Battle Log

Page 169

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This afternoon in Brisbane city the team had seven members out and God provided many conversations for us. It was clear that he had bought people along that he had been working in previously.

One conversation was with a man named Ben, he had grown up in the Church, knew the Gospel but was struggling with obedience to God. It was a wonderful opportunity to encourage him with the Gospel and to use it to equip him to share his faith on the way home. Please be praying that Ben was empowered by the Spirit with boldness to share Jesus' offer of salvation with someone on his bus ride home.

Another conversation was with two German travelers named Jacob and Justus. These young men didn't want to acknowledge that God is who He says He is. They wanted God to be loving to the point that He didn't care about justice.

The Gospel was clearly presented, alongside God's revelation about His Holiness. These young men were left with the serious challenge to stop believing the god they had made in their own image, and instead to surrender to the one who had made them in His.

A third conversation was with a young lady, named Natasha. As we spoke, it became clear that God was doing something in her life already. For the past 12 months she had been learning about Christianity through a campus group and there were very few gaps in her understanding of the faith. She had reached a place where she acknowledged the truth of the gospel, but had not trusted in Jesus for her salvation. As we spoke about what Jesus had done for her, she began to tear up and had to repeatedly wipe away tears from her cheeks with her sleeve. I pleaded with her to trust Jesus and asked her to email me and let me know how she got on.

Please be praying for those who heard the Gospel this afternoon and for the team as they continue on outreaches this week.

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Hear how three team members were able to encourage two different Church-goers with the Gospel.

One man was feeling to guilty for Christ's salvation and another thought that forgiveness in Christ was only given after each individual sin was repented for.

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On a cooler and quieter afternoon at Woodridge on Tuesday, the team had the privilege of sharing the Gospel with a range of people.

One such conversation was with a man named Ezra. He had a lot of ideas about who God is and what he has done, many of which came from different religious groups he'd spoken to in the past.

Ezra acknowledged that God exists but his main problem was that God was all about His own glory. Ezra couldn't comprehend that God could be loving and yet desire us to serve Him. Even when it was was explained that we were designed to find our greatest joy and fulfillment in this.

This conversation went on for a few minutes but sadly Ezra didn't get to hear the fullness of hope that there is for humanity, offered on the basis of Jesus' wrath absorbing sacrifice. He did take a tract though!

Please be praying for those who heard the Good News and took tracts, that they may turn in surrender to Christ as Lord.

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Hear about an encouraging conversation with an older gentleman who was pondering his eternal destination and a lengthy conversation about a young man who was convicted about a specific sin in his life.

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Hear two team members share encouraging conversations they had with a man who seemed apathetic and a man who had some Christian background.

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This afternoon at the Woodridge outreach the team handed out many tracts and were able to engage with a range of different people from regarding God's offer of salvation for sinners.

One scary conversation was with a man named Jason. He readily admitted that sin deserves Hell. That we have all sinned. That no one deserves Heaven and that the only way to be saved is to trust that Jesus paid for our sin.

It isn't often that people know the Gospel but this was a specifically sadinstance as Jason then went on when asked to say that he hadn't trusted in Jesus.

When questioned as to why he simply stated, "I want to live my own way". It was stressed, to him, how utterly foolish it is, to know of ones own sin, it's consequences and what God has done to save sinners and then to reject it simply because, "I wanna do it my way".

Jason headed off to catch his train but please be praying that God uses this conversation and reminder of the Gospel to bring him out of darkness into light.

Another chat was had with Lionel, he had Christian parents but was the complete opposite to Jason. He had very little understanding of the Gospel.

Today he heard of God's Holiness and hatred for sin. He heard how deeply sin stains us all and heard of the depths of God's Love, that God has acted in history, taking the full fury and wrath for sin, so that those who turn in surrender to Him will have life.

Please keep Jason and Lionel in prayer that the Holy Spirit would change their hearts, that they may know God.

Please also be praying for the many other people who heard the Gospel or took tracts this afternoon, that God may use each one as He has planned.

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Last Saturday, 6 of us planned to go preach and hand out tracts in Exeter city centre, which is smaller than Plymouth in number. However, being more compact and very busy makes evangelism very amicable and we have always found people there very eager to stop and talk and listen to the preaching, compared to Plymouth where people seem more apathetic to the message.

