Preachers Kept Preaching
Ministry Update April 16, 2017
It’s hard to describe Friday night. We had the usual mockers saying hail Satan, f you, you’re judging me, motorcyclist and drivers revving engines to drown us out as well as a parked motorcyclist blaring his music. We also had the guy back that mooned us – again and a group of girls started dancing together close to where we were witnessing. But praise God there were around 15 to 17 of us witnessing and the preachers kept preaching!
We lined up and sang several hymns to start the night. Then I brought a message about Repentance and Remission of Sins to celebrate Resurrection Sunday. The message is from Luke 24:44-48, the words Jesus spoke to His disciples after He rose from the grave. I stirred up a few God-hating mockers. Then Kelly went after me and he preached from Romans 1 and he stirred up people even more. Then Larry preached after him and he always preaches hard and preaches against sin, so guess what? The crowd didn’t like his message one bit either.
Still Preaching
After that Matt brought a message. I was talking to a young woman then, so I didn’t catch his message, but he’s a bold brother in Christ and has a large banner and engages people as they walk by, so I’m guessing he kept the crowd stirred up too. Then Aaron asked Allen to preach on God’s love, which he did. Allen does a great job reading Scripture, expounding on it and then pleading with people to come to Jesus.
But the preaching wasn’t over yet, the preachers kept preaching. Aaron finished the night preaching hard about the need for unrepentant sinners to wake up. He drew a heckler that pretty much stood there in front of him the whole time. The only thing I really heard him say was he who is without sin, cast the first stone. Aaron did a great job saying that’s a great verse, so let’s go ahead and talk about it. So he pointed out that Jesus was talking to the woman caught in adultery and the religious leaders that accused her and Aaron pointed out the part that most hecklers seem to forget and that is Jesus told her that He didn’t condemn her, but He told her to go and sin no more. In other words, He told her to quit committing adultery! Oh, how so many professing Christians and God mockers seem to miss the very last part of that story but a very important part. Jesus never condoned sin!
Young Woman Was “Saved” And “Rededicated” Her Life To Christ
It really is kind of hard to really describe the night, but the preachers kept preaching and it was wonderful to see and be a part of. Larry and Kelly especially got into several good conversations. I had one good one with a young woman named Marina. She came up to me while one of the other guys were preaching and she wanted to let me know that she thought we were going about this the wrong way. She told me that she’s a Christian. So I asked her about that. She told me that she was saved around 11 or 12 years old, but after that she had drifted away from God. Then a couple of years ago she rededicated her life to Christ. Marina admitted that she started going back to church at that time because of a boy.
Several red flags went up while talking to her, but then she told me that she’s pro-choice. I asked her where that was in the Bible. She didn’t know, it was just what she believed. I talked to her about how child sacrifice was the reason God punished the Caananites and then later on He punished the Israelites for committing the same atrocities. Marina then told me about her cousin who had a miscarriage and how devastated she was. So I asked her why the child is a baby when the woman wants it but it’s just a fetus when someone wants to kill the baby?
She tried to say that it matters whether it’s just 12 weeks or less. I quoted her where God told Jeremiah that before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Basically she said that she believes aborted babies get another chance to come back again. I told her it sounds like she’s describing reincarnation and that it isn’t anywhere in the Bible. She stated again that was just what she believed.
Professing Christian While Pro-Choice And Bi-Sexual
I explained to her that I was concerned about her salvation because of her pro-choice stance and her testimony wasn’t very strong. Somehow she steered the conversation toward her being bi-sexual. Then I assured her that no matter how close she feels to God, that there’s no way that she can be saved. You can’t live contrary to God, blatantly rebelling against Him and be a Christian. I quoted her parts of Romans 1 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. I even offered to get the Bible and read it to her, but she insisted that it wasn’t necessary to do so.
She kept telling me that it was crappy of me to make her feel condemned over her sexuality, because after all, she can’t help who she is attracted to. I told her that I wasn’t condemning her, but that God’s truth was condemning her, that I was just quoting her the Bible. She didn’t want to hear that, she wanted my opinion. I told her that my opinion didn’t matter, but that I believe the Bible and any sexual relations outside of biblical marriage between a man and a woman is wrong (Mark 10:6-9).
What If Heaven Is Full Of People Who…
Then she said an amazing thing. She told me that if Heaven is going to be full of people that hate her, then she… Yes, she trailed off, so I finished it for her. I said you were going to say that you really don’t want to go to Heaven then and she said I know it’s awful, but yes, that’s how I feel. I assured her that people in Heaven don’t hate her and I told her that I didn’t hate her. But if she really felt that way, she sounds just like lost people that we talk to all the time. When they don’t want to give up their pet sin, they say things like “Then your God is a jerk, I wouldn’t want to spend eternity in Heaven anyway.”
