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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Nov 3, 2009 17:22:27 GMT -5
I agree with benjoseph.
I think the sin came in her acting upon those desires in a disobedient way.
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Oct 3, 2009 14:05:12 GMT -5
I've started writing a small article called "The 7 Habits of Highly Offensive Preachers"
Here's the habits: 1. They preach in public 2. They rely on the Word of God as opposed to the traditions of men. 3. They name and rebuke sin 4. They challenge Christians 5. They truly love people 6. They live what they preach/believe 7. They are persistent
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Sept 26, 2009 13:55:08 GMT -5
The idea that a thought that doesn't glorify God is sin is bogus.
Remember: He who defines his terms wins. What are they calling a "thought" what does it mean to "glorify God"?
When I think about doing the dishes, am I sinning? When I think about...of forget it, ANY mundane thing, and it's not exalting God, that's sin? Good night, then what ISN'T sin?
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Sept 21, 2009 22:42:54 GMT -5
To the point: From my experiences public preaching and other methods of evangelism on the streets, at events and on college campuses I named 4 points to aid drawing and maintaining a crowd. These may change the more I learn from the Holy Spirit, but for now this is what I have witnessed to be effective. This doesn't guarantee the reaction of people to the preaching of the Gospel, nor the response, but aids the preacher in being obedient to the Bible.
The following points are practical aspects to preaching. They certainly will never take the place of prayer, fasting and knowing the Bible.
1.) BE approachable - Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
I believe it was C.H. Spurgeon who said, in regards to open air preaching; "For heaven's sake, DON'T SCREAM!" By approachable, I don't mean "likeable," "huggable," or "tolerable." What I mean is that the preacher should not lift his voice in such a way (depending on the physical circumstances) that people are comfortable to stand afar off and listen. Loud enough to be heard, but quiet enough that people can't quite hear unless they draw closer. Wisdom on the part of the preacher must be exercised to avoid deliberate slandering and insulting to degrade or maliciously embarrass someone.
2.) BE engaging 2 Timothy 2:23-26 But avoid FOOLISH and IGNORANT disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must NOT QUARREL but be GENTLE to all, able to TEACH, PATIENT, in HUMILITY CORRECTING those who are in OPPOSITION, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.
Luke 18:18-25 And a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said unto him, “why callest thou me good? None is good save one, that is God. Thou knowest the commandments, do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not dear false witness, honor thy father and they mother. And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth up.” No when Jesus heard these things he said unto him, “Yet lackest thou one thing; sell all that thou hast, and distribute it unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven: and come, follow me.” And when he heard this he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, “How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the Kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.”
The only thing that getting into a debate over a foolish topic, or debate someone who really does not know what they are talking about serves to provide is entertainment for mockers. People will most likely take you more seriously if you don't let yourself get taken for a chump down some rabbit trail about the existence of quarks or the "scientific" theory that dinosaurs died from their own flatulence. The preacher is not out to get into an argument, but contend for the faith. Negative Ad Hominem attacks should be avoided and gentleness is not code for "coddling," but rather compassion.
Engaging also means relevant. Not relevant in the sense of conforming to culture, but rather speaking, as Jesus did, to the circumstance and person specifically. Ambiguity and vagueness is not profitable for the preacher. Sins must be named, not left anonymous. People must know they are being spoken to directly, not glanced over by preaching about “they” and “people.” Many times people respond to this by crying that they have been personally insulted. This is either 1) mishearing or 2) a wounded conscience. The preacher should obey John 7:24 and never judge by outward appearances, but judge righteously.
3.) BE observant Luke 12:56 Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth but how is it that ye do not discern this time?
The preacher who wants to add to his arsenal is observant of the world’s political, social and spiritual state in order to speak to the concerns and worries of the people. He also is observant within his present surroundings. Keeping in mind the natural world, types of people, side comments and current events aids the preacher in using modern day parables to relate to his listeners. The Holy Spirit may also use the observant preacher to call out sin or affliction in the lives of people so that they may be ministered to appropriately.
William Thayer in his much underappreciated book Gaining Favor With God and Man (a book I highly recommend for every Christian) says of observation; “Observation implies discernment and penetration, which see quickly in spite of artifice and concealment…” (pg. 47). Observation will lend a hand to answering the real questions that are asked though they are concealed behind seemingly pointless questions. It will also lend a hand in avoiding insincere questions, though they may seem serious. How? By observing behavior, body language, conversation
Having keen observation skills also helps keep the preacher and his listeners as safe as possible. I for one usually try to preach with my back against something solid, or for practical purposes I preach with my face to the sun so listeners are not straining against the sun to see me.
Observation will help the preacher make optimal use of his surroundings for the purpose of parables, safety and even logistics. At a homosexual parade in Dallas, Texas a group of us were preaching near the end of the parade route. Diagonally across the intersection from us was an apartment complex which, when preached against, threw our voices over the noise of the parade without electronic amplification and into the nearby park where there were various booths set up and the crowds watching the parade came to gather.
4.) BE in control Acts 23:6-11 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.” And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided.
Here was Paul, held captive by the Pharisees and Sadducees of Israel. Of all people who seemed to be in control, Paul probably seemed to have the least control. But with observation and discernment, Paul regains control of the situation and the Lord delivers him out of the hands of those religious hypocrites. Paul’s quick thinking and ability to stay in control of the situation (as much as he was able) set in order the circumstances to execute the Lord’s will for his life (Acts 23:10-11.)
When witnessing for the Lord whether in conversation or public preaching, people will try to wrestle control away from the Christian. This is done through a flowing fountain of foolish questions, rambling, over qualifying what they are about to say, even bizarre distractions.
I have countless personal testimonies of circumstances of public preaching in which something happened that could have lost me the attention of the crowds, but thanks to the quick thinking aided by the Holy Spirit I was able to maintain control of the situation. Two examples, one mundane and one bizarre.
1) While leading a team of Christians on a night mission into Dallas, we had opportunity to witness to homeless people on the streets. A small group of girls on the team were talking to man who called himself “Porkchop.” I was walking nearby and I heard Porkchop overwhelming the conversation. The girls could hardly get a word about the Gospel in edgewise. I stopped and joined their group and listened for a few moments. As politely as possible, I interrupted Porkchop when I heard him quote a scripture to justify living in sin. Quoting some scripture and asking some probing questions, Porkchop then began to open up his life and told the sordid tale of how he had been living on the streets for over 30 years since he began running from the Lord when he was called to be an evangelist. The conversation was now where it was supposed to be, and girls were able to minister to Porkchop more accurately.
Randy Olsson, a man of the Lord that I respect greatly, called this process “de-evangelism.” De-evangelism happens when you relinquish control and sway of the conversation and the lost person(s) now have you at their conversational mercy. At this point, it’s extremely difficult to share the Gospel – in the worst cases; I have heard Christians agree with the sinner’s justifications just to get out of the conversation.
