Legal Update
Dear Christian friends,
Last week I spoke with a Christian from Japan, who was witnessing with our team. He told me that passing out gospel tracts is illegal in Japan. It is called “soliciting” and is punishable by several years in prison.
It is easy for us to take for granted our freedom to preach the gospel in the U.S. Paul the apostle spent many years in jail. He wrote much of the New Testament from a prison cell. He also took advantage of his Roman citizenship to defend himself in court through several lengthy trials. Ultimately, he died for his faith, as did many early believers.
In the U.S., our freedoms were secured at a time when most people believed in Christian principles. As our nation has turned from God, people have become less tolerant of Christian preaching. Revelation 11 tells of a time when God’s two witnesses lie dead in the streets and the people have a great party because “these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.” Preaching the gospel torments those who refuse to repent.
On Friday August 2, I was preaching in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco. A police officer warned me that I would be arrested if anyone complained. As he was talking, a man who had been heckling me said he wanted to complain. The officer proceeded to cite me for “disturbing the peace.” The record store right next to us was illegally using a 40 watt amplifier to drown out our preaching (amplifiers 10 watts and under, such as my 9 watt amplifier, do not require permits in S.F.), but the officer refused to cite them.
This was the same charge made against me in Berkeley in 1988, which the judge dismissed. That time, I spent 12 hours in jail. The courts have ruled that the “disturbing the peace” ordinance only applies when there is a “clear and present danger” of violence or there is no intent to communicate a message.
The following Friday, Eric Livingston was playing Christian music over a 9 watt amplifier on Broadway Street. A police officer approached him without warning, handcuffed him and took him to jail. Again the charge was “disturbing the peace” brought about by a single complaint. Eric spent an hour in jail and was released. His amplifier was confiscated and has not been returned.
We also continue to have problems getting permits. Eric was issued a permit for August 31. A week before the outreach, he got a call saying the permit had been revoked. He was told he would need to attend a hearing on the matter. Neither he nor I could attend the hearing, so we wrote letters to the police captain. Surprisingly, he reinstated the permit and we were able to hold the outreach.
Our lawsuit is almost completed and we expect to file it by the end of September. We are asking for a court injunction that our permits be granted and the arrests be stopped. We are not asking for any money except legal fees. The hearing on the injunction should be held around November 1. Please pray for us and for our lawyer, Russell Davis, as we go through the legal process. Rutherford Institute has agreed to help with some of the costs.
On the Streets
On August 20 and 23, fifteen women from Women’s Aglow groups around the country, including their national president, joined us for outreaches on Haight St. and Polk St. We prayed with several people each night. Women’s Aglow is a large world-wide fellowship of Christian women. They are seeking to train and encourage their members to witness for Jesus. On August 20, I spoke with Cathi Mooney from the Prodigal House on Haight St. She said that eight young people had committed their lives to Christ in the past week and six were now living in their house. Please pray for these new believers.
On August 24 we witnessed in Berkeley. Paul and Noreen Coca sang and several of us preached. Thousands of students had just arrived and classes were beginning the next week. A rally to legalize marijuana drew thousands of people to People’s Park, a half block away. Mark Hawthorne (the “Hate Man”) heckled us part of the afternoon, drawing a large crowd. We gave out thousands of tracts.
On August 31, Paul and Noreen Coca and Tom and Jenny Burnowski ministered for six hours at Powell and Market St. (in front of the closed Emporium store). Some street vendors called the police to complain about the noise from our generator. The police said they had not received any complaints about our music, but we moved the generator.
Later that afternoon, four police officers arrived. One of them, a sergeant, said he had received complaints about loudness so we turned the sound down to a very low level that satisfied him. Still, he threatened to confiscate our equipment if he received five more complaints, even if the sound stayed at the level that he had requested. One of the officers asked us if the (closed) Emporium store had given us permission to put up our large banner. Another officer said he couldn’t believe we had gotten a permit. After they left, an angry homosexual tore down one of our banners, ranting about “separation of church and state.” Another man broke two of our signs.
Despite the opposition, over a thousand people received tracts. Many people listened to the music and at times we drew a sizable crowd. Also, we prayed with a few people that afternoon. We have applied for another permit on September 14, but as I am writing this (on September 3) I do not know if we will get it, or any other permits, until we file our lawsuit.
Coming Events
EVERY FRIDAY 7 PM. Witnessing in various S.F. neighborhoods. Meet at Vineyard, 7th St. and Harrison, San Francisco. Call (510) 531- 5325 for more information.
EVERY SATURDAY Noon. San Francisco or Berkeley witnessing. Call (510) 531-5325 for more information.
October 24-26 Fantasy Festival Outreach, Key West, FL. Contact Floating Rock Outreach, Box 61282, Savannah GA 31419, (912) 927- 0711.
Ministry News
Again we thank you for your prayers and financial support for this ministry. This is a very stressful time for us, and we really need your prayers. We still need to get a sound system for the ministry. We need an artist to help us make some new signs. We still have an opening for two Christians to live in our house. Also, we need more workers to help us witness on Friday nights and Saturday afternoons.
Elizabeth from San Diego, who was at this year’s SOS outreach, wrote “I appreciated my time in San Francisco….Julia who was at the outreach is following-up on Salah, hoping to get him to the Arabic church. Isabel is being followed up by Vineyard members. I sent her and Salah the `Jesus video.'”
We received this letter from Will, in the US Navy: “I received this month’s newsletter. Thank you for the wonderful information….Many Bible studies have been taking place on the ship. We are in the Persian Gulf right now. Please pray for the crew of the USS Carl Vinson and that the Blood of Christ would continue to cover the ship.”
Despite the attacks our ministry has faced, many people have responded favorably to the gospel message. Please pray for those we have ministered to on the streets this past month, including Greg, Dashun and Tesha (SF), David (Richmond) and Shannon (La Mesa). Also, please pray for those who have responded to tracts: Kim, Tony, Dalynn (SF), Margarita (Berkeley), Patty and Jennifer (both age 13, Pittsburg), Tri (San Bruno jail), Marjorie (Red wood City) and Martin (SF). Martin wrote: “I have read some of your literature and it definitely applies to my life. I am an AIDS patient and even though I went to Catholic school for 12 years, I am sorry to say that I have not been a practicing Catho lic. I am trying to make peace with my maker, God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. I don’t know that if what I am writing deserves reading, but to tell the truth I am really scared of dying. I am in need of a Bible and would really appreciate any help you may give. I am truly grateful for the time you have allowed to men like me to hear my guilt.”
True Revival
Last week I read a book about the 1904 Welsh revival (I Saw the Welsh Revival by David Matthews). Like all true revivals, those who were revived had a great desire to witness for Jesus. “Im promptu open-air services were held by these liberated souls in the market place, the city square, or the street corner, where they testified `with fear and trembling’ of what the Lord had done for them. Sometimes they would go into the railway station and….crowd the railway compartments, singing, sometimes praying, at other times witnessing to fellow travelers. Such `uncontrolled fanaticism,’ as the cold critic would describe it, could not always pass unchallenged. Some of these young recruits knew what it was to be cursed to the face and even spat upon as they…endeavored to win souls for Christ.”
God, send us a true revival that will cause us to have a fire burning inside us to reach the lost! Then, we will stop making excuses that we are “too busy” and “not called.” We will do whatever it takes to reach people for Jesus. Our Tape of the Month is “The Joy and Cost of Following Jesus” by Bryan Lowe. Bryan worked with SOS Ministries for many years and is now a missionary in Mexico.
Yours in His love,
Larry Rosenbaum