Yesterday, I went out to my spot at Dover Center and Center Ridge in Westlake from about 6:50 to 8:00. I have been wanting to get back out on the streets- I have only been out a few days on the weekends. I saw a story on the news about a man who came up to Cleveland from Louisville, Ohio, dressed as Jesus and carried a cross around downtown for about two hours.
Seeing that really put a spark back in me and motivated me to get back out there. I didn't have any conversations last night, but these are probably people who have never seen my cross. I used to go out during the week for about two hour increments between 11 AM and 5 PM, but I now work (praise God for that!) and am not free during the day. I look forward to the warmer weather and being back out on the streets!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Sinagara Park in Lakewood - 3/20/2011
Sunday, I went out to Sinagara Park in Lakewood with a brother from church, Ryan. For anyone following my blog, I'm sure you've noticed this is one of my favorite spots. We were out there from about 3 to 5. There was quite a bit of foot traffic even though it was a bit chilly.
Ryan was handing out tracts and as I've come to know in Lakewood, he was being met with some opposition. At one point during our fishing, a woman named Victoria walked by and Ryan engaged her in conversation. Victoria had a lot of time on her hands and she was very open to listen to the Gospel.
Ryan shared the Gospel with her and at one point she asked something along the lines of what she must do in response to the Gospel. I wasn't sure what Ryan was saying was answering her question, so I offered my past experience. I told Victoria that after reading the New Testament myself for the first time in 2008, I knew I wanted to be saved. I knew God existed, I knew there was a heaven and hell and I wanted to do what I must do to be saved.
I knew Jesus died for my sins, but how did I get the substitutionary atonement apply to me? It was my sin that stood in my way. The hardest thing was repenting (turning away from my sin) and the changes that it would mean to my life. I told Victoria that it would be a radical change in her life, but "what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:36).
Please be in prayer with me that Victoria makes the right decision, repents of her sins, and places her trust in the only One who can save her- Jesus Christ.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Back on the Street in Lakewood - 2/19/2011
It's been a while since I've been on the street, but Saturday I went back out to Sinagra Park in Lakewood. A friend from church, Chris, joined up with me. I displayed my cross while Chris handed out tracts and engaged a few people in conversation as they passed by. As much as I like talking to people about Christ, I usually wait for them to come up to me- not the other way around- that is something I need to work on. I was glad to have someone alongside of me who took that initiative.
We arrived in Lakewood around 4:00 PM. Chris engaged a young man walking by who considered himself to be a good person, but Chris quickly took him through some of the commandments to show him how God viewed him.
Another young man who was 20 walked by and we engaged in conversation. He told he was on his way to his church for a youth activity. He told us his church was an Assembly of God church and there were about 30 youths in this group. Chris gave him about 30 tracts to distribute to the youth, which he said he would.
We got to talking a bit and he asked a few questions Chris and I really couldn't definitively answer. He asked about people having supernatural experiences where they were taken to heaven or hell. I told him I didn't really have an opinion on this because Scripture doesn't describe experiences like this. I told him I believed God has already revealed everything that is necessary for us in the Bible.
I offered one piece of advice when regarding revelation from God: Revelations 22:18-19: "I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book."
I made sure to ask the young man about repentance and his response concerned me a bit. Chris also asked this young man to go on YouTube and find Paul Washer's Shocking Message (to 5,000 youth). If you have never watched or listened to this message, please do. I also asked him to listen to Hell's Best Kept Secret. Chris wrote down this information on a tract and gave it to him.
Chris also engaged a man named Brendan in conversation while he was waiting for the bus. Brendan told us he attends mass regularly at a Catholic Church. Chris started off taking Brendan through the law and I remember at one point Brendan said, "But I haven't murdered anyone...' Chris asked him if he had ever hated anyone, and it was difficult to get him to admit to it. I'm sure Chris told him God views hate as murder in the heart. The conversation started going off on a tangent a little bit and Brendan had to leave to catch the bus.
Before Branden had come up, a group of youths passing by inquired about the cross and asked "ready for what?" I told them that it was appointed for man once to die and then comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27), and asked if they were ready to face God for judgment. One of them had some choice words for God that I will not repeat.
One analogy I made sure to always use in our conversations was the parachute analogy: if you were on a crashing plane and there was a parachute that could save you, just "believing" in the parachute doesn't save you. You have to strap on the parachute, trust the parachute with your life, and jump from the plane. In the same sense, you have to put on the Lord Jesus (Romans 13:14), trust Him with your life, and repent of your sins (turn away from them).
I'm not sure how often I will be able to go out on the streets- I'm hoping at least once a weekend now that it is getting warmer. I'm also thankful for some new faces in church who also have a heart for evangelism who will now join me.
