encouragers

Can I Pray With You Real Quick?

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Can I Pray With You Real Quick?
Ministry Update November 19, 2024

It was a soggy day at MSU last Wednesday. I only handed out around 15 or 20 tracts before it was raining enough the students wouldn’t take anymore. So I brought an open-air message. I had been there about 15 minutes when a student walked up to me and asked, “Can I pray with you real quick?”  “Sure” I replied. I told him my name and he put his hand on my shoulder and then the young man said the most encouraging prayer that I’ve ever had a student pray. After he finished, I told him that he doesn’t know how encouraging that was. Praise God!!!

Then toward the end of the message a girl noticed my recorder and asked, “Are you practicing or preaching?” I didn’t catch her question, so she repeated it again. I told her that I was preaching, but thought to myself it must not be very effective if she’s asking me if I’m practicing. So I stopped the message and talked to her. I asked her how she came to faith and she said that she was an atheist who grew up in an atheistic home. But praise God that He reached her even then. She wanted to know how to share her faith with her friends. I pointed her to Ray Comfort’s Hell’s Best Kept Secret link and to the Way of the Master Videos. May God bless the young man that prayed for me and may He show the young lady how to share the Gospel.

One of Five Encouragers

The week before that, I had five encouragers during that one witnessing time. Three young men walked up and shook my hand and told me to keep preaching. One girl nodded and smiled as she walked by and one young man yelled, “Jesus Christ is Lord!” I was open-air preaching, so I didn’t catch it. I really thought he was a mocker. So I asked him what he said and he repeated it again. I said “AMEN!”.

Many students have taken tracts this year and a few weeks ago a young man stopped to talk while I was handing out tracts. He was afraid that he was a false convert. After talking to him, I think he is too. But I quoted scriptures to him and encouraged him to read the Bible and for him to cry out for God to reveal Himself to him. Earlier this year, a student heard Anand’s dad open-air preaching and got convicted. Anand’s wife witnessed to him. I’ve been going to the college since 2011 and I’ve never seen anything like this and I’m hearing this from other evangelists around the country. Some tell me they still get more mockers, but  more friends than not are seeing the same thing I’m seeing. May God save many of these young people!

Spiderman

Friday night Doug, Joshua and I were joined by Anand and three of his kids as well as Conner and three of his kids. Unfortunately it was a really quiet night. We had a great group and some good discussions amongst ourselves, but there just weren’t that many people downtown that night. Everyone handed out tracts when we had the chance. When I told the guys that I was going to head home, I spun around and there were two guys walking by me. One of them was wearing a Spiderman (full face) mask. I handed them both tracts.

Spiderman wanted to know what it was. I told him a Gospel tract. He didn’t say anything. So then I said, “It tells you about Jesus?” He still didn’t say anything. Then I asked, “Do you know Him?” Still no response. So then I asked him if he died tonight, would he go to Heaven? He replied, “I hope so”. I asked him how you get there and he didn’t know. I told him that I could clearly see that they were headed somewhere, but there’s nothing more important than your eternal soul. They both listened as I clearly shared the Gospel with them.

Afterwards, I asked him if he has a Bible at home and he said he does. I encouraged him to start in Matthew and read the New Testament, asking God to reveal Himself to him. Then I asked the young man his name and he replied, “Spiderman.” Even though I don’t know his name, God does and may the Lord save the young man and his friend. The friend never said anything, but he listened the whole time.

These updates are provided to encourage Christians to share the glorious Gospel with others. Not all encounters are encouraging, but you just keep witnessing!

Couple Of Encouragers

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Couple of Encouragers

Ministry Update April 2, 2023

I witnessed on Wednesday at Missouri State University. It was nearly 60 degrees and a beautiful, sunny day. Most students were quite pleasant, even the ones who refused tracts. One older lady refused a tract by saying “Nope!” and scampering away as fast as she could. But overall, it was a very pleasant lunch hour of witnessing. As I brought a message, several people farther away (near the Bear Paw) listened briefly. Then there were three people who stood close by and listened. Two of those became a couple of encouragers at the end. [Read more…]

First Mockers Then Encouragers

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Michael Handing Out Tracts

First Mockers Then Encouragers

Ministry Update December 11, 2022

Friday night was a bit of a strange night, witnessing wise because it was first mockers then encouragers. The mockers showed up while we were handing out tracts. I got to our witnessing spot before Michael did, so I handed out tracts until he got there and I had two different cars full of mockers. One even pulled into a parking lot near me and yelled as they pulled into the lot and then yelled again when they drove away. All I was doing was handing out tracts. No signs, no open air preaching (at that point). Then when Michael got there, we were handing out tracts on the same corner and a passenger in a truck yelled at me while I was getting more tracts out of my witnessing bag. He yelled, “Shake that a__.” I yelled back that he needs to repent and trust Jesus.  [Read more…]

Surrounded By Encouragers

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Surrounded By Encouragers

Ministry Update June 19, 2022

Brad, Keven and I started out witnessing Friday night. Keven handed out tracts, Brad held his large banner sign that says Trust Jesus and Jesus Saves From Hell on the other side and I brought a message. We think it was a combination of Brad’s banner and my message, but we had several encouragers as well as several mockers. But at the end of the night, Brad was surrounded by encouragers.

Pro Abortion Woman Cussing As She Drove By.

I started off with a message about no neutrality. The central theme of the message was about how people cannot be neutral when it comes to Jesus. But before that, I used abortion as an example. You cannot be neutral about killing a baby in the womb. You are either for life or pro-death, but you cannot be neutral. One woman drove by and cussed as she passed when I was discussing abortion. But a lady crossed the street after taking a tract from Keven and she agreed when I said abortion is murder. I further said that being pro-life included from conception to death and she agreed with that too. Then a woman drove by and yelled “Jesus is a punk”. Brad had several other mockers as well as encouragers while he held his sign.

