On the Street Before Good Friday- 4/21/11

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!

Dover Center and Detroit in Westlake - 8/16/2010

Yesterday, I returned to a spot I used to frequent a lot but have neglected for the past months as I have hit Lakewood hard: Dover Center and Detroit in Westlake. I have neglected the spots I used to frequent in favor of Lakewood for the past months, but I need to come back to those spots. I didn't hand out any tracts (although I had the opportunity to hand out a few, fear came over me- which it does at times) and was out from 3:45 to 4:45.

A Conversation with Jeff - 3/31/10

Yesterday, I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Center Ridge in Westlake from 3:30 to 5:00. I remembered to stand in the shade this time to avoid the sunburn I got last week. The weather is absolutely beautiful this week (upper 60's and 70's) and there were a lot of middle school kids walking home. One asked me if I had any more of the money tracts, and I told him I did and gave him and his friends a tract. I handed out 11 tracts to students passing by.

Around 4:00, Jeff pulled up and told me he wanted to offer me encouragement for what I was doing. He wanted to show me his tattoo- along with a graphic, he had John 12:25 etched into his skin- just the reference, not the actual verse. John 12:25 is, "Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."

I gave Jeff a tract and it turns out he already reads Ray Comfort's blog, but wasn't familiar with Hell's Best Kept Secret. He said he may have heard of it, but I encouraged him to listen to it. I made sure to share the parachute analogy with him and stress the importance of repentance, which he refreshingly already knew.

A Conversation With a Pedestrian and Ted - 3/10/10

Yesterday, I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Center Ridge in Westlake from 3:00 to 5:00. After standing on the southeast corner for a while, I gave a gospel tract to someone passing by and she asked about the cross. She told me she just came from a function at a Catholic church. I quickly went through the law and the Gospel with her and asked her if she knew where she was going when she died, and she said she did. I didn't really press it beyond that, but she did leave with the tract.

At around 4:00, Ted walked up to me. At this point, I was on the northwest corner of the intersection. Ted told me he was Christian, and when I asked what kind, he said non-denominational, although he grew up Seventh-Day Adventist.

Ted told me he had read parts of the Bible, but not from cover to cover. I asked him if he had read the four gospels, and he said he had. I made reference Jesus saying lust was adultery in the heart (Matthew 5:27-28) and how the Bible to says to hate is to murder. Ted said I struck a chord with him with lust.

I also asked Ted, "If I had 3 minutes to live, what would you tell me?" Most Christians have a hard time with this question, or they always seem to leave something out in their answer. Ted was no exception. At this point I mentioned how both repentance and faith are both necessary and shared the parachute analogy with him.

If you are on a plane about to crash and there is a parachute that can save you, merely "believing" in that parachute won't save you. You must put on the parachute, trust the parachute, and jump from the crashing plane. In the same sense, we must put on the Lord Jesus, trust Him like a parachute, and abandon our sins (repent).

I handed out 5 tracts today.

Dover Center and Center Ridge in Westlake - 12/15/09

Tuesday, I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Center Ridge in Westlake from 1:40 to 2:10. The lack of sunshine is a regular thing now and even though it looked like it was raining, it wasn't- everything was just wet.

Dover Center and Center Ridge in Westlake - 12/07/09

Today, I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Center Ridge in Westlake from 12:15 to 12:45. Snow flurries are starting to fly around and I'm missing summer! I wish the expressed temperature in Fahrenheit was the temperature in Celsius right now!

Center Ridge and Columbia in Westlake - 11/30/09

Monday, I went to the intersection of Center Ridge and Columbia in Westlake. Not much to report, just that it's cold!

Dover Center and Detroit in Westlake - 11/23/09

Yesterday I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Detroit in Westlake from 2:45 to 4:45. I handed out a few tracts, but mostly just stood with the cross. Winter is on it's way!

A Conversation With Bob - 11/17/09

Today, I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Center Ridge in Westlake at 1:15 and snapped this not so appealing photograph. There was a bit of a wind blowing west, so I stood on the northwest side of the intersection. At 2:00, Bob approached me

He mentioned he got the message of the cross right away. He said he saw the sign, went home and read the Bible verse. I told him that so many people just believe, and he mentioned that it was repent and believe.

I told Bob we need to trust Jesus like a parachute on a plane. Merely believing in the parachute won't save you- one needs to strap on the parachute and jump from the plane. In the same sense, we need to strap on the Lord Jesus and abandon our sinful lifestyle.