George and Harry are brothers with Faith Mission based in Cornwall, and they brought two bible students who are just finishing a 6 week placement with them before finishing their studies, along with my friend Ed and myself met in Exeter around 12.30pm.

Amazed at how busy and upbeat it had been only a couple of weeks before when unbeknown to us a big LGBT parade had just finished and so we are inundated with rainbow flags, face painted teenagers and outburst of foul language, so we hoped today might still be as busy, and sunshine brought many unusual people out that day.

We prayed before we preached, again asking God to open people's blind eyes who were by nature against the things of God but that no one was beyond the reach of the gospel so as not for us to judge on outer appearances of reactions. 

George preached, and this brought along a man in his fifties dressed as a woman to wander around us and sit behind to listen, with people not batting an eyelid to his skirt or baking top that protruded over his hairy arms and chest! 

A university student stopped and spoke to me, and although at first she said she was a Christian, it soon appeared she was not, as she said she was studying Theology at Exeter University.  

She said Jesus never spoke about homosexual , but although I showed her passages like Roman's 1 or 1 Corinthians 6 v 9, she claimed that was Paul who wrote that, not God, and so was not inspired by God. She didn't agree with 2 Peter 1 v 20-21, or about Hell, and said I was assuming her gender as a woman just because she had long hair and breasts, she could be a man!

She was very antagonistic and argued that Adam and Eve were not real people and that a civilization existed before them, and that's where Cain got his wife from, as well as disagreeing about God's judgment in 2 Thessalonians 1 v 6-10. The conversation didn't go anywhere and she had already made her mind up that the Bible has lots of errors and so I didn't proceed in going further as she was very sure her theology professors could set me straight on many things and show what the bible REALLY meant!

The others continued to hand out tracts while I preached on the rich young ruler and Nahum, and how we need to be humble and admit our sin before we can be saved. Then continued to speak on how Christianity stood out from all other religions in that Jesus had fulfilled all righteousness for us and we no longer had to work to earn God's forgiveness, but that other religions, teaching that good works plus faith saved you, would actually bring you under a curse according to Galatians 3. However, having to admit we can not help ourselves and be totally dependent on Jesus for our salvation is why so many people stumble because they want to play a part in them being saved so they can get credit.

One of the bible students, Pres preached for the first time, recalling when he was saved from a skiing accident age 11 and dedicating his life to God when he was saved under difficult circumstances in the French Alps. Meanwhile, Harry witnessed to a Sikh gentleman about why we needn't sins forgiven.

My friend Ed continued to hand out tracts while the other student from Oreland preached on John 3 v 16, and we managed to take many people through the intelligence test who stopped out of curiosity, before going through the good person test with them. Some were Christians, who we encouraged to share the gospel tracts with friends and family they knew who were not saved, along with many bored teenagers who had not really heard this message before.

It was a lovely sunny day, with many tracts handed out and conversations had, and we ended the day with an all you can eat Chinese which made great fellowship and discussions about the day, and plans for future outreaches together before the two students went home.

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Praise God for every person that He brought to either stop and chat, or receive a bible and gospel tracts.

Some names to pray for:

• Teresa - she wasn't sure if she was going to heaven. I spent some time listening to her and encouraging her in the Gospel. She took a booklet on the deity of Jesus. Also, a book of John that has a salvation plan at front, a “Are you a good person”tract, and a booklet "Why God allows death and suffering" 
• Rowen - An RI teacher. A lovely lady who was moved to tears as she talked about the restrictions they are putting in place in the schools. She said she wasn't allowed to share the Easter message this year.  She has been teaching for decades. Rowen was encouraged to see outreach on the streets. Please pray the joy of her salvation for the Lord to be her strength as she trusts in Jesus, being the way the truth and the life and the only way to the Father. She was given a Gospel tract and a ten commandment coin.
• Douglas - A funeral service worker. He believes and agrees with all the foundational truths of the Gospel. He has a Bible and says he believes and reads his Bible but he took a free Bible for his kids.  I met his wife Emma, they live at Inglewood and come into Warwick every Tuesday. He asked for more Bibles for the family. They have 9 children, number nine will be born next month. They said they will come by next week.
• Pray for Carl - who was listening as I was sharing with Douglas. He was agreeing as we discussed God's Holiness Justice and our need to be saved by the payment of sins through Jesus. Carl had to go but said he will come back another day. He took a Bible and tracts. 
• Pray for Stephen - an Anglican guy who took a Gospel tract. He has seen our tracts before and agrees with the message fully. He was encouraged to see the free Bibles and resources going out in the area here. 

