ISEMA Newsletters
Romania Outreach
by Jerry Brandt, Action Evangelism, Box 908, Cameron Park, CA 95682, (916) 677-6711.
The principles of outdoor street and plaza evangelism work the same in Romania as they do in San Francisco, Sacramento, or any other American city. God had specifically trained me for this kind of overseas evangelism. I was able to hold 16 outdoor crusades in parks, city squares, and coliseums in a 21 day period. Large crowds gathered to see an American sing and preach. Worship was well received and many received Christ. We went to the most atheistic section of southern Romania and specifically to five cities that had never heard the gospel before. Near riots broke out as we handed out Bibles, so after the first outdoor rally we decided to hand the Bibles out at a local church or a home where there was no church.
The simplest salvation messages were in order so there could be a clear understanding of who Christ was and what He did for them. Often people stood weeping when they heard the good news. Twice secret police tried to stop us and each time the people attacked them. We were concerned that they would be injured. The people cried, “We have waited 40 years to hear this and you secret police are not going to stop us!” The hunger for the Word of God was incredible. While I was leading worship I had my Bible on my amplifier and an old man came up and kissed it. One lady took her Bible home and her daughter wouldn’t give it back. The 16 year old had stayed up all night reading it into the next day. We gave the mother another Bible.
A group of Communist men were in the back of the coliseum and the healing power of Christ fell. One of them, who was blind in one eye, was totally healed. As he ran forward all the other skeptical men followed him to the platform. They wanted to see firsthand the power of God. Many of them then received Christ. The liberty to preach was astounding. No permits needed! We just found the busiest section of the city and set up our large sound system and began to worship. Thousands would gather out of curiosity. Most of them stayed the full 2-3 hours listening as many received salvation and healing. All the street meetings and experience for the last five years here in America had just prepared me for what had happened in Romania. Another man from America who was part of our team kept a running tally of results. He said his conservative estimate was just under 5,000 indicating a profession of faith.
One pastor in the city of Orsova had been there for thirty years with about 20 people in his church. Following two large plaza meetings in his city hundreds showed up at his church the following Sunday morning. He had to move his church outdoors into the parking lot to accommodate the crowd! His words to us seemed to verbalize what was happening in Romania. He said, “It is like a farmer who plants his crops for thirty years and no rain comes. Then all at once it begins to pour! Your coming to us here to help us is the refreshing rain we have been waiting for!”
The Effectiveness of High-Visibility Evangelism
by Larry Rosenbaum, from Take Him to the Streets: How to Reach your City for Christ
In San Francisco as in many other cities, the voices advocating sexual immorality, drug abuse, occultic activities, and Eastern religions and cults are very loud. The voices calling people to turn from such things to faith in God through Jesus Christ have been virtually silenced. As God’s Word is continually proclaimed boldly and openly in the public places of the city, people will be continually confronted with their need to make a decision regarding Jesus Christ. Satan is seeking to distract people from that reality, and we need to remind people continually that they have a choice to make which will determine their eternal destiny.
Since so many Christians question the effectiveness of street preaching, tract distribution, carrying signs and other high visibility methods, let me give eight ways in which these methods are effective in advancing God’s kingdom on this earth:
1. They help people to learn how they can be saved. Often, people have read dozens of tracts and may even collect them. They may never have prayed to receive Christ, but they know what they need to do and are familiar with many of the scriptures relating to salvation.
2. They cause people to become conscious of God`s Word and their need to make a decision either to accept or reject Jesus Christ. Each time a person is confronted with the gospel, he must think about Christ and his need for salvation. God can use each witness to draw the person closer to Himself.
3. They leave people without excuse. God has given each person a free will–to accept or reject Him. If he chooses to reject the truth, he will give account of his life before God on Judgment Day. He will not be able to say he never heard the gospel, or had no opportunity to be saved.
4. They cause an entire city or nation to become more conscious of God`s Word. Often, we find that when we witness at major events, people comment that we are everywhere. People get used to expecting Christians to be at rock concerts, parades, downtown parks, etc. They start talking to one another about all the Christian activity. They are also impressed by the dedication they see in these Christians.
5. The atmosphere of a city or neighborhood can change. Demonic principalities lose their hold on an area where Christ is consistently preached and worshipped. As the Holy Spirit descends upon an area, demonic strongholds are broken up and people become more open to God`s Word. Demons cannot stay in a place where Christ’s Lordship has been established.
6. The Christians who participate will be strengthened spiritually. We have found that many of those who participate in our outreaches find that they have become bolder in witnessing in other situations. They become more excited about their Lord, as they see Him using them to witness to others. Their desire to intercede for the lost increases, as does their desire to grow spiritually so that their life will be a better witness for the Lord. Their renewed excitement about the Lord spreads to other Christians.
7. Other Christians are encouraged by our boldness to witness for Christ. After seeing what we are doing, many Christians have been encouraged to witness to their friends, or even to start a street ministry in their own community.
8. Many people do get saved as a result of preaching. However, we only get to see a small percentage of the fruit. Some come to the Lord on the street and we are able to follow-up on them. Others are saved on the street but we lose track of them, or we do not see an immediate change in their life. In many cases, the person may not get saved until much later. The person who witnessed to him may never learn about it in this life.
Coming Events
September 12-16 Mario Murillo Crusade and Street Invasion, San Francisco. Evangelism outreach and downtown tent crusade. Contact Mario Murillo Ministries, Box 5027, San Ramon, CA 94583, (415) 820-5470 (note new address, phone).
September 15, October 6, 13 San Francisco Worship Rally and Outreach 3-6 PM. Powell St. BART station. Contact SOS Ministries, Box 27358, Oakland, CA 94602, (415) 531-5325.
September 27-29 National Street Ministries Conference, Dallas, TX. Tommy Barnett, Winkie Pratney, Gary Greenwald and others. Contact S.H.O.M., Box 380306, Duncanville, TX 75138, (214) 331-6902.
September 28 Washington for Jesus, Olympia, WA. Meet 9 AM at Capital Steps. Contact Action Evangelism, Box 908, Cameron Park, CA 95682, (916) 677-6711.
October 26-November 4 Hawaiian Halloween Outreach to Maui. $300 plus airfare. Contact Christ in Action, Box 100, Chatsworth, GA 30705, (404) 695-1868.
October 27-November 7 The Alternativa Surfing Championship Outreach, Brazil. Contact Forward Edge, Box 65238, Vancouver, WA 98665, (206) 693-EDGE.
Some Final Thoughts
During the past month, we have received reports from a number of groups that have done outreaches in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Now is certainly the time to reach these nations with the gospel. There appears to be total freedom to preach and witness in these nations, after so many years of repression, but this freedom may not last long. Also, a missionary friend reminded me that now is also the time to reach Nicaragua, where even in the public schools a Communist curriculum is being replaced by a Christian one.
Meanwhile, events in the Middle East remind us that our Lord’s return is near, and only He will give us lasting peace. “I must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; the night is coming when no man can work” (John 9:4). Our Tape of the Month is “Praise, worship and spiritual warfare” by Chuck Girard. This tape outlines a strategy for reaching our cities through concerted prayer, worship and evangelism. (By the way, if you ever receive a tape that is defective, let us know and we will replace it.)
God bless you all. I hope to see many of you at the National Street Ministries Conference in Dallas.
Yours in His love,
Larry Rosenbaum