Friday Night Notes

what a contrast!!!


Another Friday night, another time of street preaching the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. I was by myself tonight; that is, pastor Tim was unable to come out with me. We were both at our church's family camp this week, so he needed the night off to prepare his sermons for the Lord's Day services. So while he locked himself in his study, I took a Gospel sign an manned our post on our street corner.

What a contrast I witnessed in just a few short hours! I spent the week at a camp site with saints of God, where there was no cursing, no blasphemy, no violence... quite the opposite, I was surrounded with people who minded the things of God and desired to serve him with their whole hearts. I came back home from this camp at around 4 pm this afternoon, and at 8 pm, I found myself in a place where cursing, blasphemy and the threat of violence is so prevalent, it almost seems "natural".

I had prepared myself mentally for this, but still, it was a tough night. The conversations I had with sinners all seemed rather unprofitable, and the number of tracts I distributed tonight was lamentably small. Everything seemed as spiritually dead as ever in the marketplace. I pray the Lord will yet surprise me by working some great work of salvation/sanctification. I'm holding out faint hope for Collin (the parking garage attendant) who seems to desire, at least a measure of godliness; and there was another fellow I dealt with who was well versed in Scripture but leaned towards "oneness theology" in which he said he had difficulty believing in the Triune nature of God. If the Lord does anything with either one of these two men, I would greatly rejoice, but I must be honest, I see them as "long shots"; then again, "is anything too hard for the Lord?" (Jeremiah 32:27)

While I was the only member of my church labouring on the streets of the market tonight, I wasn't completely alone. The picture at the top of this post is of a brother-in-the-Lord who is involved with a ministry called the Open-Air Campaigners. During the summer season, they are usually out preaching the Word on Friday nights as well. While we are not in complete agreement in doctrine, I know for a fact the Lord can and does use their efforts and I appreciate their faithfulness in proclaiming salvation in Christ Jesus. Talking with them was a blessing tonight... the Lord bless these dear brothers.

After this nice time with the Campaigners, I went back to work and brought my Romans 6:23 sign to the doors of most bars/clubs in the market. There was plenty of jeers and insults, but there was also some downcast faces (which I truly hope were signs of shame). It took me well over an hour to present the sign at all these abominable places, and during that hour I was took note of the power of drugs and alcohol in the lives of the lost. So long as the devil keeps them high/drunk, they are unable and quite unwilling to have anything to do with the Gospel, and under the powerful influence of these vices, sin abounds. Chiefly would be the sin of immorality, but there are also a plurality of other sins which surfaces: wrath, idolatry, revelry, blasphemy and cursings... etc.

The absolute ugliness of sin in the market left me feeling a great sense of sadness, and exasperation. Oh! that the Lord would awaken my sick... sick city... and by extension, my country.

I covet your prayers, dear saints. My week of evangelistic work in nowhere near over: this Lord's Day is Canada Day (the Canadian version of the 4th of July). Hundreds of thousands of souls will come to my city to celebrate how "great" my ungodly nation is. That's an opportunity my pastor and I never miss; so right after the morning service on Sunday, my pastor and I will spend the afternoon street preaching to all those people. Please pray for the Lord's leading, protection, and for the salvation of souls.

On that note, I'm off to bed. I hope to have some notes for you late Sunday night, after the Lord's Day evening service, in which I will summarize our afternoon of Gospel work. Have a great weekend, dear readers.


Rand

Labels: Friday evangelism