Where Did Your Original Thoughts Come From?

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).

What really matters is that the young man needs to repent and trust Jesus. I told him that Romans 3:19 says that every mouth will be stopped. One day he will die and after death comes the judgment and he will have no excuses and he will not be blaming God on Judgment Day. He said it isn’t right that God will stop him from talking at the judgment. I explained that he won’t be talking because after God reminds him of every sin that he’s thought, spoken and committed; that he won’t have anything to say. I asked, “How many lies have you told? How many times have you lusted, coveted, gotten drunk or committed other sins?”

You Won’t Be Saying Any Mocking Thing

The young man replied “Countless.”  “That’s why you won’t be saying any mocking thing on Judgment Day.” But the student is still convinced that he will point his finger at God and blame God for his sins. I said, “No you won’t. You will bow your knee and confess with your tongue that Jesus is Lord before He has His servants cast you into the lake of fire and brimstone (Matthew 13:30-32). This will be so, if you die in your sins because the Bible says so. Sadly, he walked away thinking that he will accuse God on the great and terrible day of the Lord. A student was sitting in front of me and said the f word, affirmingly to the mocker.

The student that was sitting on the ground just plopped down while I was bringing a message. So I asked him if he had a question and he replied “Many”, but he never asked any, so I kept open-air preaching. Another student stopped to see the exchange with the student who blames God for the student’s sins. One mocker yelled f yeah as he passed by. Earlier while I was reading Bible verses, a student stopped, waited until I looked up, then he flipped me off.

The student that stopped to listen, asked me to read Ezekiel 25:17 while he recorded me. I backed up to verse 15 so more context could be given. One student sat on the bench and listened to part of the message. Several students took tracts. I handed them out on the way to witnessing and while I walked back to my car. But overall it was mainly mockers again while witnessing on campus.

Night of Encouragers

While MSU was full of mockers, Friday night witnessing downtown was full of encouragers. A guy walking his dog said he didn’t need a Bible and that I should save it for someone else. But he thanked me for “being out here all the time.” The first guy who took a New Testament said thank you. Then he walked to his car that was parked a little farther away and he turned around and said thanks again. He genuinely appreciated the New Testament.

Several people told me that already had a Bible. One woman told me that I gave her one last week. Ben the bicycle guy came over and shook my hand. He said he’d been looking for me. He wanted to know if I had already preached. I told him I was getting ready to do so. Ben said that he couldn’t stick around, but that he would pray for me. I didn’t have a single mocker while open-air preaching. After I finished up, Zach crossed the street and shook my hand. He said, “Thank you for sowing the seed.” Zach said it was encouraging to see and of course he was a great encouragement to me. Afterwards I walked to the square and handed out 30 New Testaments which was all that I had on me.

So I handed out tracts after that. The tract was a Chapel Library tract that says Do You Know Jesus Christ? I handed one to a guy who said thank you and then he looked at and yelled back to me, “Yes I do!” Then the last guy of the night that took a tract asked “Are you LDS (Mormon)? “ I told him no, then he smiled and said, “Thank you. I used to hand out tracts.” I should have asked him why he doesn’t still hand them out. After the rash of mockers lately, it was a great night of encouragers. I thank God for sending them.

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