Battle Log

For the Christchurch (NZ) team, Thursday & Friday would normally involve: bus stop outreaches at Eastgate and Northlands, gospel + abortion ministry outside the hospital, open air preaching in Cathedral Square, flip charting on Cashel Mall, and a “walk up” evening outreach in the city.  Due to Coronavirus lockdown, none of those things were able to occur.

But, to my amazement, this has opened up a whole new world of opportunities for the gospel: online.  Just a little bit of digging, and gold mines (harvest fields) have been found.

So instead, Thursday & Friday involved outreaches to: Omegle (video and text based) & the Freenode ##truth channel (IRC - Internet Relay Chat).

All this while: staying connected to, praying with, and being encouraged by a team of Christians via Facebook Messenger, and Zoom.

I want to encourage you to join an outreach team.  Set aside a couple of hours to spend talking to strangers about the gospel.  I know it’s terrifying.  But, with God’s help, we can do this.  Please get in touch with Operation 513 via Facebook to learn more!

For me, Thursday started with some text chat on Omegle.  I encountered a vile young man, (but who I persisted with, because I’m vile too), who heard the law, but didn’t want the gospel.  I sent him a link to the Atheist Delusion on YouTube.  The conversation ended like this:

Stranger: you saved me
Stranger: i've seen the error in my ways
You: I can't save anyone.
Stranger: GOT EM LOL APRIL FOOLS
Stranger has disconnected.

God save him, there will be a day where he will regret the mocking.

To mix it up, I then spent some time on IRC.  I responded to a guy (who denies that the Bible is infallible) about what sin is, and this moved into a discussion about the Bible, and then the Gospel, and hope.  It was really good.  Someone even chimed in asking: “what is the gospel?” - presenting a wonderful opportunity.

The great thing about IRC is that you can get to know the regulars in a channel, and start to build relationships.  So the way I’m treating it, is to have IRC on in the background, and cut to it from time to time to see what’s being discussed - jumping in with the gospel, as appropriate.

Later in the outreach, I had a wonderful gospel conversation with a young Catholic teen guy, who was initially surprised by the course of the conversation, but warmed up quickly, hearing the law and the gospel.

Friday started with a gem of a conversation with a young teen who considered themselves a good person, but the law seemed to have a deep impact upon, and they turned nasty.  For someone claiming to be a Christian, I don't think I’ve ever been talked to so vilely.

You: If you were to die today, and be judged by God, by perfection, would you be innocent or guilty?
You: I would be guilty.
Stranger: Stoppppp he never does that God love all of us so just shut up 😢 Your making me cry
You: But what should happen to murders?

Later:

You: He paid our hell fine.
You: No, the only thing you need to do to go to heaven is: Trust that Jesus has paid your fine. It is not "follow what he says" that gets you to heaven. But...
You: We will WANT to follow what he says, if we are trusting he has paid our fine.
You: So, we have to be good (perfect) to go to heaven, but only God is good and pays our fine for us.
You: We accept that gift by TRUSTING him.
You: It is good news :)
You: Because it's not about you being good enough.
You: But about accepting a gift.
You: Does that make sense?
Stranger: [can't repeat] no one is perfect you [can't repeat]
You: If you are trusting in Jesus, you won't want to say things like that. But you can be forgiven - as a gift! :)
Stranger: [can't repeat]
You: God bless you, I want the very best for you - my friend. :)

And it finished with:

You: https://www.livingwaters.com/true-and-false-conversion/
You: Check out this video
You: Matthew chapter 7 has something terrifying to say to "Christians".
Stranger: Shut up u dhrhsjsudhsjdnrhajajfhxjejdjuse
You: I'm encouraged by your responses, and the fact that you haven't left. It shows that I've helped you understand some truths about yourself.
You: And there is hope, because you care about it.
You: It's good that you realise you are not good.
Stranger has disconnected.

I spent time from here alternating between video chat and text chat.  I had a great video chat with a guy from Canada.  And then a long text chat with a Muslim, who was trusting his good deeds to maybe get to heaven, and who couldn’t explain how God can be just and merciful at the same time.  He was challenged but resistant, but he heard the gospel.

I then had a video chat with a teen girl who was talking to me via her computer, but ended up having friends calling her on her phone.  I ended up sharing the gospel with the teen directly, plus two of her friends listening from her phone (I think via Facetime).  I was even able to use my mini flip chart!  A bit mind boggling, but amazing!  Even after considering the cost, she said she wanted to trust in Jesus to pay her hell fine - but I’m not sure if she fully grasps the implications yet.  I leave them in God’s hands.

I finished my outreach with an hour on IRC in the evening.  It was amazing.  Some things were said that I just couldn’t help responding to.  And I got into a great conversation with quite a few people that started with the point / pointlessness of life.  It was fascinating to watch the conversation split up, with multiple one to one conversations happening at the same time - yet everyone being able to follow the whole discussion.  I’m finding presuppositional apologetics very useful here.  They don’t seem to have encountered it before, and it puts them on a back foot while they try to process this new line of argumentation, I then take that opportunity to drop gospel seed.  Also very encouraging seeing new people joining the conversation - it shows people are watching / listening.  Oh, the opportunity for the gospel is great!  Come join us, on the virtual streets of the world!  Glory to God alone.
 

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