2) Open air preaching on the University of Memphis campus in Tennessee I was sharing the gospel with a group of about 20 students. The area we were preaching was shaded by huge, lovely oak trees with many low hanging branches about ten or twelve feet off the ground. In the middle of the preaching, a hawk swooped down from the sky over the heads of the crowd and caught a large squirrel scampering along one of the nearby branches. The crowd went nuts (no pun intended). They were completely distracted. I was actually a bit distracted myself, having only seen something like that on the Discovery channel. At the noise of the crowd, the hawk picked up his fresh take-out to dine in private. After a moment or two the crowd was beginning to quiet down. Some students were watching to see how I could recover from being upstaged by “mother nature.” Seizing the opportunity, I dramatically cried out how death will meet us all in such a way. I had the attention of the crowd once more and we were immediately on the Gospel topic once again.
It’s been said that you can make the best of circumstances or make the best circumstances.
The preacher is the one bringing the message from the Lord. While it is very important to listen and understand what people are saying when they respond and ask questions, it is equally as important to always seek how to further the Gospel at every opportunity, even using what has been said or asked to plough forward and stay the course.
I have witnessed seasoned open air preachers as they conducted their meetings with groups of 5, 50 and 500 people. One of many good qualities they all share is the ability to control the crowd they are preaching to. I don’t mean hypnosis or creepy things like that, but an understanding of crowd mentality. In order to regain the attention of a rowdy or distracted crowd, depending on the circumstance, I have seen preachers sit down on a ledge or chair and begin speaking at a conversational level, which subdues a loud group and tends to send mockers away when they realize those who are pressing in close are serious about listening. I have seen preachers invite people to sit down, announcing “story time” to change direction of a distracted crowd. I have seen some preachers punctuate a distraction by being a touch melodramatic, or even being humorous to lighten an unreasonably serious moment. I have seen an open air college campus preacher having the crowd engaged so well that they were chanting at his cue or filling in blanks as he named different popular bands, songs, etc.
The principle applies conversationally as I mentioned in the case of Porkchop. Not to the degree in an open air meeting, but it is important to have a firm grasp on the direction of the conversation, but relaxed enough to learn about the person you’re witnessing to. In either case, don’t give mercy to rabbit trails in conversations or debates. Many, many times seemingly serious inquirers have approached to ask questions about some topic or another, and upon having their question answered pull an unrelated question out of their hat, and again and again. My lesson learned was to stick on that initial topic which was brought up and use it as an avenue to share the Gospel. Ask if the person is conceding to your point, or if he has a rebuttal. Do not play “stump the chump,” which is a game played by mockers to just see what the preacher will say about whatever topic they come up with, with no genuine want of an answer. In an open air setting, I try to never let anyone get away with asking a question and then turning their attention away to talk to someone.
Defining your terms and ensuring the attention of the hearers goes a long way in an open air meeting. Many times the crowd is always changing with new people. This often will result in the same question being asked, or objection voiced. With proper exhortation I have seen members of crowds educate newcomers to the group; “He already explained that! He said…” “Not again, we’re asking serious questions.” “Wait your turn. He’ll only answer you if you have your hand raised.”
I think this section on “control” has been the longest because it is something that tends to be relinquished to easily by the Christian witness, thus helping a sinner to feel comfortable and justified in their current lost state.
There are tons of other useful points that can be addressed. But as far as the PRACTICAL side of preaching, I find these points to be very important.
I hope you gleaned something useful from it. As always, comments and questions are welcome.
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Aug 6, 2009 15:19:02 GMT -5
Bah, you're just another grumpy atheist whose wandered onto these boards.
No matter...I do sincerely hope, through all the snide comments and trite remarks, that the kindness of God will lead you to repentance.
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Jul 30, 2009 11:49:53 GMT -5
You shouldn't just take anyone's word for it. Examine what they say against the Bible.
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Jul 17, 2009 13:00:51 GMT -5
Hi folks! Our second daughter: Meredith Quinn Olver was born yesterday, Thursday July 16th (8 days overdue ) at 2:58pm after 5 hours of all natural labor and a water birth. She weighed in at 9lbs 3oz and 20in long. Thanks for your prayers!
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Jun 25, 2009 13:08:50 GMT -5
I'm in the process of writing several pieces designed to refocus on evangelism. The Church's and the World's vision in regards to evangelism is getting fuzzy. I want to adjust the lens and refocus on what biblical evangelism in different modes should look like... additionally bringing back a true, biblically clear vision of how serious sin is and the lost condition of the world. ****************************************** Public ministry is unique from all types of ministry. Humanitarian efforts are generally based in serving people and meeting the needs of those who need help living; by building homes, helping at soup kitchens, donating clothing, assisting the elderly, caring for orphans and tending to the sick. Relational evangelism is focused on mainly the social interactions of the lost and the saved; getting to know people, developing friendships, conversing and sharing testimony including the present, living, wordless testimony of our day-to-day lives, even healing wounds caused by religion, relationships, or the hard facts of life. Public ministry is often viewed as impertinent and presumptuous. It is a mode of ministry in which the Christian has invited himself into the public forum. He has let himself into the middle of everyone’s routine without being asked. His invitation is his Bible. He has no other motives for public evangelism aside from obedience to God and love for His people. Humanism is ignored and friendships forgone in favor of presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ without any social hoops to jump through. When it comes to public ministry of the Gospel, there is even a focus within that mode that seems brash and even senseless. That is when the Christian determines to share the Gospel at the gates of Hell. It is when the Christian is not content to just brush his teeth, wash his face and kneel at his bedside to say his prayers early so he can be on time for church in the morning. Rather, he dons the armor of God, with the Word of God hidden in his heart and when the sun goes go down, he marches forth. Spreading the Gospel at the bars and clubs and other places sinners typically congregate to brazenly express their sinfulness because of some unspoken social tolerance towards sin is unique compared to ministry in all its other forms. At these places you find individuals happily purposed to rebel against God. The bar, concert or nightclub they are attending is designed and deliberately marketed so that a sinner can be comfortable sinning. These places foster an atmosphere where selfishness and mindless indulgence can reach their apex. So the good news of Jesus Christ needs to be presented in a unique way. Why? What is the Christian Witness competing with? Drinks, often specially priced, designed to loosen the inhibitions of the consumer and music which tickles the ears and often massages violent, lustful or greedy tendencies in the hearer. The Gospel must compete with the free expression of lust in the immodesty of rebellious women and the prowling advances of rebellious men, sustained by the popular lies about sex. What is the Christian do? Pray? Yes – but pray only? Sing Kum-By-Yah? Give out lollipops and free hugs? Invite people to church? There is no better time to confront sin than when it is most encouraged. There is no better place to contrast the cross against the wicked world. Does this mean the Christian Witness is to scowl at everyone and wag his finger all night saying “naughty, naughty?” Does this mean the Christian Witness is to condemn all the hearers to Hell? No. Whether it comes in the form of preaching, conversing or tracts the proverbial line in the sand must be drawn. God’s judgment must be warned about, the dangers of sin proclaimed and most importantly, the true work of Christ preached. The Christian who is going to forsake sleep and safety in order to stand against the dark wickedness of the world must understand that at the clubs and bars during the darkest hours of the night are when people chisel away at their conscience. This is the training ground where sinners condition their minds to shut-up when they indulge in sin. They reinforce tolerance of