Bob mentioned about repentance that we are supposed to participate in our salvation. While I admitted that our act of repentance (turning from our sins) was required, there is nothing we can do to earn our salvation. I mentioned God has done nothing wrong when we turned away and sinned and therefore we need to turn back, but that we can't add anything to what Jesus had done for us on the cross- that was the ultimate sacrifice for our sins.

He said, "You know I thought about you the other day. I try to read my Bible a little every night, before I go to bed, and I read a passage about inviting people to the wedding and it said if the guests don't arrive, to invite everybody else. I thought, 'That's what this guy on the street corner is doing. He's inviting everybody else to the wedding feast, even though the ones who were invited may not go, so he's inviting the other people.' "

I added, "They need to make sure they have on the right wedding attire, too, when they get there."

He replied, "That's a good point."

I said, "To make sure they have the righteousness of Jesus applied to them."

I gave Bob a tract and also someone who appeared to be on their way home from school.

Dover Center and Center Ridge in Westlake - 11/12/09

Today, I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Center Ridge in Westlake. The sky is clear today and the sun is shining, but winter is on it's way. It wasn't as windy as was yesterday and the temps are currently in the low 50's. I was out from 1:10 to 3:10 today.

Today was a quiet day. I am getting quite a few more honks and waves in Westlake. I don't know if people recognize me now or are support the message, but it's a nice change from the hostility I sometimes I get. There were a few people passing by on the sidewalks, but I had my hands in gloves. I need to start getting in the habit of taking my gloves off to give them a tract.

I also got a high five from someone passing by on a bike. I also noticed 5 separate people had searched for information on the "Cleveland Cross Guy" on Google by the time I came home, which is up from what I am used to seeing. I think it is from the increased size of the lettering at the bottom of the cross plus I also directed the cross at traffic in a different manner than I normally had.

Dover Center and Detroit in Westlake - 11/04/09

Yesterday I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Detroit. I was there from 3:40 to 5:00. No conversations and didn't hand out any tracts, but vehicle traffic is still heavy and a lot of people looking at the cross and some more finding this blog. It it is supposed to warm up this weekend a bit- looking forward to that.

Dover Center and Center Ridge in Westlake - 11/03/09

Today, I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Center Ridge from 3:05 to 4:05. Foot traffic virtually non-existent at this point with the temperatures dropping, but the vehicle traffic has not decreased at all. When I arrived, a man in an SUV started yelling, "Are you ready?! Yea!" A little while later, someone (I think it was the same guy) yelled out again, "Are you ready?!" The cross is still getting a lot of looks and I'm hoping it is making some people think.

Center Ridge and Columbia in Westlake - 10/28/09

Today, I went to the intersection of Center Ridge and Columbia in Westlake. I was there from a little after 3:00 to 5:00. I have never been at this intersection during this time so I am hoping a lot of new eyes got to see the cross today.

Today was a pretty quiet day. When I set up my tripod to take this picture, someone in one of the north bound lanes of Columbia asked me what I was taking a picture of. I told them I was an evangelist and take the picture for this blog. I handed her a gospel tract and told her to read the back side when she got a chance.

I gave a tract to someone walking by and she wanted to make sure I was advocating the exclusivity of Jesus Christ. Also, a security guard came out from the Cuyahoga Community College Corporate Campus (to the right of where I am standing in the picture) and politely asked me if I would considered moving.

Tri-C has an issue on the local ballot to fund education and he mentioned they didn't want my sign to be confused with all their campaign signs. He acknowledged that I wasn't doing anything wrong, and I told him that he was correct- that I was on a public sidewalk. I asked him if it would help if I crossed the street to an opposite corner, and he said it would, which is what I did for about the remaining half an hour.

I know I didn't have to move, but I completely understand their position and after this coming Tuesday, the signs will be gone and it will no longer be an issue. I gave the security guard a tract after I told him I would move and he gladly accepted it, saying he likes to have things to read. I handed out a total of 3 tracts today.

A Converstaion With Steve - 10/27/09

Today, I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Center Ridge in Westlake. I started displaying the cross at about 12:55 and stayed just shy of 2 hours.

Shortly after arriving, a woman came out of GetGo (a gas station), came to the corner and was waiting to cross the street to go to Circle K. I gave her a gospel tract and she asked what it was. She told me she had just gone to a women's retreat. She said it was fun and very inspirational. She said a guy had come into the store and asked her if she was a Christian, and she answered she was. She said he mentioned she should read "The Shack" and asked me if I had read it. I gave her my disapproval of it.

