Friday Night Notes

no rest for the weary...


Our street preaching endeavour capped off one busy and challenging week. Eat-Sleep-Work, that sums up my week. I worked a great deal of overtime and tonight was no exception. I showed up an hour late at Pastor Tim's, and though I was exhausted, I really felt I needed to go with him for our customary night of evangelism. I thank God for His enabling power.

The night started out with the usual mockeries: "I worship Satan!", or "Get real! It's a myth", or various expletives followed by "God" or "Jesus". My head was still mostly on my various work responsibilities (and lately, they are many), so the cursing and mocking really didn't phase me. That's the good part. The bad part is that, with my secular work foremost on my mind, I had a real hard time doing the work of an evangelist; I felt like I was just going through the motions. I know that isn't a good thing.

Very few tracts were handed out tonight. There were plenty of people in the market, but very few received anything of the Gospel. Clearly, both Pastor Tim and I were disappointed. Yet, we pressed on and had a few short conversations with sinners. Pastor Tim tried explaining to a man that Jesus did indeed die FOR HIS PEOPLE, but the man was less than receptive. I had a similar conversation with a man who took exception to me saying that it was God that did the saving, not man saving himself. We don't often speak on the doctrines of grace when we are evangelizing, it was strange how it naturally came up on a number of occasions tonight.

I spoke to a man who said he "really respected what I was doing". He said he was the son of a Presbyterian minister, that he prayed often, and "always looked for ways to improve himself". It didn't take me long to realize that this man, while religious, was without a doubt, lost. I appreciated his favorable sentiment toward me, but everything about the man pointed to a lost state. From his chain smoking to patronage in a market bar, from his superficial knowledge of God to his quick retreat when I wanted to speak to him further about the Lord... none of it felt right. I wish I could have been a bit more pointed, but like I mentioned above, I wasn't really at my best tonight.

Remember me in your prayers, dear saints. Things are pretty hectic in my life right now. I need wisdom and guidance from the Lord.

Have a great weekend,

Rand

Labels: Friday evangelism