Well, I now have another revelation. Trying to update this blog is going to be a lot harder than I thought. With summer fast approaching and the weather beginning to warm up, we hope to be out on the streets nearly everyday. If our encounters last night are any indication of what the summer holds for us, then trying to relay the days events to you the reader will be next to impossible.
Last night was AWESOME! Josh, Val, Tina, and our girls were with me yesterday. Although Tina and the girls did their own thing, I have no doubt that Tina was praying for us and enjoying her time with the girls.
Val and I were manning the sign while Josh had to attend to some personal business. Just as I was setting up the sign, a guy approached me with a high-tech camera.
He asked me, "Would you be willing to flick off the camera for me."
I said, "No".
How about sticking your tongue out.
I'll smile for you if that works.
No that won't work. You need to do something that fits your sign.
What do you mean?
Well your sign looks stupid, so you need to look stupid too. I guess this will work. Both of you look like idiots. Thanks.
This guy obviously did not like our sign (he professed to be a christian - who doesn't?) however he kept mocking us, telling us we are "stupid" and "idiots". He was taking our picture constantly and did not want us to stay around. The funny thing is, he was drawing more attention to us then we were drawing to ourselves, probably the very thing he didn't want to do. It's great how God works! At one point he got so desperate to make us leave that he took some potato chips, crushed them up in his hands, and preceded to throw them around us. Why? In hopes the seagulls would fly around us and poop on us. They didn't and even if they did, we wouldn't have moved. Praise God that His name is exalted even by mockers who have no idea what they are doing is drawing more of a crowd to think about God.
Psa 37:12 The wicked plots against the just, And gnashes at him with his teeth.
Psa 37:13 The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming.
One of the highlights about last night was that it was the first time we really got a chance to witness with Val. We meet Val a few weeks ago. He's a middle-aged gentleman who is originally from Russia (oh yes, he's got the Russian accent). He was born-again over 30 years ago in a Russian prison (awesome testimony), became a preacher, moved to the US over 16 years ago, and is now in the process of working with us. He used to open-air preach in Russia when the communist regime fell. So I was pretty excited when people started approaching us. I let him do the talking, it was time for me to be the student. I was very impressed with what he had to say. He didn't get caught up with the "rabbit trail" questions people were asking. He told them the truth, asked a few questions, and let the people go if they so desired. As he says, "You have to open your mouth. In the beginning was the Word..." His point (I think), "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17).
As the day began to close, we were approached by a group of believers. These believers, for the most part, were very negative towards our sign. They didn't understand why we would wear shirts that say, "Repent or Perish". I tried to explain to them that this is a very common theme throughout the entire bible. Not to mention, this is what Jesus said to the masses.
Mat 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Luk 13:2 And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things?
Luk 13:3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.
Luk 13:4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?
Luk 13:5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."
I may have stated this before, so please bear with me. I have NO PROBLEM with people thinking our sign/style of witnessing is not how they would do it and/or not the "best" way to do it. I DO have a problem with believers telling us our way is the WRONG way of doing it. For example, I do not think having a sign that says GOD LOVES YOU on it is the "best" way to get God's message out. However, I would not "argue" on the streets with them about it. I would encourage them in their endeavors and genuinely ask them how things are going. I would then hope to take them aside (when they are done) and talk about God's other side as well. Is their message biblical? Yes. Can God use it. Yes. Is it the best biblical message someone can come up with? That's debatable. I don't think so, but doing SOMETHING is better than doing NOTHING. Josh and I discussed this last night a little and he said, "I'd rather be preaching the right Gospel the wrong way, rather than the wrong gospel the right way." Amen to that.
Now, why did Josh say that? Well, while we were talking to these believers, a lady on a Harley bike rolled up and staring getting a little defensive about our sign. She was saying we were being judgmental (our sign has NOTHING about specific sins at all and nothing that could be considered judgmental in my opinion). Within the first few minutes she claims to be a homosexual christian...which is an oxymoron. Can a homosexual become a christian...ABSOLUTELY! Can a christian slip up at times and commit a homosexual sin, of course. Can a christian live as an unrepentant homosexual, who does not see homosexuality as a sin...no way! So the reason Josh made his statement about preaching a true gospel the wrong way (not talking about "love" and talking more about "judgment") is because the other believers who came up to us were "lovingly" telling this lady that it is ok to be a homosexual. I wasn't part of the conversation, but according to Josh they kept reassuring the lady that "we all sin" and "we all struggle with sin". How deceiving is that! That's true in a sense! But it's unbiblical to say it's OK to be a homosexual and still think you are going to heaven. If you think that, then how would you interpret the following scriptures.
Lev 20:13 If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.
1Co 6:9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites,
1Co 6:10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
It's not about what the culture thinks, it's about what the bible says.
Let me add that as Josh was having his conversations with, I was having a GREAT conversation with two of the other believers that came up to me. We talked about a lot of topics, but the main point was me trying to explain to them why our sign says what it says, why we focus on judgment, wrath, hell, and stop sinning, more than God's love (although I think our sign is VERY loving). In the end, I think my point was clearly made and taken very well by the listening party. In fact they both seemed to understand where I was coming from and even considered coming out with us to hear more of what we say to people.
As the conversations ended, we started packing up. Just then a couple approached us both with a rather "happy" smile on their faces. We started up a conversation with them and shortly into the conversation we realized these people were very encouraged by our sign and style of witnessing. The guy, Sam, is the worship leader at a local church. His wife, Lesley, is part of the Pro-Life street witnessing organization. They to have been frustrated with the churches of today, the lack of zeal in most christians lives, and the lack of obedience to the word of God. It was a very encouraging way to end the day. In fact, we plan on meeting with them in the near future and discuss the vision God has laid on my heart. I am not the most optimistic person in the world, but this looks to be the start of a great relationship that God had ordained. Just when Tina and I, as well as Josh, were discussing the lack of people willing to fight the fight on the streets, God (in His timing) brings people to us. To encourage us and give us strength.
1Th 3:1 Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone,
1Th 3:2 and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith,
1Th 3:3 that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this.
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