Repent and Turn Ministries
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Street Witnessing 050506
Downtown Springfield, MO
SWAT TEAM Witnessing
SWAT TEAM Witnessing
Street Witnessing And Training
Taking Evangelism Across Missouri
May 5, 2006
Four of us met up tonight in downtown
Springfield. Michael Borich, J.J. Lindsey, Danika and myself. Tonight
was also “Pub Crawl” in downtown Springfield, there were a good number
of folks out, but not as many as we thought would be.
When we arrived, we found out there was a man named Robert, who is from Florida that was down at the square. He said he would be open-air preaching in just a few minutes. I was interested in hearing him, so we hung around the square and passed out gospel tracts until he began.
Robert jumped up on the water fountain wall and began preaching about the mark of the beast, the Passover and against catholicism. Three different times throughout his open-air, he gave out a $20 bill to random people. This made the crowd stay around and listen to him. He did get to use the Law (Ten Commandments) as he was preaching. He mentioned that none of us are good enough by our works to get to heaven, and that it is only through Jesus Christ that we are made righteous. He then led some in the crowd in a “sinner’s prayer”. I do believe there was a few people there that really meant the prayer, and some just said the prayer to get the $20 that he was handing out—hoping Robert would select them.
Our style of open-air preaching is to focus primarily on taking people through God’s Law (the Ten Commandments) so that they find themselves in need of “saving”, then share the good news (the gospel) with them. We don’t believe in going off in various directions, like preaching against the catholic church, etc. in the same message as presenting the gospel.
I was able to speak with Nicole and take her through the Law and gospel. Her boyfriend, John, said that he didn’t believe in this but he didn’t mind if I talked to his girlfriend about it. John listened as well as we were talking. Nicole was convicted, as she admitted that she was a lying, thieving, blasphemous, adultery at heart. She admitted that she would be guilty on Judgment Day and is on her way to hell. I presented the gospel to her and that “we broke God’s Law and Jesus paid our fine”. I gave her a “Are you good enough to go to Heaven” tract and a giant $100 bill gospel tract. John wouldn’t take a giant $100 bill.
However, later when we ran across Nicole and John, he said he didn’t believe like I did, but he respected me for coming out and talking with people. He also asked for one of the giant $100 bill gospel tracts. He said he wasn’t going to read it, but will pin it to his wall for the looks of it. I am praying that that he will get alone and the Holy Spirit will convict his heart and he will read it.
Also, since we received a letter from the General Counsel attorney saying that we had the right to witness and pass out gospel tracts at the bus station, we did so! We walked all around on the property, passed out tracts to just about everyone, waved at the friendly security guard and didn’t have any problems. Praise God!
The following is from Michael Borich:
The young lady (and her friend who was talking on the telephone-- one of them was Monica, I think)) I shared the Good Person test with near the bus station was like so many of the young people we share with -- they are "Christianized" -- having been to church off and on from a young age, maybe even answering an altar call at some point, baptized, but living lives with little outward evidence or understanding of what it really means to be a a follower of Jesus Christ.
From my experience, witnessing to someone with no knowledge is easier than those who think they are Christians but have no interest in growing in their faith.
Especially the downtown-dwellers who are regulars around the square have been around Christians all their lives, can quote scripture, can tell why Jesus died, but here is the problem, in my opinion:
Many people want forgiveness without repentance. They want salvation without change. They want Christ's blessings without His suffering. They want to be Christians without being consecrated. The core message should always be repentance and faith alone in Jesus. But after that, how then should they live?. . .
Save Yourself Some Pain does provide answers, but as in Jesus' day, the most resistant to the good news were those who thought themselves religious.
The other two girls I got to take through the Good Person test -- Mykala and Melissa -- both Glendale students -- I have talked to several times in the past but never at length. They both failed the test, but at the point of, when will you have that serious conversation with God? They began to walk away. Nevertheless, some seeds were planted and I am sure we will see them again.
______________________________
We thank God for bringing these people into our paths tonight and to continue to convict their hearts.
In Christ,
When we arrived, we found out there was a man named Robert, who is from Florida that was down at the square. He said he would be open-air preaching in just a few minutes. I was interested in hearing him, so we hung around the square and passed out gospel tracts until he began.
Robert jumped up on the water fountain wall and began preaching about the mark of the beast, the Passover and against catholicism. Three different times throughout his open-air, he gave out a $20 bill to random people. This made the crowd stay around and listen to him. He did get to use the Law (Ten Commandments) as he was preaching. He mentioned that none of us are good enough by our works to get to heaven, and that it is only through Jesus Christ that we are made righteous. He then led some in the crowd in a “sinner’s prayer”. I do believe there was a few people there that really meant the prayer, and some just said the prayer to get the $20 that he was handing out—hoping Robert would select them.
Our style of open-air preaching is to focus primarily on taking people through God’s Law (the Ten Commandments) so that they find themselves in need of “saving”, then share the good news (the gospel) with them. We don’t believe in going off in various directions, like preaching against the catholic church, etc. in the same message as presenting the gospel.
I was able to speak with Nicole and take her through the Law and gospel. Her boyfriend, John, said that he didn’t believe in this but he didn’t mind if I talked to his girlfriend about it. John listened as well as we were talking. Nicole was convicted, as she admitted that she was a lying, thieving, blasphemous, adultery at heart. She admitted that she would be guilty on Judgment Day and is on her way to hell. I presented the gospel to her and that “we broke God’s Law and Jesus paid our fine”. I gave her a “Are you good enough to go to Heaven” tract and a giant $100 bill gospel tract. John wouldn’t take a giant $100 bill.
However, later when we ran across Nicole and John, he said he didn’t believe like I did, but he respected me for coming out and talking with people. He also asked for one of the giant $100 bill gospel tracts. He said he wasn’t going to read it, but will pin it to his wall for the looks of it. I am praying that that he will get alone and the Holy Spirit will convict his heart and he will read it.
Also, since we received a letter from the General Counsel attorney saying that we had the right to witness and pass out gospel tracts at the bus station, we did so! We walked all around on the property, passed out tracts to just about everyone, waved at the friendly security guard and didn’t have any problems. Praise God!
The following is from Michael Borich:
The young lady (and her friend who was talking on the telephone-- one of them was Monica, I think)) I shared the Good Person test with near the bus station was like so many of the young people we share with -- they are "Christianized" -- having been to church off and on from a young age, maybe even answering an altar call at some point, baptized, but living lives with little outward evidence or understanding of what it really means to be a a follower of Jesus Christ.
From my experience, witnessing to someone with no knowledge is easier than those who think they are Christians but have no interest in growing in their faith.
Especially the downtown-dwellers who are regulars around the square have been around Christians all their lives, can quote scripture, can tell why Jesus died, but here is the problem, in my opinion:
Many people want forgiveness without repentance. They want salvation without change. They want Christ's blessings without His suffering. They want to be Christians without being consecrated. The core message should always be repentance and faith alone in Jesus. But after that, how then should they live?. . .
Save Yourself Some Pain does provide answers, but as in Jesus' day, the most resistant to the good news were those who thought themselves religious.
The other two girls I got to take through the Good Person test -- Mykala and Melissa -- both Glendale students -- I have talked to several times in the past but never at length. They both failed the test, but at the point of, when will you have that serious conversation with God? They began to walk away. Nevertheless, some seeds were planted and I am sure we will see them again.
______________________________
We thank God for bringing these people into our paths tonight and to continue to convict their hearts.
Brad St. Clair
