Through the Super Bowl Outreach, 115 street preachers converged on New Orleans a few days before the Super Bowl. We were grouped together in ten groups and we were strategically placed on corners with high foot traffic near the convention center, the French Quarter and the Marketplace.
We heard several people walk by and say “the preachers are on every corner.” We weren’t, but we had it covered well enough that people thought we were. One of the groups talked to a Christian cab driver and on Saturday night she said that the only thing all of her customers were talking about were the street preachers.
We handed out tracts, did one to one witnessing and a lot of preaching; all for the honor and glory of God. A couple of the guys actually had people come to repentance and faith in Jesus right there on the spot. They both spent 2 hours with who they were witnessing to and it appears they were genuine converts. (And they didn’t even lead them in the sinner’s prayer – which is not in the Bible.)
We hope and pray that God will use the seeds that were planted (1 Corinthians 3:6). We pray that He will save many people who heard the Gospel and received tracts during Super Bowl weekend, for His glory and for their eternal salvation.
Some people would walk by us and thank us for being there and really encourage us. But the best one that did that was a 96 year old lady named Gloria. We were at the corner of Canal and Royal on Friday. While some of the guys were preaching on one corner, I went across the street and handed out tracts there. Gloria stood near me and when I handed out tracts she’d say “Come to Jesus.” When people would walk on by and ignore me, she’d yell after them “Don’t you turn your back on God.” It was great. I wish we had a Gloria to go out with us all the time.
But there were more hecklers than advocates. Every time we were on the box we were being heckled. (I was even heckled twice for just handing out tracts!). Many people didn’t want us there. They didn’t want to hear the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord, because they love their sins. They love the darkness rather than the light (John 3:19). One gentleman was overheard saying, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus is ruining our city! (Because the name of Jesus was being lifted up throughout the city.)
Oh how I hope and pray that Jesus Christ will “ruin” their city. I pray that God will move mightily throughout the Big Easy, convicting people of their sins, granting them repentance and faith in Jesus. I pray that the Holy Spirit will move mightily through New Orleans, throughout the United States and the rest of the world. I pray that God will ruin all wicked cities throughout the world by convicting people of their sins. May many people cry out to Him for forgiveness and turn from their sins and put their trust in Jesus Christ. May Jesus ruin New Orleans many more cities!