their own sin because everyone else around them is accepting of it. Bars, nightclubs, “adult” establishments and concerts are where people are publicly deliberate in their attempt to drown out God speaking to them in their conscience. Under the sinner’s harvest moon is their opportunity to collect bushels of excuses, justifications and explanations for their sinful rebellion against the King of the Universe. If this doesn’t call for a public opposition by the Saints of God, I’m not sure what does. Obviously, not everyone is meant to stay out every weekend until the clubs close. Not everyone is meant to share the gospel publicly all the time. There is a need for the Gospel to go forth in all its modes. But ministry in the nightlife areas around the country is a ministry that should not be neglected! Nor should it be looked down upon. When darkness is exposed by the light, the light is harsh and penetrating by comparison. When the Gospel light shines on sinners it exposes what’s really there, and what’s really there is not pretty to anyone – especially God. Naturally the sinner will want to do whatever it takes to shut that light out; scream, holler, and call the police or even become violent. Regardless of their location a sinner exposed in sin, and sin exposed as the wickedness it really is, will do whatever it takes to recover. It takes the Holy Spirit for sinners to become convicted of their rebellion and repent from their sin. When you get in the way of anybody’s selfishness, regardless of how you do it, the reaction will be awful. To merely establish “points of contact,” “build relationships,” “befriend the lost,” “hang out with the sinners” does work – but not when you’re competing with instant gratification raging on every side. Bars and clubs are designed for that, and are not conducive to “bonding” oriented salvation attempts. To attempt “Friendship Evangelism” inside of a bar or club is to run the very high risk of giving people the idea that sin is tolerable. That if the Christian is comfortable with everything going on inside a bar then it must not be so bad after all. If the church-going Christ follower seems not to have anything against what the sinners are doing, it must be ok to keep doing it. To add; more than likely, a Christian who continually hangs out in bars and clubs in order to “win the lost,” will eventually only use that as an excuse to hang out in such establishments . After that, it’s not too much longer that he is backslidden into the ranks of sin again. Saints, the church today is practically a laughing stock – I don’t mean in a glorious, wisdom of the world versus the foolishness of God kind of way. I mean in an embarrassing way. Just drive through the Bible-Belt of the United States. You can’t help but see churches everywhere. But in the same towns, in relatively close proximity, there are bars, clubs and porn shops aplenty. If the establishments of sin can exist comfortably in the same neighborhood as a church there is something terribly wrong. Let’s get something straight here: Sin is not just “naughty.” “Bad” isn’t a good enough word either. The moral choice to sin is considered an act of treason by God against His Kingdom and all His creation. There is nothing sinful about the building which is used as a bar. A thing cannot be sinful. Sin is a choice to be made. But these places are where people are encouraged to use bad judgment with what they put in their bodies and thereafter make bad decisions of what to do with their bodies. Bars and clubs are places where it is tolerated to “hook-up” with someone for premarital sex – the very idea of hunting for a sexual encounter treads underfoot the loving and beautiful design of God for a man and woman in a marriage relationship. People desperately try to make bar experiences the happening events they are in movies and TV. Remember what is actually going on! Lust, which Jesus proclaimed is like committing adultery in your heart, is allowed free reign. A single man or woman can go to a bar or club to destroy their marriage before it even starts. Pornography turns its consumers into degenerate slaves of their flesh’s impulses until their personality and character are reduced to nothing more than a worse than animal-like impulse. Pornography is a path that leads to a hell-on-earth existence here and an eternity in Hell hereafter. Porn allows the consumer and the pornographer to be controlled by demonic forces that corrupt the conscience completely. Pornography will eventually lead people to cause their relationships self-destruct. In the literal sense of the word, pornography from its original meaning you could say covers adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lust, basically anything sexually immoral and/or deviant. Now obviously not everyone going into and coming out of a bar or club is a deviant or a drunk, but it is important to preach against all sin and lift up Jesus Christ regardless. Church, don’t let the world deceive you into thinking that it’s wrong to oppose sin because society tolerates it. Don’t be convinced that sinners aren’t “that bad;” Remember Romans 8:7 says the carnal mind is at enmity against God. Don’t fear the negative reaction to righteousness. They threw John the Baptist in jail and soon thereafter beheaded him for his righteous testimony. They crucified our Lord Jesus. His disciples all lost their lives for the Gospel’s sake (save two). Comparatively how light IS our affliction? We, as the Church, could stand a little negativity for the right reasons! It’s about time the Church be maligned for being serious and “holier than thou” than for being hypocritical powerless pansies with no opinion on the utter corruption of the world and the destruction of neighborhoods and families! Jesus is our Head and the Captain of our Salvation! We need to stop taking orders from sinners and pasty mouthed Christians quoting the Beetles on how to share the Gospel. The Lord of the Universe already told us how to do it. He told us what would happen when we did it. Replacing pews with couches is not going comfort people into conviction anymore than holy rolling conferences. We must be out of our minds to think serving coffee will make the Body of the resurrected Christ look more appealing (don’t get me wrong…my church serves coffee.) Friendships without the straightforward Gospel can make it seem to the sinner he has found a travelling buddy for the broad road. Letting your little light shine without shining it on them only serves to make the path to Hell easier to travel at night. I think we have a fear rooted in us; not trembling fright at something scary like the prospect of death… but we’ve allowed a fear of losing the “American Dream” creep into the Body. We’ve got such a bad fear of losing our respectability by being too harsh or intolerant that we’ve lost our respectability by being weak kneed and obsequious with no stomach for conflict. General Patton once said “America hates cowards.” Despite our society chanting “tolerance,” America still hates cowards. A few weeks ago, preaching outside of a bar to a group of men challenging and asking questions, a fellow preacher was addressing various issues from an atheist and few others claiming to be Christians. Hearing the twisting and justifying of the “Christians,” the atheist said “Oh! Is THAT your excuse for sin?” The same night, as I was preaching the Gospel, some Christians outside the bar who were uncomfortable with the whole situation were eager to discuss with me the great commission and what Jesus meant. To sway me, it was mentioned one young man was a religious studies major in college. I wanted nothing to do with this conversation. Why? I was preaching the Gospel! They wanted it to stop so they could have a Bible Study on how Jesus said to show love! At this time a sinner from the bar began asking me questions and I gently let the Christian men know I was going to ignore them in favor of preaching the living giving Gospel to those who are dying. Let us seek the Lord to be rid of our fear, for a baptism of boldness, for a clear vision of sin and righteousness, for a refocused look at the Great Commission! Let us plead more with the Lord for souls however He wants them won! Not everyone is called to be a public evangelist, and that is the Lord’s will. There’s a variety of ways to share the Gospel. But let’s get out of the way of those who are making their opposition to sin and stand for Jesus known! I close with a rhetorical scenario: Imagine our troops advancing upon a malevolent enemy fortified on our soil? They are an enemy who has made it clear they are against our constitution and our rights and want to impose their will. They only wish to establish their government and destroy ours and everything it stands for. Suddenly a group of civilians rush out of the woods, holding hands, crying “STOP! We should LOVE these people! Why don’t you make an effort to understand where they’re coming from? Why are you so menacing? You shouldn’t point your weapons at them! We need to befriend them and not be so quick to judge! Let’s just put down the guns, go inside their fort, and have a beer or some coffee, and get to know them!” Thoughts and feedback appreciated.
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on May 22, 2009 15:21:49 GMT -5
Over the years the Lord has listened to the prayers of the saints on this message board and I am so thankful!
Please pray for me and my family.
I have been out of work since being laid off in January. The Lord has been providing through many different means.
