SOS-San Francisco August 13-21
The Greatest Need
This past month, it seems, the news has been particularly de¬
pressing. First, the flood of hundreds of thousands of refugees
from Kosovo. Then, the horrible killings in a high school in
Colorado by two boys influenced by satanic music. Most recently,
the tornadoes that destroyed thousands of homes and killed many
people.
Yet each tragedy provides an opportunity to do good. I think of
the aid workers helping refugees in Kosovo and displaced people
in Oklahoma, as well as the counselors ministering to the fami¬
lies and students in Littleton, Colorado.
The needs of these people are obvious. A refugee needs food,
shelter, clothing and medical care or he will die. But there is a
greater need that we often overlook. A wealthy businessman seems
to have no needs. But that businessman, like the refugee, will
die and stand before God. Every person will spend eternity in
Heaven or Hell.
The greatest need for every person on this earth is to receive
salvation from Jesus Christ. The greatest thing any one of us can
do is to present the gospel to someone and give him or her a
chance to be saved.
Almost every day, we have opportunities to witness to people. We
encounter people at work, at school, on the bus or airplane, on
the street, at the grocery store, in our neighborhood, etc. We
all need to take better advantage of these opportunities and be
bolder in our Christian witness.
However, there are many people who do not have any Christian
friends or co-workers to witness to them. They will not be
reached for Jesus unless someone makes a special effort to reach
them. This is why we need special evangelistic outreaches.
One of the main reasons we do not witness in our everyday lives
is that our minds are focused on other things. During a special
outreach like SOS-San Francisco, we can focus on one
thing–reaching people with the gospel.
Another reason we do not witness is because we fear rejection by
friends or co-workers. SOS-San Francisco provides an opportunity
to overcome fear and witness boldly for Jesus, with the encour¬
agement of other Christians.
A third reason we don’t witness is that we don’t know how. SOS-
San Francisco provides an opportunity to get practical training
and experience in personal witnessing.
An “SOS” is an urgent call for help. The people of San Francisco
are in great spiritual need. They may not be starving physically
like the refugees from Kosovo. But they are starving spiritually
and headed for eternal torment if they do not trust in Jesus. We
have the spiritual food, the Word of God, that can save them from
a fate worse than death. How can we withhold God’s Word from
those who desperately need it?
Many Christians at one time had a zeal for God and a burden for
souls. But today they are caught up in worldly activities and
have lost that zeal. I believe that God wants to use this sum¬
mer’s SOS outreach to restore this fervor in many of His people.
Jesus is coming soon! Let’s get our hearts right with God and
get busy doing the work He has commanded us to do: investing our
lives winning souls for His Kingdom.
We need your help!
We have printed 3000 posters and 20,000 bulletin inserts to let
people know about SOS-San Francisco. Please help us get this
literature to churches, Christian bookstores, and Bible schools
in your area. Also, you can give them out at Christian concerts
and other events. A response sheet has been enclosed to order
literature. Also, talk with your pastor, youth pastor, and Chris¬
tian friends and encourage them to get involved. Set aside the
week of August 13-21 to attend the SOS outreach and bring a
friend.
We especially encourage those of you who have attended SOS out¬
reaches over the past 20 years to come this year. This summer’s
outreach will be a reunion of those who have labored together in
this harvest field over the years.
Several teams are planning to join us this summer–from Canada,
Texas, San Diego, Salinas and other places. Still, as Jesus said,
“the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” We urge YOU
to join us for the outreach–for a day, a weekend, or for the
whole week. We are planning a special Christian art fair at
Washington Square on August 14. Also, we are planning a special
neighborhood and children’s outreach at Glad Tidings on August
21.
We have enclosed a registration form with this newsletter. Free
housing is available at Glad Tidings Church. Bring a sleeping bag
and foam pad. If you prefer, we can send you hotel information.
We will be serving breakfast and lunch starting Monday August 16.
If you live in the Bay Area and must work, you may join us at
night and on weekends. Please call, write, or e-mail us if you
have any questions. See the bulletin insert enclosed with this
newsletter for more outreach details.
On the Streets
On Saturday April 10, we ministered in Berkeley. It rained
throughout the day, so we set up our sound system under our
canopies. Paul and Noreen Coca ministered in worship. Mark Haw¬
thorne (known as the Hate Man) began to heckle us and mocked our
Lord while we preached. But a gust of wind caused the water on
our canopy to drench him and his cigarette. I told him he needed
to repent first, then get baptized. Eric offered him a towel but
he walked away in frustration.
