Battle Log

I decided to start taking notes after I have interesting chats with strangers on the streets.  That way I’ll be able to remember to write about them in this monthly report.

 

Because of that, I now have four interesting stories to encourage you with.

 

I’m trialing a new schedule, and so this month Roger and I tried switching our Tuesday Riccarton outreach to Thursday.  The first time we tried this (April 23rd) I had a wonderful time of ministry.  Three of the stories will be from that outreach.  The last story will be from the Friday (24th) outreach in the city.

 

Often when I start a street outreach, I’m already feeling quite tired from earlier work online.  I always start in prayer, but, if I’m tired like this, I often don’t feel up to hunting for a conversation (walk up).  To get myself rolling, I pick a spot and just start handing out tracts to those that pass by.  Before I know it, I’m in a chat, and then, suddenly, I’ve had multiple chats and 2 hours have flown by!  So, can I encourage you, if street outreach seems too daunting to you, try doing what I do - lower the bar so it’s not so daunting, and before you know it, God has used you in ways you didn’t imagine possible.  God delights to show his strength through our weakness - we just have to be willing to take the first step, no matter what that step is (e.g., taking an opportunity to swing an every day conversation to deeper things).  If we practice, over time we will grow, and what was once daunting won’t be.  Jesus is worthy, so be encouraged!

 

So, it was like this on that Thursday.  I started by handing out tracts, to get myself going.  Next thing, I’m having a great chat with 3 teens who had been handed Gideon Bibles by someone earlier in the day!  Those teens had religious backgrounds, but weren’t clear on the gospel - so after I clarified that, I was able to point them to John in their new Bibles.

 

I walk a circuit on both sides of Riccarton Road, between Rotherham Street and the Mall - there are bus stops on both sides of the road, which are very profitable spots for gospel chats.

 

I was at one of these bus stops - it was very crowded - when I had an opportunity to engage some very interested school kids in conversation.  It was a short chat, because their bus came, and they had to dash (not without taking tracts first).

 

It was then that I noticed someone was standing right next to me, on the other side.  I assessed the environment, and I concluded that this person had been listening to the chat I was having, and wanted to talk to me.  And I sensed a trap, they were positioning themselves hoping I would start a chat with them and then they would give me a piece of their mind.  I weighed it up, and I decided Jesus was worthy - I was going to step into the trap and see what happened!

 

So, after I introduced myself, they cut to the chase: “I want to talk about abortion”.  I knew, in this situation, that that was actually a distraction from what we really needed to talk about.  They were expecting a fight.  They threw some punches (not literally), but I just dodged and didn’t fight back.  Instead, I tried to step the conversation down a level: “So, how do we know what is right and wrong?”  My tactic was to move the conversation to how we know God is real, and therefore God is the objective basis for right and wrong.

 

But, the issue wasn’t intellectual.  Soon, the real issue bubbled up: 1) they hate God because he allows evil and suffering & 2) they hate God because God will judge them for what they love: sin (although this point was masked behind their first point).

 

I tried to address this intellectually, but that just caused an unreasonable eruption from them.  So I decided to move into listening mode – let them vent.  And they did.  Question after question tumbled out of them - but they didn’t want an answer, they just wanted to express their hatred for God.

 

I ended the conversation by saying, “You’ve asked a lot of really good questions, but I don’t think, at the moment, you are really looking for answers to them.  My name is Glen”, and I offered my hand.  They didn’t shake it, but gave me their name.  So I said, “, I really hope we get another chance to talk, but all the best for now, okay?”  And I moved on.

 

Now, to natural eyes, that conversation looks like a failure - they weren’t corrected in their worldview, they weren’t challenged in their sin, they didn’t hear the wonder of the gospel, they didn’t humbly come to Christ in contrition over their sin.  But to me, that conversation was Gold.  At the very least, their perception of the Christian worldview was challenged (we don’t hate those we disagree with), they had a chance to see how unreasonable their conduct was, they had a chance to hear what they think out loud, with some gentle push back from their ‘enemy’.  God can use that in their lives, and for his glory - ultimately, in either his justice or his mercy being magnified through their life.  Oh, let it be his mercy!  May they come to a place where they are ready to really talk about right and wrong, and hear the hope of forgiveness, through Jesus.  It may not be through me, but that’s okay.  God is in control.

 

Oh, wow, I’ve spent most of my time talking about that one, short, conversation.  But it was really special to me.  (Just so you know, I try to spend no more than one hour writing this report, I’d rather spend my time actually engaging unbelievers! ;)  This is also why you’ll notice heaps of spelling and grammar issues, I don’t really spend time reviewing what I wrote.)

 

So, I’ll skim over the other chats I wanted to write about:

 

Later, I got to engage 4 teens (at the bus stop on the other side).  They were firing so many questions at me, I couldn’t keep up.  But, for one of them in particular, I think they also weren’t really looking for answers, it was like she was trying to overwhelm or confuse her mind so she could avoid talking about the hard stuff: sin, death, hell, pain, truth.  The questions were like bad self medication for anxiety; rather than stopping, facing truth and discovering true hope and relief.

 

And then I encountered a guy, who was interested in what I was doing.  I asked him my usual question: “what do you think happens after life?”.  He said, “heaven”.  I said, “Why exactly can you go to heaven when you die?”.  He said, “because Jesus died for my sin”.  I said, “Good answer, so, do you have to be good to get to heaven?”.  He said, “no”.  I said, “Okay, so, out of 100, how sure are you that you’ll go to heaven?”.  He said, “100%”.  We quickly realised we were on the same page.  I was so encouraged to hear about his church, and the weekly outreach work they are doing: door to door, and on the streets.  So great!

 

The last chat I want to mention was on the next day: Friday, in the city.  I ended up in Cathedral Square and I was moving down Worcester Boulevard, when I passed a man sitting on a street bench.  I offered him a tract, but he ignored me – or, he didn’t notice me, because after I passed, he realised I had said something to him, and he looked up.  I stopped, and went back and offered him the tract, he took it, and made it obvious he wanted to know what it was about.  From there, I was able to sit next to him and have a very long chat.  By the end of which, he was asking the hardest and deepest questions – showing that, even in his resistance, he was hearing and understanding what I was challenging him about.  If my memory serves me right, he accepted a gospel of John from me in the end.  Wonderful!

 

May God use our feeble efforts, for his glory.  Only he can change a heart.

 

Thank you for praying for this ministry - it’s (the prayer) so vital and appreciated.

 

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