I have been certified as an EKG Technician, but no jobs have opened up for me in that area.
I almost got an unrelated job last week, but the Lord very clearly told me to wait and not pursue it.
But I am beginning to get very discouraged and the financial stress is very straining on my marriage and family. We know the Lord brought us back to Texas to teach us and prepare us for the work he has ready for us to do in the future... we're still striving to get a clearer vision of that, while trying to keep a reign on our finances.
Thank you for your prayers! God bless!
Jeff
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on May 14, 2009 18:33:07 GMT -5
Some Street Preachers & Their Secret Weapon Tyler, Texas 05/09/2009
Commuter Ministry The team gathered again at around 7pm to hit the busiest intersection of town for some Commuter Ministry. Traffic would normally be slow this time of day during the weekend, but this time of year there is a lot of graduation ceremonies; rush hour was a little longer. We took our post on a public grassy area nearby an On the Border Mexican restaurant and held our banners high. The reaction was about the same as before; thumbs ups or looks of shock and occasionally a middle finger.
Near the end of our commuter ministry time, a white bearded gentleman approached us from the parking lot of the restaurant. Smiling, he referenced our banners as he asked “So, does this mean ‘repent?’” He was wearing a t-shirt which read on the front, “You think you’ve got problems?” and on the back it read “No, you just don’t have faith in God.” He told us he saw what we were doing and his heart leaped and he wanted to stop and encourage us. He shared that he had done street preaching in Brooklyn, New York and was well acquainted with David Wilkerson’s Times Square Church as well.
Public evangelism can be discouraging sometimes. There are typically no emotional mass altar calls. You are sharing with people who have not been invited into a church setting, but rather you have invited yourself into the public arena and their routine, to preach. When you confront sin and attempt to paint a picture of God’s justice and wrath, the cross and His mercy, the reaction is usually not very pretty. Why? The reason being you’re trying to reach people who don’t agree with you. If the people began shouting hallelujahs and amen, then you’re in the wrong place if you’re trying to reach the lost! So, when a Christian wants to share genuine encouragement, it is very refreshing!
We wrapped up around 8 and headed back to my apartment. After putting Evelyn down to bed and talking a little about theology we headed out around 9.
Broken bottles The owner of Where’s Rufus, in an effort to attract more customers, gave us mention on his lighted marquis. “Come check out our protesters – Saturday Night!” We drove by, but it was still too early and there was nobody around that establishment. So, we headed to the Electric Cowboy and preached for a short while. A police officer employed to keep the peace outside the club confirmed for us that the owner of the club did in fact own the entire plaza. However, the officer was kind enough to inform us just what exactly city property was for future reference. According to ordinance, anywhere with a sewer grate or manhole cover is considered public property and usually a small bit of ground surrounding it as well. This is great news as it opens up some places for us to minister in around Tyler.
By this time we figured it would be appropriate to go preach at Where’s Rufus. Before doing so, we swung by the Down Under night club to do some drive-by evangelism. Their patio was packed and Jesse held a small sign reading “Repent and trust Jesus” and preached short and to the point. As we were pulling away from the patio a man rushed up and grabbed the car demanding we stop, and tried to yank the sign out of Jesse’s hands, even though it was IN the car! I slowed, but kept driving. Another man stood in front of the car so I couldn’t go forward. The man who grabbed the car said he was the general manager of the club and claimed to be a Christian – remember; he previously attempted to steal Jesse’s sign! I sounded the horn at the man standing in front of my car, and he walked to side and began to tell Jesse how he was a Christian, pointing out the cross he wore around his neck, with the same mouth cursing at him. In the driver’s seat it was hard to hear exactly what was being said. At this point, someone threw a bottle which shattered on the ground just before the car and the revelers outside were working themselves into a frenzy. It was time to go. As we drove off we rebuked the hypocrisy strongly. The club owns the parking lot and plaza at this place too, but there is surrounding property on which I think we may attempt to open some ministry toward this club. Please pray for us as this club has been confirmed to be a dangerous place. An officer who had worked there to keep the peace during their operating hours said he was required to wear a Kevlar vest, and the atmosphere is generally very tense.
Ambassadors for Christ! Some people would say this is a good reason to avoid doing ministry at a place like this. I say it is merely an occasion to exercise wisdom when doing ministry. If such a place is causing such a violent atmosphere, it is a stronghold that should be attacked! How could such a haven to encourage all sorts of lasciviousness be allowed to stand unopposed in this city? If we as Christians avoid doing ministry because it is “dangerous,” uncomfortable, unpopular, unlovely, difficult and doesn’t look good on a resume then we avoid amazing opportunities to share the Gospel. (The Gospel light shines all the more brightly the darker the area!) This applies to the place and method as well! One may like to hand out tracts in the park in broad day light with little kids running around, but it’s not too easy near a movie theater on a Friday night with an opening movie. One may like to serve in soup kitchens close to the holidays and steer clear of tracts like they’re dirty syringes. One may open air preach, but find it uncomfortable to volunteer in a hospice should the opportunity present itself. We must be willing to step out confidently and purposed into whatever form of ministry we can pursue.
The frontlines of evangelism contrast strongly against today’s “friendship evangelism” approach. There is nothing wrong with forming relationships and winning souls through the everyday influence on their lives in the spheres of family, work, school and leisure. But when it comes to the Gospel, the proverbial lines must be drawn. A sinner is not an innocent victim, not a bystander tragically caught up in a tornado of sin as it blew by. A sinner is not a helpless automaton in who sin is hardwired and he must do it as part of his programming. A sinner is a treacherous rebel who has willingly seized his will from the hands of his King and is using it for self and self alone – inflicting pain, assaulting that which stands for good, usurping God’s rightful place with malicious intent – all by his own choice.
Oh yes, we often do see the consequences of these conscious actions played out in a person’s life leading to misery, emotional turmoil, pain, sickness, addiction, confusion, receiving attacks upon himself as a result of his selfishness affecting everyone from his family and friends to his employers and perhaps even strangers. This is when we usually point out that a sinner is “hurt,” or “lost.” We are nonetheless required to show them compassion! Compassion because they have been made in the image of God and their rebellion had made them lost – lost meaning until the turn, they are lost unto destruction. They aren’t lost like a dumb sheep who couldn’t figure out which way was right or left, but lost as in the despairing lament “all is lost!”
But all is NOT lost! Hallelujah! We have glorious Savior who came to seek and save that which is lost!
All that to say… there comes point, even in the nicest and most genial of friendships where we must more forthrightly serve as an ambassador of God’s Kingdom. The service is laid aside, the plesantries and forgotten, and with Christ-like compassion, and the authority of Heaven, we must plead with our ‘friend;’ “Be reconciled unto God!” Lay down your arms. Surrender.
That being said – if we took the time to “form relationships” with everyone before finally laying out the Gospel’s call to repentance and faith in Jesus, we’d never get anything done! “There is a time and a place,” I know. But life is so short! Your life, the life of the one you witness to, will be gone in the next breath!
Public Recognition After leaving the Down Under club, we parked and readied ourselves for ministry at Where’s Rufus. For the past several Saturdays, the owner of the club has turned the sprinklers on us when he’s had enough. The spray forces us to stand pretty far back, almost on the curb of the busy street. Tonight we came prepared!
