Friday, the night before the Festival, my ministry partner had come over to my house to help me go through our tracts and to make sure everything was in order for the big day. We had been praying for the last few weeks that God would use us to bring glory to His name.
Saturday morning I got up to a steady rain.
I feared that those who said they would/might come out to help us, would think better of spending the morning and part of the afternoon out in the rain.
Oh me of little faith.
Nine people in all (three of whom had never street witnessed before) were at the church parking lot ready to take the message of Christ to the lost.
Before we left the church parking lot, we circled up and prayed that God would use us mightily for His glory and for us to be meek as lambs but bold as lions in proclaiming the gospel.
When we arrived at the Park we were almost immediately picked out by an Atlanta police woman (My cross was an attention getter) who asked us if we were there to protest. We assured her in no way were we there to protest. She asked us why we were here at the Park and we filled her in with our plans. She looked us up and down and headed on her way.
We partnered up and headed out.
My wife (the strawberry blonde in the above photo)and her team-mate faced a little persecution with the first person they interacted with. After attempting to hand out a Million Dollar Bill tract, a young man told them that he didn't want their tract and that he was going to "beat the @#$* out of them all the way out of the park".
Not in the least deterred, they had several great conversations after the incident and handed out quite a few more tracts.
I had teamed up with my son and, along with the cross, we made our way along the perimeter of the park when we were approached by three young men. They asked us if we had "gotten one of these?" The young men knew why we were there and were having a little fun with us. They had spotted our cross and came over to ask if we were with Project Ezra group. After talking with them for a few minutes I asked if I could take their picture for our blog and they said absolutely as long as they could hold the cross in the picture.
These guys had just driven five hours from Charlotte, NC. to proclaim the name of Christ at Pride Fest!! Way to go guys!!!
My son and I spent the next hour handing out tracts while walking the Park until we came up to an area where vendors had set up their booths. In the near distance I saw my wife and her team-mate along with two other members of our group in what seemed like a discussion with an gentleman. As we got closer one of the team members came over to me and said that the gentleman that they were talking to was the Festival director. The director told us that we could not pass out tracts inside the Park during the Festival. He told us that 'Pride Fest' had a contract with the City of Atlanta and that no outside (non-vendors) groups or persons could distribute any materials inside the Festival.
He was kind enough to tell us that we were free to be inside the Park and mingle and have conversations with whoever we wanted and could give that person a tract during the conversation. We just couldn't stand around and hand them out. we were told that even the vendors had to conform to this rule (Vendors could only hand out literature or pamphlets from their booths).
Ok. That's fine. As a group we had probably already handed out a couple hundred tracts by the time we were told to stop.
We re-grouped and divided up again.
That's when I ran into Bill Adams from Revival-USA ministries.
Bill was standing at the corner of Piedmont and 12th street preparing to do a little preaching. Bill had told us that this was his 8th or 9th Pride Fest and has about seen it all there. Bill also had a lawyer on call and ready to help any one of us out if there were any free speech problems with law enforcement.
We also got to talk with Keith Higgins from "Saved From What Ministries"
What a blessing it was to talk to these godly men who dedicate their lives to the preaching of the gospel!
My son and I continued on our way toward one of the main entrances of the Park at 14th street. That's where we ran into a group from a church who was very wrong in their understanding of the Scriptures. This group was holding up signs in rainbow colors telling the people coming to the Festival that Jesus loved them and accepted them just as they are.
My partner in the ministry got a chance to talk to one of the members of this church. He talked for about an hour and told me about the conversation on the way back home.
My partner (the dark haired fellow) told me that this man didn't believe in the Trinity (Although, oddly enough, Trinity was the first word of the churches name). He didn't believe in Hell. He didn't believe the Bible was the inspired Word of God. He didn't believe that Jesus was God in the flesh. My partner told me that the current Bible study that this man was having in his Sunday school was about how the Bible was full of errors and was proven to be wrong (on different portions of Scripture) by some priest in the 16th century.
My partner refuted, corrected and rebuked (lovingly) from Scripture everything the man tried to throw at him.
Folks, know your Bible!! The more you study God's Word the more you can easily spot and refute counterfeit Christianity.
I'm real glad that my partner got to engage this man. My partner was able to take this man through the Law and share with him the magnificent gospel. One of the other members of the team said that he thought that hour long conversation served two purposes. One, the man got to hear the real gospel and two, he was hindered for about an hour from spreading his false message to the folks coming into the Park.
Speaking of the Park...this entrance on 14th street turned out to be a great spot for giving out the Obama Million Dollar Bills!! The Obama bills were a big hit. I overheard one woman tell another how cute Obama looked on bill. As she turned over the bill and starting reading the back she said, "Ugh..this has got something about Jesus on the back".
