Nice Problem
Ministry Update September 25, 2016
On Friday nights we typically pray, sing hymns, preach and sing hymns to end the night. But last Friday we couldn’t even get started praying at first because people were coming up to us and asking us questions. We had four or five one on one conversations before we even prayed! Now that’s a nice “problem” to have.
Michael the Archangel
Michael was the first one to talk to us. He kept wanting to talk about Michael the Archangel and about dark energy. I handed him a tract while he talked to Aaron and myself. Later on I asked him if he had a Bible and he said no, so I gave him a New Testament. He kept wanting to talk about faith, hope and love, but didn’t really want to talk about the Lordship of Jesus. He wasn’t very clear on what or whom he was placing this faith, hope and love. At one point he threw my tract on the ground, but he did keep the New Testament.
Kelly tried to talk to him too before he walked away. He kept accusing us of being political (which nothing could be farther from the truth) and he thought we were just trying to be right – thereby proving him wrong. That was not our goal at all. We were trying to point the young man to truth as best we could because he is greatly deceived. He thinks all religions are ok and he didn’t believe that Islam says convert the infidels or kill them. He was deeply confused, but our hope and prayer is that he will read the New Testament and may God save him.
Buddhist Worried About Christians and Gluttony
Kelly also talked to Randy before we started witnessing. I didn’t hear how their conversation went but Randy stuck around the whole night and listened to all of the preaching. When I offered free Bibles, he took a New Testament. Aaron talked to a Buddhist named Stephen. He was worried about us not preaching against gluttony and sloth. Aaron showed him his Facebook post last week that spoke against gluttony. It was only after he started off with these questions did he tell us that he’s a Buddhist. I had a strong urge to ask him why it matters to him what we preach at all since he’s a Buddhist. It really shouldn’t matter to him what we say, but I held my tongue and Aaron shared truth with him.
Two Men Hung Around All Night
I talked to Martin. He had several questions, but he stuck around all night just like his friend Randy did. Martin took a tract from me and we talked off and on all night. He Amen’d the singing (when we finally started). At the end of the night he told me that my message was alright, that I was meat and potatoes. He looked at Kelly and said “I don’t know about you.” After he walked away Kelly and I decided that Martin may not have liked Kelly’s message because it was on Hell Fire. The very words Jesus used in Matthew 5. After Aaron preached, Martin came back over and commented on what a powerful speaker Aaron is (I’d only disagree with him in that I’d say Aaron is a powerful preacher, not a powerful speaker).
But Martin’s one criticism of Aaron was that he didn’t tell them about what Jesus did when He walked this earth. His complaint was that Aaron just stated that Jesus is the answer. I pointed out to Martin that Jesus is the answer and I finally got Martin to admit that Jesus dying for the sins of the world was the main thing Jesus did. Isn’t the main thing what we should be telling people? He agreed, but still wished Aaron talked more about the woman caught in adultery and how Jesus challenged the men to cast the first stone who were sinless. I told Martin that I’ve heard Aaron preach that message before. I pretty much challenged him to come back next Friday and listen again and see if he still has a complaint.
One Encourager and Several Mockers
One guy came up to us and shook our hands and told us thanks for sharing Jesus. He said that he attends Freeway Ministries. We had a few mockers and they came by as if on cue while I was saying that you either love hearing Jesus being lifted up or you hate it, but you can’t be neutral to Jesus. One guy walked by and cussed me out. I had to laugh and I looked over at Kelly and said I love it when mockers prove God’s word, right when we are preaching it. Another mocker mouthed off as he walked by and then one person wrote Hail Satan in large letters on the square. Again, they all three proved the point that you either love Jesus or you hate Him.
Is This Effective?
A lady came up to Kelly and asked him how effective this style of evangelism is so he asked her what she meant. She wanted to know if anyone ever receives Christ. He said he’s sure that some have (and they have – Aaron had a young man repent and put his faith in Christ a few weeks ago), but that’s not what we are supposed to worry about. We are commanded to share the Gospel.
Kelly talked to her about The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Then she told him that she prefers talking to people one on one. Kelly told her that we had five one to ones before we even started the night. So then he asked her how many conversations (since that’s her preferred method of evangelism) that she had that night and she conceded good point (in other words, she hadn’t gotten into any).
Shouldn’t You Be Evangelizing Before You Criticize Others?
I shared this part Christian because you really should have your own evangelism lined out and truly be evangelical before you start criticizing another brother or sister in Christ. Then also, prayerfully consider whether you should even criticize someone else for their style of evangelism. I always tell people we are going to continue evangelizing the way we do so why don’t you evangelize the way you do? As long as you are sharing the glorious Gospel with others, I’m probably not going to criticize you at all.
By the time we ended the night it was near 11 pm and around four or five police officers were standing off to the side and behind us. We don’t know why they were there, but because of the nice problem of the initial conversations, we only had time to sing one hymn to end the night. It truly was a nice problem to have and may God grant us many more “problems” like this in the future.
MSU Professor and Student
On Wednesday Aaron, Brian and I witnessed at MSU. While I was bringing a message, Brian was handing out tracts while Aaron was behind me holding his sign. That’s when a professor stopped by and thanked us for being out there and sharing the Gospel. We shook his hand and he pretty much had to head on his way. I was sorry that I didn’t get to tell him that I recognized him because he used to get the free speech permits for Born of Him Ministries when we used to hand out the 180 Movies or witness on campus right before Skepticon, we held an Anti-Skepticon.
Then as Aaron was finishing up his message a young man asked me which church we belong to and I told him we go to different churches. I asked him where he goes and he says he doesn’t right now, so I handed him a tract with my church – Crossway Baptist Church’s information on it and Aaron walked up about that time and handed him a tract with his church’s information on it. We hope he will come to one or the other.
(These updates are given to encourage Christ followers to share the Gospel with this lost and dying world)