Belligerent Beggar, Pushy Pentecostal, Docile David and More
Greetings sisters in Christ!
We are rejoicing that the area we have been in for the past few days has been filled with many one-on-one witnessing opportunities! We are thankful because we had plans to be elsewhere instead of here, at this time, and it all worked out perfectly anyway. Not our will but God's will of course!
O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
Jeremiah 10:23
This morning we went for a walk and I stopped in at a new grocery store to see what they had for sales. Brother Jim walked back to get the van and bring it over and on the way had a beggar ask him for some gas money. Brother Jim told him that we don't give out money but he'd be happy to help him with his car if he really needed it and to meet him across the parking lot over at the gas pump. Apparently the vehicle was totally empty because he began pushing it over to the pump and when brother Jim saw, he started to go help him when a few guys driving by jumped out to help him. He was very grateful and best of all he got the gospel, good news!
While I was in the store, there was an older husband and wife by the banana section next to me. The lady was picking a banana and the man was laughing about it, and asked me if I ever bought just one banana. I said "Yes, that's what I'm doing now" and I smiled at his wife. He said "Are you embarrassed to buy just one?" I said "Oh no, aboslutely not" and smiled at his wife again. (She was really crabby looking.) As they were walking away I handed her a card and said it was the gospel, good news, how to find eternal life. I explained to them both that Jim's a preacher of the Word. The man said "I'm not a Christian but thank you anyway." She continued to look at me in a crabby manner. I ended up passing by them on the way out and I looked at the woman, said to have a nice day, (she was still crabby and just stared at me) and the man said good day in return.
After I got out of the grocery store we ate our lunch in the van and saw a beggar set himself up across the street. (He drove a decent truck.) After lunch, brother Jim grabbed one of our small food packets that has a gospel card and walked over. I saw the guy take the food and toss it on the ground next to him. I saw he was rather angry which brother Jim confirmed to me when he got back. He was a very ungrateful beggar only looking for money.
But get this, as brother Jim was walking away a car drove up, the driver leaned over to the beggar and asked him about living in a van and could he help him learn. The beggar said "I don't live in a van, you should talk to that guy!!!" pointing to Jim who was walking away telling the beggar to repent. The driver of the car parked by the van and got out. His name was David and he started asking Jim questions about van life. In the middle of the conversations he asked if we were Mormons...and you know right where the conversation went :-) to the gospel. Turns out, this man has been having some convictions and asked a lot of questions. It was edifying to see someone who was interested in hearing the truth and we could see much was sinking in him. He was very kind, thanked Jim for all the info and gratefully took the gospel card.
After all that we went to work online in the marketplace (click HERE to see what that means) and as we were finding a place to sit, I asked a woman if anyone was sitting at the table by her. She said 'no' and I thanked her. She asked if that was our van (she could see the signs on it.) I answered that it was, gave her a gospel card and explained that brother Jim preaches the gospel and we travel all around to do it. She smirked and said "I'm non denominational." I answered and said that we encourage people to test themselves against the denominational organizations and call people out of them. (Sisters, you realize that so called non-denominational organizations are a denomination of their own?) She insisted that they came out from the organizations (even though she admitted she attends a religious organization.) I asked if she had a husband and she responded that she did. I encouraged her to go with her husband to the website and brother Jim would love to hear from her husband. She claimed that her husband would really like to talk to Jim as well. She continued to have a funny look, a smirk of sorts on her face when she asked if we knew of
"____a new age word of faith false teacher___"
(I don't want to put his name here.)
Jim said he would warn her husband about that false teacher and then encouraged her to have her husband contact him. She kept pushing and then said "What name do you baptize in? The Father, Son and Holy Spirit?" (That's a typical question from the unbiblical Pentecostals.) Brother Jim kindly explained again that he is not going to teach over her husband and to have him send an email or call. She wasn't happy about that and wanted to press the issue but we didn't answer her. She ended up leaving the gospel card on the table.
I wanted to share a couple things about this meeting.
# 1 Did you notice that at first she said her husband would like to talk to Jim? But she left the gospel card and didn't bother to bring it home to him. Why should she bring it to her husband? If she loved us as Jesus said we are to love our neighbor (or enemy), she should have wanted her husband to test and then contact brother Jim to teach him where we're wrong.
#2 She acted as a disrespectful feminist pushing against of the authority of headship. She disrespected her husband by pressing questions on another man when she should be going through her husband.
#3 We were lifting up the name of Jesus Christ, she was lifting up the name of a man.
Sadly it's the typical feminism we encounter and we cannot enable it. If we answered all her questions (after she clearly said she's married and her husband is a believer) then we would be in sin for going over her husband.
In all this we see that even though the plans we originally had would have been good for witnessing, perhaps God had other plans for us here, based on all the opportunities we've had.
I share this because God's Will, will be done and although you may think things are not working out in your life, it may be exactly what the Lord wants.
I also want to share that you can make opportunities to share a gospel card just by being observant in your daily activities when you are out in the world. The grocery store is a great place to do so and if you have plenty of time, walk around a while. You can watch the women as they shop and see if there's an opening to chat a bit about a product, help someone find something (I use my locator app and help people that way), give advice on a product that someone is looking at etc... and then when the conversation is done you give them a gospel card. There are times when I check out that the cashier turns away as soon as they are done with me so I lay a gospel card on the counter for them to find later. Watch to open doors for elderly or handicap people and have a gospel card ready. Someone might need help putting their groceries in their trunk or whatever. If you're ready and observant, you will have opportunities.
2 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.
9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.
10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;
11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:
12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things;
13 Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;
14 Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked;
15 Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:
16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;
17 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.
18 For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.
19 None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.
20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.
22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.
Proverbs 2
Have a joyous evening sisters.
Blessings to you,
Sister Deb
The biblical gospel...