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Coming Events
Friday February 5. 12. 19 6 – 9 PM Witnessing in San Francisco neighborhoods.
Sat. February 6 11 AM – 4 PM Super Bowl Outreach Fisherman’s Wharf (Jefferson St. at Powell) SF.
Sat. February 13 12-4 PM Fifth St. and Market SF.
Sat. February 20 12:30 – 4:30 PM Berkeley Outreach (Shattuck and Center St.—outside downtown Berkeley BART station)
I’d Rather be Witnessing
Dear Christian friends,
Not long ago people started putting bumper stickers on their cars telling everyone what they`d rather be doing than driving down the road. “I`d rather be skiing, swimming, boating, etc.” It may not make the best slogan for a bumper sticker, but I`d rather be telling people about Jesus.
We have a regular Friday night evangelism team in San Francisco. Often, when we are traveling to an outreach, we are tired and not very joyful. But by the end of the night, we usually are filled with joy and excitement about what took place that night. This happens not only when we get to lead someone to Christ but even on nights when most people don`t seem to be interested in listening. Witnessing is fun. This is one of the best-kept secrets in the Christian world.
Most of the streets we go to on Friday nights are party streets. People go there to have a “good time.” Yet we are having the best time of anyone. It`s great to approach someone who is trying so hard to have fun, but is miserable, with a big smile on your face and tell him about the joy of knowing Jesus and having our sins forgiven. We have the truth. We know why we are alive. We have a personal relationship with our Creator. Our life has a purpose and direction. Our conscience is clear. And we are doing what God created us to do.
Witnessing is profitable. Many people today are seeking to get rich. People envy the movie star or business executive with a big mansion and lots of money. Yet we Christians are the richest people on earth. Every time we go out witnessing, we are accumulating eternal treasures.
Witnessing is easy. The early Christians didn’t take witnessing courses, yet they turned their world “upside down.” There`s only one book you need to read: the Bible. Some evangelism classes make witnessing seem complicated. We come away from them thinking that we need a lot of special knowledge and techniques to witness effectively.
Witnessing is easy, very easy. It`s as easy as opening your mouth, and most of us find that very easy to do. All you need is to know Jesus, be filled with His Spirit, open your mouth and start talking. Jesus said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses.” (Acts 1:8)
If witnessing is so much fun, so profitable, and so easy, why don`t more Christians witness? That can be answered, for the most part, in one word: Satan. The Devil is holding a lot of people captive, and he is determined not to let go of them until they end up in Hell. His main worry is that Christians will tell them about Jesus. So he has launched an all-out effort to prevent this from happening. And his efforts have been highly successful. One study indicated that 90% of all Christians never witness to anyone.
How does Satan do this? Basically, by lying to us. He gives us many different excuses for not witnessing. He tells us it`s ineffective or we`re too busy or sick or whatever excuse will work. Most of us who witness on Friday night find ourselves under satanic attack. Often we won`t feel good on Friday afternoon, or something “important” will come up that keeps us from witnessing, or the car will break down, or our mind will be troubled by temptations.
Only when we refuse to be swayed from our commitment to witness, and actually get out on the streets and start witnessing, do we experience the great joy I talked about earlier. I think that if Satan and his demons were bound up for three months, such a wave of evangelism would come forth from the church that the entire world would be evangelized. How long will we continue to listen to the Devil`s lies, and allow him to keep us from doing God`s work, and experiencing the victory and abundant life Jesus intended for us?
On the Streets
On Friday December 4, we witnessed at 16th St. and Valencia. A lot of young people with good-paying jobs come to this neighborhood. Many are quite hardened against the gospel message. However, Dave spoke with Li Hou, who is a student at the San Francisco Academy of Arts. He grew up Buddhist in China but had attended a Bible study where he studied the Bible and prayed with Christians. He had a lot of questions about Jesus and wanted to know how he could be certain he had been forgiven. Dave and Allan also witnessed to Nick, who was into the New Age but was interested in Allan’s testimony. Mike witnessed to Mario, who works with him at an ambulance company. He also ministered to Vitale, a Christian who is from Ukraine but needed Christian fellowship and had been drinking. Mike encouraged him to visit City Impact, and he said he would.
On Friday December 11, we witnessed at Powell and Market. Dave witnessed to Off. Richardson, a SF police officer. He was Catholic. After Dave shared the gospel with him, he said “that really makes sense.” Kathy ministered to Dave, a Christian who had just visited a friend in the hospital, and was quite depressed about it. Mike spoke with Shadu, a Nigerian Christian who wanted to do evangelism.
The next day, we witnessed at 5th St. and Market. Tim Moon sang Christmas carols and other Christian songs. Ben and Matt ministered to Paul, who said he was a Christian but was clearly quite backslidden. They also witnessed to Kevin. He was wary of churches, but Matt invited him to attend a house church with him and he seemed interested. Dave witnessed to Alex, 30, who lives in San Francisco. He said he would pray to Jesus. Dave and Steve witnessed to Fahdi, a Jordanian Muslim. He was quite thoughtful and asked a lot of questions as they spoke for 45 minutes.
On Friday Dec. 18 we witnessed at Powell and O’Farrell. This is our rain location, because it has a large awning on the corner. Because we had virtually no rain last year, we hadn’t been here for two years. Unfortunately, we need to set up right near two stores, but the store owners were nice and didn’t give us any problems. Dave witnessed to Starla, who is 26. She said she left her four children in Colorado to come to San Francisco with a friend. Her friend left her on the streets and she was now homeless. She said she had no choice but to become a prostitute. She professed to be a Christian, but was quite angry with God. Please pray for her.
The next day, we witnessed in Berkeley. The rain had ended and the weather was nice. Richard Griffin sang Christmas songs and worship songs and several of us preached. Mike ministered to Mitch, who said he was a Christian but was not attending church. Mike encouraged him to get fellowship and invited him to attend City Impact with him. Mike also spoke with Sidney, whom he had met in San Francisco. He is a new believer in his 20’s and needed discipleship. Mike gave him his phone number and he called him later. He said he would attend City Impact. Kathy witnessed to Joseph, who was not a Christian but was trying to help the homeless by giving them music tapes to sell. Dave witnessed to Saul, a UC student. He said all his friends were Christian and he had been really thinking about Jesus. He also witnessed to Ruby, 16, who lives in China. She was in the US visiting colleges. She is Catholic and was quite receptive to the gospel. He gave her a Chinese tract. He also witnessed to Kobe and Bondi, both Chinese, who were listening to Richard’s music. They both were receptive and took Chinese tracts.
Ministry Needs
Thank you again for your prayers and financial support for this ministry. The Super Bowl will be in Santa Clara, CA this year, but the festivities will be in San Francisco. We will be witnessing to many of those who will be attending on Feb. 5-6.
Jacob Gonzales is 20 and lives near Houston, Texas. He wants to live in our ministry house and has been accepted as a house member. However, he needs about $1400 to move here, for travel and living expenses until he gets a job. If you want to help him, please write “Jacob” in the memo line of your check so I will know it is for him.
Please pray for those we have witnessed to recently, including those who are mentioned in this newsletter.
I hope many of you will join us for an outreach this next month.
Yours in His love,
Larry Rosenbaum