On Friday April 16, we ministered at 6th St. and Market. Phil
Lesh from the Grateful Dead was playing at the Warfield Theater
on this block that night. A thousand “Deadheads” were on the
block, most hoping for tickets for the sold-out concert. We
preached, sang worship songs, and witnessed to them all night.
On April 17, we held an outreach at Washington Square Park in
North Beach. Independent Community Church (Richmond) and Children
of the Rock played gospel music. The park was filled with sun¬
bathers on this warm, sunny day. In an attempt to avoid a cita¬
tion, we kept our volume so low that only half the people in the
park could hear us. Last year, I heard a rock concert in this
park that was 1000 times as loud. One heckler screamed profani¬
ties at us for hours and repeatedly complained to the police. The
police came three times, but didn’t cite us.
Legal Update
Last August, I was cited for “disturbing the peace” and violating
a local noise ordinance (MPC 47.2) that says we cannot be “audi¬
ble” 250 feet from the audience. The “disturbing the peace”
charge was based on one person’s complaint that she was dis¬
turbed. We were given no warning and had finished our outreach
when the police arrived. The police confiscated our sound system.
The District Attorney continues to prosecute the matter and they
have been holding our sound system for nine months. On five days,
my lawyer and I have attended hearings involving our effort to
have the charges dismissed on grounds of selective enforcement of
the law by the San Francisco Police Department. The hearing is
being continued on May 20. The judge asked us to write an “Offer
of Proof” indicating the things we wished to prove at the hear¬
ing. The District Attorney did not contest anything so she ac¬
cepted our entire Offer as fact. Our Offer contained over 20
instances in which other groups were in violation of MPC 47.2, we
complained to the police, and they refused to enforce the law. No
other group has ever been cited under this ordinance. One event
was audible 2 miles (over 10,000 feet) away, received 200 com¬
plaints from residents, and was investigated extensively by the
police. They were not cited or even told to turn down their
volume!
Now, Judge Mason is giving the city the opportunity to present
its case. The city is arguing that these other groups are differ¬
ent from us because they are large events, once a year events, or
occurred on a weekend while I was cited on a weekday. We don’t
know how long the hearing will last. Please pray that Judge Mason
will find the sound ordinance (MPC 47.2) unconstitutional as
applied because of discriminatory enforcement of the law. This
will protect us from being prosecuted again under this ordinance.
Coming Events
Note: All outreaches are subject to change. Call (510) 531-5325 the
day before to confirm outreaches or for more information.
Friday June 4, June 11, June 18 7:15 PM. Witnessing in various
S.F. neighborhoods. Meet at City View Church, 884 Rhode Island
near 20th St., SF. (Call us for directions.)
Sat. June 5, June 19 San Francisco Outreach. 12-1:30 PM Powell
and Market. 2:30-4:30 PM Union Square (Powell & Geary St.)
Sat. June 12 Berkeley Outreach 1:30-5:30 PM Telegraph and Haste
St.
May 1-October 17 Mario Murillo Ministries San Francisco Outreach
including street rallies on June 25 and July 23 (925) 820-5470.
June 16-18 Inner City Pastors’ Conference, Los Angeles Intn’l
Church/Dream Center (213) 207-2750
June 16-19 Invasion Milwaukee 99 (414) 445-9490
June 21-26 Rescue Atlanta (GA) Outreach (770) 924-0201
June 25-July 2 SOS-Hollywood (CA) Outreach (323) 469-3027
August 13-21 SOS-San Francisco. Set aside this week to join us
for our 20th annual outreach to the people of San Francisco.
Ministry Needs
Again, we thank you for your prayers and financial support for
this ministry. Please pray that God will bring a quick end to
our legal struggles and give us victory so we can get loudspeaker
permits for 5 hours at Powell and Market and at other locations,
and can minister without fear of arrest. Pray for us as we plan
our SOS-San Francisco outreach, that many Christians and church
groups would join us and that many will be saved.
We need a Christian artist to make some signs and banners to use
on the streets. We need one spiritually-mature Christian with a
calling in evangelism to live in our ministry house. Also, we
need many more Christians to join our outreaches on Friday nights
and Saturday afternoons. Over 100,000 Christians live in the San
Francisco area. Surely, there are many that God is calling to
witness with us, and who are resisting that call.
Our Tape of the Month is True and False Conversion by Ray Comfort.
We need to see real converts who will go on to follow Christ, not
just those who will make a profession of faith.
Yours in His love,
Larry Rosenbaum
