Saturday 08-11-12

It was a strange night on Mill Ave this week, with a lot of what could only be described as spiritual warfare. I guess that’s good, because then we know that we’re making a difference on the front lines in the darkness.

There were some people holding signs in our regular spot, so Tom, Keith, Rachel and Matthew decided to move across the street to set up, while Dan, Marcus, Alan and I remained there. At one point, we looked over and saw a big guy, standing face to face with Tom (even though Tom was on a step stool), and he looked angry. Dan and Marcus went over to make sure things didn’t get out of hand. It turns out, he was quite drunk and angry, but he eventually went away without too much trouble.

A woman told one of us to get away from her because he had “crazy eyes” whatever that is supposed to mean. Another guy started yelling at us when someone handed a tract to a man wearing a turban, saying, “How dare you give that to a Muslim!” calling it blasphemy and that he wouldn’t allow that in his presence. I told him that we do not discriminate and that everyone can have a tract. He didn’t listen. I saw him around later, but he was quiet the rest of the night.

Another guy threatened to shoot Tom, and of course, Tom told him that he didn’t care. He said, “Then I’ll be with the Lord and you will be in jail.” The man threatened him a bit more, then angrily turned and walked away. We didn’t see him the rest of the night.

Heidi, with her husband Rick and her daughter Hannah, stopped and went through Good Person Test (GPT). This was a great encounter and I was able to present the Gospel and give them each an “Are You Good Enough To Get Into Heaven” tract to take with them.

I did some more Open Air (OA) and a drunk guy came over to go through the GPT. There was no one else around, so I thought I’d go ahead and take him through it. Things went ok for a while, but he claimed that he could not repent. Would not is more like it. After a little while, he started cursing at me as he walked away. I went over to him to give him a tract that includes money inside, but he took it and flung it into the street and cursed at me some more.
As sad as it is that this man is lost, I always find just a little humor in it when someone will throw money away, simply because they were unwilling to look inside. Someone else will find it, maybe that will be the intended recipient in God’s sovereign plan.

A woman named Cora stopped by for a glow stick necklace, since she already had glow stick earrings. She was in a hurry, so we went through the GPT quickly, as she chewed on a very inappropriate shaped straw (she must have been at some bachelorette party or something). By some of her answers it seemed that she might have had a Catholic background. She didn’t seem real convicted, but the Gospel was shared, seeds planted.

Tom, Keith, Dan, Matthew and I went to Denny’s afterwards for some food and fellowship.

Pray for more workers in the harvest field (Luke 10:2)

Soli Deo Gloria