Saturday 10-27-12

Mill Ave was a little crazy this last weekend. We had an Evangelism class and 6 new people came out with us from the class, and one other that couldn’t make it to the class came out as well. There was homecoming game and Halloween weekend, so there were a lot of people on the streets.

A guy named Benny decided to step in and join us in prayer – he was one of the drunks that was out there last weekend, I remember seeing him passed out on a bench as we were leaving. Tom talked with him for a while after that, and I gave him a “Gift For You” tract.

A lot of people in costume out there. Here are a few pics.

Hey, there's Waldo. 

 

We met Mike Salman, who had recently been arrested for having a home fellowship in his backyard. He had come out to Mill to scope the place out, maybe looking for a place to share the Gospel.







Mike started talking with a man named Drew, who said he had a problem with Christianity, mainly because he has a lot of homosexual friends and disagrees with the Bible, which states that it is wrong.

Mike talked with him for a while, but Drew was pretty drunk, so Mike gave him a card and asked him to call him the next day when he was sober. Mike had the guy take out his wallet and actually placed his card in there so that he wouldn’t lose it. I don’t know if he actually called him or not, but I hope he did.


We didn’t have a lot of one to one conversations, but did hand out a lot of Gospel tracts.
Please pray for the lost, and pray for more workers in the harvest field.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 10-21-12

A few of us went out to Mill Ave to share the Gospel this past Saturday night. We set up in our regular place in front of the post office.

Andrew and Jeff were a couple of drunk atheists who stopped to look at our illusion board. We went through the fun questions and then into the Good Person Test (GPT), but of course, they weren’t real receptive. They mentioned something about science, so I gave them a “Science and the Bible” tract to take with them to check out later.

After that, a couple stopped and went through the “genius” questions at the top of the board, but were not interested in going through the GPT or taking any tracts.

Then, a strange guy stopped to check out the board. He said he would take the GPT, and when I asked him what he would call someone who told lies, and he said, “A thief.” When pressed, he claimed that they “stole truth,” but in reality, he just wanted to answer with silly responses. I asked him if he wanted to bother going through the rest of it and he claimed that he did. So we went through some more with him answering normally. But in the end, he reverted back to nonsensical responses and just chooses to believe what he wants to from a social aspect and his own personal experience.

I talked with a man named Sam, who said that he had no religious background at all. He stopped to look at the illusion board and the “genius” questions. He was open to listening and took a couple of tracts with him, but didn’t seem convicted or willing to make any changes in his life. I told him that we’re out there every Saturday night, if he wants to stop and talk more sometime.

Ben and Andrea stopped by. She seemed to be a believer and waited quietly as I took Ben through the GPT. He was a bit drunk, and she seemed to be silently agreeing with us as we went through the questions, showing him his need of a Savior. He seemed to understand and we gave them both a couple of tracts to take with them. They said that they appreciated what we were doing on the streets.


Then there was this guy, dressed as Paul Stanley from KISS. It turns out that he’s an ordained minister, and plays in a tribute band. He was out promoting their show next weekend and posing for pics.

Tom took the opportunity to ask him a few questions to determine whether or not he was a good person. He didn’t hang around for the whole thing, but Tom was able to talk to him for a little while.
 


Please keep these, as well as all the others that we’ve simply handed a Gospel tract to, in your prayers, that God would convict them and draw them to Himself for their salvation and for His glory alone. And please continue to pray for more workers in the harvest field (Luke 10:2).

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 10/13/12

It was busy on Mill Ave this past weekend. Apparently, there had been an Oktoberfest celebration at Tempe Town Lake from noon to 8:00 pm, so there were a lot of people leaving that area and coming down Mill Ave as we got there and set up.

Lance and Katie stopped by as soon as I got set up. They were Christians and seemed to have a good grasp of the Gospel. I went through it with them anyway, and gave them an "Are You Good Enough to Get into Heaven?" tract. I asked them to pass it along to someone else after they read it and they said that they would.

