Friday Night Notes

a few words from the front lines...

I exhausted. Absolutely spent. I can't think of one part of my body that isn't, in some way, sore. These notes might be short, I really need to get to bed.

My pastor and I were once again at our post in the market to preach the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to the "untoward generation" before us. We preached, distributed bible tracts and walked about the streets of downtown with our Gospel signs for three hours tonight, and sadly, we have the same complaint Peter had: "Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing" (Luke 5:5). Still, the Lord was glorified in the marketplace through his ambassadors tonight.

Compared to other Friday nights, I have passed out very few Bible tracts tonight, but God be magnified, a whole lot of people in bars and pubs read my 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 sign as I walked by pretty much all the abominable houses. There were plenty of scoffing, mockery and I was even "boo-ed" when I walked by a Scottish pub, but that's fine; they read the Scriptures, so there is hope:

"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11)

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:13-17)

I am still amazed at the power of 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. I can walk around with our John 3:16 sign or our Romans 6:23 sign, and be completely ignored by the people downtown. Not so with 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. No one can ignore it, no one is indifferent to it. They HAVE to scoff, they HAVE to call me stupid or hateful, they have to yell at me to leave. It's really something to see.

I have had a few one-on-one conversations with people who realized through reading 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 that they were part of these who "shall not inherit the kingdom of God". Sadly though, most of them gloried in their rebellion, proudly exclaiming that they were drunkards, idolaters and fornicators.

"Well... I'm not going to Heaven then... and I don't care!" one soul said.

How I wish I could accurately relay to you the vexation of heart and sorrow I feel when I see so many souls, blind and dead in their sins and transgressions, and the pride they take in their wickedness. How I wish I could put the fear of God into their souls, that they may live, but I can't. All I can do is declare the Gospel and pray for the salvation of the Lord.

And on that note, I close the notes. It's time for this old man to get some rest. The Lord use our labour tonight as He sees fit.

Good night, dear readers. Have a wonderful, soul-refreshing Lord's Day, dear saints of God.


Rand

Labels: Friday evangelism