But you know what she did?
She stuck that tract right into her pocket book! Why? Because it had Obama on it. She was going to keep that tract because of who was on the front. Perhaps one day she may get saved because of what's on the back!
The picture below is the 14th street entrance to the Park. One of my team-mates called it the road that led to destruction - -
Rightly so I guess -
But here's the great thing...a lot of the folks that went into that Park went in there being warned that they were on the wrong road.
There are many more stories to tell and I have asked a few of the team-mates to put down their own words of the day and share them with you for encouragement.
So a big thank you to those of you who came out in the rain and gave up part of your day to share the good of the gospel with a lost community of people who may have never heard otherwise.
Thank you for being His feet on the street!
Thank you for not using the pictures that your son took of me, as I realized it would be used to call me a 'false Christian' or whatever else it that you wish to call anyone who doesn't believe your narrow, and sometimes ignorant interpretation of The Bible.
ReplyDeleteI do have to thank you, as well, for the civility you showed at Pride. However, I know the man that your 'partner' spoke with for over an hour, and I can personally tell you that he is not a 'false Christian' and, at our church, we are not afraid to use our brains, nor to read materials that give a broader perspective on how The Bible came to be, what books were left out of the Bible--for political reasons--without fearing that we will burn in hell, sir.
God gave you a brain, and it is not a sin to use it.
Could you please tell me, via scripture, where we were wrong in simply telling individuals at Pride that God loves them just the way they are?
Then, the song I sang, growing up in the Southern Baptist Church must be a lie: "Just As I Am."
Just as I am without one plea
but that thou blood was shed for me
Whether you believe that homosexuality is a sin, or not, God still accepts every person 'as they are' and it is NOT up to me, or you, sir, to judge. Our only commandments areto love God with all of our heart and to love one another as ourselves. As Christians, we are to share the Good News, period.
It is up to God to change someone's heart, not me. I am only here to let people know that God loves them right where they are, no matter what their circumstances. Period. If there were no sinners, all of our churches would be closed, including yours.
I hope that you and your friends will visit some of the local strip clubs in the area, and I hope you will hand out your Obama dollars, and hold your cross, as these men (and sometimes women) come in and out of the club.
I hope you start setting up shop in front of Liquor stores and areas where there are a lot of drug deals going on.
I mean, if you are going to quote the words of St. Paul from Romans, then I suggest you focus on all of the sins covered, not just 'homosexuality.' (which is not what Paul said, and Jesus NEVER uttered a word about homosexuality.)
If you follow Paul in the verse in Romans that seems to be the basis for your fervor, that would mean that the sin of gluttony should be covered too, so I want to see you handing out tracts and preaching in front of Brewster's Ice Cream, or All you can eat buffets...
Oddly enough, we felt the same way about the conversation between your partner and the member of our church: We were able to stop you from harassing others with your thinly guised prejudice, ignorance and hatred, masked as 'spreading the Gospel' for about an hour.
Even better, we saved another tree, as you weren't able to continue to litter Piedmont Park with your silly Obama 'dollars.' Most ended up in the trash, or worse, on the ground of Piedmont Park.
Littering is a sin, Wayne Dawg! REPENT!
Peace to you,
AWriter
PS: I'd like to see you outside of every courtroom, after a divorce is granted, making sure you tell the men and women divorcing that they are in grave danger of a trip to Hell. You see, Jesus really DID speak about divorce, Dawg!! Every time someone divorces, according to your rigid interpretations of The Bible, they earn a ticket to Hades. I think you would be better served to protest there!!
ReplyDeleteGlory to God for your faithfulness, for your compassion, for your love and concern for those who do not believe in God and for those who do, yet, who live by their own rules believing He is forever indebted to them for being just as they are.
ReplyDeleteTo you, Wayne, your wife, your teams: may God truly bless your work and that many come to true repentance and faith in Christ as a result of your gospel giving efforts on Saturday.
"who live by their own rules believing He is forever indebted to them for being just as they are."
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure that is what I said, wrote, nor what I meant. I never wrote that God is forever indebted to 'them' for being just as 'they are.'
What I did write is that, if I believe homosexuality is a sin (I believe fornication is a sin, but fornication can occur with those who are homosexual and heterosexual), it is not my job as a Christian to point that out to that person, nor is it my job, as a Christian, to ram Bible verses--which I subjectively interpret--down someone's throat, and claim I am doing what God asked of me.
As a Christian, I am to welcome sinners with open arms, and I am to lead that person, by example, to a relationship with Christ. It is up to God/Christ to change that person's heart, and convict them of their own sins and shortcomings. It's not my place to do so. I am not God.
