No Room at the Inn
As we read the Christmas story, it shouldn’t surprise us to learn that there was no room at the Inn. After all, many families were visiting Bethlehem because of the census. What surprises us is that nobody opened their home to Joseph and Mary, especially since she was about to give birth. The Hebrews were known for their hospitality and God had commanded them to take the poor and the stranger into their homes.
In Genesis 18, three men (whom we later learn were angels) visited Abraham, warning him about the judgment God had intended on Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham immediately told his wife to bake some bread and told his servant to kill a choice calf. Abraham knew nothing about these three strangers but he was extremely hospitable to them.
If three strangers came to our door, would we let them in? Would we let Joseph and Mary into our home? Probably not. We live in dangerous times and will not risk the potential danger to us and our families. In Genesis 19, two angels visited Lot in Sodom. Sodom was certainly a dangerous place, filled with men who wanted to rape the visitors. For Lot, this was all the more reason to insist that these strangers stay at his house. He knew they would not be safe in the streets. He went so far as to offer his own daughters to be raped so that these strangers would be spared.
In Judges 19, an old man in Gibeah saw a traveler who had no place to stay and insisted he stay at his house, knowing the streets were not safe. Again, the men of the city wanted to rape him, and he offered them his concubine, whom they raped and killed.
The Bible has much to say about taking in strangers. “The stranger did not lodge in the street; but I opened my doors to the traveler” Job 31:32. “Is not this the fast that I have chosen…that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house” Isa. 58:6-7. “Come…inherit the kingdom prepared for you…for I was a stranger and you took me in” Matt 25: 34-35. “No widow shall be put on the list unless…she has lodged strangers” 1 Tim. 5:10. “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares,” Heb. 13:2.
Most Christians argue that it’s too dangerous to take in strangers. They might steal your possessions and, worse yet, might harm someone in your family. These seem like valid concerns, but it is dangerous to lean to our own understanding and disregard the clear teaching of scripture. I can find only one verse in the Bible that cautions us about bringing in strangers–2 John 9. Here we are told not to receive into our house those who actively promote false doctrines: “deceivers” and “antichrists.” We must be careful not to take this too far. I was caught up in false doctrines when some Christians brought me into their home and led me to Christ in 1970.
I believe we should exercise discernment and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in determining whom we should let into our homes. Lot and the man of Gibeah probably sensed that the strangers visiting them were decent men. I believe that if God has blessed us with a house, at times He will lead strangers to us that he wants us to take in. There will always be an element of risk, but we must allow our lives to be directed by God’s Word and His Spirit, not by our fears.
Haight-Ashbury House
Some Christians from the San Francisco Vineyard Church recently purchased a house near Haight and Ashbury to use as a disciplehip house. The house had been open two weeks when I first visited on October 13. At the time, there were 5 staff and 13 youth living in the house. One new believer (Matt) had already been sent to the Vineyard School of Ministries. Two Christian businessmen had gotten jobs for most of the new believers in the house. That night about 20 young people came for dinner and many stayed for a Bible study. They were friends of those who lived in the house. Most were between 18 and 22 years old and had been part of the Haight St. scene–the Grateful Dead, raves, skateboarding, drugs, etc.
It appears that many young people are coming to Christ and then are reaching their friends, who are impressed by the change they see in their lives. It reminded me of the Christian houses I lived in during the “Jesus Movement” in the early 1970’s. I have long believed that we needed discipleship houses for these youth, patterned more after a loving family than an institution with rigid rules.
This is the biggest response to the gospel I have seen among this group of youth. But it is far too early to say what will come of it. These young believers will face trials and temptations. Will they go on with Christ or backslide? If people continue to get saved, many more houses will be needed, with staff and finances. Please pray for this ministry.
SOS Francisco
June 30 – July 8
We have set the dates for our 16th annual SOS-San Francisco outreach, June 30 – July 8, 1995. We will send you more details about the outreach in future newsletters, but wanted you to know the dates in case you need to take time off work.
