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Tony Miano joins “Iron Sharpens Iron” Radio to address: “CROSS ENCOUNTERS: A Decade of Gospel Conversations”
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Live from the historic parsonage of 19th century gospel minister George Norcross in downtown Carlisle, Pennsylvania it's iron sharpens iron a radio platform on which pastors Christian scholars and theologians Address the burning issues facing the church and the world today.
Proverbs 27 verse 17 tells us iron sharpens iron. So one man sharpens another. Matthew Henry said that in this passage quote we are cautioned to take heed whom we converse with and Directed to have in view in conversation to make one another wiser and better.
It is our hope that this goal will be accomplished over the next hour. And we hope to hear from you the listener with your own questions. Now, here's our host Chris.
Good afternoon, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. And the rest of humanity living on the planet earth who are listening via live streaming. This is Chris Arns and your host of iron sharpens iron. Wishing you all a happy Monday on this third day of October 2016 our first broadcast in October and I'm delighted to have back on the program Tony Miano of cross encounters and We are going to be discussing his book, which is hot off the press cross encounters a decade of gospel conversations and it's my honor and privilege to welcome you back to iron sharpens iron Tony Miano.
And you know, we've done this before. But there are always people discovering iron sharpens iron for the first time. In fact almost daily now I get emails from all over the world from people I never heard from before so I'd like to I'd like to have our listeners here a little bit about yourself again about your own.
Testimony of salvation and your background in law enforcement and so on. Yeah, my nephew one of my nephews is a.
Professor of American literature at Seton Hill College, which is not far from.
Praise God. Amen. Isn't it amazing how God will even use.
The pagan at times when they profess to be Christian to lead us to salvation. In fact, I even know I know people who became Christians as the result of Jehovah's Witnesses coming to their doorstep. Because they got them to read their Bible it got them.
To start to dig into the scriptures and so on. No, I don't you mentioned before that at the time. You didn't know what a Methodist was. I don't this is just a quick segue here. Did you ever see? The river runs through it.
The movie a river runs through it. Yeah, well the if you recall the Presbyterian pastor who was a father of two boys. One of the boys asked his father. What's a Methodist. And he said that's a Baptist who can read.
And of course, it's I am a Reformed Baptist and it said that many of our Presbyterian brothers still think that way. But but. It's interesting that this this fellow police officer who was professing to be a Christian who?
Turned out to be a false convert and I'll ask you for an update on him in a little bit. But what did he see in you that made him? Immediately recognize that you were not a Christian.
And the way he said that's nice I walked away. Thing he must know I'm lost. We both know I'm lost. What does it mean to be lost? You know again, he would communicate the dog the night after and later that night.
Security compound. There were inmates who had given us trouble during the day. We would pull them out of re-educate them and. It was it was almost like sport. So that night Chris that time for court.
Hey Tony, come on, let's go. We've got a couple of guys we have to deal with and and I'm fighting it Chris. I'm just a lot.
No, I did not. Well, some of our listeners might know.
New to the neighborhood. Loves baseball. Can't play it. He's walking out into the outfield and he's telling himself. Don't be a doofus. Don't be a doofus. And.
It is interesting that you know, you like just like your fellow police officers and even many Christians. Which is even more disturbing when people who should know better have this attitude. There is some kind of.
This.
Mindset that to be a Christian Means you will be less courageous. That you will be Less protective of others and so on that you will be somehow more of a coward. You'll be weak. You'll be effeminate or whatever the adjectives could be and I don't mean to step on your toes if you're Voting for Donald Trump.
I don't know if you are or not. But but it disturbs me when I have heard even a pastor a very well-known pastor in, Texas.
Say.
I'm not voting for Sunday school teacher. I'm voting for president of the United States. Now, why is it that a man? Who knows his Bible at least enough? To teach children and to guide children in the faith.
Why is that looked upon as some kind of an ineffective? Man that is lacking courage and lacking conviction lacking strength. Lanking lacking power and so on in my opinion. Why are you rallying behind somebody so excitedly in public?
To be the leader of the free world if they don't even have the qualifications to teach children in a Sunday school.
But.
Right and.
Why on earth would you not want? The the character set out. The guidelines for character required for an overseer in the church that Paul lays out in his letter to Timothy. Obviously, there are certain things that involve theology and doctrine that would we would not insist upon.
But why would you not want the character qualifications of a leader that God? divinely inspired. Why wouldn't you insist that those be the character qualifications of the leader of your country. Especially if you are out in public rallying behind them.
There's a difference between that and going into the privacy of your voting booth taking a deep breath. And if you are convicted that the lesser of two evils is the The better way to go in your conviction before God.
