal. I eat it two or three times a day, plus I cook a healthy meal of vegetables each evening, for Sue and myself for dinner. The cereal thing comes from my surfing days. Cereal is fast-food (quick and easy) that’s good for you. My favorite movie is Ben Hur (11 Academy awards). It is the most amazing portrayal of the life of Jesus that you will ever see on the silver screen. I get goose bumps just thinking about it. My favorite place to travel is Paris. It has so much character. But my favorite place to be, is home.