Pride Fest: Team Member Perspective Take Three

Although I enjoyed talking with everyone I encountered Saturday, I saw no conviction. I experienced hate in a couple of instances, although, I never once brought up any one's sexuality; it was because I brought up Jesus. But who knows, I planted the seed and the Holy Spirit does the rest as the Lord so chooses. My friend and I were able to talk with quite a few. She initiated almost every conversation. You rock!

The one young man who touched my heart was "Baby." He was working at a skateboard store across from the park. He had very long, thick dreadlocks and tattoos everywhere and he was very easy to talk to. At first, my Christian friend was talking to him and then she migrated to his co-worker. I continued talking with Baby. I was able to discuss The Commandments and Salvation with him. We talked about our sinful nature and Christ's love for us and many other things concerning Christ and Salvation. Baby had led a hard, tough life and wants to do better as an example for his daughter. Please pray with me for Baby. We talked for a good while and he listened!

God is loving. Look at David of the Bible. Think about all the mistakes he made, some of them horrible mistakes, but when he came to his senses he literally fell on his face and begged God's forgiveness (more than once!), and what happened, he was forgiven.

Or Paul, wow, look at his life before he was a Christian. He was one of the meanest, cruelest men of his time and when he came to Christ, God used him as one of the greatest men to ever proclaim the gospel.

God can take those most vile, cruelest conditions or people and make them into warriors that witness, minister and preach the Word to others. He takes the meekest and makes them bold in His Name. He takes Christians that are shy and makes them a comforter or an encourager. He takes the Christian that is frail and makes them strong.

This is why we witness about Christ and Salvation to others, no matter who they are, where they are, even in places most may not even want to hear. If someone doesn't want to hear, or dismisses the conversation, we thank them for their time and go on.

If someone listens and voices their point of view, we listen and continue telling them about the Christ of the Bible. We witness to people about Jesus Christ and Salvation as the Bible teaches us and because God expects us to as Christians.

We witness out of love for Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour first, and secondly out of love for God's creation, the man or woman you speak to, the child you may teach in Sunday School, the co-worker you see each day, the patient you tend to in the hospital, the young mother in front of you at the grocery store, and, yes, even the young gay man at the Pride festival, or the dude looking at the cool camaro at the local car show in front of Publix.

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You have come a long way in stepping out of your comfort zone!

As one whom God has gifted to encourage and comfort people you are able to use that gift in your one-to-one witnessing encounters that the lost can definitely sense in your interaction with them.

It was awesome to see my 'better half' out on the streets sharing Christ with the lost!

Dawg