Recently, a friend of mine, brother Rick Couch from Georgia, came to our home for a one night visit and some open-air ministry at Lowes Motor-Speedway. We loaded up the big cross and went to the Speedway, where they were having an enormous car-show and sale.
We saw many thousands of people, all walking around, looking at cars, etc...
We noticed that the largest crowd of people were those who were gathered at the "cross-walk" just across from the main entrance to the speedway. So, we decided to set up the big 10ft. cross there to arrest attention to the "message of the cross". What better place to set up a huge cross and preach that message!
The NC State Highway Patrol were there directing traffic, which was very heavy, and they would hold the people for up to 10 minutes at a time to allow vehicle traffic to flow smoothly during the big event.
As we raised up the big cross and began to preach, Rick and I were both astonished at the fact that it seemed that everyone was listening intently to the message. People weren't talking among themselves, no one heckled, nobody cursed at us. They all just quietly listened to the message, as we drew attention to the huge cross, and our reason for being out there preaching.
"YOU are the reason we came here today, and YOU are the reason Jesus Christ suffered on the cross!" we told them.
I told them that God Almighty had separated all those who hear the message of the cross into 2 categories:
1) Those who see it as foolishness. These are the people who perish, which means they will spend a long forever in the lake of fire, which is the second death. I warned, urged and encouraged them not to be in that group.
2) Those who are saved. To these, and these only, the message of the cross is the power of God! This is the only attitude and response to the message that can be acceptable to God.
We told them that the cross of Christ was necessary for 2 primary reasons:
1) We are all part of the ultimate statistic: 10 out of every 10 people die!
In fact, in the next 24 hours 146,000 people will die around the world. No one gets out of this world alive!
2) We have all broken God's law, which the Bible says is holy, just, good and perfect.
I told them that God has an obligation to uphold His law and make it honorable. That "...He can in no-wise clear the guilty". He cannot set aside the execution of the penalty for breaking his law in showing mercy to those who are guilty of breaking it.
I reasoned with the people concerning their guilt for having sinned against such a righteous and good and holy Creator.
I reasoned with them, that everyone knows it is wrong to lie, especially when someone lies to them or about them.
I tried to make them see that everyone knows it is wrong to steal: especially when someone steals from them! And everyone understands how wrong it is to commit adultery when their spouse does it! But, Jesus Christ pointed out that whenever someone looks with lust, they commit adultery with that person already in their heart!
I expounded briefly of God's righteous judgment in threatening eternal wrath and endless punishment against His enemies.
Then, I explained that the only way in which God could wisely offer pardon and forgiveness to guilty sinners was to offer His own Son up as an innocent substitute, in order to satisfy the awful demands of the justice and vengeance due those who violated God's just commands.
I told them that the sufferings of Christ make it possible and even wise and just and good for God to forgive and pardon the sinner, whenever he turns away from his own way and believes the good-news, yielding himself in full and complete obedience and love to the mercy and grace of God with faith in the blood of Jesus Christ as the only remedy for sin and damnation. I pointed out that God requires that we all must believe the Gospel "good-news" that Jesus died for our sins, was buried and raised again the third day. And that, when God the Father raised up His Son Jesus from the dead, He broke the power of sin and death over all those who repent and believe the Gospel.
I knew I had only 5-10 minutes to speak to each group, so I said these things in the most plain, pointed and personal manner possible.
As we continued to preach, we watched as the faces of these precious people would show deep conviction, as if they were thinking, "Hey, this actually makes sense! I have offended GOD! I deserve to be sent down to the lowest HELL! But God is willing to show me mercy if I will only repent, believe and obey the gospel of His Son!"
We stayed there approximately 5 hours, and we estimated that we preached over 40 times to an average new crowd of between 25-50 people each.
It was perhaps the most fun I have had open-air preaching in many years!
TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY, HONOR AND PRAISE!!!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Winchester, Va. Outreach Gathering
I recently returned from a "Gathering" in Winchester, Va; where several men from different 'front-line" ministries gathered together to pray, equip and be equipped for the work of the ministry, and then went to the streets of Winchester to gather a harvest of souls.
We saw many souls who surrendered themselves to the Lord Jesus Christ for the first time, as well as many backsliders in heart who returned to their first love! There were also several who were healed of various diseases and several who received the baptism with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues.
The saints were equipped to win souls and to heal the sick. It was a very fruitful 4 days, as we were extremely busy from sun-up till around 10 pm at night.
Results for the 4 days were:
50-60 saved
40 + backsliders restored
15 -20 healed, &
10 who received the baptism with the Holy Ghost!
To God be all the glory, honor and praise! In Jesus' name! Amen.
STORIES:
There were many interesting stories that took place while we were there.
I was asked to teach on the baptism with the Holy Ghost during a session on the first of 4 days with all the "front-line" ministers who had come to the "Gathering". After the teaching, I invited any who desired to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit to come forward. Two men came forward. One of them, a former superintendent of schools who was also one of the main speakers at the event and the other, a man from Bulgaria. Both instantly received an enduement of power from on high through the baptism with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues!
