ISEMA Newsletters
SOS-Hollywood
from the Oasis Newsletter, Box 1590, Hollywood, CA 90078, (213) 77-OASIS.
Two hundred sixty-two warriors hit the streets of Hollywood for eight days of intense storming the gates of Hell and lifting up the victory banner of Jesus Christ.
Day 1: Troops registered…and were sent on a prayer walk down Hollywood Blvd. to scout out the land….Every soldier bowed their knee as we worshiped Captain Jesus and prayed for God’s strategy for the battle for the next seven days.
Day 2: Strategies were laid out and equipping for the battles we would face. Saturday evening we felt inadequate and intimidated by the 350,000 gays and lesbians who had gathered for their annual blowout party in the streets….
Day 3: Back to the gay parade. Amazing victories! So many confessed to wanting out of the gay lifestyle and were very open for prayer. The SOS Brigade stood on a corner and sang “Amazing Grace.” A former Assemblies of God pastor for 23 years came out of the closet and had an encounter with an Assemblies of God pastor’s daughter, Drinda. She cried with him and asked forgiveness on behalf of the churches who have hurt him and have also rejected his wife and sons because of his sin. Carol & Judy ministered to another handsome gay man and his lover. After hearing our battle song, he began to cry. He was under very strong conviction because he was a backslider. His lover…committed his life to Jesus. Damian surrenders to Jesus along with scores of others right on the streets of Hollywood.
Day 9: Everyone vacated the barracks (hotel) to go into all the world (their own neighborhoods) to preach the gospel. Pastor Tom, the pastor of Hollywood Christian Life Center, which meets in the Oasis, told me he has already had a response from a young teenage girl who received one of the thousands of tracts passed out last week. She gave her life to Jesus, received prayer for deliverance from occult activities, and is being baptized tomorrow. She says she can already feel such a difference in her life. Pray for all the seeds which have been planted and for the new born babes in the kingdom of God.
SOS-San Francisco
For the sixteenth year, Christians have answered the “SOS” call to bring the love of Jesus Christ to the people of San Francisco. About 400 Christians were involved in this year’s outreach, coming from Minnesota, Texas, Washington, Oregon, and mostly from California. About 50 were here throughout the week. A team of 12 from Gospel Outreach in Eureka were here for the first half of the outreach. A team of 15 youth from the Bay Area Foursquare Church in Coos Bay, Oregon joined us for the second half of the week.
One of my biggest concerns this year was with our park permits. The Park Department had threatened to revoke our permits if they received any complaints. A lawyer from the American Center for Law and Justice wrote them telling them this was illegal and threatening them with a lawsuit. They didn’t revoke our permits. Our only problem came Wednesday at Washington Square. Before we started, people had complained and the police had been called. At 3 PM while Chuck Girard was ministering (very quietly), Off. Dan Gallagher, the person who issues our loudspeaker permits, arrived and was very angry. He said he had received many complaints, that we were too loud, and proceeded (without asking permission) to turn the volume on our sound board so that the main speakers were totally off and the monitors were practically off. He said this was as loud as we could be. He threatened to cite us and confiscate our equipment if we turned the volume up.
He had the volume so low that there was no point in having an outreach. I asked him if he had measured the sound with a decibel meter. He said he didn’t need one. I asked to speak to his superior officer. He said he didn’t have one. I asked to go where he stood, so I could hear what he heard. He refused, saying he was too busy.
Finally, he walked away and I turned up the volume to the lowest level at which people in the park could hear us. When Off. Gallagher returned, he knew I had turned up the volume but said we could keep it at this level. Please pray for Off. Gallagher and our permit situation.
We were blessed by excellent evangelism teaching. Ray Comfort spoke Saturday morning and afternoon, and at both Sunday morning services at the Vineyard. He gave us a lot of practical tips on witnessing. He also preached at Union Square on Saturday. Steve Gregg, founder and director of the Great Commission Bible School in Oregon, was here Monday and Tuesday. He did some excellent teaching on apologetics–giving a reason for our faith. He also led worship and preached at the Embarcadero and Union Square.
On Tuesday night, we sent everyone to Aquatic Park to witness at the fireworks display. People couldn’t see many fireworks because of the fog, but they did get to hear the gospel. And we gave out many thousands of tracts. Christians stuck in the traffic jam even passed out tracts through their car window. A Youth With a Mission team from Denver did some skits at the church that night and then ministered on the streets.
