A man who was a tremendous blessing to my wife and me, Shawn H, has some terrific photos and blog posts about R&W. Link to them here. His wife Lisa is also pretty amazing too! We were blessed to have met them and hope to all meet up again in Florida next year.

Posted: August 19th, 2008 under Encouragement, Evangelism, Getting Started, Gospel Tracts, Open Air Preaching.
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Basically the trip went like this: We arrived on Thursday, August 7th. Our home away from home was a former hospital turned Christian missions dormitory in Queens, NY. There are about 30 of us from all over the country and one from Canada. Day One was arrivals, introductions, and orientation.

Day Two: Our first full day. Up early, separate mens’ and ladies’ group devotions, together for group worship and a stirring message from Pastor John C.from Minnesota, which led to time in prayer and repentance. Afterwards we broke into our respective teams and preached the gospel on the subways and Madison Square Garden/Penn Station. We ate dinner in Times Square but then continued the outreach there in Times Square with more open-air and tracts. After a 16-hour first day of sites, sounds, smells, tears, bonding, preaching, walking and witnessing, the teams again headed into the subway for more train preaching as we returned to our dorm to pass out.

Day Three (Saturday): Up early and together again for group worship, prayer, and the inspiring testimony of Shawn H of Luke 10:2 Ministry and this time a trip first to Battery Park, where folks take the ferries to Staten Island and the Statue of Liberty, later to Union Square Park, and later still to Times Square and then another trip of subway preaching back to the dorm.

Day Four (Sunday): We got to catch up on some sleep and then met for Sunday worship, with CCN Overseer, Pastor Sean LaCon preaching and later praying over those who felt the Lord had called them to specifically be evangelists. After service we enjoyed a graduation ceremony with certificates and exhortations not to let our evangelistic zeal remain in NYC, but to take it wherever the Lord has us. Lastly, we concluded the afternoon/evening with about six hours of open-air preaching, tracts, one-on-one encounters again in Union Square Park.

I’ll leave you with this awesome story: As we were waiting for our last subway ride back to the dorms, there was a guitarist/singer performing down on the other subway platform, separate from ours by several sets of tracks. He was singing, “Stand By Me” and we all joined along in the chorus to cheer him on. This led to Pastor John to springboard into a gospel presentation to the people waiting for trains that Jesus will stand by you more than anyone else ever could. But the great thing (besides the gospel presentation, of course) was that the guitarist called out when John was done and said he had a song for us. Next thing we knew, he was strumming and singing “Open the eyes of my heart, Lord. Open the eyes of my heart, I want to see you. I want to see you….” It was surreal! We were praising the Lord with this subway musician on the last night of our Repent & Witness Evangelism Camp. What a beautiful way to wrap it up! We praised God in awe of His million little kindnesses to us! The next day those who were not staying in NYC for a few extra days of site-seeing made their way homeward, with new friends, new hearts for the lost, and a deeper love of the gospel.

Posted: August 19th, 2008 under Encouragement, Evangelism, Getting Started, Gospel Tracts, Open Air Preaching.
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The Repent & Witness Evangelism Boot Camp was a HUGE success!!!  Thank you for all of your prayers.  Of course, we the participants and leaders had nothing to do with it; it was all the Lord Jesus Christ’s glory.

There were over 30 people from across the U.S. and one young lady from Canada.  We had about a 30-year span in ages but never once was there any feeling of an age gap.

We met for prayer, Bible teaching, and evangelism instruction.  Then we hit the subways and the streets of New York!  We openly preached the gospel on the subways of NY.  When we got to our pre-chosen destinations (Battery Park, Union Square Park, Times Square, Madison Square Garden) we passed out gospel tracts which occassionally led to 1-to-1 evangelism encounters and were set up for open air preaching.  Many got “on the box” for the first time to share the Good News of our wretchedness and Jesus’ redeeming love and grace.  It was incredible.  Many souls in NYC heard the call and some even repented in tears and surrendered their lives to our King.

We did encounter hostility too.  We nearly got killed in a mix-up with a ‘Free Tibet’ demonstration who thought we were shouting them down because we were sent from the Chinese gov’t.  Eventually they realized that was not the case and that we, too, wanted religious freedom for the people of Tibet and Taiwan–freedom to worship, yes.  Freedom to worship Jesus!

The fellowship with other believers was amazingly sweet.  We tasted of the joyful reunions of heaven!  We laughed so much our sides hurt.  We stayed up so late we had what I called a “Christian hangover” because we were exhausted and sleepy, but we had laughed so much after long days.

I bring you good news!  The Lord Jesus is ALIVE and MOVING across the world!  There is a revival happening!  Many young people are coming out of the deceptive slumber of modern church youth/college groups into the light of biblical evangelism and submitting joyfully to the Lordship of Jesus!

Pictures will come when we get back home.  The Mrs and I have stayed a few extra days for site-seeing, visiting with relatives, and further evangelism.

To God be the Glory!!!

Posted: August 14th, 2008 under Challenge, Encouragement, Evangelism, Gospel Tracts, Open Air Preaching, The Church.
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See ya! Pray for all of us!  Pray for NYC! 

Posted: August 6th, 2008 under Announcements, Evangelism, Getting Started, Open Air Preaching, Witness Encounters.
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Did my 2nd attempt at open-air preaching about a month ago on a Friday night.  Here are some more things I’ve taken away from the experience to help and encourage you also.  I’m not saying I’m dogmatically right on these, they’re just my personal observations as I’m just trying to be obedient as well.

• It is OK to use notes.  I didn’t think so at first, but I had nothing prepared but an organized list of Bible verses.  I decided to simply use those verses as stepping stones through the gospel.  I would read aloud a verse or two about who God is and His attributes and then simply make a short comment that amounted to basic reading comprehension then I would move to verses about God’s Law, man’s breaking of the Laws, etc.  And then end with verses and a appeal to please listen and repent before it is too late.  The more I do this the more I will eventually remember the verses not need notes. But for now, why not?  It’s better to use notes than listen to the lie that I haven’t memorized enough so I shouldn’t say anything.
• Don’t be surprised if you feel like you might pass out.  Maybe I was breathing wrong in seeking to project my voice, maybe it was also nervousness, but I thought I was going to pass out.  Just keep going and get through the gospel; a ten minute message is better than none at all; trust the Lord for stamina.
• You will get told to shut up.  You will get dirty looks.  You will get the finger.  Don’t get those because you are rude and offensive.  Get them because you are lovingly, soberly trying to warn people; pleading with them to listen and repent.  Preach on.
• Follow Wesley’s method.  Start from who God is, His attributes, His Laws, etc. and work downward through the gospel.  Keep the Lord elevated:  Seek to leave the sovereignty of God as an indelible mark on their hearts.
• Even if only a ten minute gospel presentation, you may be exhausted afterwards.  That’s OK.  In those few moments you are trying to do everything in your power (so to speak) to plead and warn anyone who will listen.

Posted: July 30th, 2008 under Evangelism, Getting Started, Open Air Preaching.
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“The fact that the gospel is not popular is all the more reason for preaching it. The very fact that men cannot endure sound doctrine is all the more reason for seeing that they get it. It is not our responsibility to make it acceptable; it is our duty to make it available.”

- Vance Havner, 20th Century Baptist Preacher

Posted: July 2nd, 2008 under Evangelism, Open Air Preaching, Quotations.
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