Our presence at Pride let the folks know that we accept them, right where they are, just as Jesus did with several 'outcasts' of society in His day. Read your Bible. He didn't hang out with popular Christians--read 'Pharasees'--He hung out with those that you condemn on a daily basis.
So, Paul, please don't make up things that I did not write or say. I never once used the 'indebted' nor did I even intimate that.
Peace,
AWriter
Awriter –
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by.
There are several misconceptions to correct you on. I will attempt to do that in a few words here on the blog. However, I would like to have a dialog with you via email concerning the deeper theological and doctrinal issues that we are in disagreement about.
I want to first address the issue that we were only there at the event because of ‘who’ would be attending the Festival.
You couldn’t be more wrong.
We were at the Festival because lots pf people were going to be at the Festival. A couple weeks ago we were at the last Car Show in Canton Georgia. A few weeks before that we were at the ‘Four Corners’ district in Atlanta up and down the streets in front of the restaurants and bars. We go to Festivals and parks in north Georgia and any area where large groups of people will be. Please feel free to examine all the posts on this blog for clarification of where we go to preach the good news of the gospel and ‘who’ we preach it to.
We do not single out the ‘type’ of people that will be at events (which is exactly what your group was specifically there for); we simply want to witness to everyone creature (Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15).
As a matter of fact, AWriter, we never even brought up the subject of homosexuality. We didn’t have to. We didn’t pick and choose and point out ‘a’ specific sin. Lost people, no matter what their sexual preferences are, have broken every one of God’s Commandments. 1 John 3:4 tells us that ‘sin’ is transgression of the Law. Any sin is transgression of the Law.
We were merely telling people that they have violated God’s standard (The Ten Commandments) and that one day they were going to die.
On that Day they will face a holy and righteous God who WILL judge them. We told them how they could be reconciled back to God and avoid His wrath on that Day through His amazing grace!
We preach the gospel in different ways. We talk to a person one-to-one. We hand out gospel tracts. We read the Scripture in public. A well written gospel tract is one of the easiest ways to get the good news into someone’s hand quickly if they are on the move. Most all people will take a gospel tract and read it later. Some, unfortunately, do throw them away. I can assure you that while I was at the Festival, I never once littered. In fact, I picked up a few discarded plastic bottles on the ground and made sure they found their way into the recycle bins located in the Park.
continued below -
You said, “We were able to stop you from harassing others with your thinly guised prejudice, ignorance and hatred, masked as 'spreading the Gospel' for about an hour.”
ReplyDeleteCould you be more specific about that claim?
Could you please tell me what about our message was prejudiced or ignorant or hateful…and how was it thinly guised?
AWriter, 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that all Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God man may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Either all Scripture is God-breathed or it is not. We were not picking and choosing which parts of the Bible we presented to people. We didn’t pick out just the red letters (it’s all God’s Word) and suppress what was inconvenient or hard to hear. We presented the full gospel; Law and grace to those who are perishing.
We did not argue. We did not harass. We did not talk to anyone who did not want to talk. We did not force a single tract on anyone who did not want to take one. We were polite and compassionate to everyone we interacted with.
We did not spread a message of hate. Quite the contrary; we were loving enough to tell people the horrible truth that if they die in their sins they will spend an eternity in Hell.
What kind of people would we be not to warn those who were going to everlasting destruction? How can we let lost people go to Hell without warning them that they are on a road that leads to destruction and that the bridge is out? How can we not tell the lost that they have a terrible disease called sin?
We never judged or condemned a single person Saturday. We didn’t have to. John 3:18 says that those who are not in Christ stand condemned already.
We know ‘we’ can’t change someone’s heart. We never claimed and will never claim such silliness. Only the Holy Spirit can convict the lost of their sins…we are merely the messengers.
We presented the whole truth in love and compassion. Love and compassion for the lost (no matter who they are) are two of the three reasons we witness. But we witness first and foremost because we as Christians are commanded to by God Himself.
Like I said in the beginning of this comment; I will be more than happy to correspond with you via email on the major theological and doctrinal differences (Deity of Christ, doctrine of Hell, authenticity of the Scriptures, etc.) that are obviously between us.
You can contact me at hisfeet@tds.net
Thanks,
Wayne
Wayne,
ReplyDeleteFeel free to email me. I look forward to it. Actually, I meant to emphasize that you and your folks were very civil and non-threatening, from what I witnessed.
However, when you decide that a member of my church--a church that survived the Civil War, by the way, one of only four churches that were spared by Gen. Sherman--is a 'False Christian' just because you deem it so, I have a real problem.
