Photo by Diana Vargas on Unsplash
Jesus Loves You
Ministry Update August 21, 2022
Toward the end of the night Friday night two couples walked by us and all four refused the tract I offered them. One of the ladies turned around and said, “Jesus loves you.” I said, “How do you know that?” She laughed and replied, “Jesus loves everyone.” Again, I said, “How do you know that?” I told her that Jesus said you must be born again (John 3:7) and He also said unless you repent, you will all likewise perish (Luke 13:3). The Bible doesn’t say that Jesus loves everyone. In John 14:21, Jesus says, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”
Then the woman’s husband jumped in and said that he’s been baptized, that he goes to church and we are being judgmental. Please note being baptized doesn’t save you. Going to church doesn’t save you. Trevor was beside me and he tried to talk to the man, but the man just repeated what his wife said, that Jesus loves everyone and kept walking. This is exactly why we do street evangelism. Too many people believe in a “hippy-dippy Jesus” of their own making. They don’t believe in the real Jesus, the Son of God, the Jesus of the Bible. Jesus warned that all liars will have their part in the lake of fire and brimstone (Revelation 21:8). If Jesus loves everyone, why is there a real, literal, place of torments – Hell? There’s a literal, real Hell and all unbelievers are headed there.
Question: Do You Know Jesus? Reply: I’ve Heard Of Him
We praise God that there were 13 of us witnessing Friday night and a Messianic Jewish gentleman also joined us to hand out tracts. I was talking to Matthew before I brought a message and a guy walked by and he took the tract that I handed him. Matthew spoke up and said, “Do you know Jesus?” The guy kept walking away from us but said, “I’ve heard of Him.”
Right about that time two girls from India or Indian descent walked by. They both refused the tract I tried to hand them. So Matthew spoke up again and asked them, “What do you think of Jesus?” The one girl replied, “I don’t, I don’t think about Him.” Then Matthew asked what she thinks is going to happen when she dies and she said something to the effect that she isn’t going to die. We both thought it was strange, but I assume she thinks that she’s going to be reincarnated.
This shows that it really is important what you believe and why street evangelism is needed. These early conversations tied right into my message about cults. There was bus that drove by that was a driving billboard for Donald Trump. He had Trump signs everywhere except for one little sign that said Jesus is my Savior, but on the same sign, it also said Trump is my President. He even had a Trump sticker on the Jesus part of the sign. He may claim that Jesus is His Savior, but the bus clearly shows who he really worships. Again, cults come in many shapes and sizes.
What’s The Good News?
Conner, Chase and Trevor all brought messages too. While Conner was open air preaching, a guy mocked him. Trevor tried to talk to the guy, but the guy just mocked and really wouldn’t engage in a conversation. Michael and I were on a corner handing out tracts when a guy rode by on his bicycle. I tried to hand him a tract, but he refused and said, “I’m not religious”. This made Michael and I laugh because non-religious people are the ones who need a Gospel tract. They need to hear about Jesus. The man turned around quickly and said, “Why are you laughing?” He looked like he was ready to fight. I told him that we weren’t laughing at him but that the tract I was trying to hand him was for non-religious people. He just said something to the effect that its ok that we have religion, but that he’s not religious. I could tell we weren’t going to get anywhere with him, so I just let him go.
Eliana Sharing The Gospel
Trevor and Elly’s oldest daughter was handing out tract and guy walked up to her and asked,
“What’s the good news?” What a great question, so Eliana shared the Gospel – the Good News with him. Praise God! Michael also told me of another praise. Matthew and Michael talked to a homeless man the week before and the man listened as Matthew shared the Gospel with him. The homeless guy also said that he wanted to get cleaned up. So Matthew and Michael picked him up on Sunday after church and drove him to a hospital in Bolivar. The man has stayed in touch with Matthew and told him that he’s put his trust in Jesus. We hope and pray that the man truly has repented and surrendered his life to Jesus.
(These updates are given to encourage Christians to share the glorious Gospel with others)