Jesse and I wore sandwich boards while Joel armed himself with his banner. When we took our post, there was already a crowd of partiers expecting us. I recognized many individuals from every night we had done ministry before – up to five weeks ago! The response was immediate and typical. We addressed the issues of drunkenness, lust and immodesty. We hit hypocrisy very hard as it is very prevalent in our Bible belt town.
I rebuked a man who had seen us preaching several times. He claimed to know God and then proceeded to curse and be obscenely profane in his speech. Some men, in an effort to mock us, even pretended to “hump” each other, including this man.
All this comes out in different ways when you confront sin. It doesn’t matter if it’s in one-on-one conversation with a lost friend, or a public rebuke in the open air. Once you take the lid of that well polished, lovingly cared for, unassuming trashcan… the filth and stench and all the rottenness of their heart and mind comes roiling out.
All this self inflicted corruption and rebellion hoarded away in the heart of men and all we want to do is make friends first! This should not be all we are doing, Church!
Our Secret Weapon Eventually, the owner did come out and flip the sprinklers on! When they began to spray, we revealed our secret weapon! Joel, Jesse and I were each armed with an umbrella! They crowd cheered when the sprinklers turned on, and roared with laughter when they saw our shields against the water! I’m sure mine was a big hit: it was bright blue dotted with small yellow smiley faces! This gave us the ability to stay within earshot of the patrons of the bar without getting drenched. Some guys even tried to wrench the sprinkler heads with their hands so we might get a full jet, but they were no match for our trusty umbrellas!
After another hour or so, we folded up our umbrellas and headed for home.
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on May 12, 2009 12:54:54 GMT -5
Every person I've met that said that had seen/heard Hubert preaching said that he was also a man of great compassion and love!
Amazing what looking back over a couple decades will do for the reputation of someone beat up by the black-panthers and heckled by homos and feminists.
I wish I could have met him.
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Apr 30, 2009 11:57:03 GMT -5
Well... I'm trying to remain optimistic in that if you answer yes to some of those, it won't bar you from attending the event.
Perhaps they know that there are many who don't understand or even oppose those views and just trying to see what beliefs will be represented?
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Apr 30, 2009 10:45:27 GMT -5
Oh man. That is sad. I think someone may have stirred the pot up a little?
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Apr 29, 2009 17:02:15 GMT -5
I just finished reading this book! It was great!
When i came to the Lord, I didn't have any "theological" influences, just people pointing me to the Bible - so a lot of MGT I already believed - I just didn't know it had a name! LOL!
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Apr 15, 2009 19:58:39 GMT -5
Diving in…Jesse Morrell has joined me in Tyler, Texas with his soon growing family! Jesse is a long time friend and we have travelled and preached together on many campuses and many streets. He first really introduced me to open air preaching as a legitimate way to consistently spread the Gospel. I had been praying for quite a while that there would be more people in Tyler doing public ministry – out of the plethora of churches here, I’ve never seen anyone else doing public ministry. Well, the day Jesse rolled into town we decided to venture out that night. A practical step in open air preaching is to observe the surroundings; running reconnaissance. One must be aware of their surroundings and what elements would make the most of a preaching effort. Are their crowds? Is there an event taking place at a certain venue? Where are the public areas and the private property? Where will you be best heard and seen? We drove around a bit, through the parking lots of various clubs to see where we should make our first assault against the kingdom of darkness. We first attacked the Electric Cowboy, the town’s oldest nightclub. Usually their popular night is Thursday which hosts drink deals and often special events for college students. Being Saturday, there weren’t droves of people in the parking lot or lined up by the door. After some brief preaching while trying not to be blown to Kansas holding our banners against the wind, we jogged across the street to Click’s Billiards. A Familiar Face…I’ve been preaching regularly outside of Click’s since I moved down here in November of 2007. There were a few people congregated outside, so I immediately lifted up my voice. “If you’re out tonight before Easter Sunday to get drunk, to sin, and you’re going to church on Sunday, you’re in big trouble with God!” The group of 4 or 5 individuals began to approach. “The Bible says no drunkard will inherit the kingdom of God.” When they reached us they asked what “denomination” we were. It became apparent that they were professing Christians attending the venue in support of some friends they knew playing in the headlining band. One woman asked if we remembered her. I did. She recounted how roughly six months ago she confronted me on my method of preaching and holding a banner. She asked, “Do you remember what I said to you?” Sadly, I did. “You told me I would do more good sitting in my car praying than preaching and holding a sign.” “That’s right.” Heresy at Click’s…She turned to Jesse and asked if she could show him a video on her phone. Jesse and I both knew exactly what it was going to be. “Rob Bell?” Jesse asked. “Yes!” “Nooma video?” “Yes!” “Bullhorn Guy?” Again she affirmed Jesse’s suspicions. He then began to explain to Rob Bell’s errors and giving a defense of our method of evangelism. Soon it came out the small group before us believed that you would always have to sin, and we spent much of the time there exhorting this group on right living and how Christ makes us a new person. Using much scripture we explained God’s commands and His fairness. Two individuals seemed to understand what we were saying and saw we were using scripture and respected the Bible’s authority. Nooma Lady would go back and forth between claiming we didn’t know our Bible, and then admitting she was glad we knew so much scripture. The entire time, the small group used no scripture in defense of what they believed – they only regurgitated familiar postmodern Christianized philosophy. The Way Of The Master…Our presence reminded one of the gentlemen who approached of Ray Comfort and Way of The Master evangelism courses. He was reminded of the use of the law and speaking of sin. As he related that he knew about this, his ceased objecting and actually used scripture to condemn sin as other people, claiming not to be Christians, joined the group. What’s Your Heart…?They initially accused Jesse and I of saying they were going to Hell merely because they entered a bar. We were able to explain there is nothing immoral about the building. There is nothing wicked about the actions you take to walk in – it all lies in your motives! We asked them, “What’s in your heart? If your pursuits are for the ultimate goal of self, then you’re in trouble.” Soon they left to attend the concert their friend was playing in and we decided to see what the action looked like at some of the other places in Tyler. Where’s Rufus…?Where’s Rufus? is a newer bar in Tyler which is very popular with the college crowd. I had never preached there because I always assumed it was a restaurant until I heard an advertisement on the radio. I unfurled a banner while Jesse donned a sandwich board sign. I stood on a grassy rise by their front door and Jesse stood by the road on a grassy area bordering their patio. Immediately the outdoor revelers crowded against the fence to read Jesse’s sign. I could see they were asking questions and some were jeering at Jesse. Several individuals climbed over the fence of the patio in order to speak to Jesse and I, as I had just walked over upon noticing the attention that was being drawn. Ineffective?Many people do not like the confrontational technique that often accompanies open air evangelism. It is harsh, sometimes loud, and presumes to get in the way of the self centered pursuits of would be revelers without invitation. Today’s society has been trained that anything loud and/or negative is bad. That judgment is wrong, without emphasizing hypocritical judgment. Almost immediately and more often than not, many people are quick to judge that an open air preacher is being very ineffective in spreading the gospel because the message of repentance or the mention of hell, sin and wickedness is negative. Let me paint a picture of how “ineffective” we were at Where’s Rufus this night… Saturday night. It’s a mild, cloudy night with a breeze. It’s a good atmosphere to go