Battle Log

The end of another week of God’s amazing patience.  Another week where we were able to declare the great just and mercy of God.  This week followed the usual schedule: Tuesday and Saturday in Riccarton; Friday and Sunday in the Central City.

The details of Tuesday’s outreach are growing dim, but there were a couple of highlights.  It was great having Roger there with me :)  Roger’s persistence and energy encourages me!

My first interaction was with an elderly lady.  By the way she was walking, I was pretty sure she wouldn’t stop, but I offered her a tract as she went past.  To my surprise, she did stop.  She didn’t believe in God, but even if there was, she considered herself a good person.  I was briefly able to challenge her with the law of God which did its job well, and so she was listening when I explained about Jesus.  Before I knew it, she was on her way again (a couple of minutes max) with a tract in her hand.  I was encouraged, because the gospel is the power of God for salvation!

Soon after I had 4 teen kids stop.  2 guys and 2 girls.  It turns out the girls had done the flip chat 3 times before (I think they said 3), but they wanted me to explain it to the 2 guys.  After 5 minutes of discussion, they asked if I could turn my flip chart around so they could sit in the seats behind.  No problem! :)  They sat in the seats, and I sat on the pavement, explaining the gospel.  What a privilege.

The two guys were resistant.  One was giving silly responses, the other one asked hard questions – it was so good seeing the look of comprehension and challenge on his face as I did my best to answer him, and take him through the law and the gospel.

But it was actually the two girls that were really paying attention.  One of them in particular.  I was so encouraged to hear she had attended a local church, and they had given her a Bible that she was reading occasionally.  So, I was able to continue ministering to them, and encouraging them.

Later in the outreach, it was getting dark when I had a great opportunity to share the gospel with a young high school student who is planning to go to medical school.  Early in the conversation, a guy I had talked to before came past and stopped to listen, he then interrupted me and asked me not to condemn anyone.  But just at that moment, Roger appeared; I signaled for Roger to talk to the interrupter, so I could focus on the high school student.  It worked!  The high school student stayed, not to be condemned (he already is), but to hear of the mercy of Jesus.

Friday was wet, but there was an opening in the weather in the afternoon that allowed Andy and I to head into the city to minister the gospel.  We didn’t have flipcharts and so were mobile.  Starting at the Bridge of Remembrance, I decided to open air preach to those passing by.  I didn’t preach for long, maybe 10 minutes.  Early on a lady stopped to listen, and ended up talking to Andy.  My guess was that she was against what I was saying.  But afterwards, she came over to encourage me!

Andy and I headed down to Colombo Street, where we both had multiple opportunities to talk with people.  I was able to talk to a couple new streeties, as well as have a follow up chat with a streetie I had talked to last week - sadly, she is going back to court and likely prison next week :O  She didn’t want to talk for long, but she did take 2 types of gospel tract with her as she left me.

We moved on to the Square, which was empty.  We had a bit of a strange encounter with two guys that seemed to be on drugs sadly, we decided to move on.  At this point, Andy had to leave to go to a work function.  I ended up back at Colombo street where I had an intense conversation with another streetie to end the outreach.

Saturday had rain forecast to start part way through the outreach, but I headed out anyway.  I was so excited to have a member of my church join me!  It was so awesome to have her with me. :)  The outreach started a little slow, but that was okay, it gave me the time to explain the ropes.

But then two people went past, one of whom was a jogger.  I didn’t think she would stop and I thought the other person would.  But to my surprise, it was the jogger that stopped!  She had a Christian background, and was even attending a couple of churches.  But very early on it was evident she had deep questions.  She was struggling with the issue of injustice.  I did my best to answer her questions, as well as explaining the law and the gospel.

It was during that chat that I noticed one of my regular streeties.  When the jogger moved on, I was able to speak with him.  He asked me to pray for him, and a difficult situation he is dealing with - I was happy to do that.  And it was at this point that another guy stopped.  Turns out it was a fine young Christian man who had a chocolate bar for me!  When it rains it pours! :)  Anyway, I was able to continue the chat with the Streetie.  I was able to give him my #, and a contact card for my church.

The outreach continued, but the actual rain had arrived, and it was getting worse.  I moved the flip chart to a more sheltered spot, but the fish weren’t biting, except for accepting tracts.  So we decided to end the street outreach early.

The Streetie came back, and I offered him a ride back to where he was staying (it was on the way), and during that time I continued to minister the gospel to him.  He’s staying only about 500m from where my church meets, and I invited him along (sadly, he didn’t turn up).

So, now I’m up to today’s outreach.  It was so busy!  It ended up going for 30 minutes longer than usual.  I had 3 other Christians with me - which was so good!

I was explaining the flip chart to the 3 Christians when a guy stopped and expressed interest, he was keen to go through it!  And then a young family stopped to engage as well.  So there were now 9 people around the flip chart.  Well, a crowd draws a crowd, so 2 others stopped as well, and then another.  That’s a dozen!  I couldn’t hold them all.  As the family left, they took tracts.  But the original guy, and 2 others stayed to hear the law and the gospel.  It was so good!

Later, I was talking to a couple of Christians who had stopped when suddenly a group of Muslim boys stopped to do the flipchart.  It was a great chat!  I could see them understanding the gospel and being challenged by the truth of it, and also the cost of accepting it.  Only a couple of those boys accepted tracts at the end.

The outreach ended with a long chat with a couple of guys.  One was Presbyterian, but going to a Catholic school, the other was Atheist (although actually agnostic).

Those are just the highlights of the day.  But the thing I was aware of the most is how practical and applicable the book of Romans is.  My church is studying this book at the moment, and today the preacher taught Romans 1:18-23.  As I was on the streets today, I was so aware of how often I indirectly refer to what is taught in this passage, over and over in my conversations with people.  And also how powerful it is!
 

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