SWAT TEAM Springfield, MO Witnessing- 3/03/06

March 3, 2006 - Friday Night - Downtown Springfield, Missouri

Street Witnessing And Training

Taking Evangelism Across Missouri

We made a difference in lives tonight. Once you die and pass from this life into eternity, you will not have the opportunity to make a difference in someone's eternity. If you are a Christian, please do what Jesus commanded in Mark 16:15, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature". We should be so grateful to God for saving us from hell and giving us heaven that we shouldn't have to think twice about wanting to do this.

We had a total of 13 people hit the streets witnessing tonight. Here is a picture of most of them.

We had David Lohn and some of the seniors from his homeschool football team that he coaches, along with some of their friends, Michael Borich, J.J. and Danika. I thank God for them and for their faithfulness and boldness to come out and share their faith.

Tonight was the "Art Walk" in downtown Springfield. It had quite a few more people out that has been out lately. I also had an open-air preaching time tonight. More about that below along with pictures.

I arrived at 8:00pm at Park Central Square. Michael Borich was already waiting for me and had been there a little while, playing his harmonica. He said that he had already passed out the Ten Commandment pressed pennys to about 20 people. This is Michael's first time out with us. By the way, the tracts we use are from Living Waters Publications, www.livingwaters.com. We use the Way of the Master as a tool for evangelizing. www.wayofthemaster.com.

Michael and I prayed and then began walking around the area. We first came up to three teenagers named Abby, Brittany and Dean. We gave them the Giant $100 bill gospel tracts and started talking to them. Abby is a Jehovah's Witness. Brittany believed much of what Abby did, and Dean...well Dean was saying he believed in reincarnation and he was coming back as a redwood tree (although Michael talked to him alone later and he was just giving me a hard time it seems).

We went through the "Good Person Test" with them, which is taking them through the Ten Commandments, to see how they will do when compared to God's standard on Judgment Day when they stand before God and give an account of everything they have ever said, thought, or done in their lives. Many people don't think they have done so bad as long as they are comparing themselves against each other. However, we can't do that. We need to compare ourselves against God's holy standard of good and evil.

Abby and Brittany believed they would live on earth forever and never die, and that the earth would be a paradise (Jehovah Witness beliefs). We used Michael's bible and read verses to each other. Abby was very polite and friendly about it. We told her that there is a heaven and a hell. I gave them a "Save Yourself Some Pain" booklet. Abby said that she would read it. I also gave her a "Ten Commandment Coin", and the "Curved Illusion" tracts. She said she will contact me through my post office box and send me literature to read as well. Please pray for them.

During this time, J.J. and Danika arrived. J.J. said that while I was talking with the three teenagers, that a lady was pointing at me and being a heckler, saying things about God, etc. Praise God. She must have been angry, which is a sign that she is being convicted. :-)

J.J. and Micheal headed off in a direction and Danika and I took off in a different direction. We came up to Frank, who goes to a local Baptist church. We talked a bit and gave him a "Giant $100" tract, a "Not My Job" bookmark tract and a "Hell's Best Kept Secret" cd, and encouraged him to witness. He said he would listen to it and pass it around.

Danika and I went to the bus station. I handed a tract to Alex, who was a young man waiting for the bus. Danika went to another two or three people and had good conversations. One Christian lady even prayed for her. Anyway, Alex and I had a good conversation. He said he "had been" an Episcopalian for eight years, but had been treated badly by the members, and felt that church was a bunch of hypocrites. He also didn't believe in hell. I reminded him that Jesus talked more about hell and the reality of it than anything else.

I took him through the Ten Commandments to show him how he has offended God by sinning against him, and explained how to be born-again. We must repent(be sorry for our sins and offending God, as well as turning completely from sin-to stop sinning) and believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, like we would trust a parachute to save us if we were jumping out of a plane. We must "put on the Lord Jesus Christ" and "pick up our cross daily and follow Him".

I told him that the "church" was not filled with "hypocrites". The "Church" is not a church building. The true "Church" is the body of Christ, true believers and followers of Jesus. A hypocrite is a "pretenter", an "actor". They are pretending to be a Christian. If they followed the Bible they would not treat others in such a way as he was treated. I asked to not become angry at God just because other so called Christians treated him badly. I gave him a "Save Yourself Some Pain" booklet. He said he would read it. He shook my hand and got on his bus.

David Lohn, a fellow "The Great News Network" seed sower (GNN), and his homeschool football team arrived. They had a football dinner party to attend, and they were faithful enough to still come out and witness. It was Chais, T.J., Ben, John, Josh, Luke and their two friends, Angela and Julia.

During the night when he was out with two or three others, they were having a difficult time getting people to take a gospel tract, or even slow down enough to grab one. It was getting kind of cold. So, what David did, was tell all the guys with him to stop and look up at the sky. Then, the group of folks that were walking fast stopped, and began looking up at the sky to see what was going on. At this time, David told the guys to go over and hand them gospel tracts while they were stopped and just staring up at the sky. It worked-they took the tracts. Excellent idea, David.

Danika and I talked to a young man named Josh, who was in the Army Reserve. After giving him a gospel tract, we asked him if he considered himself to be a good person. He said he was not a good person. When asked why he wasn't, he said that he smokes and drinks, etc. One of his friends heard him say this and said, "you are too a good person...he is even starting to go to a Tuesday night bible study". He still denied being good. She didn't want me to take Josh through the Ten Commandments, but he said it was okay and then she took off - she didn't want to hear it.

