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Ministry Update 8/20/17
Friday night it was a real blessing to have Kelly and his son Steven join me downtown. We started off at the corner of St. Louis and Jefferson. There’s a nice little park like area there that my wife Polly calls the park, so I may refer to this new spot as the park in the future. We started off here and then later moved to South and Walnut. That’s why I’m calling this update double header. Just like when we used to play back to back softball games (called a double header) when I was younger, we had two different preaching spots Friday night. We had a great time witnessing.
Before we started open-air preaching at the park, David came up to Kelly and was asking for money. He had a beer in his hand and said he wanted money for food for his girlfriend and himself. Kelly asked him several good questions and then David said that he goes to Freeway Ministries (which is a wonderful ministry that the church I’m a member of – Crossway Baptist Church supports). Kelly boldly told David that he’s not sticking with what Freeway promotes because he was out drinking. David immediately poured his beer out. About that time, his girlfriend came over and she was mad that he poured the beer out. David said something negative about rich people, so Kelly invited him to stick around because he was getting ready to preach about a rich man (Luke 16:19-26).
The Exit Movie
While Kelly was talking to this couple, their friend Jacob joined them. During this time, I was writing theexitmovie.com in chalk on the sidewalk in front of us. This is Living Waters (Ray Comfort’s) new movie about depression and suicide. (If you know anyone that suffers from depression or has suicidal thoughts, please give them the link to the exit movie).
Then Kelly started preaching about how the rich man is suffering in torments in Hell. One kid walking across the street yelled something about all sin is forgiven. He obviously believes in hyper-grace. If you use the grace of God as an excuse to continue in your sins, then you don’t understand repentance. Jesus came to save His people FROM their sins, not so they could sin freely (Matthew 1:21).
The Party’s In Hell
Shortly after that, David and his girlfriend Brittany walked by Kelly as he was still preaching. As they crossed the street, Brittany yelled “the party’s in Hell.” Kelly asked her, “weren’t you listening to the message?” Kelly asked this because he had just talked about how awful Hell is. Another group walked by and one young man said something, so Kelly tried to engage them in conversation. But the young man pointed to himself and said something to the effect that this is his god.
Steven read some of Proverbs after that. While Kelly preached and Steven read Scripture, I handed out some of the Route 66 tracts that we had left over from last week. While Steven read the Bible out loud, two different people drove by and gave a thumbs up to the public reading of the Bible. That was quite encouraging. I also noticed a few people stop across the street and listen to Steven reading Bible verses.
I went after that and had a few mockers like Kelly encountered. Some drivers mouthed off as they drove by us. But I also noticed a few people were across the street and they stopped to listen to the message on repentance; the plead to repent and be converted.
Next Witnessing Spot
After that, the three of us walked up to the corner of South and Walnut. A man holding a sign was standing in our normal spot talking to a young man, so we stayed across the street. We set up there and Kelly and I both brought two more messages and Steven got up and read some more Bible verses. We had the usual mockers at South and Walnut. A woman drove by and yelled something out the window while I was on the box. Kelly had a guy yelling and making gestures with his arm out of the driver side window at him.
Later on a young woman flipped me off as she walked across the street from us. I pointed out that she wasn’t hurting me, but she was mocking God. One day God would allow her to mock no more. He will require her very life. God will remove His hands of mercy and she will go to Hell. Oh how I wish unrepentant sinners could see the seriousness of their mocking. It reminds me of Jesus saying they have eyes, but they don’t see. They have ears to hear, but they don’t hear.
A guy stopped right in front of Kelly while he was preaching. He interrupted Kelly and said Trump says he is a Christian, do you think he really is one? Kelly answered that he didn’t know. The man said it was between Trump and his higher power. So Kelly asked the man if he was going to Heaven and he said I hope so. I was talking to a young man from Africa that goes to MSU named Stephen. So I didn’t hear all of Kelly’s conversation. When the guy was starting to walk off, Kelly asked me to give the man a tract which I gladly did.
Highlight Of The Night
We handed out several tracts on this corner. But the highlight of the night was Stephen stopping to talk to us. He really liked that we were out street witnessing. Stephen told me that he grew up in a Christian home and that he surrendered his life to Jesus Christ when he was young. Kelly and I switched off bringing messages so then I asked Stephen if wanted to get on the box, but he declined. He did tell me that he’s shared his faith in many different places and that he could do so, he just wasn’t ready right then.
Next I asked him if wanted to help hand out tracts and he said sure. He had a great memory. As some people walked by us, he’d say I already gave them one or they didn’t take them before. Stephen was a very interesting young man and Kelly and I both enjoyed visiting with him. Stephen told us that he’s already found a church and he may try to join us again witnessing downtown and he may even witness with me at MSU if his schedule allows it.
During our conversation, Stephen and I both marveled at how some people claim to be Christians, yet have no desire to be part of the local body of Christ. He asked why wouldn’t they want to be around their brothers and sisters in Christ? I said, preach on brother. Kelly and I hugged Stephen at the end of the night and I encouraged him to contact me next week to see if he can go witnessing with us.
Quiet Until The Very End
On Wednesday, Polly and I witnessed at Planned Parenthood. It was absolutely quiet until the very end. So I mainly brought a message for the workers inside. Toward the end of our time there, a woman in a convertible Mustang mouthed off something. She was pulling out of the parking lot in the shopping center next to us. About that same time, one car turned into Planned Parenthood and two young women got out and went inside. I was preaching on repentance, so I kept going with the message. The only thing I added was that no murder has eternal life abiding in them (1 John 3:15). They were listening and watching us from inside. They didn’t stay very long. Hopefully neither one of them were there to murder a baby.
(These updates are provided to encourage Christians around the world to go out and share the Gospel wherever they go).