Love God And Love Others
Ministry Update May 14, 2017
On Wednesday I witnessed at MSU I brought a message called Love Not Hate. The main thing I tried to get across to the students was that I don’t hate them. I share the Gospel with them out of love. If I hated them, I wouldn’t go to the campus and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them. But I love God and love others, so I do share the glorious Gospel with them.
While bringing the message a young man rode by on his bicycle and called me a female dog. I just said God bless you and kept preaching. Shortly after that a young man jogged up to me and at first I thought he was an encourager, but instead he was just another mocker that had handed his phone to his friend to take a picture of the mocker standing next to me. I just kept sharing the Gospel. Shortly after that another student rode by on a bicycle and he gave me a thumbs up. I recognized him from before and he’s been an encourager in the past.
Love God And Love Others
We have been blessed with as many as 17 evangelists witnessing downtown last month, but Friday night I was the only one. But as a good friend pointed out to me, even though I was by myself, I was not alone. (Thank You Lord). I was a little apprehensive witnessing on my own, but I kept reminding myself that Jesus said don’t fear those who can kill the body, but fear Him who after He has killed the body can cast your soul into Hell. I’d rather have the fear (and love of God) rather than the fear of man.
The theme Friday night was very similar to the message at MSU. I reminded the crowd that I don’t hate them, that it’s my love of God and love of others that compels me to share truth with them. There were several encouragers Friday night. Including an elderly gentleman that drove by with his wife in the front seat next to him and he reached across the inside of his car and waved to me and I waved back. At one point I was pleading with people to come to Jesus and woman walked behind me about that time and she gave a hearty “Amen!” Another person or two walked by and encouraged me. One lady about a block away listened to most of the first message.
Bless Those That Persecute You
But I also had the typical mockers. I really prayed before I went out that I would not return evil for evil or reviling for reviling. I prayed that I would be gracious no matter how bad the mockers got. God graciously answered my prayer. It was a warm night so most people had their windows down when they drove by. Many mockers yelled praise Jesus and things like this. You can tell when they are mocking versus being sincere.
But every time they mocked God I just said “God bless you” or “have a good night.” I remember one young man who leaned over from his driver seat and mocked the Lord and myself and I just looked at him and said God bless you and looked shocked and just slid back over behind the steering wheel. Likewise with the mockers that yelled as they walked by me; I just said God bless you or have a good night and went back to preaching.
Crane
No a bird didn’t land on me. I had finished the main message and was bringing a shorter message when a young atheist walked up to me named Crane. He asked if we could talk and I said sure. So I stepped off the box and turned the amp off. He told me that he’s an atheist and basically that there’s nothing that I could say to change his mind. So I asked him “what’s the point in talking?” I think he kind of liked that so he talked for a while about President Trump.
Then he told me (like it seems like so many atheists do nowadays) that he’s a good person. He’s a good atheist. He didn’t use these exact terms, but basically he implied that he’s more moral than a lot of Christians. I told him the Bible states that most people think that they are good, so God gave us a test to check to see if we really are good or not. I asked him if he’d be willing to see how good he really is and he said sure.
10 Commandments
Again surprisingly he allowed me to walk him through all 10 Commandments and he readily admitted that he had broken every single one. He said so have you and I said yes I have. I then briefly shared a little of my testimony with him. Then I told him when Jesus saved me nearly 10 years ago, that Jesus changed my life. I’m not perfect, but I’m not the same old dirty rotten sinner that I used to be.
I told him that he and I could talk all night long and sadly I wouldn’t be able to convince him because salvation is of the Lord and it’s supernatural. He said that he doesn’t believe in the supernatural. I agreed that the Bible even states that the natural man can’t receive spiritual things. Crane basically went ballistic at this point saying f you and that he doesn’t care what the Bible says. We agreed early on that he had a reprobate mind (that’s why he was convinced I couldn’t change his mind).
You Need To Leave
When he started cussing, ranting and raving, I knew that I wasn’t going to get any further with him, so I stuck out my hand, thanked him and said that I was going back to preaching. I got back up on the box, turned the amp on and he said “You need to leave. I’m not going to allow you to do this. Get out of here. I’m going to yell as loud as I can to stop you.” I merely said do what you have to do, but I’m going to preach.
God in His great mercy had sent a couple a few feet behind me that had stopped to listen to Crane and I talk. The man yelled to Crane “I believe in free speech, let him speak.” Amazingly, Crane went over and talked to the couple. I don’t know what they said because I started reading Romans 1.
After a few minutes Crane left the couple and walked behind me on down the sidewalk. I really do thank God for diffusing the situation for me. Crane breaks my heart, but he really appeared to have a reprobate mind. Earlier him and I even discussed how you run so fast, far and hard away from God that He removes His hands of mercy and lets you go. Crane seemed to understand and agree with this. I still pray that God will break his heard heart of stone.
Handed Out New Testaments
After I finished that message I handed out six New Testaments. Some of the people seemed really appreciative. Then a couple of guys walked by and they both took one. They said thank you, but after they were past me I notice they were both wearing all black and the first guy had a backpack that was in the shape of a coffin. I don’t know if they were just Gothic or Satanic, but it wasn’t right. Hopefully if they plan on desecrating the New Testaments, may the Lord direct their eyes to His truth before they do so.
Then I offered a New Testament to a guy, but he said no. A few minutes he walked back by me and a woman was with him. So I stuck out a N.T. and offered it to her. She jumped away from it and said “Get that away from me, I am Satan.” Oh can you imagine the depravity of mind and deception to think you are Satan? This woman is going to be sadly mistaken when she takes her last breath and God casts her into Hell. She will realize when it’s too late that she isn’t Satan and that she isn’t going to rule Hell like she thinks now. I just responded have a good night, but I thought to myself you won’t have a good eternity. I didn’t have my body camera turned on Friday night so unfortunately I don’t have any pictures.
(These updates are given to encourage fellow believers to share their faith in Christ with others. You may never stand on a box on a street corner, but you can tell people how you once were lost, but now you are found.)