SWAT TEAM Springfield, MO Witnessing- 3/31/06

Street Witnessing And Training
Taking Evangelism Across Missouri

Friday Night - March 31, 2006
Park Central Square - Springfield, Missouri

This Friday night was fruitful. The bus station security told us we couldn't pass out gospel tracts any longer on their property and we had to leave, because they had "complaints" about us last Friday night. We also spoke to Christians, a pagan, pulled April Fool's Day jokes on people, passed out an April Fool's Day trivia gospel tract, and did open-air preaching two times at Park Central Square.

We had six committed people come out tonight. My son, Dillon came with me. GNN Seed Sower David Lohn and his two sons, Luke and Nathanel, as well as GNN Seed Sower Michael Borich. It was a much warmer night than usual, and that made for more people in the downtown area.

We paired off into two teams. David, Luke and Nathanel started off one direction and Michael, Dillon and I headed for the bus station. As soon as we arrived at the bus station and started passing out the April Fool's Day trivia gospel tract, the security officer came up and told us that she was instructed by higher ups that if we arrived, that we would have to stop passing out our tracts and leave the property. She said they had complaints last Friday night. If you read last Friday night's post, that is when a bus driver was loud with me and telling us to stop handing tracts out because it was blocking people from getting of the buses. We backed up and continued.

Last Friday night we also had a young man named David who prayed and repented and trusted in Christ....right at the bus station. We have been having very fruitful conversations with folks there. Satan would like nothing better than to put a stop to us going to this place. I asked her if it was a publicly owned bus station, and if so, I believe we have the right to be there. She told us we will need to call back and talk to the people who made the decision. I will be doing that and possibly contacting an attorney to see what they say. I will let you know what happens.

Michael and I walked around, passing out the April Fool's Day trivia gospel tract. One side had trivia questions about April Fool's Day and the other had a gospel message. Most people we offered a tract to accepted it.

After getting back to the square, we ran into Chris, David and Sally from West Division Baptist Church. They come out and hand out free water and witness to people. I met Chris at the Square one time before. He said he still has the "Hell's Best Kept Secret" cd I gave him, he just hasn't listened to it yet.

David, Luke and Nathanel arrived back from passing out tracts. They did something that was funny, something that David did once before. The three of them just stopped and began looking up at the sky. Finally, a few ladies that were walking by stopped and began looking at the sky to see what they were looking at. David said, "April Fool's Day!" ha - and handed them gospel tracts and they accepted them.

We had our Minivox PB-25 portable PA system. We placed it on the fountain wall and I stepped up to open air preach. Michael buys these cute little stuffed animals and we give them away as free prizes if someone answers a trivia question correctly. This normally gathers a crowd. After a crowd is gathered, we offer someone a couple stuffed animals if they can prove to me they are a good person. We had a volunteer tonight named Brian (nickname is Scooby). We took Brian through the Good Person Test, asking if he has ever lied, stolen, blasphemed or lusted. We are all guilty of breaking these 10 Commandments. Brian knew all the right answers and said that he is a Christian. I gave him the stuffed animals. There were probably 25 people in the entire area that heard the message.

After the open-air, I spoke to Brian. He was out with some friends, Rebecca and Ashley. They go to Solid Rock International church. We passed out some Hell's Best Kept Secret cd's and other tracts to the people after the open-air.

More people were arriving at the square, so we decided to do another open-air. David used his money and went to get change ($1.00 bills) and we used those as prizes to give out if they answered the trivia questions correctly. I stood up on the fountain wall and began announcing that we were giving away free money, all you have to do is answer the trivia questions correctly. We gave the money away and I asked for a volunteer who could prove to be a good person, then they would receive two stuffed animals. There were probably 50-60 people in the square that heard the law and the gospel presented.

A few people were volunteering, but I picked Barbara. I had noticed Barbara walking around the square earlier. She was cursing quite a bit and being loud. She had a couple of her daughters out with her (teenagers). I asked her, "Have you ever told a lie?" "Yes". "What does that make you?" "A liar". I mentioned to everyone that the Bible says that "all liars will have their part in the Lake of Fire". "Have you ever stolen anything?" "Yes". "What does that make you?" "A stealer" "Only in Pittsburg" :-) "No, a thief". The Bible says that "no thief will enter into the kingdom of God".

"Have you ever used God's name in vain?" "Yes". The Bible says that that is called blasphemy, and that "the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain". What we do is take the name of the God who has given us everything we hold dear and drag His name through the mud. So, instead of using a four-letter filth word to express disgust, we use God's name. We don't even use Adolph Hitler or Saddam Hussein's name as a curse word, but we use God's name. "Have you ever looked with lust?" "Yes".

One of the 10 Commandments says, "Do not commit adultery", but Jesus went as far to say, "That whosoever looks at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart." We will be judged on not only by our actions but by our thought life. During these questions, Barbara kept looking up at me, saying, "Are you going to tell me I am going to die?" I believe what she was meaning to ask me was, "Are you going to tell me that I am going to go to hell". She had a convicted and concerned look on her face. Also during this time, one of her teenage daughters kept saying to me, "have you ever told a lie, have you ever stolen anything?". It looked like she was just being protective of her mother. After it was over, I spoke with the daughter, Amber, and admitted I was guilty just like everyone else, but I have repented and asked forgiveness and am trusting Jesus as my Savior. She was no longer mad.

"So Barbara, by your own admission, you are a lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulterer-at-heart and you have to stand before God on the Day of Judgment. We will all die one day. 10 out of 10 people die. 150, 000 people die everyday. If God were to judge you by that standard on the Day of Judgment, will you be innocent or guilty of breaking God's law?" She ran around the answer for a bit, but admitted, "Guilty". "Will you go to heaven or hell?" She said, "Heaven". Although she admitted to breaking God's Law, she still didn't quite see that she was guilty enough to go to hell. I think she knew it, but didn't want to admit it.

I explained how that we broke God's law and Jesus paid our fine. We could not pay our fine (debt to sin) in court and Jesus came up and paid the fine for us. If we will repent (ask forgiveness and turn from our sin) and trust in Christ as our Lord and Savior, we will be born-again.

After the open-air, I began speaking with people that came up to talk. I met some Central Bible College students that come out every Friday night to witness. I met Tom, Erika and Susan, Cherissa and Jocob. I gave out some "Not My Job" bookmark gospel tracts and a Hell's Best Kept Secret cd to Erika. Erika said that she just might have to take the microphone sometime and jump up and preach - Praise God.

After one of the open-air's, David went to talk to one of the young men who answered one of the trivia questions correctly. This man told David that he is a pagan, that it fit him more than serving God. David talked to him for awhile, explaining how that was idolatry and his believe was offensive to God. That he needed to repent and believe in Christ. I pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to convict Josh's heart.

We went to "The Mudhouse", drank coffee, visited and discussed the evening of witnessing and what we would like to do in the future as far as witnessing and open-air preaching.

I thank God for those that came out with us tonight. Lord, we thank you for working in our lives and working in the lives of those that you brought into our paths this night.

In Christ,

Brad St. Clair

www.repent-and-turn.com

www.gnnlocalleader.com

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