Then I understand that. But when you're a publicly Enthusiastically Supporting somebody you don't even want them to have the the basic core minimum requirements of a character and morality that that God himself requires of a pastor.
Amen. Amen.
We are going to be going to a break right now. And if anybody would like to join us on the air with a question for Tony Miano. Our email address is Chris Arnzen at gmail .com. Chris Arnzen at gmail .com.
In fact, some of you may be wondering why Tony brought up street preaching. Well that happens to be right now one of his major callings in life. For a number of years he has been known as an open-air or street preacher or a street evangelist.
And In fact, I first met him in Florida at a conference organized primarily by those involved in open-air evangelism. So we're going to be hearing more about that and we're going to be also hearing about his book.
That I had mentioned at the outset of the program cross encounters a decade of gospel conversations. But if you'd like to join us our email address is Chris Arnzen at gmail .com. Ch r is a RN z en at gmail .com.
Please give us your first name. City and state and country of residence. If you live outside of the USA and If it makes you feel more comfortable to remain anonymous, we will honor that request. But if you can we would appreciate at least getting your first name.
City state and country. If you live outside the USA, so don't go away. We're gonna be right back after these messages. I'm Chris Arnzen. Host of iron sharpens iron radio. And here's one of my favorite guests Todd Friel to tell you about a conference.
He and I are going to.
Hello, this is Todd Friel host of wretched radio and a wretched at TV and occasional guest on Chris's show. Think I think that's what it's called. Hoping that you can join Chris and me at the g3 conference in Atlanta my new hometown.
It is going to be a bang-up conference called the g3 Conference celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation with Paul Washer Steve Lawson d a Carson Voddie back from Conrad and Bayway Phil Johnson James White and a bunch of other people.
We hope to see you there. Learn more at g3 conference .com g3 conference.
Thanks Todd, I think. See you at the iron sharpens iron exhibitors booth.
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Tired of bop store Christianity of doing church in a warehouse with all the trappings of a rock concert. Do you long for a more traditional and reverent style of worship? And how about the preaching. Perhaps you've begun to think that in-depth biblical exposition has vanished from Long Island.
Well, there's good news. Wedding River Baptist Church exists to provide believers with a meaningful and reverent worship experience Featuring the systematic exposition of God's Word. And this loving congregation looks forward to meeting you.
Call them at 6 3 1 9 2 9 35 12 for service times 6 3 1 9 2 9 35 12 or check out their website at wrbc .us. That's wrbc .us. Welcome back. This is Chris Arnzen. And if you just tuned us in our guest today is Tony Miano.
We are going to be discussing his new book cross encounters a decade of gospel conversations and We are actually coming to the point in the discussion on why he wrote this book. To begin with. And there is Something that came about in your life Tony where you believed you had a calling to be an open-air.
Evangelist or street preacher, how did how did those circumstances come about? Yes. Right. I never even watched the program. Although I was aware of its existence. I never watched it. So I.
Amen. And I'm assuming that you would not encourage people to follow your wife's example in order to bring people to church or to hear people at a street preaching or anything like that and We already have some listeners waiting to have their questions asked.
We have Larry in Columbus, Wisconsin. Who's a first-time questioner? I don't know if he's a first-time listener, but he's a first-time questioner and His question is what are your thoughts on women open-air preaching the gospel?
We can have you back to do that.
A large scale where we're of different teams and and men and women were preaching and I remember watching this Indication another any indication that they preached to the disciples. The disciples at the time were our engaged in any form of open-air preaching.
Now when you had this.
Egalitarian view of open-air preachers. Before that you came to a different understanding. Did you also have an egalitarian view of the role of women in the church and in the home or was this specifically Only for open-air preachers that you had the view that women had the liberty to do that.
In fact, a woman is not biblically permitted to assume the leadership role in the home. Even if her husband is lost. How do you what is your view. Because I may have a different opinion than yours since I haven't heard it yet.
But I I believe that it is completely acceptable and right and good for a woman for a woman To give her testimony of salvation publicly like for instance the g3 conference features Rosaria Butterfield.
She is not preaching. She is going to be giving her testimony. And I have Benefited greatly from reading her two books and I have have I have other sisters in Christ who are dear friends. Who are very gifted writers and even speakers?
But in fact The majority if not all of these women who are close friends of mine are very strong in their complementarian position though. They they very much oppose egalitarianism and they believe in male headship in the church in the home.
But at the same time believe they have a liberty to use their gifts publicly in a speaking engagement without preaching. Yeah, and John and John McArthur is congregation.
Between.
