Tire Slasher and Other Crazies

Tire Slasher and Other Crazies

Ministry Update March 26, 2016

Before I start on the update: Happy Resurrection Sunday! (Matthew 28:6) May those who are born again never take for granted our great salvation found in Christ alone. He is risen! And those of us who have repented and put our trust in Jesus will worship Him in Heaven for all of eternity! Praise God; Hallelujah! 

On Wednesday March 23, 2106 Aaron and I witnessed at MSU. I brought a message first and right off the bat a young student walked right in front of me, motioning with both hands and said “You know this is pointless? No one is listening?” I thanked her and said God bless you and continued preaching. A few other students mocked as they walked by, but the Gospel went forth.

Then Aaron was getting ready to preach and a student stopped and pleaded with us to preach love because Jed Smock had been there the day before preaching hate. Aaron thanked her for her comments, but assured her that we were preaching what God wanted us to preach. She also warned him that someone had threatened to bomb us and she seemed really scared when she said it.

The Angry Professor

While Aaron was preaching I handed out tracts. The professor who has told me multiple times “You keep your Jesus and I’ll keep mine” walked by us. I saw him walk by earlier when I was bringing a message. This time when he walked by, a woman was with him and she was actually closer to me, so I stuck my hand out with a tract and said “did you get one of these?” She smiled and politely shook her head no. The angry professor then turned back around and pointed his finger at me and told me that he’s tired of me offering him a tract every day on his lunch hour (even though we are only there once a week)  and for me to stop offering one to him.

Middle East Christians Fault

Then he continued to inform me that all of the problems in the Middle East are the fault of Christians because we don’t keep our religion to ourselves.  (Do you really think the Palestinians blame Christians as they kill Israelies?) Again, this professor told me to keep my God to myself and he would keep his god to himself and for me not to offer him a tract again. I told him that I was sorry, but my God has commanded us to share the Gospel with every creature, so every time that he walks by I will try to hand him a tract. He was upset that he had to stop every time and refuse a tract. I politely tried to explain to him that he didn’t have to stop if he didn’t want a tract, that he could just walk on by.

Tract No to a Yes

Aaron continued to preach and I kept handing out tracts. I tried to hand one to a student and he asked me if I was with him (and he pointed to Aaron), I said yes, so he said that he didn’t want one since I was there with the preacher. Several students took tracts including one who put his hand up like he was saying no, but then in one smooth motion he turned his hand around, palm open, so I dropped a tract in his hand. It brought to mind that God is sovereign. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardens (Romans 9:18).

Tire Slasher

After we finished witnessing, we went back to our vehicles to learn that our tires had been slashed. This is the third time this has happened. I assume it’s an angry atheist who’s doing this. It’s very frustrating and very time consuming and it causes us to be late getting back to work. One MSU worker has given us a new option for parking and we are hopeful that this will prevent further vandalism. Aaron posted a Go Fund Me about what happened and the amount we needed to replace our tires and within six hours several brothers and sisters provided more funds than we had requested. We are very humbled and grateful for the outpouring of love and support. Many people shared the fund request and we appreciate everything that people did to help us out. Thank you very much to those who helped us.

More Encouragers Than Mockers

Then on Friday night March 25, 2016, Aaron and I were joined by Erica, Diana, Elise, Serenity and several kids from their churh witnessing downtown. We had a few mockers, but overall, we had more encouragers than mockers. After we sang some hymns, I brought a message and Aaron talked to one guy. I didn’t get a chance to ask him how that went. I had a couple of people encourage me while I was on the box.

Crazy Women

 

 

Then Aaron brought a message from Romans 5 about how we are all sinners and Jesus Christ is the only Savior. A group of young guys walked up while he was preaching. I handed out a couple of Bibles and then another young man asked me for one, so I gave him a Bible. About that time two women walking across the street near us started yelling and cussing Aaron as he preached. He kept preaching anyway. Then later on, they drove right in front of us, both of them yelling again. I guess you could say they were our crazies for the night.

The large group of young men were still standing near us while the women were yelling and right after that I overheard one young man say that everybody drinks (Aaron had just preached against drinking) so I turned to him and pointed out that just because everyone is doing something doesn’t make it right. He agreed with me.

I Pray Every Night

Then the guy next to him whose name is Tyler, started talking to me. He said that he prays to God every night. He had agreed with the other guy that everyone drinks. So I explained to him that praying to God and continuing in your sins is not repentance. I shared a little bit of my testimony with him and pleaded with him to repent and truly trust Jesus. He was one of the guys that I had given a Bible to earlier, so I also told him that he really needs to read it every day. He stuck out his hand and gave me a firm handshake and thanked me for talking to him. Oh how I pray that God will convict and convert Tyler and his friends.

Homeless Men

I also gave a Bible to a homeless guy and he hung around and listened to both Aaron and I preach and then he joined us when we sang hymns at the end of the night. Another friend of his hung around too and Aaron took them to McDonald’s after we finished up. May God save both of them if they aren’t saved.

Resurrection Sunday

It was a blessed night to serve the Lord and it was great to talk about Resurrection Sunday. If you are saved, you also serve the risen Savior. This is something to shout about. It’s something to get excited about. Go out and tell others about such a great of salvation.