Still No Notes

full disclosure...

Now that he is back, I suppose there is no sense keeping it a secret...

The reason I haven't been able to go out street preaching the couple of weeks is because Pastor Tim was away on vacation, and I was/am really busy preparing for the Lord's Day sermons.

I trust both of us will be back at our post next Friday, preaching the Gospel of Life.

Rand

No Notes

weather and heath...

I wasn't able to make it to the market last night for some evangelism due to bad weather, and bad health.  I'm definitely on the mend, but I appreciate your prayers, dear saints.

Have a blessed weekend,

Rand

Friday Night Notes

demented conversations...

Just me tonight.  Pastor Tim was away, Brother Rod was too busy... so the marketplace had to settle for one lone preacher.

The market was nowhere near as busy as I thought it would be.  Don't get me wrong, there were no shortage of sinners to preach the Gospel to, but not the dense crowds that usually roam the streets on a clear summer night.  Overall, I'd have to say that it's been a quiet year for the market so far.  With the exception of Canada Day, I haven't seen the kind of volume we usually see in the summertime.

Still, I shared the Gospel with several souls tonight.  I did some preaching, and handed Gospel literature on a busy street corner, Bible sign firmly in hand.  Many read the big John 3:16 sign I held, some took a Gospel tract, and a few spoke up and asked questions.

All in all, the conversations were difficult.  I spoke with some sort of social worker who took exception to our opposition (actually, it's the Bible's opposition) to homosexuality.  I did my best to explain that God saves homosexual, but she would have none of it.  As far as she was concerned, God either accepted homosexuals, or she had no time for Him.  I said: "goodnight."

I spoke for a long time to a romanist named Michel and a professing Christian named Mark.  Michel has very little biblical/theological knowledge, but it was clear he had some natural fear of God.  He believes the Bible is God's Word, so when I answered his questions with Scripture, he accepted what I said.  When Mark joined our conversation, things went off on a tangent as Mark decided to share with us much of his life story.  His story contained lots of incredible circumstances and amazing outcomes.  He claimed to have suffered greatly, sometimes because of sin, but mostly because of his good "Christian" character.  For well over 45 minutes, Michel and I listened to Mark's testimony.  I didn't believe much of Mark's testimony I'm afraid; I couldn't prove he was lying, so I listened without rejecting his claims, but too many parts of his story sounded fishy.  Michel on the other hand, bought all of it.

When Mark finally took a breath, I took charge of the conversation and warned Michel that he had heard much tonight by way of the Gospel.  Enough to get him seeking after God.  I encouraged him to read the Scriptures and come to church on the Lord's Day.  I doubt we'll be seeing him on the Lord's Day, but there's no doubt in my mind that he will be thinking about what I said tonight for so time to come.  Mark took a Gospel tract and told me he might visit our church on the Lord's Day, and in his case, I think it might just happen.  If it does, I'll have to talk to him about his "testimony".

I also dealt with a young man who has just started working in the restaurant across the street from our preaching spot.  The poor lad is hooked on drugs, is involved with the worse kind of people and is afflicted with a mental disability.  I encouraged him to seek God through the Bible, that it was able to make him wise unto salvation.  He agreed, and said he was quite pleased to have met me.  He took a Gospel tract but I don't think he'll be seeking God any time soon.  He just didn't seem earnest enough.  Still, who knows?

It was 11pm by the time I left the market, and I was pretty annoyed with myself.  I felt I wasted to much time with Mark, and also felt I had done him a disservice by not calling him out on his questionable account.  It's so difficult to make an accurate judgment on someone when you don't have all the facts; the last thing you want to do in such circumstances is insult the person with a false accusation.  I'm still annoyed...

With that, I'm turning in for the night.  Have a blessed weekend, dear readers.


Rand

No Notes

other ministries...

I was unable to go out street preaching last night... I have a number of other church activities to take care of this week and there just wasn't enough time.

Remember me in you prayers, dear saints, as I will be running the show for both church services tomorrow.

God bless you, and have a great weekend.

Rand

Canada Day

back from vacation... and back to work!!!


Just got back from a family vacation, which explains the lack of blogging of late.  Sorry for not giving you a heads-up about that, dear readers, but IT-security 101 dictates that you don't announce to the world when you will be out of town for several days!  We spent a week at a great cottage and had a fantastic time; kids did plenty of fishing, my wife got some peace-and-quiet, and I had fun with some nature photography (see some of my finds below).

We got back in time for the Lord's Day, which is always a busy day, and then July 1st, Canada Day.  So I wasn't in town for more than a day, and I was running around!

Today was a big day, as far as our church evangelism is concerned.  Seven-plus hours of open-air evangelism, ministering to tens of thousands lost sinners.  The work this year was somewhat easier since nearly everyone in our assembly got involved.  Brothers Rod, Marcio, Mattaeus, Ian, and my sisters-in-the-Lord Marcia, Jenn and Evelyna joined Pastor Tim and I with Bible signs.  My two eldest children and Pastor Tim's wife also joined us, so there was twelve of us out there (thirteen when we add Brother Ian's young son, Reheim, who despite the hard looks of some sinners, courageously handed out some Bible tracts).

The noise level downtown was so high from very early in the day, we didn't bother trying to preach the Gospel.  We just picked street corners, and with Bible signs in our hands, we gave out Gospel literature to all those who would receive it.  After seven hours, we went through our whole stock of tracts!

All of us had a number of one-on-one conversations with sinners; many of them were quite unprofitable, but some were good and there is hope the Lord may have opened the hearts of some lost sheep today.  That said, it should be noted that the number of souls that displayed a genuine interest in the Gospel were very few and far between.  For the most part, we were mocked and scorned.  Thankfully, I don't think any of us were threatened (I know I wasn't).

So all in all, a sad day in which we saw undeniable evidence that Canada has forgotten God, and is quite ripe of judgment... but we soldier on, knowing that our work is primarily for the glory of God.  May He use our work as He sees fit.

"The wicked shall be turned into Hell, and all the nations that forget God." (Psalm 9:17)

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Rand