Another couple stopped and went through the top four “genius” questions, but when I asked them if they would consider themselves to be a good people, they both said no, and they didn't want to hang around. So, I gave them a tract to take with them before they headed out.

I handed a guy a Smart Card tract and he said, "Here, I'll trade you." We will often take whatever someone else is offering so that we can get a tract into their hands. Most of the time, it's just some bar coupon, but this one was a Gospel tract, and the guys name was Aaron.
He asked about the Smart Card that I'd handed him and I told him that it would tell him if he's a good person or not, and he said that none of us are good, and that's why we need Jesus Christ. This seemed to convict himself a little, as he then told me that he knew he shouldn't be out drinking, and I said, "You're out drinking and handing out tracts?"
He admitted that he had just gotten the tract from Matthew, and was passing it along. So, I gave him an "Are You Good Enough to Get into Heaven?" tract, which goes a little more in depth, and asked him to read that when he has time. I told him we're out there most Saturday nights if he ever wanted to stop by and talk some more.

Dan and I talked with a guy named Silas who stopped to check out the Illusion board. Dan took him through all the "genius" questions and the Good Person Test (GPT). It seemed to all make sense to him and he said that he was a believer. We were out of glow sticks, so I gave him a Ten Commandments coin and showed him how to do the illusion of making it appear out of thin air.

If you are a Christian, but haven't been sharing your faith, let me ask you, why are you being disobedient to the Lord who saved you and commands you to go out and tell others?
Many people don't feel equipped to be able to share their faith. If that is your reason and you live in the Phoenix area, we've got a free Evangelism Crash Course coming up on Saturday (10/27/12), from 12:30 - 5:30, and then we'll take you out on the streets to see how this all works in real life. Details HERE.
You must sign up ahead of time so that we know how many people are coming.

If your reason is simply fear, remember that courage is not a lack of fear, but having fear and going ahead and doing it anyway. Overcome your fear (False Evidence Appearing Real), it is only a tool of the enemy. The best way to overcome it is by getting yourself equipped, pray up and get out there and do it. There will be spiritual attack, often minor inconveniences or lack of time - busyness - to keep you from going, but don't let anything stop you, get into the battle. If God is for us, who can stand against us?
Read the Book, we win in the end! The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few, pray for more workers in the harvest field (Luke 10:2).

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 10/06/12

A couple of people dressed like some sort of superheroes were hanging out near the corner, having a smoke break, cursing and talking about whatever issues they had been involved in earlier in the night. You never know what you'll see out on Mill Ave.

A guy named Bobby and a couple of his friends were talking with Rachel. He was saying that he didn't have to read his Bible, that he had read it once and that's enough. He claimed that God speaks to him but couldn't really explain to me how that worked. Do you hear voices? Doe He leave you a note? I tried to explain that God speaks to people through His Word these days, and that it is important to continually read the Bible. They seemed to have a buzz going, I'm not sure if was drugs or alcohol. He kept claiming that the Bible was subjective, which to me is simply saying that he feels that he can twist Scripture in a vain attempt to justify himself. I quoted him Hebrews 10:26-27, but it didn't really seem to penetrate the haze he was in. After a while, they decided to take off and continue whatever it was they were doing that night.

Kevin stopped to check out the Illusion board, so I talked to him about the questions on it. He kept smiling and laughing as we went through the Good Person Test (GPT), but it seemed to be a more nervous laughter. I thought I could see some conviction in him behind the mask of apathy, so I took him through the grace as well. He said he wasn't real "religious", but he took a tract with him when he left. I think some seeds were planted with that guy.

Dana and Steve were a couple of Christians that stopped to check out the illusion board. As we went through the GPT, they didn't like the part about hell and punishment and, like a lot of people, tried to jump forward to the grace and repentance before understanding the need for it.

So I explained this to them and they seemed to understand. They took tracts with them when they left, and I think they understood the idea, but still didn't really like the approach to get there. However, it is a Biblical approach, and although God can use any method He chooses to reach people, it is no excuse to use unbiblical or heretical ideas to reach them. The Bible shows us clearly - Law to the proud, Grace to the humble (James 4:6, 1 Pet 5:5).

