Weekend Evangelism Report

We had another successful time out sharing the gospel today. I always remind myself that success is never defined by how many people pray to receive Jesus that day. It's obviously an awesome thing for that to happen, that's how we want everyone to respond but that's not how you measure success.

Success in witnessing is simply taking the initiative in the power of the Holy Spirit to share Christ, and leaving the results (good or bad) in God's hands. Salvation is of the Lord.

Darren and his family came along and David came with a friend. I was deeply encouraged by the faithfulness of the people who showed up, giving up some of their Saturday's to preach and teach the truth of Jesus to people in love.

Brenda engaging in conversation

Brenda had some good conversations. She was encouraged to chat with a 13 year old girl outside the
library who told her that she follows Christ. She also talked with a lady who had strong views of Maori spirituality from her whanau. The lady said that to accept Christ would mean to reject opposing thoughts and ideas she's learned from her whanau growing up.That's the challenge we all need to come to terms with. We need to reject anything that attempts to set itself up against Christ.

Darren chatting with a knowedgable bloke

Darren chatted with an elderly lady who didn't warm very well to his company. He also chatted with a guy(in pic) who was very knowledgeable. He then had a great chat with some youths. As he was sharing I could sense a very tense mood in the air. The youths weren't joking around or being silly, they were taking the gospel very seriously. I could tell by their body language that their hearts were brought to a place of being contrite and humble.


I talked with a guy who professed to be a Christian but then later found out he was trusting in his own righteousness to get to Heaven, which is in fact no righteousness at all! I told him that he needs the righteousness of Christ to cover his sin. I pray that he would be come a true follower of Christ.

I also spoke with a gang member who was not long out of prison. God was on this guys case because he had told me that two people this week had talked with him about getting right with God. For some reason he felt drawn to share some of his life journey with me. He said he was brought up a Christian and knows all about Christ, but something was holding him back from making a commitment to follow Him. He said it was because of bad things that happened in his life that turned him away.

God doesn't promise our life on earth to be easy and free from calamity. In fact He promises that life will get harder. It's through much tribulation that we enter the Kingdom, and Jesus said that the world would hate us because of Him. Those who have faith in Christ shall suffer persecution, not might suffer, but shall suffer. So that's why it's not legitimate to tell a person that they'll prosper in worldly ways if they become a Christian. If someone is promised a prosperous life here on earth, and then runs in to tough times they'll conclude that the promise was a lie and turn away from the faith. This is what I believe happened to the gang member I talked with.

We need to tell people they need Jesus not for happiness, but for righteousness. God has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness, none of us have any righteousness of our own so we must fly to Christ and shelter in Him.
He alone can save us.

Behold the promises of God:
1. trials
2. temptation
3. persecution
4. eternal life

Are you willing to endure the first three to gain the last?

Jesus is our example. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross. So Jesus endured trials, temptation, and persecution, for the joy of being back with the Father which He had set before him, and that's exactly how we need to see things in light of suffering.

God help us.