We arrived in Lakewood around 4:00 PM. Chris engaged a young man walking by who considered himself to be a good person, but Chris quickly took him through some of the commandments to show him how God viewed him.
Another young man who was 20 walked by and we engaged in conversation. He told he was on his way to his church for a youth activity. He told us his church was an Assembly of God church and there were about 30 youths in this group. Chris gave him about 30 tracts to distribute to the youth, which he said he would.
We got to talking a bit and he asked a few questions Chris and I really couldn't definitively answer. He asked about people having supernatural experiences where they were taken to heaven or hell. I told him I didn't really have an opinion on this because Scripture doesn't describe experiences like this. I told him I believed God has already revealed everything that is necessary for us in the Bible.
I offered one piece of advice when regarding revelation from God: Revelations 22:18-19: "I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book."
I made sure to ask the young man about repentance and his response concerned me a bit. Chris also asked this young man to go on YouTube and find Paul Washer's Shocking Message (to 5,000 youth). If you have never watched or listened to this message, please do. I also asked him to listen to Hell's Best Kept Secret. Chris wrote down this information on a tract and gave it to him.
Chris also engaged a man named Brendan in conversation while he was waiting for the bus. Brendan told us he attends mass regularly at a Catholic Church. Chris started off taking Brendan through the law and I remember at one point Brendan said, "But I haven't murdered anyone...' Chris asked him if he had ever hated anyone, and it was difficult to get him to admit to it. I'm sure Chris told him God views hate as murder in the heart. The conversation started going off on a tangent a little bit and Brendan had to leave to catch the bus.
Before Branden had come up, a group of youths passing by inquired about the cross and asked "ready for what?" I told them that it was appointed for man once to die and then comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27), and asked if they were ready to face God for judgment. One of them had some choice words for God that I will not repeat.
One analogy I made sure to always use in our conversations was the parachute analogy: if you were on a crashing plane and there was a parachute that could save you, just "believing" in the parachute doesn't save you. You have to strap on the parachute, trust the parachute with your life, and jump from the plane. In the same sense, you have to put on the Lord Jesus (Romans 13:14), trust Him with your life, and repent of your sins (turn away from them).
I'm not sure how often I will be able to go out on the streets- I'm hoping at least once a weekend now that it is getting warmer. I'm also thankful for some new faces in church who also have a heart for evangelism who will now join me.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Nudity in Art
I have read a discussion on Facebook and even had one myself with a Christian about nudity in art. I have heard both sides of the discussion- that nudity is OK and not OK in art. I haven't really thought about this much until I heard Todd Friel talking about this week.
I am not going to go in depth with this, but I do believe nudity is not necessary nor should be permitted in art from a Christian perspective. I can't tell the world what to do or change its views, and I don't expect to.
In the beginning, before sin entered the world, Adam and Eve "were both naked and were not ashamed," (Genesis 2:25). What happened next in chapter 3? Eve is tempted by the serpent, ate the forbidden fruit and gave some to her husband to eat. Genesis 3:7 says, "Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths."
Clearly, they both knew they sinned and they knew being naked was something to be ashamed of. If you don't think so, just read the rest of chapter 3 and see God's response to their action.
Outside of marriage (1 Corinthians 7:2-7), Scripture clearly shows nudity is something to be ashamed of. There is no "exception rule" for art- and anyone saying there is, is shaking a fist at God.
I'm not saying the human body is something to be ashamed of- hardly- "But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband," (1 Corinthians 7:2). That's where God draws the line.
Actually, this is just like the Garden of Eden all over. God has given us an entire world to use as inspiration as art, and we want the one thing God has told us to stay away from.
I am not going to go in depth with this, but I do believe nudity is not necessary nor should be permitted in art from a Christian perspective. I can't tell the world what to do or change its views, and I don't expect to.
In the beginning, before sin entered the world, Adam and Eve "were both naked and were not ashamed," (Genesis 2:25). What happened next in chapter 3? Eve is tempted by the serpent, ate the forbidden fruit and gave some to her husband to eat. Genesis 3:7 says, "Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths."
Clearly, they both knew they sinned and they knew being naked was something to be ashamed of. If you don't think so, just read the rest of chapter 3 and see God's response to their action.
Outside of marriage (1 Corinthians 7:2-7), Scripture clearly shows nudity is something to be ashamed of. There is no "exception rule" for art- and anyone saying there is, is shaking a fist at God.
I'm not saying the human body is something to be ashamed of- hardly- "But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband," (1 Corinthians 7:2). That's where God draws the line.
Actually, this is just like the Garden of Eden all over. God has given us an entire world to use as inspiration as art, and we want the one thing God has told us to stay away from.
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