At about 1:45, a man approached me. I gave him a gospel tract and he said he had to come over and see if I was real and he proceeded to poke my arm. He said, "I've seen you out here a couple times." I asked him what he meant by if I was real.

He told me, "I've been having dreams, manifestations." We just had missions conference at our church recently and a missionary spoke of people in their respective countries they serve in having dreams, and I honestly believe God works through dreams.

I replied, "OK, what's your name?"

He replied, "Steve."

I said, "Steve? I'm Mark."

"I' saw you out here a couple times, and I thought, 'That's weird.' Some of them are apocalyptic, some of them are this verse."

I asked, "Mark 1:15?"

He said, "A lot of people drive by and pay little or no attention. If anybody will believe me, it will be you. I have met Satan- twice. It's just good that you're out here."

I asked, "Are you a Christian?" He affirmed he is.

I told him I was just out here trying to sow some seeds, and hopefully another will reap. Steve mentioned this is a fallen world we live in. He mentioned that he's made his mistakes, and I replied we all have.

I said to Steve, "Well, you understand that Jesus died on the cross, but do you know what Jesus tells us to do?"

Steve replied, "To preach the good news."

I said, "That's part of it- that's the Great Commission, but do you know what you must do to receive His forgiveness?"

He said, "To accept Him."

I said, "That's one part, but the other part is repentance- turning from your sins. That's what I'm trying to get people to think about. I've believed in Him for as long as I can remember, but I never repented of my sin. I never turned away from my sin. That's what Mark 1:15 says: 'The time if fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel.' There's so many people who don't repent and continue to live in their sin."

Steve mentioned this world is full of corruption, filth and garbage. I told Steve that the Bible tells us to live in the world, but not be of the world. Steve tried to reference the verse and I pulled out my Bible and turned to 1 John and read 1 John 2: 15-16: "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world."

It was when I started reading these verses that a guy across the street started heckling me and startled me a bit. I started again and finished it.

I told Steve about how Jesus views lust as adultery in the heart and if you hate someone or so much as call someone a "fool," you are liable for judgment.

Steve told me, "The biggest misnomer, I think, is that people don't realize how grave it is to judge. You notice the splinter in your neighbor's eye, but not the log that's in your own. We're so quick to look upon other people and scrutinize them but we ourselves are just as prone to the same error."

I mentioned if you finish reading that Scripture, you will see that it says to first take the mote out of your own eye and then you will see clearly to deal with the spec in your brother's eye. "It's not necessarily saying, 'Don't judge,' but first deal with the problem in yourself, and then you will see clearly."

I mentioned that if I were to go around and curse and blaspheme, I would have no right to go up to someone and say to them, "How dare you do that?" Once I have dealt with the problem in myself, then I will see clearly to help them.

Steve mentioned that it's unfortunate that inevitable things are going to unravel. I told Steve the end is coming, but we don't know when it is- not even Jesus knows. He mentioned the way things are shaping up, he tends to think it could be sooner rather than later. I told him I tend to agree. He mentioned that about 1.5 million abortions are performed each year and the disintegration of families.

Steve and I talked about some of the signs that the Bible talks about. He said, "They were talking about these wildfires in California. They're talking about the flames being 3 to 400 feet high. Now if that's not Biblical... Could you image the 2 of us standing here with flames coming at you?"

Steve mentioned, "You have earthquakes, mudslides- I remember there was an earthquake a couple of years ago in Iran. It killed 40,000 people. 40,000 people died in a matter of... moments."

I told Steve that 150,000 people die everyday and most of them don't know Jesus as their Savior. At this point, I said to Steve, "Let me ask you- are you ready?"

He replied, "Yea." I asked him if he practiced repentance and faith. Steve said he prayed every day and night. He mentioned some of the sinful things he had previously done, but I pressed him again on repentance.

"The thing I am trying to get people to understand is that they need to repent, also. We need to trust Jesus. It's like being on an airplane that is going to crash and there is a parachute that can save you. You need to do more than 'believe' in the parachute to save you. You need to trust that parachute, strap it on, and jump from the plane to be saved. In the same sense, we need to trust in the Lord Jesus. Strap Him on and abandon our sins."

Steve asked me if I ever go to other places, and I told him about some of the other places I went and mentioned this blog and my church's website, which are both on the tract I gave him. At this point, he had to get going.