out and enjoy a night of carefree self gratification. About 30 people are congregated on the patio of Where’s Rufus drinking alcohol and smoking. Many of the women are dressed immodestly with apparently no sense of shame, their flirtations and gyrations telling on them. The men flagrantly lust and swagger, brandishing their beer bottles, being cool. Along comes a man, wearing a sandwich board, with the message that basically says, “Sin leads to hell, turn to Jesus Christ.” He sticks out like a sore thumb and everyone notices him. Instantly they crowd to the five foot high wooden fence to ask questions and jeer. Upon hearing the warnings against sin and the exultation of God in reply what does the young crowd do? Pick up their ashtrays and go inside? Quietly file in carefully as to not spill their drinks? Leave the bar and go home? No!They leave their drinks at their tables, toss out their cigarettes, abandon their conversations about who knows what, forsake the female or male they were lusting over and crowd the fence. They pack in, two and three people deep to get a closer look at the preacher’s sign! Several of the men, who were perfectly happy guzzling their drinks, leave them and climb over the fence to talk to the preacher! The dancing has been halted. The conversations are now turned onto more spiritual matters. The eyes which were once roaming for body parts are now riveted on the signs! The ears drinking in rock music are now straining to hear the preacher’s words over the music and other people talking! Ineffective?Police called...Eventually the owner of the bar approached Jesse and accused us to trespassing, though we were obviously on public property. The owner warned others not to be hanging around us when the cops showed us in case they would implicated, so most of the people drew back behind the fence, lingering to jeer at us. Jesse was engaged in a conversation with one man, and another who was getting drunk was trying to reason with me through his drunkenness. His friends enticed him back to the bar and Jesse and I just waited for the police. When the police arrived, the officer we initially spoke to seemed to have little patience for Jesse’s questions in regards to his assumptions about our activities. Jesse remained very civil and polite throughout the conversation, while the officer told Jesse to “shut up.” He became very irritated when we asked to speak to his supervisor. He walked away to place that call, and separately we spoke with two other officers who arrived on the scene. They each were professing Christians and showed genuine appreciation for our efforts and concern for our safety – as opposed to the first officer whose attitude seemed to brim with impatience. We had very genial conversations about being a police officer and local law enforcement until the supervisor arrived. By this time it was 12:20am – we had initially planned only to be out until midnight. The conversation with this officer was cheerful and short. He examined the bible verses on Jesse’s sandwich board, expressing his approval for the signs. He then quoted his favorite verse from Genesis about sin lying at the door and its desire is to have you, and you must overcome. He then got to the point. He said the nearby sidewalk was definitely public and we were free to preach there, implying we shouldn’t get too close to the patio. He reminded us our safety should be priority and encouraged us to use video to protect ourselves. We videotaped the conversation with the supervising officer, which will most likely be available on Jesse Morrell’s YouTube page: www.youtube.com/openairoutreach for the instruction and edification. ;D We're looking forward to many more outreaches in Tyler and the surrounding areas!
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Apr 13, 2009 19:32:05 GMT -5
Now that's logical..
the ones who slaughter unborn children are the sane ones... got it.
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Apr 12, 2009 20:40:15 GMT -5
If God really is NOT suprised, astonished, regretful, grieved or he does not change his mind then all those descriptions of him are just mere personifications and casts doubt on scripture.
In reality, we KNOW that God truly experiences those things because we do. We are made in His image.
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Apr 9, 2009 11:19:51 GMT -5
To go on a bit of a tangent from what Tony said:
What a preacher uses to draw a crowd is what he'll have to use to keep the crowd. I made this discovery when using the "free money" for answering trivia questions. When the cash ran out, the people ran off.
The same happens when you use tricks and antics - once you're serious, the people who came to see a show, will usually leave.
But if you preach and engage people resonably - people will stay for the preaching and observe the discussions and debates.
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Apr 8, 2009 19:08:36 GMT -5
People claim to being called a name when they are referred to by their sin.
When we claim a person is a "sinner" that's calling a name.
When you suggest someone is a liar, adulterer, fornicator, drunkard, sorcerer, witch, etc. upon righteous judgment, yes you could say that's calling someone a "name."
But a Christian should never make unrighteous judgment (john 7:24) and never make hypocritical judgment.
Nor should a christian call a name with the intention of degrading, or out of the heart of prejudice, bigotry or sinful anger.
A Christian should never name a sinner out of the wish to insult them.
To add: You can use entire parables and people will get the point about their spot in the parable - like Nathan rebuking King David.
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Apr 2, 2009 18:10:15 GMT -5
I am not for division at all. I was discussing theology with a friend of mine when I said this; "In Christianity, it doesn't matter what one believes as far as theology. The truth of God is lived out in their life." Calvinists who love the Lord preach repentance. Armenians who love the Lord thank the Lord for His ultimate sovreignty. The Westboro Baptist Church is better known as the "God Hates F*gs" people. Let me be clear: I am NOT saying all Calvinists are like that. I AM saying that their position is the logical end of straight Calvinism. I used to have a very sinful mindset! Thank God for the cross of Christ! I got "brainwashed." And I can renew my mind everyday, according to scripture! I have sin on my account - to say I didn't, I'd be a liar. But glory to God, I can choose to take the escape from temptation as provided by God when temptation comes! To say we cannot make that choice, or that we must choose sin, or that we will eventually choose sin is a lie. It doesn't matter if from now till Judgment day that everyone decided to sin - it will never change the fact that we all have the choice: sin or righteousness. This doesn't reduce the glory of the Cross, but lifts up God's wisdom and providence and patience towards us! It is the glorious truth proclaimed that God is NOT a slovenly tyrant who would demand His subjects do what they cannot. But a loving and kind God who only demands of his subjects what is possible. God bless!
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Apr 2, 2009 11:26:23 GMT -5
I know many people who are Calvinist - and love the Lord, and pursue holiness... the thing is, their wonderful pursuit of Jesus Christ is inconsistent with what they claim to believe doctrinally.
If you want a true look at where the starting point of calvinism leads, holding to it closely, take a look at the Westboro Baptist Church.
Calvinism needs to be attacked. I understand Jesse's allegory to compairing Calvinism to Satanism - seeing as sin was never in God's plans - but it IS certainly akin to gnosticism.
True, God does not want us to fight amongst ourselves. But Calvinism, followed to it's ultimate end, does not support the Great Commission.
I'll never be perfect in my mind, or body. I have the ability to make mistakes, even to choose sin over holiness. But thank God, Jesus made me morally perfect and I can continue to walk in holiness and choose to take the road of escape from temptation that God always provides.
...My 2 cents.
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Mar 30, 2009 12:23:43 GMT -5
I currently live in Tyler. In pretty close proximity to this place. Thank you for your encouragement.
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Mar 29, 2009 22:58:36 GMT -5
I just finished It All Adds Up To Love by J.W. Jepson I am currently reading the KJV Bible. Focusing on the book of Jeremiah. ;D I haven't any other books I'm about to read through right now, but I am perusing through several books, putting together some "devotional" kind of things including: Gaining Favor With God and Man by William Thayer Biblical Foundations - an awesome personal Bible Study outline also known as "The Purple Book." Some of well written little booklettes written by this preacher guy... Jesse somethin-or-other. are also on my list. lol.