But, feel free to email me any time.
Peace,
AWriter
Oh, okay, well, when you walk around saying 'we are here to spread God's Love' and then you spend an hour with someone who is a very dedicated Christian, argue with him on interpretation of The Bible, then conclude, because he does not agree with your interpretation of scripture that he is a 'False Christian' you are guising your ignorance and prejudice, with the 'We are here to tell the real TRUTH about God's love' etc.
ReplyDeleteYou don't own theology; you don't own interpretation; My church was there because so many of the folks that go to Pride get very hurt and offended that so many stand at the entrances of Piedmont Park, to inform them that, just because of who they are, they are condemned to hell. But, Freedom of Speech extends to you and me, no matter what, correct?
Would you appreciate it if I showed up at your church, and walked behind you saying, 'God doesn't like ignorance, it is a sin...I'm just trying to 'save' you," or if I handed out GW Bush 'dollars' with pithy sayings on the back?
I'm not sure you would appreciate that.
Well, feel free to email me any time Wayne. Peace to you, though we disagree.
AWriter
For the record I didn't call the man a false Christian.
ReplyDeleteWhat I said was ...
"Folks, know your Bible!! The more you study God's Word the more you can easily spot and refute counterfeit Christianity."
and...
"...he was hindered for about an hour from spreading his false message to the folks coming into the Park."
Only God knows his heart and if he has repented and put his trust in Christ to save him from the wrath on the Day of wrath.
I speaking of the false message he was proclaiming based on the conversation I had with my team mate. I did not judge the mans standing with God.
Thanks
It's always confusing to see professing Christians be so hostile to other Christians. It's strange, too, to hear some assume that others who differ in the conclusions they've come to have not used their brains.
ReplyDeleteWill anyone be saved just by saying God loves them and implying he accepts their sins? Did Jesus not use the law, the commandments, on more than one occasion, to help people realize what sin is, and to help people understand their need to repent of their sins and to trust in Him? Repentance is one of the first things Jesus declares in his ministry, yet you seem upset with us for emphasizing the importance of it.
Sorry, but I just don't see any problems with this. Do you simply deny those particular parts of scripture or something? None of us judged anyone out there. We just acted the best we could in accordance with scripture, as Dawg has stated.
It sounds like you don't mind, or that you actually want people to die in their sins based on those signs out there, which is disturbing. Whether we know others are saved or not, we should share the Gospel anyway if we care about them.
I suppose it's a theological issue, and what part of scripture one chooses to accept. There are powerful and compelling writings and studies out there in support of the inerrancy of the Bible, even copies of it we have today. I could recommend some if necessary.
Also, one doesn't even have to believe in the inerrancy of scripture to derive the central doctrinal concepts of Christian faith from them. The Bible is the most accredited collection of historical documents from ancient history by far, no contest. Even the atheistic historical scholar, Gerd Ludemann, believes Jesus viewed himself as God incarnate, and he is by no means alone on that, even from the radical fringe of historical scholarship.
ReplyDeleteThe incredible details entwined in maintaining the manuscripts from then until now is fascinating. Just one example: within less than 100 years of their writing, virtually the entire New Testament can be read just from viewing the quotes used by the earliest Church fathers spread across three continents.
Anyway, I'll just leave that type of discussion between you two. I'm out. Peace.
"Will anyone be saved just by saying God loves them and implying that he accepts their sin?"
ReplyDeleteWow, you get all of that out of our church simply saying "God Loves you just the way you are?"
Again, we have a hymn, which I know you are familiar with, entitled "Just As I Am."
What do you think the words from that hymn mean, Joe?
Where did I imply that God accepts 'their' sin? I guess, truly, God has no choice but to accept it when we ALL sin, and guess what, Joe?
You sin too! Every day. What makes you any different than those that you wish to 'save?'
I do get a bit un-nerved when someone, who knows nothing about the person he is engaging with, claims the other person is spreading 'false doctrine' because he disagrees with what is said.
If the criteria to be accepted as your brand of 'Christian' means that you are above reproach and sin, please 'cast the first stone.' Until that time, I think all of us are on the same level playing field as it relates to 'sin' and 'sinners.'
The difference, Joe, is that we were not there to 'save' anyone, since that is an intensely personal decision, and the only person that can 'Save' (using your terminology) is Christ.
I don't have magical powers, Joe. I cannot 'save' anyone. All I can do is open a door and welcome someone to church...you know, that place where 'sinners' dwell?
"Did Jesus not use the law, the commandments, on more than one occasion, to help people realize what sin is, and to help people understand their need to repent of their sins and to trust in Him?"