This is a small town so I'm hoping to build repore and friendships with people and see them again, to be encouraging them in the Gospel and also to share with others.

It was a great day. Praise God for His work and protection as the Gospel goes forth! All glory to Jesus.

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Over the past 2 weeks 4 more Bibles have been handed out and lots of Gospel tracts.

God is stirring hearts in the  people to be wanting to read God’s Word. Having free Bibles is a beautiful opportunity to share the message of the free gift of Salvation through Jesus. 

Also, the tracts and resources provided by the ministry have a good clear message, as Gods Spirit convicts the heart of sin righteousness and judgment, His Spirit leads whom He wills to turn from sin and unbelief to a saving faith in Jesus. Becoming followers of Jesus we are filled with thankfulness and have a trust and desire to know Him through the Scriptures and obey His ways, we then want to share the good news of Jesus with others. There is no greater Love than the Love of God! His love is perfect love. the Bible says in Romans 5:8 but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. To know and have His love is the most beautiful treasure.

It is a joy to share the glorious Gospel. 

Please pray for these people:

• Kimberley and her son Robert who is 8 years old.  Robert has RI lessons at school and loves learning about Jesus. She asked for a Bible for him. I spoke to her about her need to know Jesus too. Kimberley has a Bill Newman booklet that explains “Why I believe in the Bible” and some tracts.
• Matthew a 25 year old who had never heard about who Jesus is and the message of Eternal life. He was taken through the commandments to acknowledged sin and I shared the Gospel message with him. He was given tracts and a booklet on “Who Do You say I Am?”. A well written resource with Scriptures throughout to point to the truth of who Jesus is, that He is God. 
• Margie who wanted a Bible, said hers had some pages missing. She said she was saved by Jesus. Margie was asked some challenging questions to check her understanding of the Gospel. She is wanting some more Bibles to give to her family and so will pick them up in the next few weeks. She was given some AIG booklets and Gospel tracts.
• The  two other Bibles were given to a mother and teenage daughter. They wanted one each and were so excited and thankful to receive them. They were given Gospel tracts and wanted some other resources, I shared the importance of salvation and to be in a right relationship with God.  

Thank you for your prayers. Praise His Glorious Holy Name for the work He is doing!

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Wellington Point weather is somewhat unusual. 3 of us went to the pier side and one needed his Sydney winter coat. Of those wiling to converse, there were a higher percentage than usual of those who called themselves Christian:

Andrew - actually is a Mormon. He was challenged to read the Bible as we worship different gods and we have different ways of becoming 'saved'.

2 Chinese ladies who were leaving after finishing their lunch handed back the tracts. When asked "If you were to die today and had to give a reason why God should let you into His heaven, what would you say?" had no idea. As they were walking away we said, "Is it because of what Jesus has done for you or what you have done?"  One said, with a huge smile, that it was the first. God knows the heart - 2 Tim. 2:19 - and it is obvious in any Christian's life.

A Baptist man who did good deeds. His girl friend was more interested in hearing the gospel than he was.

A young Chinese man, Brian, who had not been in Bible study for a few years had no answer After hearing God's good news, we gave him an illustration of what it means to 'count the cost' = when I became a Christian after 10 years of marriage, God became my first love and Railee my second. Brian was shocked at this. So I explained how God taught me how to love Railee - properly. Then Railee completed the illustration by relating the same shift in allegiance once she was converted. He understood the need for him to have God as his first love - in everything. We asked him to explain this to his girlfriend, who was in Australia on a visit , as they continued to walk around.

Meanwhile the other 2 had stayed on King Island side which was relatively balmy. They also met a 'Christian" who was getting into heaven because he was better than he used to be. After explaining the law and gospel to him, he was able to give the right answer to the checking questions Ryan put to him. Mr. Aseila, a former rugby 'great' from the 1970s Fiji team, now appears to be in the kingdom of God. Please pray that he will share the good news with others in the Methodist church he attends.  

Thanks the Lord that His name is near to His people, Ps. 75:1. To Him alone, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be all glory.

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