The next day, we all went out on the street for evangelism. While carrying the cross back toward the Church building, a young 18 year old man rode up on his bicycle and asked why I was carrying the cross. I told him that he was the reason. After ministering to him for several minutes, I challenged him to surrender himself to Christ publicly, right there on the sidewalk.
The young man, whose name is Charlie, immediately jumped off his bike, threw it to the ground and fell on his knees!
That same night, when Charlie got off work, he rode his bike for an hour to get to the evening service. The following night, on his way to service, his rear tire blew. But he was determined to get to the service, so he carried his bike for over to hours so he could be there!
Earlier that same day, while carrying the cross in downtown Winchester, I saw a young man, 28 years old named Adam sitting on the steps in front of a business. As I began to talk with him about his guilt and danger in the light of the sins he had committed against God, I could see that the Spirit of God was doing a quick work of conviction in his heart. As I began to talk of the love and mercy of God demonstrated through the cross of Jesus Christ, he became overwhelmed, and right there, in the center of town, in broad daylight, he fell on his knees and surrendered his life to the Lordship of Jesus! Glory to God!
On Saturday evening, we held a healing service in a local baptist Church there. A friend of mine who lives in Baltimore, Md. came to the service, and brought his unsaved brother who had been recently diagnosed with hepatitis C. When the altar call was given for repentance at the close of the message, six people came forward, including this brother of my friend! That night, he, along with several others, was saved, healed and received a mighty baptism with the Holy Spirit, and began speaking with tongues - right there in the baptist church!
HALLELUJAH!!!
There were several others who received healing that same night, including a lady who had severe pain in her chest. She felt the pain instantly leave her body as the power of God went through her. The thing that excited me most about this woman's healing was that I did not lay hands on her. A young autistic boy who had that night received a powerful baptism in the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with tongues was one who laid hands on the woman, declaring "be HEALED, in Jesus name!" Both the woman who was healed, and the parents of this boy wept and rejoiced for a long time afterward, amazed at the mighty power and love of our heavenly Father!
These are only a few of the highlights of the 4 days we spent in Winchester. Perhaps I will have opportunity to post more in the near future.
We saw many souls who surrendered themselves to the Lord Jesus Christ for the first time, as well as many backsliders in heart who returned to their first love! There were also several who were healed of various diseases and several who received the baptism with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues.
The saints were equipped to win souls and to heal the sick. It was a very fruitful 4 days, as we were extremely busy from sun-up till around 10 pm at night.
Results for the 4 days were:
50-60 saved
40 + backsliders restored
15 -20 healed, &
10 who received the baptism with the Holy Ghost!
To God be all the glory, honor and praise! In Jesus' name! Amen.
STORIES:
There were many interesting stories that took place while we were there.
I was asked to teach on the baptism with the Holy Ghost during a session on the first of 4 days with all the "front-line" ministers who had come to the "Gathering". After the teaching, I invited any who desired to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit to come forward. Two men came forward. One of them, a former superintendent of schools who was also one of the main speakers at the event and the other, a man from Bulgaria. Both instantly received an enduement of power from on high through the baptism with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues!
The next day, we all went out on the street for evangelism. While carrying the cross back toward the Church building, a young 18 year old man rode up on his bicycle and asked why I was carrying the cross. I told him that he was the reason. After ministering to him for several minutes, I challenged him to surrender himself to Christ publicly, right there on the sidewalk.
The young man, whose name is Charlie, immediately jumped off his bike, threw it to the ground and fell on his knees!
That same night, when Charlie got off work, he rode his bike for an hour to get to the evening service. The following night, on his way to service, his rear tire blew. But he was determined to get to the service, so he carried his bike for over to hours so he could be there!
Earlier that same day, while carrying the cross in downtown Winchester, I saw a young man, 28 years old named Adam sitting on the steps in front of a business. As I began to talk with him about his guilt and danger in the light of the sins he had committed against God, I could see that the Spirit of God was doing a quick work of conviction in his heart. As I began to talk of the love and mercy of God demonstrated through the cross of Jesus Christ, he became overwhelmed, and right there, in the center of town, in broad daylight, he fell on his knees and surrendered his life to the Lordship of Jesus! Glory to God!
On Saturday evening, we held a healing service in a local baptist Church there. A friend of mine who lives in Baltimore, Md. came to the service, and brought his unsaved brother who had been recently diagnosed with hepatitis C. When the altar call was given for repentance at the close of the message, six people came forward, including this brother of my friend! That night, he, along with several others, was saved, healed and received a mighty baptism with the Holy Spirit, and began speaking with tongues - right there in the baptist church!
HALLELUJAH!!!
There were several others who received healing that same night, including a lady who had severe pain in her chest. She felt the pain instantly leave her body as the power of God went through her. The thing that excited me most about this woman's healing was that I did not lay hands on her. A young autistic boy who had that night received a powerful baptism in the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with tongues was one who laid hands on the woman, declaring "be HEALED, in Jesus name!" Both the woman who was healed, and the parents of this boy wept and rejoiced for a long time afterward, amazed at the mighty power and love of our heavenly Father!
These are only a few of the highlights of the 4 days we spent in Winchester. Perhaps I will have opportunity to post more in the near future.
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