Between standing in a part of the Word of God commanding people to repent and believe in the preaching of God's Word and the public does not mean there isn't a Johnny Erickson. Tata, by the way, Larry you are receiving a free.
New American Standard Bible. Beautiful edition of the New American Standard Bible. That is not quite Pocket size, but it could fit in a coat pocket. Easily be carried in a briefcase and so on. A really beautiful edition of it with an embossed cross on the cover and.
We just need your full mailing address and we will get that out to you in Columbus, Wisconsin. As soon as possible. Be shipped to you by our friends at Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service CV BBS comm that CV for Cumberland Valley BBS for Bible book service comm.
Who ship out all of our free Bibles and books? To listeners who win them by submitting questions. And of course, we also want to thank the publishers of the New American Standard Bible for supplying that.
We have another listener in Lindenhurst, Long Island, New York CJ Who asked what is your opinion on women preaching to exclusively female audiences? Well, the listener CJ specifically asked about preaching, you know, I'm assuming he means full-throated evangelism in a preaching style.
Perhaps raising the voice and all that in an exclusively female setting right? Okay, we have.
Harris in in Mechanicsburg, Long Island, New York. Who asks. I have heard about the word-of-faith? Leanings of One of the ladies that you mentioned as far as being a false teacher. But what is the problem with Beth Moore?
I have not heard about her aberrant tendencies.
And.
As it is with many false teachers, you may hear a Segment of some of them speaking where they may be profound and biblically accurate and right on the money. But you have to take in consideration the whole Ministry and you know where they go astray because obviously even the devil Occasionally speaks the truth and we have to go to another break right now.
If you'd like to join us on the air when we still have some of you waiting to have your questions asked and I thank You for your patience We'll get to you as soon as possible. But if you'd like to join them and have your own question Asked and answered on the air.
Our email address is Chris Arnzen at gmail .com. Chris Arnzen at gmail .com. Don't go away. We're gonna be right back with Tony Miano Chris Arnzen here and I can't wait to head down to Atlanta, Georgia.
And here's my friend. Dr. James White to tell you why.
Hi, I'm James White of Alpha and Omega ministries. I hope you join me at the g3 conference hosted by pastor Josh Bice and Praise Mill Baptist Church at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta January 19th through the 21st in celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.
I'll be joined by Paul Washer Steve Lawson da Carson Voddie Malcolm Conrad and Bayway Phil Johnson Rosaria Butterfield Todd Friel and a host of other speakers who are dedicated to the pillars of What g3 stands for? gospel grace and glory.
For more details go to g3 conference .com. That's g3 conference .com.
Thanks, James. Make sure you greet me at the iron sharpens iron exhibit booth while you're there.
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Linbrook Baptist org that's Linbrook Baptist org. Welcome back, and I want to personally thank Linbrook Baptist Church in Linbrook Long Island for actually Sending me down to Atlanta, Georgia for the upcoming g3 conference.
They're actually paying for my my flight down there and I'm so happy and grateful that they are doing that because I was excited to hear about this conference and Delighted that they have helped Make that a reality.
So just keep in mind if you're ever visiting the Nassau County Long Island area You might want to visit to Linbrook Baptist Church in Linbrook Long Island if you're there on a Sunday. We have as our guest today as Many of you already know who have been listening.
If you just tuned us in our guest today for the full two hours is Tony Miano of cross encounters. And we are discussing his new book cross encounters a decade of gospel conversations. If you'd like to join us on the air, our email address is Chris Arnzen at gmail .com.
Chris Arnzen at gmail .com and we have someone using an alias lamb lamb interesting nickname she has emailed us in the past lamb lamb from Valley Stream, Long Island, New York and She asks in terms of one-on-one encounters and conversations during evangelism Should it be limited to same gender one-on-one?
Initiation and should we go two by two as Jesus sent out the disciples and the beneficial Reasons to that in comparison to just going single.
So you're just basically saying a man shouldn't do that.
So you're basically just saying a man shouldn't do that. In other words, we all struggle with lust to some degree or another, right?
Absolutely, and.
That would probably be a good idea also to keep the especially if you're with a member of the opposite sex to keep the Conversation exclusively driven towards that to prevent other things coming up in conversation.
So.
Yeah, I have a friend you might admit you may even know him Jim Ellis of Christian communicators worldwide.
Yeah, but he's a remarkable brother and he preached at the church where I was a member where I actually got saved and baptized and married back in the.
1980s.
