Couple of Encouragers
Ministry Update April 2, 2023
I witnessed on Wednesday at Missouri State University. It was nearly 60 degrees and a beautiful, sunny day. Most students were quite pleasant, even the ones who refused tracts. One older lady refused a tract by saying “Nope!” and scampering away as fast as she could. But overall, it was a very pleasant lunch hour of witnessing. As I brought a message, several people farther away (near the Bear Paw) listened briefly. Then there were three people who stood close by and listened. Two of those became a couple of encouragers at the end.
The message was for Christians – Is Jesus Really Lord Of Your Life? I really wanted professing Christians to consider if Jesus is really Lord of their lives. The message was very convicting to myself as I prepared it last week. I also encouraged professing Christians to examine themselves to see if they are really in the faith. It wasn’t planned ahead of time, but I added a short version of my testimony, how I had been a false convert for 33 years until God graciously saved me.
After I finished the message, a young man came over and vigorously shook my hand and thanked me for sharing the Gospel. I thanked him and handed him a tract and encouraged him to share the Gospel with others. Then the second encourager shook my hand and also thanked me. Then he wanted to know how we can know for sure if we are saved or not. I told him that I can’t give him the assurance of salvation. Only God can do that.
But as we talked and I questioned him, he truly appeared to be a believer. He reads the Bible every day and loves the Lord. Again I reiterated to him that I can’t give him assurances, but I did point out that all those years that I was a false convert, I did not read the Bible every day. I professed Jesus with my lips while my heart was far from Him. The young man didn’t appear to be a false convert like I had been. I encouraged him to keep reading the Bible and ask God to reveal to him whether he’s really saved or not. After giving him a Gospel tract, I asked him if he’d hand some out if I gave him more. He assured me that he would, so I handed him a handful of tracts. The two young men were very encouraging to me and I thank God for these encounters.
Friday Night Witnessing Was Cancelled
My friends and I cancelled witnessing Friday night because of the chance of severe storms and high winds. Our neighbor lost a huge tree limb off a tree behind our house. But the Friday before last, I was sick and couldn’t make it downtown. Praise God that Michael and Anand were able to go. Michael sent me this update: “Handed out tracts and had an interesting encounter with a guy outside of a bar. He may have been drunk, and he was about to be picked up to go to rehab. Anand handed him a tract as he was waiting to be picked up, and he wanted us to pray with him so we did. Then another guy that was drunk joined in pretending to pray. We didn’t talk much, but he took a couple tracts in the end and put them in his pocket”. I thank God that Anand and Michael were able to witness that night. May God encourage the true believers and may He convict and convert the lost souls that were encountered.
(These updates are provided to encourage Christians to share their faith in Jesus with this lost and dying world)