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Mar 28, 2009 11:54:23 GMT -5
Weren't you banned?
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Mar 28, 2009 11:08:22 GMT -5
I was just discussing with a friend last night:
Jesus used wonderful analogies from the world around him. He used planting in a field to describe winning souls.
THINK about what it takes to bring in a harvest.
1. You pull up all the weeds, cut down the brush and in some cases burn everything down in this field that doesn't belong.
2. You till the soil, turning it up, exposing rocks and other debris that will hinder the planting. 3. You plant your seeds. Some fall by the wayside. Some are eaten by birds. Some fall among the thorns, etc.
4. The field is watered. Fertilized.
5. You wait.... and wait.... and wait...
6. You kill weeds, you protect your field from animals that would destroy your crops as they begin to grow through the Lord's guidance.
7. When the time is right, the harvest is reaped.
This process usually involves more than one person.
Confrontational evangelism tends to involve alot of step 1 & 2.
If you've ever seen a field freshly tilled, it looks like a big mess. It's dirty and not pretty and doesn't look like anything good could come from it...what many people say about confrontational evangelism. But they forget all the other steps.
"Where's the fruit?" They cry.
Only an impatient idiot or an ignorant "city slicker" would look at a farmer tilling a field and say: "Look at what you've done! You're making a huge mess! This was a harmless meadow - now everything's all exposed and ugly! I only see dirt! Where's the fruit?"
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Mar 27, 2009 23:34:13 GMT -5
Good question, Pecador. I'm glad people are beginning to ask about the "Why's" of God - that is so vital for growth as a Christian (imo)...
Keep in mind Psalm 5:5 and other scriptures as well where God proclaims his hatred for the wicked. But you're right, God does LOVE the whole world... so what's going on here... either the Bible's a pack of lies, or God's Love and Hate are not what we think they are.
God DOES indeed love the world, why would He create it? God DOES indeed hate the sin AND the sinner, or else He would not be a just Ruler.
God loves all of the world in that He wills their good, Pecador, God is willing that no man should perish but that all should come to repentance. He loves His Saints because they have been born again as His children.
And God's HATE is not the OPPOSITE of His love. He hates them in the sense of a holy disgust and abhorrence. Sinners are rebellious to the core. I was once an awful rebel, deserving of God's swift wrath. He hated me in that I was out to destroy every good thing - that's what selfishness does.
Sin is so utterly destructive. Sinfully moral choices are so corrupting and vile to the heart, to nature. When a person makes the choice to sin, they fly in the face of God. Their conscience preaches to them, as does nature, and His influence through His people, yet they say to the Lord of All Creation "No. I want to do it MY way." And they do so in complete disregard to the true goodness of God and the horror of sin.
Pecador, sin is a horror. We would all do well to remember that. Sin is so awful that God has decided that in order to protect the Universe into eternity, he would send all those who decide to stubbornly practice sin, to place where they can no longer corrupt His wonderous creation... forever.
But thankfully, Pecador, God rejoices in mercy! That why He sent his only Son to die! So He could safely set aside His wrath in lovingkindness and forgiveness when we lay down our rebellion. He is a King or cannot tolerate rebellion, but who so longingly desired to have relationship with us that He was willing to lay down His very life for us! For dirty rebels!
Sorry about this rant... It's something deep on my heart...
Just remember: God's hate is not opposite of His love. Always ask about the "Whys" of God.
Blessings!
Jeff
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Mar 24, 2009 19:29:55 GMT -5
When I lived in Maryland, I wish I had some tracts in spansih and Mandarin.
Here in Texas, it's best to use tracts which minister to "Christians."
I always loved the STYLE of WOTM tracts, but I would rather have a more custom message on the back.
I ALWAYS fell for the wallet tracts. I love the optical illusions one, in a nightlife area they are good to offer to people into a conversation by suggesting a free sobriety test. ;-) And one of my top favorites is the indestructable tract - I like using that in conversations AND to leave on people's cars.
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Mar 21, 2009 11:33:32 GMT -5
Here's my update for the outreach we just recently did in Tyler, Texas. *** *** *** Matthew 23:37“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered they children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!”They city of Tyler is located about two hours east of Dallas in east Texas. Tyler is home to over 350 Christian churches. Smith County, where Tyler is located, has over 600 churches. Somehow, there are a handful of bars, clubs, strip joints and a pornography shop that have managed to take root in Tyler. One of these clubs is the Electric Cowboy, located about a five minute walk away from the largest church in Tyler which has been there for 50 years. The Electric Cowboy is not just a dance hall. They play host to the pornography producers Playboy and Girls Gone Wild which hold lascivious parties for the public. The Electric Cowboy also host events specifically catering to lust and promiscuity. Particularly this night: college night with the main attraction being a “wet t-shirt contest!” Last night, my friends Joel, Caleb and I unfurled our Gospel banners and made a stand against sin and for our King Jesus Christ outside of this club. Despite the amount of Churches and Christians in Tyler, I have never run into anyone else doing public ministry, so for the residents and revelers of Tyler to witness such a display of the Gospel is strange and shocking. I have previously been thrown out of the parking lot of the plaza where the Electric Cowboy is situated. This time we decided to start at a median in the parking lot that was some distance away from the club, in front of some of the other closed shops. We grabbed attention instantly without preaching a word and were able to begin some probing conversations with clubbers. Our distance from the entrance of the club helped us avoid attention from the staff, so this was the longest time I had been in the parking lot – about 15 minutes. The owner, Tim LeGrand, claimed to own the entire plaza (I am looking into the legitimacy of this claim) and summarily threw us out again. Nearby a Bennigan’s restaurant closed down and is abandoned, bordering the parking lot for the Electric Cowboy. Standing on a big, brick planter for elevation, I held my banner and occasionally preached to people meandering through the lot towards the club. Joel stood nearby with his banner and Caleb paced the curb wearing a sandwich board. Some people approached us throughout the night to discuss what was going on, a few were enraged, a few were trying to justify their actions calmly, some tried to appease their conscience by professing their respect for what we were doing. I would just quote scripture like, “God demonstrated His love towards us, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” To which people would respond “STOP JUDGING!” Sometimes it seems like a reflex response against preaching. One individual, David, gave the typical “stop judging response” and claimed to know God. The more I challenged him on that point, the more irate he became, the more he used extreme combinations of curse words. He finally approached us spewing hate and cursing in defense of his sin and selfishness. “A soft answer turns away wrath” Proverbs says, so I spoke to Him about the true grace of God and God’s broken heart over his sin, while he was no longer threatening, he cursed all the more. Throughout this whole exchange, a woman I assume to be his wife was continually tugging on him, begging him to calm down and just leave. Within a few minutes of David’s profanity and heated defense of selfishness, his wife said to him, “David, you are getting ugly.” And finally drug him away. It’s amazing the reaction you will see from people as you simply dig deeper into their motivation for their activities. Seemingly rational, calm, normal people will erupt. Soft spoken, quiet individuals will spew profanity, blasphemy and violence. As the Bible asks, “Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing?” J.W. Jepson put it very well in his book It All Adds Up To Love: “Let the kingdom of God prosper. At first it will only annoy the sinner. Then, it begins to frustrate him, getting in his way and making him feel uncomfortable. Finally, if the interests of God and His kingdom prosper to the point that the sinner finds the road of selfishness blocked – watch out. Frustrated selfishness is a monster.”