Calvary Baptist Church of Amityville, which is now Grace Reform Baptist Church of Merrick Long Island, but he I'm not saying something that he intended to remain private he actually Includes this story in his public ministry where he preaches and teaches but his father was a counselor at a major Southern Baptist congregation is one of the largest in the United States and his father made the fatal flaw of beginning to counsel women alone and His own dad wound up Falling in love quote-quote with a married woman who is having marital problems and she reciprocated the two had an affair he was dismissed from the church and They wound up getting divorced from their spouses including Jim's mom obviously.
And they.
Ran off got married and thankfully.
Before.
Jim's mom died. On her deathbed.
The.
Her ex-husband Jim's dad had begged her for forgiveness and and.
She.
Granted that and He was restored to a Christian Church and he is apparently a faithful man of God today. And so is his wife and so on. But that and Jim was being very adamant about teaching that because or bringing that up I should say very personal issue because He was just basically addressing the danger of men being alone with women when they are involved in Counseling or evangelism.
He obviously agreed with you that we're not supposed to be frightened of evangelizing people of the opposite sex. But he was just talking about the the privacy of it the the danger of being alone. And he was even giving pointers.
Not only should you have Someone else in the room perhaps even preferably a woman.
Always give the woman a box of Kleenex so she isn't Reaching over to you or anything like that. If she starts to cry she'll immediately have something in her own hand. So but anyway, I just thought I'd bring that up because of the the real danger and I know personally Pastors who fell because of these private counseling issues.
Yeah, I think every.
Man and.
We have Erin in Indianapolis, Indiana who says praise God for your faithful view of women's roles and poor influences of many current women's speakers. Have you seen any shift in the tide of the reception to the gospel message as you preach it on the street?
Either more receptive or more hostile to it as of late.
I can be in genuine meaningful.
Yeah.
Yeah, I have found in my life, especially one. I was a younger Christian and I was single and I was doing a lot more.
Of.
Passing out of tracks and things like that African-americans were always a lot more.
More.
Approachable with tracks and they would actually thank you for them and and. Look like they. You know, we're going to read them. They put them in their purse or pocket or whatever. Whereas, you know white people just look like you're you're not and they just don't even want to be near you.
You.
Stole a little bit of the thunder from our next listener, but perhaps you could expand perhaps you could expand on it. Anyway, Jason and Lindley, Texas, it was another first-time. Questioner says Tony has made a few trips to Europe and Great Britain some of which included him being arrested.
For preaching the truth of Scripture does Tony see similarities of what he has experienced in Europe and Great Britain. Coming to the United States.
Now tell us to some tell us something about that arrest. I believe it was at Wimbledon wasn't it? And did the police officers treat you with any.
Additional respect knowing that you were also at one time a police officer.
Praise God.
Well Jason in Lindley, Texas, since you were a first-time questioner. You are also getting a free beautiful Edition of the New American Standard Bible if you give us your full mailing address. And we'll have Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service ship that out to you as soon as possible.
CV BBS calm. CV BBS calm at CV for Cumberland Valley BBS calm. They're going to Send it to you within a few days God willing and we thank you for Joining us on today's program and keep spreading the word about iron sharpens.
Iron in Lindley, Texas. We're going to our final break right now. And if you'd like to join those who have already asked questions by asking your own Of Tony our email address is Chris Arnzen at gmail .com.
I know that there are a couple who are still waiting and I will get to you God willing before the end of the program. So thank you for your patience. But if others would like to join in in case we do have time to get all of you.
Our email address is Chris Arnzen at gmail .com. And now would be the time to do it since we only have about 25 minutes Left or so. Don't go away. We are going to be right back after these messages with Tony Miano of cross encounters I am Chris Arnzen host of iron sharpens.
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Find Harvey Cedars on Facebook or at HC Bible org. HC Bible org. Call 609 494 5689 609 494 5689. Harvey Cedars where Christ finds people and changes lives. Welcome back. This is Chris Arns. And if you just tuned us in for the last 90 minutes in the next half hour to go.
Our guest today has been and will continue to be Tony Miano. And he is a ministry known as cross encounters and that's also the name of a new book that he has written. Cross encounters. And Tony if you could let our listeners know what brought you to the point where you said hey, I've got to.
Compile these experiences of evangelism into a book. Oh.
Yeah, but solid grand Christian books.
Yes.
And by the way our listener in Lindale, Texas said that his autocorrect actually misspelled the city in Texas where he lives. That's Jason in Lindale, Texas not Lindley, Texas. But we thank you for your first-time question for our guest Tony Piano and we do have Tyler and mastic Beach, Long Island, New York.
Who is asking a question that may be hard for you to narrow down to one thing? But he says what is your most memorable encounter when engaging in street evangelism? I could ask you if you ever fit like your life was in danger while doing it.
And Praise God praise God for that. I want to.
