More Than One Music Man
Ministry Update May 28, 2017
Friday night we were blessed to have more than one music man. In fact, we ended up with three before the night was over. I was the only odd man out. I don’t play any instruments and I can’t carry a tune, but I make a joyful noise unto the Lord. Allen brought his keyboard and Danny brought his mandolin and we started the night off singing four or five hymns.
Anti-Abortion Message
Then I brought a message about The Gift of God which of course Jesus is the greatest gift of all time. But the message was actually an anti-abortion message about how when little babies are killed, they are deprived of the general gift of God because they don’t get to grow up to eat, drink and enjoy the labor of their hands which is the gift of God (Ecclesiastes 5:13-19). God gives general grace to the just and the unjust to the righteous and to the evil. At one time, several teenagers stopped and sat down in front of me and briefly listened.
There was a young man that stood at the corner listening to us sing. Then when I started preaching, he moved to the other side of us and sat down on the curb. He listened the whole time I brought a message. At one point Allen walked over and started witnessing to him. We didn’t catch his name, but it sounded like he grew up in a Christian home, but doesn’t believe at this point. Not only did he stay through my message, but he also stayed through most of Allen’s message. Later one he moved across the street, but I noticed that he was still standing there listening. Before he crossed the street, I offered him a New Testament and he took it.
Allen Drew The Most Hecklers
Even though I preached hard against the evils of abortion, Allen drew most of the hecklers. He brought a message about Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the four kingdoms. One guy sitting at the stop light just kept repeating f Jesus and flipping Allen off. The guy did this five or six times and Allen just ignored him and kept preaching. I guess this made the guy even madder because as the car was pulling away from the stop sign, he was hanging out the window yelling f Jesus.
Allen had other mockers too. Several cars, trucks and motorcycles revved their engines. One truck stopped and the two guys and one girl in the middle all three were mocking. For some reason, the girl looked out the back glass directly at me. I just said God bless you. Again, Allen just ignored them all. Later on, two guys and a girl walked by and the woman yelled He that is without sin cast the first stone. I love how hypocritical God-mockers are. Allen wasn’t even preaching against sin, yet she assumed that he was, so she mouthed off and walked on.
Man Wants To Play The Keyboard
Allen wasn’t quite finished when Nathan parked his motorcycle near the stop sign and excitedly walked up and wanted to play Allen’s keyboard while Allen preached. I think he said he wanted to play Beethoven or something. Allen and I both told him no, so he went on his way. Later on, we had some more walk by mockers and I turned around and Nathan was standing right next to me by the keyboard. He really wanted to play it. I told him Allen was preaching and he’d have to wait until he was finished before he could ask him.
But Nathan didn’t wait and he interrupted Allen, but since Allen was about finished preaching, he told Nathan that we were getting ready to sing. We started to sing and Nathan sat down in the chair by the keyboard while Allen reached over to turn on the amplifier. So, Allen let him play the keyboard while we sang Victory In Jesus and I’ll Fly Away. Nathan walked away saying how blessed it was to play the keyboard and sing hymns.
Allen also prayed with Derek who asked for prayer. Derek and Ron were hanging around for a while and Ron was wild. He smacked the stop sign a couple of times, knocked over a valet sign that was near us and once when a party bus drove by full of women, he tried to jump on the back of it but missed. Allen and I handed out several tracts, I handed out four New Testaments and a Gospel of John booklet. Our hope and prayer is that God was glorified by Christ being lifted up through the songs and the preaching. I was blessed to have so many music men playing instruments.
Quiet Mockers
On Wednesday, I witnessed at Planned Parenthood during my lunch hour. There was only one woman inside when I got there. I tried to talk to her when she came out, but she wouldn’t talk. So, I just reaffirmed that she needs to repent and trust Jesus. A couple of women drove through the parking lot as I brought a message, but neither of them said anything. A worker left I assume for lunch and she watched me as she left, but she didn’t say anything either.
Then within the last five minutes while I was there, a guy pulled up and recorded me on his phone through the front windshield of his car. After a minute or two, he opened his car door, stood there, and kept recording me. He did this until I finished and started packing up to leave. I think he was trying to intimidate me, but frankly he didn’t bother me at all. He probably didn’t realize that I was recording him the whole time too.
I pleaded with the workers to come out and that I would try to help them get a respectable job in the health care business somewhere else, but as usual, they ignored my pleas. Even though Planned Parenthood was really quiet, the shopping center next door was quite busy the whole time with people coming and going, so I pray that God would convict and convert those that heard the Gospel.
(These updates are provided to encourage Christians to share the Gospel with this lost and dying world)