[/b][/center][/blockquote] The more you stand in the way of someone’s selfish pursuit, the more agitated and upset they become. Many people witnessing this reaction may say that the preacher must be doing something wrong. The preacher must be insulting the sinner deliberately, or at the least is not being relative to the hearers. Let me tell you; it doesn’t matter if you are sitting in a coffee shop, having purchased the sinner coffee after washing his car having a quiet conversation – if the Christian Witness steps in the way of his indulgence, his pursuit of self, you can expect resistance, frustration and eventually anger and God forbid, violence. Later in the night, a man named Daniel approached us to shake all of our hands and laud our efforts, while telling us he was still going to go in the club. Joel did not let him get away with this. Many times sinners will congratulate the public Witness for Christ, because in their mind it balances out their selfish scale of good deeds versus bad deeds. Because they said a kind word to the preacher, while others are reviling the preacher, he is now justified in entering his venue of choice to indulge himself in pleasure seeking. Sometimes the sinner will approach the witness after a night of scorning him and his message and apologize for his actions, his speech dripping with words like, “I really respect you,” “It takes guts to what you do,” “You’re a better person than I am.” But when confronted with the choice – Jesus or Self, Life or Death, they begin to get agitated all over again. The only reason they were trying to give an encouraging word was because their conscience was bothering them, and they’d do anything just to make themselves feel better. Joel told Daniel, “You’re not going to be getting brownie-points with God because you told us we’re doing a good thing.” He continued witnessed to the man talking about his decisions. Towards the end of their conversation, Daniel was still determined to go into the club. Joel, handing him a handful of tracts, challenged Daniel using his own profession of being a good person, to place the tracts in a bathroom stall or on tables for others to read. Daniel took them, promising he would, and entered the club. Later, a man named Brandon approached and encouraged us, professing to be a born again Christian. Joel spoke to Brandon, who had been saved out of a life of violence and drugs a year ago and now wrote music, and exhorted him in holiness and pursuing Jesus Christ, which Brandon agreed with and received cheerfully. He admitted he had come to attend the club, and Joel spoke to him regarding his motives and deciding which master he was going to serve, encouraging him to not go in, but make the right decision. Brandon walked across the parking lot and sat in his car for quite a while. When he got out sometime later, he bumped into David, the first man who had reviled us so vehemently. They ended up getting into the same car – as the night went on the parking lot was crowded with cars, so we never saw them leave, or go into the club. I pray Brandon made the right decision and that he even was a witness of Christ to David that night. Sometime after midnight, a young man in a blue shirt stood in the parking lot and hollered us to go home. I replied, “I’m here because I love you, sir! What are you doing here?” “To have a good time!” He responded. In the Bible belt, it is sadly very common to run into people who believe they can do anything they want because God’s grace will cover all of their sins. This is a LIE and is sadly propagated in many churches. Sound the alarm! This is sin excusing humanism, NOT the Gospel. No matter how many times you say “Lord, I’m so sorry.” God values His Son’s sacrifice on the cross so much, that he cannot wisely and justly heed a prayer for forgiveness without a true heart of repentance! The price that God had to pay so that he could forgive us our rebellion was so great, and the horror and destructiveness of sin so awful that to dismiss transgressions based on the “bad feelings” of someone who is finding less and less fulfillment in their pet sins, would make God unjust, unmerciful and unfit to rule His Universe and the hearts He put in it. He would be a slovenly King, who did not truly care for His subjects, but is content to sit on his throne, relishing his title, while sin spreads like a vile plague. I asked the man in the blue shirt, “Are you a Christian?” He said yes and continued, “So going in the club is wrong?” Entering a building is not morally right or wrong. It is the motivation that is right or wrong. “You know what’s going on in there?” I asked him. To which he responded with “Why are you judging?” and followed that with a bizarre combination of cursing, insults and blasphemy. A Christian? When he vented enough, he stormed into the club. Some time later he stood in the parking lot again, screaming for us to go home and continuing his verbal assault. A friend tried to restrain him, as I quoted scriptures against sin, lifting up God’s grace and Jesus Christ crucified. Eventually the man was content to stand in the parking lot talking with his friends, visibly very agitated, he soon left. Later on, David returned, continuing his own tirade of worsening insults and profanity. I asked him what excuse he was going to have for God for his actions. He replied that is what God’s grace is for. “That’s why God has grace, so I can do whatever I want and He will still forgive me!” and punctuated his doctrinal statement with more profanity and foul insults. He then left. Please pray that David would realize the ugliness of his rebellious heart and the true work of the cross. That David would understand what true repentance is and would be marvelously saved to the glory of God! A group of young women, under the age of 21 signified by the stamps on their hands, approached us to take pictures. I asked them why they would objectify themselves and dress in such a way that encouraged men to think perverse things about them. There was so much activity among them that it was difficult to get a clear response. One girl’s boyfriend pulled up and called her into the car. I asked him why he would take his girlfriend to an event like the one going on at the Electric Cowboy. He replied, “She’s a hooker, how else is she going to get paid?” Surprised at his brazenness, I asked his girlfriend, “You let him talk to you like that?” The girl shrugged and said snidely, “I need to make money somehow.” She got in the car and they drove off. Daniel, the man whom Joel gave the tracts returned and said he did it. Joel thanked him and asked if it was worth it going in the club. Daniel replied, “No.” Joel asked, “How do you feel?” “Pretty bad.” They had a long discussion, which ended in Daniel wanting to give Joel a call when he felt times got rough. Before Daniel left, Joel warned him that God isn’t a vending machine – you can’t just pray when you feel bad and you need him, and then leave him at the door when you want to go clubbing. Throughout the night we had many discussions with people driving up and stopping to read the banners, or ask what we were doing. From about 9:30 to midnight we made a stand against sin, lifted up Jesus Christ, testified of His work on the cross, preached the Good News and rebuked sin. With all the spirituality of Tyler accompanied by all the hypocrisy and the apathy towards public events of lewdness and the wholesale rejection of repentance and trust in Jesus, I am just beginning to understand the grief in Jesus’ heart when he lamented over Jerusalem. With all her religion, all her history, all her people, all of her bloodshed and tradition leading people ever away from God. I don’t think I’ll ever understand fully the grief of an infinite heart over the tragedy of sin, but I thank God for sharing His heart with me and I pray that he will continually use me in this city to exhort the Body of Christ on evangelism, and to reach the lost. Leonard Ravenhill said of Tyler, Texas in a prayer that was recorded; “Lord, don’t let Tyler die in her sins because we haven’t lifted up a standard in Your Holy Name against it…” I pray we all catch that vision for own towns and cities. Thank you all for your prayers! May God bless you in all your endeavors for the Kingdom of God!
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Mar 19, 2009 20:23:28 GMT -5
That's a good question, Melmoth...
Keep in mind that God is patient. He will only let sin go so far before he removes the person from power, authority and influence and ultimatley from LIFE. But God is willing that no man should perish but that all should come to repentance. While His justice may not fall into the timing we would like, all sin is found out and all sinners meet their judgment.
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Mar 19, 2009 20:19:46 GMT -5
Amen, Rebecca.
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