Woman Yelled Jesus Is A Punk As She Drove By Us.

Pro-life Lady Encourages Us As She Crosses The Street.

Can I Hold My Jesus Sign Next To You?

While bringing the message, a young lady named Tyail walked up and asked if she could hold her Jesus sign next to us. I told her she could. My thought was that if her sign wasn’t a good one, I’d have to explain why she couldn’t hold it near us, but it turned out that the sign read Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6).So it  was a great sign. She ended up holding the sign near Keven across the street from us. After my message, I walked over and asked her where she got the sign from and she said from Joshua. I told her we know Joshua. Well, it turns out that while I’ve had health issues off and on the past two years, she was coming out witnessing with Keven and Joshua. I had no idea, but I was glad  to hear it.

Keven Handing Out Tracts, Tyail Holding Her Jesus Sign and Brad Holding His Banner.

Then I went back across the street and Brad said something about bringing a message, but he didn’t have one prepared. I told him that he should give the good person test. Instead, he got up and talked about several Way of the Master (Ray Comfort) examples such as jumping out an airplane with no parachute and the court room example of how Jesus paid our sin debt. Thank God that Brad did so, he ended up having five people come over and encourage him. Five people! At the end, four of them were there at the same time and he was surrounded by encourgers. Praise God! You expect to have some mockers when you share the truth, but you don’t always get encouragers and to be completely surrounded by them is really unusual.

Great Time Of Fellowship

Not only did we have a great time evangelizing, but we also had a great time of fellowship together. Joshua ended up joining us about half way through, so we had a great time visiting with each other as well as handing out tracts and New Testaments. One of Brad’s encouragers came over and asked me what we expected to accomplish while out witnessing. I was holding Brad’s banner sign while Brad was open-air preaching. I told the gentleman that our goal is to share the Gospel through open-air preaching, holding signs, handing out Gospel tracts and Bibles. Then he said, “so you are planting seeds.” Yes, we are planting seeds. May God send someone else to water and May God give the increase, all for His honor and glory.

Joshua Ready To Hand Out Tracts.

 

(These updates are provided to encourage Christians to share the Gospel with others)

This Is Very Edifying

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Jimmy Listened To The Whole Message

This Is Very Edifying
Ministry Update December 29, 2019

Friday night witnessing downtown, I had encouragers, mockers and a couple of homeless people threaten me. The highlight of the night was Jimmy. He’s a homeless guy that listened to the whole message. When he first walked up, I said, “Do you have a question?” He replied, “No, I just want to listen.” So I walked over and talked to him afterwards and he said, “This is very edifying. This is just what I needed tonight.” [Read more…]

Kenny G Still Packs Them In

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Kenny G Still Packs Them In

Ministry Update December 22, 2019

Kenny G has been performing for over 45 years. He was at the Gillioz Theatre on Friday night and Kenny G still packs them in. There was a good flow of people walking by Friday night and they ended up forming a line for about a half a block outside the theater. That made it a great night for open-air preaching in downtown Springfield, Missouri. There were the typical mockers. A few people slowed down and yelled from their cars. But there were also several encouragers. One man gave a thumbs up from across the street. A woman smiled approvingly to the Gospel as she walked by. Then a woman ran to the corner, made sure I saw her, then she gave a hearty wave and ran back to the Kenny G line. [Read more…]

Where Did Your Original Thoughts Come From?

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Where Did Your Original Thoughts Come From?

Where did your original thoughts come from? This is the question the young man asked on Wed. at MSU. After going around in circles many times, I finally figured out that the point he was trying to make is that according to his worldview, God causes evil, then it’s God’s fault when the young man does something wrong (when he sins). He said this is unfair. I told him that the potter has the right to make one vessel for honor and another vessel for dishonor (Romans 9:21). [Read more…]

Sweet Christian Fellowship

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Sweet Christian Fellowship

Ministry Update August 18, 2019

Friday night the Springfield Opera celebrated their 40-year gala at the Gillioz Theatre. I’m sure they had a sweet time at the gala. Ben and I had sweet Christian fellowship outside. While I was bringing a message, Ben rode up on his bicycle. He’s the same guy that recently prayed for me when I had a rough day and couldn’t even open-air preach that night. But this time I was talking about God being angry with the wicked forever and after the message, Ben and I had a great brotherly discussion. It was a sweet time of fellowship. [Read more…]

Two Encouragers And Two Mockers

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Couple Of Encouragers And A Couple Of Mockers

Ministry Update July 16, 2019

Friday night I had a couple of encouragers and a couple of mockers. A young man from Hawaii came up and encouraged me before I even brought a message. I was handing out New Testaments at the time and he took one as well as a young Muslim woman. Then I brought a message and didn’t use the amplifier. One driver revved his engine while stopped at the stop sign, trying to drown out the Gospel. Then a couple came by riding bicycles and they stopped near me. They had a vicious looking dog, and the man told me that I better be careful before I get back up on the box using the bullhorn, because his dog wouldn’t like it. I didn’t bother telling him that I wasn’t using a bullhorn. I just told him to have a good night. [Read more…]

I Gotta Stop With The Devil’s Lettuce

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I Gotta Stop With The Devils Lettuce

Ministry Update April 7, 2019

With these updates, many times I say what a blessed night we had witnessing downtown, and Friday night was no exception. I say this frequently because it is true. Every night is different and we never know what we are going to see and hear. Friday night we were blessed with several encouragers, several mockers and a great conversation at the end. The best line of the night was “I gotta stop with the devil’s lettuce.” [Read more…]