Josh admitted to being a lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulterer at heart and that he believed he would be guilty on the Day of Judgment. He believed he would go to hell and that did concern him when he thought about it. He didn't really know what it meant to be born-again. At this time, the group of friends that he came with started to leave. I asked him did he have to go, and he said no. He then told them that he would catch up with them in a little while. He was listening intently to what we had to say. We told him how to be born-again and gave him a "Save Yourself Some Pain" booklet, which he said he would read. He thanked us for talking with him and left.

At this time we decided that we would do some open-air preaching at the square. The following pictures didn't turn out to good, but here they are. We had people in and out during the entire time. Overall, there were probably 50-60 that were there.


I jumped up on the brick wall at the side of Park Central Square and started loudly telling people that in a few minutes we would be giving away money for answering trivia questions. J.J. and Danika left and went around telling people what was going on, which caused more people to show up.

I started asking various trivia questions and giving $1.00 bills to those who answered correctly. During this time, a walking band of accordian players, etc. came by and we couldn't hear very well. The crowd really yelled and cursed them for disrupting our trivia game and their chance to get free money. The band quickly kept walking by. After doing this for awhile, I stated we'd need a volunteer for the next part, but they would need to listen to the requirements first. If someone could prove to me that they are a good person, by the questions I asked them, I would give them $5.00. There were roughly six people that ran to the front and raised their hand, saying, "pick me, pick me". I selected the one that was the loudest and had the most friends there. His name is Brandon.

I asked Brandon, "Have you ever told a lie?" He said yes. "Have you ever stolen anything?" He said no. "Should I believe you, you just admitted to me that you are a liar?" :-) (always gets a good laugh to break the ice). He said he hadn't. "Have you ever used God's name in vain?" Yes. "Have you ever looked at a woman to lust after her?" Yes. "So, Brandon, by your own admission, you are a lying thief, a blasphemer and an adulter at heart. One of these days you will die. When you stand before God on the Day of Judgment, and if God judges you by that standard, will you be innocent or guilty?" Guilty. "Will you go to heaven or Hell?". Hell. "Does that concern you?" Yes. The bible says that all liars will have their part in the Lake of Fire, and that the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain, and that no adulterer will enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Later, I was told that during this time, a lady was going up behind me and pointing, trying to get people to leave and stop listening to me. I didn't notice anyone leaving, however. There was a guy there with a camera with a zoom lense walking around taking pictures during the open-air. We are not sure who he was with.

We continued talking for a little while about heaven and hell and how to be born-again. At this time, a guy came up from behind me and stood right next to me. I asked him to get down with the rest of the people. He didn't move. I told him I am in the middle of trying to give away money. Some of the people were telling him to get down, but he didn't.

I continued and asked if Brandon proved himself to be a good person. Brandon said no. I said that I am going to give him the $5.00 anyway. That is what God's grace is. We don't deserve it, but God is offering his forgiveness and eternal life to us, if we will just reach out and take it...repent and believe. Brandon walked right up to me, took the money, left, then walked back to me and gave me a hug. Praise God.

Later, David was talking to a guy from Central Bible College, named Ryan. Ryan said that when Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron were in Branson in May of 2005, Ray walked up to him at the mall and started witnessing to him. We were out witnessing with them as a group from "WorldView Weekend". He said, "I was at the mall wearing my "beer brand" hat and this little man came walking up to me and started asking me all these questions. He kept answering all my questions that I had." Ryan said he got saved right then and there. However, when Ray asked his name earlier so that he could sign him a book and cd's, etc., Ryan told Ray his name was "Jim". Ryan gave me his phone number. I will contact him. He has a passion to seek and save the lost, using the law to convict of sin. This is how he was brought under conviction and saved, so he believes in it. I thank God for Ryan.

We had to do the Christian thing after being out witnessing in the cold...we went to the coffee house. We discussed our night. Everyone gave stories about what happened. Luke was able to talk to an agnostic man. He took him through part of the law and gave him a gospel tract. Everyone passed out tracts. We have been primarily using the "Giant $100" tracts. We are getting known all around downtown Springfield as the "group" that gives out the Giant $100 bills. One guys said that he read it and almost started crying.

Earlier in the night, Michael Borich gave me some stuffed animals to give away instead of money for the triva questions. I will used these next time. Thanks, Michael!

On our way back to the cars, I walked up to a guy that is out in the square a lot having "sword fights" with shaped wooden sticks. A girl that was talking to him, named Kristin, asked me what the "Giant $100 bills" were. I gave here one and told her it is a gospel tract. She said she attends Central Bible Collge. She was there when I did my open-air preaching. She said she believes in more of a "Friendship Evangelism" style of witnessing. She said you have to make friends with someone before they will open up and trust you enought with spiritual things. I told her I agree that you need to make sure people know you care about them, but that can be done in just a few minutes. That we talk to many people a night who open up and tell us all about their spiritual lives and listen to us as we take them through the Ten Commandments. They are convicted. The Holy Spirit convicts their conscience, and they see their need to repent and trust in Christ. I gave here a "Not My Job" bookmark.

One of the problems with "Friendship Evangelism", is that while we are waiting to build up a relationship over time with them, so that they will "trust" me enough to tell me what they are thinking, they can die. 150,000 people die each and every day. Almost two people per second. We don't have the time.

Please pray for the many people that we witnessed to tonight. Pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to convict the hearts of those that had a seed planed in their life.

In Christ,
Brad St. Clair
www.repent-and-turn.com
www.gnnlocalleader.com