On Thursday, Christian Life Church from Novato ministered at Union Square. About 100 people from their church joined them and witnessed that day. One family spoke with Ken, a 19 year old boy who was passing out fliers for a palm reader. They took him to dinner and to our evening meeting. That night he made a profession of faith.
That day at Union Square, several Christians witnessed to Jason, who is 23 years old. He also came to our meeting that night and committed his life to Jesus. We allowed him to stay with our group. After the outreach he entered the discipleship program at Victory Outreach in Hayward. Jim and Dona Gowker attend that church and have stayed in contact with him. He seems to be very serious about following Jesus. On Friday night, Larry Perez met Dede outside Zim’s Restaurant. He invited her to eat with him and some other Christians. She is a single mother who takes her child to First Baptist Church but didn’t attend church herself. She was considering either Islam or Christianity. After talking with Larry, she made a profession of faith in Jesus.
On Saturday July 8, the 700 Club’s Operation Blessing was sponsoring a major food giveaway in San Francisco and Oakland involving many churches at several locations, giving out bags of groceries to about 10,000 people. At each location, there was preaching, Christian music, and personal witnessing in addition to food distribution. We sent a team to help witness to those receiving food at one location and picked up a van-load of food to give out at 5th St. at Market. Family Worship Center from Pleasant Hill ministered that afternoon through music and drama, drawing a large crowd.
We saw many Christians in conversations with unbelievers. Many people prayed that afternoon for salvation or other needs. Phyllis had recently been released after spending 43 years in prison! That afternoon, she made a profession of faith in Christ.
A homeless man gave me the following letter, written on a paper bag: I am homeless but by the grace of God I appreciate the love, the healing, the thoughtfulness your group brought to this community today. God bless you all for so much love!! It was exhilarating!…I believe I can say on behalf of all the poor and needy in S.F.: Thank you and your whole group.
On Friday night July 7, I called the Ark Ministry to find out the location of the food distribution. I spoke with Ross Reinman, who shared his own testimony with me. In 1979, at the age of 19 with no Christian background, he spent a lot of time in the Castro District in the “gay” lifestyle. He often heard Christians preaching and sometimes spoke with them. Soon, he committed his life to Christ. Six months later, he went to Bethany Bible College, graduated, got married and now has 3 children. Recently, God called him to minister to homosexuals in San Francisco.
Coming Events
October 21 San Francisco Worship Rally and Outreach Contact SOS Ministries, Box 27358, Oakland, CA 94602, (510) 531-5325.
October 27-31 Fantasy Fest Outreach, Key West, FL. Contact Rescue Atlanta, Box 965039, Marietta, GA 30066, (404) 924-0201.
October 30-Nov. 3. Door to Door Evangelism Training, England. Contact Colin Groome, Home Evangelism, Tyndale House, 3 Grange Rd., Edham, Surrey TW20 90W.
SOS MINISTRIES is looking for two men with a desire to learn about and do evangelism to live in their ministry house. For more information, contact SOS Ministries, Box 27358, Oakland, CA 94602, (510) 531-5325.
HANDS FOR CHRIST is offering Christian tracts and bumper stickers on a donation basis. They also need used Christian Bibles, books and tapes to distribute to Third World countries. Contact them at 5720 Williamson Rd NW #111, Roanoke, VA 24012, (703) 362-1214.
JOB OPPORTUNITY: Assistant Ministry Director. Help build on present ministry. Creation of new ministries. Training churches in personal evangelism. Public relations. Ministry operations. Additional job openings in various skill areas for both men and women available. Contact Outreach for Christ, Box 4326, Virginia Beach, VA 23454, (804) 428-8227.
A Final Word
I want to thank each of you for your prayers and financial support for ISEMA. Please continue to send information about what is happening in your community, teachings on evangelism, information about upcoming outreaches, etc. so we can share these with our readers. We especially would like to receive reports on various summer outreaches.
1995 is half over, so we are offering 1995 ISEMA memberships at half price until the end of the year–$10 for individuals and $17.50 for churches and ministries. For $5 extra you can have a 1995 International Street Ministry Directory.
Our Tape of the Month is Involving Youth in Evangelism” by Sammy Vasquez. Sammy is Director of Youth Ministries for the Northern `63 California division of the Assemblies of God.
Yours in His love,
Larry Rosenbaum