A while later, a woman stopped at the light on Dover Center asked if my sign was about the Apocalypse and I told her it was just a general salvation message and walked over to her car and gave her a tract. After about 10 seconds, she said, "You know, Jesus said love thy neighbor. Jesus forgave. We are all God's children." If I had to make a guess, I would say she was feeling convicted for her sins.

I handed out a total of 5 tracts today.

Dover Center and Center Ridge in Westlake - 10/22/09

Today I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Center Ridge at 12:45 and stayed until 2:45. The leaves are really starting to change around here and it is really beautiful! What an artist God is!

A man asked me, "Ready for what?" I told him about the message of the cross, and he told me he was ready. I should have given him a tract anyways, but I didn't. I haven't been handing out many tracts lately due to decreased traffic on the sidewalks, and I need to get back into the mode of handing them out. Chance of rain is 100% for tomorrow- not sure if I will find a break in the rain to get out.

Dover Center and Detroit in Westlake - 10/19/09

After leaving North Olmsted and stopping at home for a minute, I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Detroit in Westlake at around 3:10. Not very long after I arrived, a Westlake police officers pulled up in the parking lot behind me.

Knowing that they were there to talk to me, I walked over to him and he asked, "Just standing out here with your sign? That kind of stuff?" I said, "Yea."

"We got some calls, some people who are concerned for some reason. Is there something going on with you? What have you got with the tripod?"

I told him I just like to document where I go and I mentioned that I was taking pictures of myself and that I was on a public sidewalk. I started talking about the cross and quoted Mark 1:15. It was clear I wasn't doing anything wrong and they received a call and just had to respond to it. Apparently people were concerned I was taking pictures- the officer said people are watching too much TV.

Another officer pulled up and I gave the officer who I was talking to a tract, telling him they are what I hand out. I also gave one to the other officer. They said "Hey! It's a trillion dollars!" with a laugh. I thanked the officers for their service in the community and told them to read the back of the tracts when they got a chance.

I went back to the sidewalk and then headed back to officer in his patrol car and gave him a Big Money tract also since he liked the trillion dollar tract. I asked him if he happened to know an officer in Fairview Park who I had spoken to at Summer Fest because I was wondering how he was doing. He didn't happen to know him. I left at 5:15 and on the way home, I exchanged waves with someone on Detroit who had stopped to talk to me once before.

Center Ridge and Columbia in Westlake - 10/13/09

Today, I went to the intersection of Center Ridge and Columbia in Westlake. I arrived at around 12:50 and stayed for an hour. I was not well prepared for the cold- it's not so much the temperature that is rough (in the upper 40's/lower 50's- about the same as yesterday), but the wind. It's in the upper 50's in the lower part of the state- I hope they are enjoying it! I think I finally need to break out the winter coat. It was just about a month ago that I was in shorts, flip flops, and worried about a sun burn.

A guy in a truck asked me what I was protesting and I told him I was just trying to get people to think about their eternity. I saw someone do a search yesterday on "Cleveland Cross Guy" on Google and found my blog and also someone today. I am hoping they will click on "I have seen the cross. What does it mean?" to get the law and gospel presentation.

Interview by WeST LIFE Newspaper - 10/12/09

Today I went to the intersection of Dover Center and Center Ridge in Westlake after the light rain stopped around 2:10. I added an arm to the bottom of the cross that says "GOOGLE: CLEVELAND CROSS GUY." My hope is that people will go home and look it up on Google, find my blog, and be curious enough to click on the banner that says "I have seen the cross. What does it mean?" which links to a law and gospel presentation.

Around 3:45, Kevin from the WeST LIFE news walked up and asked if he could talk to me about the cross. He said they had received a few calls about me standing with my sign and was wondering if I would talk to him. I told him, "Sure."

Kevin had some general questions, like what had inspired me to take the cross to the street. I told him about Tony Miano's (not by name) cross out in California and gave him a tract and told him about Living Waters. I quoted Hebrews 9:27 and told Kevin I just wanted to get people thinking about their eternity.

He asked me if this had anything to do with a doom's day scenario, and I told him it wasn't- just to get people to think about their eternity. I told Kevin I didn't want this to be about me, but about the gospel message. I made clear the necessity of repentance and also shared a few Scripture verses with him about repentance and the Great Commission. If it is posted online, I will link to it once it is published. I hope the article will at least plant some more seeds.

On a side note, I was talking to my father yesterday about religion (which I wrote about previously in my "Holiness" post). I was trying to explain infused righteousness versus imputed righteousness to him, among a few other things, and the conversation got a little heated. My father got dizzy and temporarily blacked out on the freeway. His doctor told him to minimize the stress in his life and my discussions are one of those things.

