This evening, I met up with Greg Marlin of Born of Him Ministries.  There was a "3 Doors Down" concert at the Shrine Mosque.  There were many people waiting in line to get in the door.  After this, I went to the downtown Springfield area around Park Central Square. 

Greg and I passed out gospel tracts to the folks waiting in line.  After the line was tracted pretty well, we decided to set up across the street to open air preach. Greg got out his little step stool and was using his loud speaker to project his voice across the street to the crowds waiting in line. 

When he announced he was there to share a very important message with them, a man with a partially shaved head with long hair on other parts of his head yelled out to Greg, "Hey, were you here doing this at the 'Disturbed Concert' a while back?"  Greg said that he was.  He said, "Oh man.  Hey, are you going to give out $5.00 like you did last time?"  (Last time Greg gave out $5.00 to a volunteer to take the "Good Person Test").  Greg said no he wasn't.  That didn't make him happy, as he set out complaining. 

Greg preached a good message.  Afterwards, our friendly heckler yelled across the street and told Greg, "Hey, your message was better this time than last time."  Also, another young man crossed the street and walked up to Greg and told him, "You have a lot of nerve to get up and do something like this" (comment was edited due to language), then he shook Greg's hand.  He had his picture taken with Greg. 

We then walked down the sidewalk and set up the stool again with my amplification.  This is where I open air preached. 

I was asking questions such as, "Have you ever stolen something or looked with lust?"  The people in line were listening, and some even answered my questions.  I explained that the Bible says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  I went through the law, grace and that Jesus paid their penalty by dying on the cross for them, but that they must repent and trust in Christ to be saved.  Unless a man is born again he will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 

We walked further down the sidewalk and set up to preach again.  Greg started open air preaching and I walked across the street to the crowds.  A woman, who was probably in her mid 40's, walked up to me and asked, "Why are you guys out here preaching 'at' people?" 

I explained that the Bible says to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature", and that is what we are doing.  She said, "The times are rough and the economy is bad.  These people spent their money to attend this concert to just relax, but you are here judging them by the music they are listening to".  I told her we are not judging them by this music.  We go to any place there is a crowd and pass out gospel tracts and open air preach.  That is what John the Baptist, Jesus and the apostles did.  As Christians, we are to do this. 

She didn't agree.  She said, "I am a Christian, and I think you guys are being disrespectful to everyone out here by doing this".  Greg came across the street and asked her, "If you walked by a swimming pool and a child was drowning, what would you do?"  She said, "I would do everything I could to save them".  Greg said, "That is why we are out here.  Some of these people are dying and going to hell.  We are doing everything we can to give them the gospel so that they may be saved."

She said, "I think that everyone out here already knows about God and all that, and they didn't need to hear it from you."  Greg tried to ask her name, but she just walked off. 

We passed out more gospel tracts, and after most everyone entered the building we decided to leave. 

Afterwards, I went downtown and got a cup of coffee to warm up.  Then I walked around passing out tracts and seeing if I could find any of the Jericho Riders.  They planned on coming out, but they were sidelined.  I stood out in front of Ernie Biggs Dueling Piano Bar and passed out tracts for a while.  I then headed home.