Did Jesus ever utter one word about 'homosexuality'--in and of itself, and it is different than muddying it with 'fornication'? Nope.
Did St. Paul? Yes, it's been 'interpreted' that way, however, a clearer understanding and reading of the text, in its original format, along with understanding the times for which the text was written would reveal a Rome filled with pedastry. I do believe that is what Paul refers to.
However, Jesus did talk a lot about how we have all sinned and we will continue to sin. He also talked about loving one's neighbor as thyself, helping the poor, taking in widows, he also preached that you are not to judge, lest YE be judged.
Don't you think that God is big enough and omnipotent enough to be able to speak directly to each and every one of us, once we DO open our hearts to hear Him?
I don't think we really differ on the outcome of why both of us were there on Saturday, but we definitely disagree in how to do it.
I don't believe it is my place to judge anyone, though I am guilty of doing it. It is human nature.
You are not immune to sin, Joe, but the difference, at least for me, is what I interpret sin to be.
When I see a committed same-sex couple, who are by all intents and purposes 'married' to each other and faithful to each other, and to God, I don't consider that a 'sin' and I do not feel that God sees it as a sin.
Could I be wrong? I'm sure I could be, however, you could be wrong too. We both are not God.
But, unilke Wayne, I don't post people's pictures on my website, and say that a person is spreading 'false doctrine' or whatever, simply because we disagree on interpreation.
Thanks for the discourse!
AWriter
For me, I'd rather leave the judgment to God, and I just try to live my life the way Christ would want me to, given all my limitations and sinful nature. It does not mean I don't strive to be like Christ, but none of us will ever attain that enlightenment--the enlightenment of God--hence why Jesus died for our SINS.
I just want to reiterate that no one in our group judged anyone’s salvation. We cannot do that and it would un-Scriptural to do so.
ReplyDeleteI want to reiterate that we never brought up the topic of homosexuality to anyone we witnessed to. We didn’t have to.
But I state again that we disagree with biblical and historic Christianity.
Either something is true or it isn’t.
*Either Christ was God in the flesh or He was not.
*Either Hell exists or it does not.
*Either the Scriptures are God-breathed or they are not.
*Either God exists in three persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) or He does not.
It’s not a matter of “I’m right and your wrong or your right and I’m wrong”. What’s at stake here is if the above statements are true or not.
I say they are absolutely true and therefore, by default, the opposite reasoning (that they are false) is wrong.
Whoever believes otherwise is simply wrong. We can continue this discourse through email and I can provide, in context, all supporting Scriptures.
If, AWriter, you are a female, I must copy my wife in all correspondence because of my covenant vows with her.
Also, as this blog is meant for the encouragement of fellow biblical evangelists, I must ask that we end this thread and correspond through email. This blog exists for stories, witnessing techniques, etc. The blog was never intended to be a theological or doctrinal discussion board.
I do have another blog that is wide open for any kind of discussion, so feel free to post there at any time on any subject.
– www.dawgonthelawn.blogspot.com.
Thank you –
Wayne
I did not say I can save anyone. I did not say that I've never sinned. I've probably sinned more than most out there. You're making this discussion a bit ridiculous by putting words into my mouth. I only stated with I thought you were implying, or what seemed or sounded like was the case from said implications.
ReplyDeleteDid I ever utter a word about homosexuality? Nope. What's your fascination with it? We go wherever people are, period.
It's not my brand of Christianity, sorry. Take your focus off me personally and keep it on the subject matter.
"Did St. Paul? Yes, it's been 'interpreted' that... is what Paul refers to."
Everything within that statement is extremely questionable if not completely unfounded, and I do base that in part to studies of my own as well. The text is clear, actually. I really don't want to add made-up sins to the list by any means, trust me. Christianity's quite challenging enough to man's sinful nature as is!
Once again, I'm not judging people here, as stated previously. This accusation is wrong and irrelevant.
"Don't you think that God is big enough and omnipotent enough to be able to speak directly to each and every one of us, once we DO open our hearts to hear Him?"
The language used here is strange. "Omnipotent enough" doesn't make sense. There is no lesser or greater degree of omnipotence pertaining to the actual meaning of the word.
Once again (just responding down your list) assuming that I think I am immune to sin is just silly. Having sin in one's life doesn't mean I shouldn't share the Gospel with others, or that I don't war against sin in my life daily like any other Christian.
Your wording has accusations and assumptions which are simply false. I merely asked you questions and told you what I thought the signs in that one case seemed to be implying.
Anyway, I wish I could say I have enjoyed the discussion but it doesn't seem to have been particularly productive at this point.
what*
ReplyDeletetypo, possibly others as well :P