I told Marina that I didn’t hate her, but that she isn’t going to make it to Heaven if she dies in her sins as an unrepentant sinner. As well as I could, I tried to explain to her that God does not hear the prayers of sinners (John 9:31). That unless she repents and surrenders her life to Jesus, she isn’t going to make it to Heaven. Then she said “I thought God wants us to love.” I replied that God is love, it’s not love is love as the LGBT community says, no it’s God is love and that doesn’t mean that all “love” is acceptable to Him. He is Holy and He established that marriage is between a man and a woman. She just couldn’t get passed her bisexuality and the fact that she can’t help it that she’s attracted to men and women.
I Don’t Hate You
Again, I assured her that I didn’t hate her. In fact, she’s breaking my heart because of her rebellion against God that she’s headed for Hell. I literally had a tear in my eye over her and wiped my eye and told her that it’s out of love that I’m sharing truth with her. I went back to 1 Corinthians 6:11 where Paul says such WERE some of you, but you are washed, you are cleansed through Jesus.
Amazingly she talked to me for 30 to 40 minutes, even though she didn’t like what I was telling her. Then she said ok, what if I give up girls, end up really being a Christian and marrying a guy and he beats me. Am I supposed to just stay married and endure the beatings? I told her that it really isn’t about her giving up her attraction to girls, that it’s more about the Holy Spirit convicting her over her sins and through the power of God, then He would take those desires away from her.
She wanted me to answer her question, so I replied that no one is to stay in harm’s way and let someone continually beat them up. I said if this happened to you, then you should flee the situation. Then she said, but I shouldn’t get a divorce. I told her no, she shouldn’t get divorced. This blew her mind. You mean God wouldn’t want me to be happy? I said in the scenario that you described, a person shouldn’t get a divorce and if that meant being celibate the rest of your life, then that’s what you should do. She just couldn’t believe it. I reminded her that life is but a vapor. Eternity is a really long time.
A True Christian Husband Wouldn’t Beat You
But then I went back to her example and I said if you become truly saved and before you marry a guy, you should date him, biblically. This means you shouldn’t be unequally yoked. Besides, if the guy you marry is really a Christian, then he is to love you like Jesus loved the church. (Jesus gave His life for His bride – the church). I told her that I love my wife and I would give my life for her. If I’m loving my wife this way, there’s no way that I’m going to divorce her and I’m sure not going to beat her up.
Kelly was standing next to us, so I pulled him into the conversation and I asked him if there’s any way that he would divorce his wife and he said absolutely not. He told her the same thing about Jesus loving the church and she pointed to me and said that’s exactly what he just said. Unfortunately she went back to how unfair that would be to spend the rest of your life miserable if your husband beat you and we are saying that she couldn’t divorce him. So I asked her if it would really be worth going to Hell over her scenario. She really didn’t answer. About this time she said that she had to catch up with her friends.
Quickly at the end I asked her if she would read the Bible. She said she’s read it before. But I pleaded with her to read it again, humbly, asking God if what I was telling her was right or whether what she believes is right. Marina told me that she has to really study right now and that she can’t work that in until schools out. So I asked if she would start in Matthew and read the New Testament asking God to reveal the truth to her and she said that she would after this school year. I hope and pray that she really does this and that God will convict her over her sins and grant her repentance and faith in Jesus.
Preaching And Singing At MSU
On Wednesday, Aaron, Allen, Bob, Larry and his family and others witnessed at MSU for about five hours. They preached, sang hymns, handed out tracts and got into one to one conversations. As usual, the school tried to get them to turn down the sound system. It’s always interesting how students are ok with a concert blaring at the same location, but when someone is preaching or singing about Jesus some how it’s always too loud then. I assure you the sound system is nothing like the concerts they hold there.
I went to our usual spot at Trottier Plaza and brought a message there and then joined the others at the Bear Paw for about an hour. While preaching at Trottier Plaza, a professor walked by and gave me the ok sign.
But mainly I just invited people to come to Crossway Baptist Church for Resurrection Sunday. It was an honor to witness with my brothers and sisters in Christ. Plus, the Craft siblings can sing so they make everyone else sound better.
(Christ was lifted up on Wednesday and Friday and our hope and prayer is that God will convict and convert unrepentant sinners. These updates are provided to encourage Christians to share their faith in Jesus Christ with others)