Saturday 06-12-10

Alan, Tom & Catherine, Dan, Marcus and I met out on Mill Ave to share the Gospel.  We were using our light throwing illusion and caught some people’s attention. Tom talked to them for while, one of them stated he was a Jehovah's Witness and I don't know what the others believed. Tom didn't get into any of that theology, though, just spoke to them about God's Law, His righteousness and justice.
I listened for a while, then moved away to pass out more tracts.

The Bible is very clear that there we will spend eternity in one of two places. (Rev 21:8, 1 Cor 6:9-10, 1 John 5:13, Matt 7:21-23 )

Each and every one of us will glorify God in one way or another. We will either glorify Him as a demonstration of His grace and mercy in heaven through repentance and trust in Jesus Christ alone, or we will glorify Him as a demonstration of His divine justice as we suffer eternal punishment in the lake of fire.

All of us deserve that punishment, and justice is satisfied by sending us there. We cannot pay for our own sins, because it is our sins that condemn us to death. No one else can pay our fine for us, because they have their own sins to deal with. Only God Himself could come down in human flesh, live a perfect, sinless life and then take on the punishment that you and I deserve.

If Jesus Christ is not God, then we are still under God's wrath and condemned in our sins, for salvation comes from the Lord and He will not share His glory with another (Jonah 2:9, Isaiah 42:8 ).

A couple of girls named Kaylee and Amanda stopped by to ask us about the tracts we were handing out. I was able to take them through the Good Person Test, even though they stated that they didn't believe in the Bible. I explained that God's law is written on our hearts and that they knew that it was wrong to lie and steal when they did it. I also explained that our belief, or lack of it, doesn't have any effect on reality and what's true or what is not.

They were still skeptical, but stated that these were better answers than they usually get when talking to people about Christianity. Marcus offered them each a Bible and another book, which they accepted. I encouraged them to look into it, to study and see what is true and they said they would.  Please keep them in prayer, that God would open their eyes to the truth.

A man named Christopher stopped to look at a Smart Card tract and I was able to bring him through the Law, but he wasn't interested in a conversation on spiritual things and made a quick exit before I could explain the Gospel to him.

I did some Open Air Trivia to gather a crowd and a woman named Lisa stepped up to take the Good Person Test. As we went through the test, she said she had never stolen anything. I told her that I wasn't sure I could believe her since she had already admitted to being a liar. She said that was true, but held to never having stolen anything. I told her that was commendable, but that she was still guilty of breaking God's Law, as she was found to be a lying, blaspheming adulterer-at-heart.

She had a basic understanding of Christianity, but I'm not sure she really understood the concept of repenting and trusting in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. I explained this and quoted Hebrews 10:26-27 to her and we left her with a few tracts to look through later. She thanked us and went on her way.

There were a couple of girls giving away some new energy drinks and we were able to give them million dollar bills on their way by.
The energy drinks (at left) were a carbonated citrus flavor.  It was definately different and we found the best word to describe it was "interesting."

Most of our team headed out shortly after that, but Marcus and I stayed for a while longer.

I did another Open Air Trivia and a man named Jervante stopped to take the Good Person Test. He failed the test, and was found to be a self admitted lying, thieving, blaspheming adulterer-at-heart.

People often seem surprised at how bad it sounds when you put it all together like that, but that is exactly how God sees us. I took him through the Gospel and explained the need to repent and trust in Christ alone, and he went on his way. He seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere else. Conviction by our conscience often does that.

I offered a woman a tract, but she claimed to be a Christian who didn’t need a tract because she "goes to church and knows all that “sh#@!" Well, hmm, little problem with the language there. I wonder if that's how she refers to it in church as well. She didn't want to hang around to discuss it.

Two guys came to listen to Marcus, who was Open Air preaching. They were drunk and mocking as they sat down in front of the speaker, but heard the Gospel, as did a girl who was with them who waited on some mailboxes nearby (on the far left in the pic). 
A third man sat down with them, and he ended up staying there for quite a while after the others had left.  He was drunk but quiet.


Later, I did another Open Air and got a bunch of drunks heckling and asking questions, tearing up tracts and throwing them around. I gave one of them an untearable tract and told him that he couldn't tear that one. He tried and couldn't do it, so he quickly crumpled it up and threw it into the street. They were obnoxious but harmless.

Then a couple of guys showed up, saying they were Christians. They meant well, but were ready to "beat these guys up for Jesus" if they didn't leave us alone. There's so much wrong with that statement.

I ended up stepping down from the soapbox and wasn't able to speak with either group before they all dispersed after arguing for a while.

It gets a little wild as it gets later out there, so I figured it was about time to head out anyway. Marcus stayed as he normally continues preaching to the lost much later into the night. 

May the Lord work in all who heard the Gospel proclaimed or took a tract to read later.  It was a good night of witnessing.

Soli Deo Gloria