The Chasing Evangelist
Ministry Update January 6, 2019
Friday night Pastor Joshua, Thomas and I witnessed downtown. Thomas typically chases people down the sidewalk whether they accept or refuse a tract. Friday night I witnessed him walking with people to the East, West and South. This is not unusual. But this time I did ask the chasing evangelist what he says to people as he’s walking beside them, especially when they refuse a tract.
Thomas told me that he just talks to them. He asks for their name, tells them we are out sharing the Gospel and he’s looking for an opening to continue the conversation. Sometimes he catches people off guard, so they end up taking a tract, even though they initially say no. So tonight, even though I’ve been street witnessing for 10 years, I learned something from my friend Thomas, the chasing evangelist.
Daya was walking her dog Milo near us and Thomas dropped a tract on the ground right in front of her. This wasn’t on purpose, but I believe it was a God thing, since Daya has refused tracts from us in the past. But she politely bent down, picked up the tract and tried to hand it back to Thomas. He insisted that she keep it and he even gave her a different tract. She kept both and said, “I will read it.”
Holding Up A Fellow Believer
Then later on Thomas was talking to a young couple that professed to be Christians. But at some point the man became upset. He claimed that Thomas was holding up a fellow believer by asking questions. Folks, this kind of attitude doesn’t typically point to a true believer. I absolutely love talking about Jesus to believers and non-believers. I love hearing other people talk about our Lord and Savior. If I remember correctly, I believe the young man took a tract. We pray that him and his girlfriend will both read it. Also, if God was convicting him over his sins, may the Lord continue convicting him and truly convert him.
Are You Good Enough To Go To Heaven?
One encourager told Thomas that he was glad that we were out witnessing. I “chased down” a guy that was cutting across a parking lot. I handed him a tract Are You Good Enough To Go To Heaven. He took it and when I asked him if he’s good enough he replied yes. I asked him how he will get there and he said through Jesus. Then I told him that I would have answered the question no, I’m not good enough. He seemed quite surprised and said “Really?” So I continued that I’m just a sinner saved by grace. To which the man said, “Ah, I see where you are going.” But he didn’t stick around, he continued walking on. So I just encouraged him to read the tract and then pass it on to someone else.
Thomas and I had a great time handing out tracts for about an hour. Just prior to that, we walked a couple of blocks West and a couple more South of us and I turned the amplifier down to about half volume and just gave quick Gospel presentations as we walked along. Thomas handed out tracts as we walked. There was a large group of young women walking the opposite direction and they kept mocking the message as they walked past. I just kept pleading with people to repent and surrender their lives to Jesus. Another woman yelled from across the street that Jesus is the wrong name to call the Savior. I pleaded with her to repent and trust Jesus.
Open-Air Preaching At Our Normal Spot
Prior to this, Pastor Joshua and I both brought messages at our normal witnessing spot. Pastor Joshua brought a great message about Jesus being Lord over every man, woman and child and that He is Lord of all creation. Whether people acknowledge it or not and of course, one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. Pastor Joshua had one drive by mocker while he preached.
Before he preached, I brought a message about the narrow way and a young man stopped near me when I first started off. He was on the phone, so I reached over and handed him a tract, which he took. I kept bringing the message and he listened briefly, before he gave me a fist bump and went on his way. Another man yelled encouragement from across the street. One guy that I assume was a mocker drove his truck on the sidewalk right in front of me. At first I really thought he was aiming at me, but he turned like he was trying to park, even though there wasn’t a parking spot in front of me. We had a great night of witnessing and may Jesus Christ be glorified and may our Heavenly Father convict and convert lost souls.
Very Little English
It was a pleasant surprise when Brian joined me New Year’s Eve to hand out tracts downtown Monday night. There was only a 10% chance of rain and it really didn’t rain, but just misted the whole time we were there. Big Smith was playing a New Year’s Eve gig at the Gillioz Theatre, so we handed out tracts near the theater. My most interesting encounter was with a young man that spoke very little English.
I handed a tract to a young Latino man and he started reading the tract right then and there. It was an old supply of tracts called Facing Your Fears. The young man struggled reading the tract, so I asked him what he’s afraid of and at first I thought he was saying nothing. But it turned out he was saying that he’s afraid of everything. This is a great segue into the Gospel, so I asked him if he’s afraid of dying. He didn’t understand what I was asking. Then I tried to talk to him about Heaven, but he also didn’t understand that. Since we were having trouble communicating, I handed him a Seek and Save the Lost tract (which is a smaller tract than the first one I gave him). My hope and prayer is that he has a friend that can interpret both tracts for him.
Couple Offended By Offer Of Tracts
A lot of people took tracts. Brian and I would say “Happy New Year” and hold out a tract. I’d say more people took them than rejected them. One couple became upset with me when I offered them a tract a second time they walked past me. Thankfully, Brian didn’t offer them one. Later on I recognized them when they walked by me a third time. I didn’t even offer them a tract that time around, but the woman put her hand up like don’t bother us. I also handed a tract to one person that I knew personally. After we handed out tracts, it was great catching up with Brian. He works nights, so he rarely gets to come out witnessing. It was really great seeing him again and laboring with him.