Read a couple of endorsements for your book. I don't know how many of our listeners are familiar with Justin Peters. But he is a very powerful evangelist preacher and teacher who was born with cerebral palsy and He has a mission to expose especially the word of faith Name it and claim it prosperity gospel as being a false gospel.
He recently was a part of John MacArthur's conference Titled strange fire, but Justin Peters who's been on this program at least a couple of times he says It is an incomprehensible tragedy and an act of stunning disobedience That the vast majority of professing believers are so apathetic in regards to evangelizing the lost by God's grace, however He does have servants heralding his glorious gospel in Detailing real-life evangelistic exchanges with everyday people cross encounters by Tony Miano Offers both a gentle yet unmistakable rebuke to the apathetic as well as great Encouragement to God's people to verbally proclaim the saving gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world.
Also, Pastor Josh Bice who is the pastor of Praise Mill Baptist Church in Georgia who is The director of the g3 conference. You've been hearing me talk about and hearing advertised on the program Pastor Bice says in our confused evangelical church culture.
The gospel remains veiled due to an improper commitment to friendship evangelism and an unhealthy focus on Positivity that refuses to deal with the negative reality of sin. Tony Miano does an excellent job of employing both Heat and light in a balanced and fruitful way of fulfilling the Great Commission while providing a valuable resource That's both readable and relevant.
And last but not least last Lance Quinn senior pastor of Thousand Oaks Bible Church in Thousand Oaks, California. Tony Miano's book cross encounters is a gripping account of actual conversations between a gospel pleading Evangelist and those who desperately need to hear the good news that Jesus saves.
I implore you to embark upon a careful reading of this book's many personal experiences of Tony's witnessing to others and I earnestly pray that you may stake your own eternal destiny solely on the Lord Jesus Christ personally encountering his glorious cross.
Some really powerful endorsements. For this book and anybody who is interested in picking it up go to solid dash ground books .com. Solid dash ground books .com. That's one of our sponsors of this program solid ground Christian books Happens to be founded and operated by my very first pastor as a born-again believer Michael Gadosh who?
Oh, yeah, he's the one that actually immersed me in the waters of baptism back in about 1985 or something like that. Yeah, Mike and I have been good friends for many years. In fact, he was just on the program again recently last week in fact and So I also you could get it through Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service that I keep mentioning who ship out all of our winners Bibles and books.
Their website is CV BBS comm CV for Cumberland Valley BBS for Bible book service. Calm. There was a phrase that you mentioned earlier. I believe if I'm not mistaken and also Lance Quinn Mentioned it in his endorsement or one of the endorsers mentioned a friendship evangelism.
That actually was Josh Bice who said who brought up friendship evangelism in his commendation of your book.
That.
Perhaps that that Understanding of evangelism wouldn't you say it may have come out of good motives? That that it was the intention was not to be just a Talker but a doer as well but then it's morphed and kind of a to a thing where it's just all about friendship and Letting the love and light of Jesus Christ shine through your life and your activities without putting your neck on the line and actually Proclaiming the gospel which is the thing that really is going to turn your friends away on occasion and maybe even your own family and perhaps even get you fired from a job, but that's where the the problem comes is when people solely use their life as An effort to bring the loss to salvation.
Isn't that. Wouldn't that be correct and saying it that way?
Yeah, yeah, that's a very good point.
And I was just reminded of When you were talking about friendship evangelism, I was reminded of an experience in my early Christian life That God used to really chastise me and rebuke me and I can remember unbeliever Who was a friend of mine when I told him?
That I was a born-again Christian. He said well, you know, I have a lot of respect for you man, because you know I've met people who are born-again Christians who are always got to talk about The Bible and about Jesus and Jesus this and Jesus that but man, yeah, you know, I'm so glad that you're a Christian but I didn't even know about it until just now.
And he was thinking he was complimenting me and then the Lord really Made me realize that I was guilty of being more concerned with the praise of men than with The wrath of God and that I was more concerned about pleasing men and keeping friends than pleasing God.
And That is a rut that many of us unfortunately fall into more far more often than we care to admit.
You don't have to have a degree you are a follower.
Amen, and I also want to let our listeners know that Tony's own website for his ministry is cross encounters min .com cross Encounters min at my end, which is an abbreviation for ministry obviously Dot-com.
I want to thank you so much Tony Miano for being a guest today. You always are an excellent guest and I look forward to having you back soon and often. My pleasure and I want to thank everybody who took the time for writing in questions and I want all of you Listening to always remember for the rest of your lives that Jesus Christ is a far greater Savior than you are a sinner.
We look forward to hearing from you and your questions tomorrow for our guests on iron sharpens iron radio. God bless.