Post by Messenger Micah on Jan 1, 2006 1:45:44 GMT -5
Joining me to South Beach this week was the usual, faithful team of Elizabeth, Doug, John and Onica, and Emmanuel. Doug did not actually drive out with us, but met us there.
After we arrived, we were heading towards the Square in front of Wet Willie?s to preach, and ran into Doug. We did not know he was going to meet us out there. We set up in front of Wet Willie?s and I preached there for about 25 minutes. There were some people stopping to listen for a while, but no major hecklers or disturbances. Our photographer friend, Dean also met up with us (see pictures at www.pbase.com/lautermilch/repent).
We then moved down past the Clevelander to the Square across from the Versace Mansion. Doug preached here first, then Onica, followed by Elizabeth. Elizabeth was able to gather quite a large crowd. Several professing Christians stopped, listened, asked questions, and then began a conversation with Doug. Several other guys from New York stopped and listened awhile, and wanted to ask Elizabeth all kinds of questions. She sent them to me so she could continue preaching, as many people were stopping and listening. They refused to ask me any of their questions.
As we walked past the wicked Club Madonna, the manager who used to be very unfriendly toward us (threatened to call the police and take Dean?s camera) asked if he could talk to me in private. He told me he knew it was wrong for him to work there, and he could not find another job that would pay him as much money as this place. He wanted me to pray for him to be able to get out of his job, and thanked me for coming to preach to him in front of the club. This was encouraging.
We then made the long hike down to the Lincoln Road mall and set up next to the Lincoln Road Theater. John, Elizabeth, Onica, Emmanuel, Doug, and myself all took turns preaching here. During our preaching, the Sergeant who had treated us well the week before showed up with a Captain and watched us for a while. He was very friendly once again. After observing us for a while they left.
I preached from about 8:45 PM until about 9:35 PM. A few minutes after I finished preaching the theater let out. We were getting ready to pack up, but decided to stay and preach to the hundreds of people coming out of the theater. Doug and John each took a turn preaching as the people filed out of the theater.
As we were walking back from Lincoln Road past Club Madonna, somebody else who worked there brought out one of the strippers to mock us. I began rebuking them and preaching, and a group of about 20 gathered around. There was a tall African American man who earlier in the evening told me he was a ?prophet? who kept criticizing me for preaching in front of the club, asking me why I was rebuking them.
After about 15 or 20 minutes, I turned around and two police officers on bicycles were right behind me. One officer had a look like he thought it was kind of funny, and the other had a look like he could not stand me. I told them I was just walking by, and they brought the stripper out to mock me. I told them I was moving on.
On the way back to the car I ran into an old friend of mine named Keith with his friend Max who were out witnessing and handing out gospel tracts. Keith is a Messianic believer who has been a Christian for many years. I called up Keith later on that week, and learned that he knew Holy Hubert. Holy Hubert married him and his wife, and Keith used to preach with him on the Berkeley campus. Keith said he would like to start preaching open air again and join with us on South Beach.