The Law is perfect, converting the soul (Psalm 19:7). The Law is a schoolmaster to lead us to Christ (Gal 3:24). Paul said he didn't even know what sin was, until the Law explained it (Rom 7:7).

People must understand their NEED for a Savior, otherwise the Gospel doesn't make sense. If you ask the average person how to get into heaven, they will usually claim it is by being a good person (Prov 20:6). If that were true, if there were any other way to get in, then Jesus Christ died in vain. If there were any other way, He did not have to suffer and die to pay our penalty that we could never pay. If there were any other way, then we could boast of how we earned our way in (Eph 2:8-9) by good works. But as it is, in the Biblical sense, no one can boast, no one deserves it and no one can earn their way into God's good graces. It is a gift of God and our good works are merely evidence of our salvation, that we are a new creation (2 Cor 5:17) and desire to please the Master.

Later on, there was a guy named Eric walking by. As we handed him a tract, he told us that he didn't believe in God. Then he stopped and asked Marcus and I if we believe in Satan. We told him, yes, of course, you'd have to, because he's mentioned in the Bible. Then he said that he believed in God, just not an afterlife. He had a Catholic background, and seemed to be having a rough time lately. I explained some of the problems with the Catholic church and that the Bible never teaches that we'll have an easy time in this world. I told him to make sure he was right on what he believes about the afterlife and to dig into it to find the truth.
We were able to talk to him for a little while and gave him some tracts to read through later. Please keep Eric in prayer, he seemed to have deep down belief, but it has been corrupted through the Catholic church and some hard times. I believe the Lord is beginning to work in him, to draw him closer.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 09/29/12

It seemed that things were going to be kind of slow on Mill Ave this past Saturday night. But it definitely livened up a bit after a while.

We had a group of "flying spaghetti monster" followers (Wiki), as well as a Native American who was arguing with Tom and a group of Muslims who talked with him for a few hours.

A couple named Natalie and Chris stopped to look over the Illusion board and I took them through the 4 "genius" questions at the top, then went into the Good Person Test (GPT). They are Christians from TX, but Natalie would not admit that she would end up in hell if held to the standard of the Ten Commandments, always referring to God's grace. But I explained to them more fully the reason that we need a Savior is because we cannot be saved without Him. I explained the Gospel and the way that we do it, and gave them each a tract to look over later. They understood and seemed to agree with our Gospel proclamation as they headed out.

Next I spoke with a guy named Raul, who said that he was not a good person, but we went through the test anyway He said he'd been to church and he did have some knowledge. I explained it to him that there are none found good in God's eyes, we do not deserve to go to heaven and there is nothing we can do to earn our way. Salvation is a gift of God, and we simply must repent of our sins and trust in Him alone. I gave him a prize of a glow stick, even though he didn't earn it and didn't deserve it, as a demonstration of God's grace. In the same way, we don't deserve to be let into heaven and we cannot earn our way there.
Later, Dan took a few of Raul's friends through the GPT as well.

A man named Bill was looking at our board, so we talked with him and took him through the GPT. He stated that he was a Christian as well, and trying to raise is son right. I gave him the curved illusion tract to show his son (kids like the illusions) and a tract to read through for himself later on. He was agreeable and said that the way we explained it made sense to him.

Later, a taxi stopped behind our board and 5 or 6 people got out. Two of them came around to the front of our illusion board to see what it was. I took them through the first questions, but the guy would not even answer the one about how many of each animal was on the ark, claiming, "It's all fictional anyway." But the girl answered and we went through all four. They had been drinking and looked like they were going to head out, so I gave them each a Smart Card tract to take with them. Then the entire group, having gone nowhere since exiting the last cab, all got into a different cab and went somewhere else.

It was a pretty productive night, proclaiming the Gospel to the lost on the dark streets of Mill Ave in downtown Tempe, AZ.

Soli Deo Gloria