My mother has ordered me not to talk about religion to him ever again, which I don't think I will. My mother says he is happy and content in his faith, but I know that doesn't mean his salvation is secured. Please pray for my father that someone else will reap what I have hopefully sown.

A Conversation With Pastor Gary of the Church of Christ

If you were driving around Westlake today, there is a good chance you saw the cross. After being out for a little over an hour and a half earlier, I was out at the intersection of Detroit and Dover Center from 2:25 to 5:15. There is a wind advisory tomorrow and my cross doesn't fair well in high winds, so I wanted to go out twice today, plus winter is coming and I'm not sure how long I will be able to take it in the cold, so I want to take advantage of the nice weather while I have it.

As I made my way out, I gave a gospel tract to two of the workers at my apartment complex. One asked to see my sign and he told me to keep up the good work. I was hesitating on giving them tracts, but I'm glad I did. I need to get back in the habit of giving everyone tracts.

I saw a high school student on his way home from school that I had met previously when I was at this intersection. He offered me some more encouragement and we talked for a few minutes. A young lady came by a little later and I offered her a gospel tract and it turns it was his sister.

A woman driving by asked what my sign meant, and I told her to go to NEEDGOD.COM. I put the address at the bottom of my cross, but I'm not sure how far it is visible from. She asked me again what the address was, and I told her, and she wrote it down. It is so great to have this resource available to give to people.

Around 3:20, Pastor Gary pulled up. He inquired about the cross and we soon got into a conversation. He started talking about baptism and I had a feeling this was going to be like a conversation I had a few weeks ago with someone else.

Gary told me he was pastor of a church in Kansas City and recently came to Ohio. My feeling was correct- Gray belongs to the Church of Christ. I had made a decision not to get into religious debates like the one that followed, but I did.

My conversation with Kevin a few weeks ago revolved around there being 5 things necessary and I couldn't seem to figure out all of them. I kept coming up one short. Gary gave me a card that answers this. It says, "Jesus taught, and the apostles, guided by the Holy Spirit, taught that in order for one to be saved it is necessary that one... BELIEVE, REPENT, CONFESS, BE BAPTIZED, LIVE GODLY," with Scripture to back each one up.

This is where the debate started. Baptism does not save- it is just a symbol (although it should be done in obedience as commanded by Jesus). I was getting the same language from Gary as I was from Kevin about baptism- quoting Acts 2:38: "And Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'"

I also had my question answered from my discussion with Kevin about what it means to "put on the Lord Jesus." According to Gary, when we are baptized into Christ, we have put on Christ.

Gary also told me that he believes there is a church of the Bible- he doesn't believe there are many churches. He also quoted (from KJV or NKJV- I am using the ESV) Matthew 7:21: "“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." I asked Gary point blank if baptism was a requirement for salvation, and he said yes. Going back to Acts 2:38, he said that both baptism and repentance are necessary.

Gray didn't bring anything up about communion, but a few weeks ago, Kevin was on my case about my church only practicing communion once a month. He had asked me why we practice communion. I said we do it in remembrance of Him. He said that if we were only practicing it once a month, we were only remembering Him once a month.

He said that Jesus said that "as often as you take and drink this cup, you do this in remembence of me." He told me the disciples came together every first day of the week to break bread. I looked at the Lord's Supper in Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25 and Luke 22:14-23, and Jesus did say to partake in remembrance of Him, but I do not see Jesus making any references to the frequency of it.

Gary also quoted (from KJV or NKJV- I am using the ESV) Mark 16:16: "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." I pointed out that the latter part of this verse doesn't say "whoever does not believe and is not baptized will be condemned." Gary said that if you don't believe, then what's the use of getting baptized, and that's why it isn't said.

I am not discounting communion and baptism and that they should be done in obedience, but to make them a requirement of salvation is getting into a works-based salvation. "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

In John 3:3, Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” When one repents of their sins and places their trust in Jesus Christ, He will give you a new heart with new desires to serve Him. This is what it means to be born again. Repent and trust in Jesus, like you would a parachute on a plane that is about to crash.

Center Ridge and Columbia in Westlake - 10/06/09

Today I went to the intersection of Center Ridge and Columbia in Westlake. I arround 11:20 and stayed until 1:00. Today was mostly quiet, aside from a guy rolling down his window to curse at me and another guy yelled out, "I'm ready for anything!"

Tomorrow is supposed to be very windy, so I am headed out in a few minutes with the cross to another location today.