Ministry News
When we witness for Jesus, we often don’t see many true converts. God wants us to walk by faith, trusting Him to work in people’s lives. But sometimes He allows us to see a small part of the fruit we have borne. Last week, Paul Coca shared with me the testimony of a brother from his church. Several years ago I was preaching on a BART train when this man (who is quite strong) got angry and tried to hit me. But some force held him back and he was unable to move his arm! Soon afterwards, he gave his life to Christ and now witnesses with Paul in San Jose.
I received a letter today from Gary Lukas, a missionary to London who was one of the founders of SOS Ministries. In it, he relates how in 1979, he handed O. J. Simpson a tract outside the Hooker’s Ball (sponsored by local prostitutes) in San Francisco. Later he sent him a New Testament and another tract with a short letter. In March, 1980, Simpson wrote Gary thanking him for the gift and concern he had shown. According to news reports, Simpson now reads the Bible daily in his jail cell and has regular visits with Rosey Grier, a former football star who now preaches the gospel. A few Christians have taken advantage of the “media circus” surrounding the Simpson trial to preach the gospel. If you have watched any of the TV coverage of the trial, you probably saw the sign a man often holds behind attorney Robert Shapiro while he is being interviewed. It reads “Ask Jesus to Save You Now.” Millions of people read that sign.
For the past few months, I have written about some of the difficulties we have had getting permits. We did finally get permits for our outreaches from October through December. We also received permits on four Saturday afternoons to set up a small PA on the sidewalk at 5th St. and Market, right above the Powell St. location. We will be able to minister to many thousands of Christmas shoppers from this place. Please pray that we will continue to get permits and for good weather for our winter outreaches. We cannot hold these outreaches in the rain and had to cancel one outreach on November 5.
On September 24, the worship group from Bethel Church in San Francisco led a rally at Union Square. Hundreds of people stood around listening to the beautiful worship music and the preaching of the gospel. We also had two worship rallies in October at the Golden Gate Park Bandshell. Chosen Vision, a group from Christian Life Center (Santa Cruz) and Paul and Norine Coca ministered on October 15. A team of musicians and dancers from Shiloh Christian Fellowship in Oakland ministered on October 22. Over a thousand people from around the world heard the gospel at these outreaches. Pray that many will come to know Jesus.
Last week, I got a call from Robert, who lives in Burlingame. He had received one of our tracts and had read it several times. I spoke with him for 30 minutes and prayed with him. I believe he sincerely wants to follow Jesus Christ, but doesn’t know much about the Bible. I mailed him a New Testament and some other literature and called a friend in Burlingame, who said he would follow-up on him. Please pray for Robert. Please pray also for the others who responded to tracts this past month: Vanessa from Madison, WI, Larry from San Francisco, Minda from Daly City, Greg from Sacramento and Wesley from San Clemente.
Ministry Needs
We have just finished printing 100,000 tracts at a cost of $1000. Thank you for sending in the funds that have enabled us to print these tracts, pay our permit fees, and cover our other expenses. We hope to print another 100,000 copies of three different tracts next month. This should give us enough to last through the year.
We still need two men to live in our evangelism house in Oakland. The house is for spiritually-mature Christians with a call to evangelism. This is an excellent opportunity to receive practical training in witnessing. Please call or write me right away if you are interested, or know someone who is.
We have a special Christmas gift for you. Our Tape of the Month is “Fire for the Soul” by Paul and Noreen Coca. This is a professionally-produced music tape with original songs by Paul and Noreen. Besides writing and performing, Paul and Noreen direct Firefall Ministries in San Jose, have a weekly street outreach in San Jose, and frequently minister at our outreaches in San Fran cisco. Paul serves on the SOS Ministries Board of Directors and is a good friend and advisor for the ministry.
Christmas is the time of year when people are most open to the gospel, as they think about the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Also, hundreds of thousands of people will be doing their Christ mas shopping in downtown San Francisco. We meet every Friday at 7:30 PM at the Vineyard Church, 7th St. and Harrison, San Francisco. On Saturday afternoon, we go to different locations. Most Saturdays in December we will be at 5th St. and Market in down town San Francisco, but call us first to confirm this. Like the world, we often get so busy with frantic Christmas shopping that we forget the true meaning of Christmas. Why not offer someone the best gift there is this Christmas–the gift of salvation?
Yours in His love,
Larry Rosenbaum
