Photo by Ryoji Iwata on Unsplash
Is Jesus In All Of Us?
Ministry Updates for June 14, 2024 and June 7, 2024
Doug, Michael, Justin and I witnessed downtown Springfield, MO on Friday night June 14, 2024. The weather was great and there was a good breeze. The statement of the night was from a non-believer that said, “Jesus is in all of us.” But prior to that, Doug and I walked around downtown handing out tracts. We handed out several of them on the square. We walked down South Street, but it was really quiet, so we went back to the corner where we started. Doug and I both ran into professing Christians that said they were believers, yet didn’t attend church. We explained to them that attending church doesn’t save you, but as believers, we want to fellowship with other believers. I love evangelizing downtown, but I enjoy the fellowship with my brothers in Christ just as much as I enjoy sharing the Gospel with unbelievers. It’s so important to be connected to a local (biblical) church.
Doug had to leave about the time Michael came out, so I stayed for a while and handed out tracts with Michael. He got into an interesting conversation with a young man that is being trained to be a missionary in a Middle Eastern Country. Before the young man left, he prayed a very nice prayer for our ministry and then Michael prayed for the young man and his family. It was mutually encouraging for all of us.
Jesus Is In All Of Us
While Michael was talking to the young man, I got into a conversation with a couple of skateboarders. They looked like they were teenagers. They both stopped as they took tracts, so I asked them, “Who is Jesus?” (My brother asks this question when he witnesses and it’s a great question. Earlier in the night I asked people if they knew Jesus and most of them said they did, but didn’t stick around long enough to talk). The young man named Jeffrey said, “That’s a great question.” Then he continued, “Jesus is in all of us.” I asked him if he came up with that on his own and he said that he did. I gently told him that they Bible doesn’t state that.
Then I was able to share the Gospel with Jeffery and his friend Walker. They politely listened while I talked with them. Walker spoke up and said that he attends church. I then asked them if they had ever sinned and they both readily agreed that they had. Jeffrey piped up and said, “Doesn’t the Bible say that if we say we haven’t sinned, that’s a sin?” I told him that he’s right (1 John 1:10). Then I explained how Jesus died on the cross (for guilty sinners) and rose three days later. Salvation is for all who repent of their sins and trust Jesus. I looked at Jeffrey and said that Jesus does live inside of us true believers through the Holy Spirit.
I asked them if they had Bibles and Walker said he had one, but Jeffrey didn’t. So I asked him if he would read it if we gave him one. He thought for a bit and then said that he would, but he didn’t have way to carry it. Then he looked over at Walker and said, “You can carry it for me in your backpack.” Thankfully Walker agreed to do so. Michael quickly handed me a Bible to give to him. I encouraged both of them to read their Bibles every day. I asked them to start in Matthew and read the New Testament.
Unsaved Daughter and Grandson
Due to a work-related injury, I was unable to witness for six weeks. But thankfully I was able to go out on June 7, 2024 and witness with Doug, Michael, Anand and a couple of his daughters. It was a pretty quiet night overall, but we had a great time of catching up. We’ve had a lot of rain the last couple of months, so the three of them came out when they could, but we all missed several Friday nights. My best conversation was with a woman named Barbara that says she’s a believer. Unfortunately, she has a daughter who is unsaved and a grandson that is unsaved, who is also serving time in prison. But Barbara has a great attitude. She has joy in the Lord. I pray that God will save her lost family members.
(These updates are provided to encourage Christians to share their faith in Jesus with others)