Battle Log

With Roger still away, I decided to leave Riccarton fallow again this week, using that time to focus on online outreach.  But both City outreaches went ahead.  I was with John and Andy on Friday afternoon, and Joseph and Elijah joined me on Sunday afternoon (today).

 

So today’s outreach was very special.  With the rain, I didn’t think it would go as well as last week.  But to my surprise it was the opposite.  I set up the flip chart and was still trying to get organised and pray, when instantly people took interest and a conversation was away.  Amazingly, we had 3 separate conversations before we had a chance to pray!  The chats literally rolled one into the next.  It eased off a touch after that, but the outreach was still very busy right to the end.

 

So, thank you for praying for this feeble outreach, we are getting so much opportunity, glory to God!

 

I’ll come back and talk about the chats later.  But first I want to talk about Friday’s outreach.

 

We started at the Bridge of Remembrance with prayer.  We didn’t have any flip charts, and so we were freestyling.  We decided to go down High Street towards Ara (tertiary education institute), since we had such a good time there a couple of weeks back.

 

I never made it.  Andy and John did.  Andy said he had some good opportunities down there.  But I approached a guy on High Street, and it turned out to be a guy I had talked to a few Sunday’s back.  He was keen to continue that chat, and we ended up speeding over an hour in conversation!  I won’t go into details.  But it was clear that, even though he was able to articulate the gospel, that he wasn’t converted yet.  He didn’t yet have any appreciation for the serious nature of sin.  And so a good portion of my time with him was in relation to this.

 

He ended up receiving 2 more varieties of tract (over the one he had received on the Sunday), a gospel of John, and a church contact card with my contact details on it.

 

John and Andy came back, just as our chat was wrapping up.  I introduced him to them, and it turns out Andy had shared the gospel with him recently too, because he remembered Andy.

 

This young man ended up walking with us back to Cashel Mall, and then Andy bought him a hot chocolate and we were able to continue the chat with him in a cafe.

 

He said he would come to church on Sunday, but I’m not surprised when he didn’t contact me, and he didn’t turn up.  Like I said, I think he has some processing to do.  He is in God’s hands.  Pray that the Holy Spirit would eliminate the law and bring conviction of sin in his life, and that he would truly see the treasure of Christ.

 

So, back to today’s outreach.  The very first chat was special, because 1 of them came to see a critical misunderstanding she had about the gospel.  When I say 1 of them, it was a group of at least 5 people.  And I think 1 of them wasn’t even with the other 4, he just became interested in what we were discussing.

 

So these people were all in different places.  The couple were not interested, and even walked away as I was about to switch to the gospel - I was able to get them to come back to hear it.  But it was 2 young ladies that were engaged, 1 more than the other, but the one that was less engaged ended up gaining the critical information.  What was that?  I’m struggling to remember exactly what I said now, but her response was to say something like: “Oh, I’ve always heard about Jesus, but I’ve had this nagging doubt that I’m not good enough” - yet, she said it in such a way that seemed to be seeing that she was missing what Jesus was all about - that we don’t have to be good enough to get to heaven.

 

By this stage, the couple had walked off again.  I wanted to follow up on this revelation she was having - but I wasn’t able to.  The seed had been planted.  And I have to leave her in God’s hands.  I rejoice, because God has the power to follow that up, so pray for her.

 

I’m not going to have time to talk about all the opportunities from today, but another special chat was with a young man who had been influenced by Buddhism growing up.  I had to labour with him to see that salvation was a gift.  He did come to grasp it, and then he started to nail the check questions (except 1: 2 things).  At the end of the chat he articulated that he understood that he can be 100% sure he is going to heaven, yet at the moment he is 0% sure (because he is not yet willing to repent).  Yet, he very much appreciated the conversation, and happily received a copy of the gospel of John and a couple of tracts.

 

Joe And Elijah had opportunities to get involved in conversations too.  You guys did so well!  Keep it up.

 

Joe had an opportunity with 3 young guys (pictured).

 

And Elijah joined me at the end for the last chat with a German guy (chat occurred just after I took the picture of him).

 

I didn't get a chance to take pics from Friday.

 

My mind is still processing all the chats from today.  But I’m out of time and energy to write about them.  I’ll leave it at that.

 

Again, thank you for your prayers, and support.  It amazes me that anyone stops to talk to me at all, so your prayers for this ministry are certainly effective!  The fruits of our feeble efforts, for God’s glory alone, will be known in eternity.  Till then, let's keep our heads down, and rest in the joy of the labour.

 

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