Ministry Update February 21, 2016
Human Too
I finished up open-air preaching at MSU on Tuesday February 16, 2016 and started handing out tracts when Aaron began preaching. I handed out a few tracts when they guy who last week said that he was human walked up with another guy and they stopped right in front of Aaron. I walked over to him and said you know last week when you said that you were human; I assume you meant that you are a humanist. He shook his head yes. I continued I thought about this the last week and we are all humans and the Bible says that we all have sinned. He told me that he didn’t have time to talk because he takes his job very seriously. I pointed out to him that I didn’t preach to him last week and that I wasn’t preaching to him that day, I actually walked over to see what he was petitioning for and he said that they were petitioning for all parents of elementary students to get free child care. I thanked him and he walked off to go to work somewhere else.
Is Jesus Lord?
But the other guy who walked up with him stayed right there. His name is Bruce and he stood so close to Aaron that Aaron asked him if he had a question. Bruce said, no, that he was just listening to the preaching. I kept handing out tracts, Aaron kept preaching and Bruce kept standing just two or three feet from Aaron. But then Bruce decided that he did have a question after all. Bruce was a professing Christian and I’m not sure, but I think he started off wanting to know why Aaron was preaching in the open-air (in other words, this isn’t how you reach people). People that come up and talk to us and argue this position crack me up because they come up and talk to us! So open-air preaching leads to conversations. Also, some people take tracts, but many people walk by us and refuse to take a tract. They can do so, but they can’t stop from hearing the preaching. They hear the Gospel for as long as they are in ear shot. That’s why we preach as loud as we can. We aren’t angry, we just want more people to hear for as long as possible.
Since Bruce was a professing Christian, Aaron asked him how Bruce would tell him about how to be saved if Aaron was dying and had a few minutes to live and Bruce gave a pretty solid answer about repentance and confessing your sins. Then the Holy Spirit prompted Aaron to ask Bruce “Is Jesus Lord of your life?” They talked for I’m guessing 40 to 45 minutes. Aaron kept pointing Bruce to scripture. He pointed out that true love rebukes. Toward the end Bruce admitted that he’s been drinking a lot and he has another issue or two. Aaron showed him 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 how no drunkard shall enter into the kingdom of God. Bruce realized that Jesus isn’t Lord of his life and that he isn’t really saved. Aaron prayed with him and they exchanged phone numbers. We are praying that God will convict and convert Bruce; that will surrender his life to Jesus Christ.
You Keep Your Jesus
I’m really glad that Aaron had the great conversation with Bruce. Meanwhile I seemed to get the hard-hearted ones. In addition to the “human” guy, I also tried to hand a tract to a professor. I’ve tried to hand him one before and he basically says the same thing each time. He refuses the Gospel tract then through gritted teeth he says “You keep your Jesus and I’ll keep mine.”
Since he’s told me this before and angrily refused a tract before this, time I told him that my Jesus is the Jesus of the Bible. I’ve thought about his statement (even from before when he said it to me)and without even knowing anything about his theology, I know without a shadow of a doubt that he isn’t worshipping the Jesus of the Bible. First of all, as a Christian, I would never be offended by another believer trying to hand me a Gospel tract. I would never grit my teeth and tell someone to keep their Jesus. Secondly, he isn’t following the Jesus of the Bible because Jesus told us to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). So if he’s worshipping a Jesus that doesn’t want to be shared, he isn’t worshipping the Jesus Christ who is Lord of my life.
Friday Night
Professing Christians
Kelly posted an update on witnessing last Friday and this is what he said:
It was quite adventurous last night. Please pray for these people:
A young man who got into my face and said I cannot know God’s will. I assured him that we could just by reading the Bible. He would not give me his name and told me he was a former Christian. Just pray for him, God knows.
Pray for the mocker who was standing on the street in front of us handing out condoms along with our Gospel tracts.
Interestingly I ran into Madeline who is a practicing homosexual and told me she is a Christian going to an Episcopalian church on Campbell. I asked her how does God see homosexuality? She just told me that he would see it as sin. I quoted Romans 1 to her and told her God condemns it so why would you practice it? She said it is no different than lying and I told her I agree. In Revelations all liars go to hell. Her and her friend then proceeded to dance and yell in front of us all night. It was awesome for we always welcome mockers. Jude 17&18 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. When they finished mocking us they cursed us and threw us the #1 sign.
I met Felix tonight. He and I prayed over Springfield in hopes that people will turn to Christ (that was awesome!)
A young man, Michael, and his wife joined us. They were firm believers in Christ. Michael is struggling with addiction to smoking. We both prayed for wisdom and accountability in this. They were from Joplin and I pointed him to celebrate recovery there (which is awesome for anyone struggling in their Christian walk).
My son handed out many Gospel tracts so please pray for those who received them that God will work on their hardened hearts.
Thanks!
Elvis is Dead
An Elvis impersonator asked if he could sing with us, but he didn’t want to sing hymns. I told him that Elvis is dead. He didn’t like that. Then Aaron or Kelly pointed out that Elvis wasn’t the king, Jesus is the King. He is the King of kings. Then Aaron, Kelly and his son Steven, Erica, Diana, Elise, Serenity and I ended the night singing hymns. The mocking dancing girls stayed until the end.
May God convict and convert unrepentant sinners through the Gospel that was preached, through the Gospel tracts that were handed out and the conversations. May God be glorified above all.
