Post by evanschaible on Aug 20, 2006 10:28:58 GMT -5
This Friday I went to the annual county fair. I was told by staff that I could not do any open air, but I had intended to do so anyhow. However, God gave us a mighty cloud cover which kept many people away from the grounds, so consequently, there were not a lot of people. It never rained though and I was able to hand out around two hundred and fifty tracts and witness to a few people (there are forty thousand people in Midland, I didn’t even make a dent). Pray that this, combined with the endeavors of the past year or so, bring a small awakening.
I think only three or four people turned down the tracts I was passing out. They were two different tri-fold pamphlets. The one I had the largest quantity of was one I wrote with the common title, “The Ultimate Statistic”. It is subtitled, “This is the most shocking, the most eye opening, the most staggering statistic that has ever been released! Find out where you stand.” (It is available for free if you would like the file to print your own). They lack any flash or style as they are simply black type on the white paper, and I was simply amazed at the way people grabbed them up. Praise God for guiding their hands to take these tracts. Also I handed out about forty of the business card tracts I printed, but I focused more on the thorough ones for events like this because they have a greater impact on a greater amount of people if they are read. Pray for a mercy drop to come from these tracts.
There are two interesting stories that I would like to share. I normally do not give reports for personal reasons but I think the Holy Ghost would have me relay these to the brethren. The first is interesting. There was a man who has trained tigers his entire life on the grounds, with five full-grown tigers. He taught about his “sanctuary” in Florida and showed the tigers for free in a big cage where they performed. He would start announcing on his sound system about thirty minutes before his show began that he would be having a performance.
Consequently a crowd would begin to gather. Me and my mother were sitting on a bench observing this take place and naturally I turned to her and mentioned how I would like to open air to this crowd. But I couldn’t. Then I thought of something! I had plenty of tracts, and I always dress rather professional looking when I witness or preach. I decided to walk through the crowd gathered on the bleachers and around the outside of the cage with an air of authority and pass out tracts. I knew what would happen, these people would naturally assume that I was with the show and was passing out information about it. All but about three people took the tracts and avidly began to read them.
But the interesting part is this. As the tiger trainer brought the show to a close, he ordered a white tiger he had brought to stand on a pedestal that looked like a disco ball type of thing and sit up like it was begging. Then he said, “show the people how you pray for the tigers that are going extinct”, “show them how you pray”, about five times. This may seem insignificant to the average mind, but I greatly rejoiced when he said it. Little did he know, he had just put that much more emphasis upon the pamphlets his crowd had just received. Praise God, he can even use unknowing people to further His kingdom and message.
The second report is a bit different. The whole time I spent just walking with my parents and handing out tracts and doing one2ones. We were waiting for my younger sister and one of her friends to finish with a ride they were on and I looked across the midway and saw a group of about ten youth, probably three or four years younger than me obviously on the verge of fight. Some of you may recall that I mentioned they hired no police. The police did however have a booth set up to give away free gun locks but they only had a few officers that barely ever patrolled. So these youth had free reign to tear each other up and beat each other bloody.
I elbowed my mom and told her what I was going to do and she took my little tract bag (really just a video camera bag) and soda and I walked over to the group. I just boldly walked right into the middle of them and looked at the red faced one and said, “did you get one of these”. He looked down and then looked me right in the eye and didn’t move. But I just thrust the tract into his hand and he took it. Then I gave one to the others. Only one refused. But the two that were about to fight looked back at each other, then down at the tracts and the situation was defused. However one did look at me and say very loudly, “Where did you come from?” I said, “over there” and pointed across the midway and I simply walked away.
The one smaller group walked off and left the others and there was no fight. But as I walked away I saw a blessed sight. The one who had been the most belligerent and was closest to throwing punches was standing in the middle of the midway reading about the very one who could save his soul from the battle he was already fighting against God. Pray that the Lord Jesus Christ would pluck him from the dunghill and make him a saint unto God. I hope these are encouraging to you brethren and may the lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering.
I think only three or four people turned down the tracts I was passing out. They were two different tri-fold pamphlets. The one I had the largest quantity of was one I wrote with the common title, “The Ultimate Statistic”. It is subtitled, “This is the most shocking, the most eye opening, the most staggering statistic that has ever been released! Find out where you stand.” (It is available for free if you would like the file to print your own). They lack any flash or style as they are simply black type on the white paper, and I was simply amazed at the way people grabbed them up. Praise God for guiding their hands to take these tracts. Also I handed out about forty of the business card tracts I printed, but I focused more on the thorough ones for events like this because they have a greater impact on a greater amount of people if they are read. Pray for a mercy drop to come from these tracts.
There are two interesting stories that I would like to share. I normally do not give reports for personal reasons but I think the Holy Ghost would have me relay these to the brethren. The first is interesting. There was a man who has trained tigers his entire life on the grounds, with five full-grown tigers. He taught about his “sanctuary” in Florida and showed the tigers for free in a big cage where they performed. He would start announcing on his sound system about thirty minutes before his show began that he would be having a performance.
Consequently a crowd would begin to gather. Me and my mother were sitting on a bench observing this take place and naturally I turned to her and mentioned how I would like to open air to this crowd. But I couldn’t. Then I thought of something! I had plenty of tracts, and I always dress rather professional looking when I witness or preach. I decided to walk through the crowd gathered on the bleachers and around the outside of the cage with an air of authority and pass out tracts. I knew what would happen, these people would naturally assume that I was with the show and was passing out information about it. All but about three people took the tracts and avidly began to read them.
But the interesting part is this. As the tiger trainer brought the show to a close, he ordered a white tiger he had brought to stand on a pedestal that looked like a disco ball type of thing and sit up like it was begging. Then he said, “show the people how you pray for the tigers that are going extinct”, “show them how you pray”, about five times. This may seem insignificant to the average mind, but I greatly rejoiced when he said it. Little did he know, he had just put that much more emphasis upon the pamphlets his crowd had just received. Praise God, he can even use unknowing people to further His kingdom and message.
The second report is a bit different. The whole time I spent just walking with my parents and handing out tracts and doing one2ones. We were waiting for my younger sister and one of her friends to finish with a ride they were on and I looked across the midway and saw a group of about ten youth, probably three or four years younger than me obviously on the verge of fight. Some of you may recall that I mentioned they hired no police. The police did however have a booth set up to give away free gun locks but they only had a few officers that barely ever patrolled. So these youth had free reign to tear each other up and beat each other bloody.
I elbowed my mom and told her what I was going to do and she took my little tract bag (really just a video camera bag) and soda and I walked over to the group. I just boldly walked right into the middle of them and looked at the red faced one and said, “did you get one of these”. He looked down and then looked me right in the eye and didn’t move. But I just thrust the tract into his hand and he took it. Then I gave one to the others. Only one refused. But the two that were about to fight looked back at each other, then down at the tracts and the situation was defused. However one did look at me and say very loudly, “Where did you come from?” I said, “over there” and pointed across the midway and I simply walked away.
The one smaller group walked off and left the others and there was no fight. But as I walked away I saw a blessed sight. The one who had been the most belligerent and was closest to throwing punches was standing in the middle of the midway reading about the very one who could save his soul from the battle he was already fighting against God. Pray that the Lord Jesus Christ would pluck him from the dunghill and make him a saint unto God. I hope these are encouraging to you brethren and may the lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering.