January 2012

He said:

“I Don’t believe in Prayer”

Photo 1 Outreach Photos 133

The band “Book” plays at UN Plaza while many “Santas” watch

Dear Christian friends,

As many of you know, I have been using Facebook as a way to minister to Christians. One way I do this is through a “Street Evangelism” page that has about 5000 members. Recently, one member, Joshua Shaw, posted this amazing testimony:

Last Thursday I went to the mall with my wife and God did the most amazing miracle I’ve ever seen. While my wife was using the restroom, I was sitting next to a guy waiting. I asked how he was doing and made small talk with him. He said he was from Georgia, and had a southern draw to his voice. I asked him if he had any pain in his body and he started sarcastically laughing, and told me he

had pain all over his body. I asked for specifics and he told me that he was blind on one eye, and both his lungs were cut in half. He was in the Navy and left for medical discharge. He was near a grenade when it went off. I asked him if I could pray, and he looked at me and told me “I Don’t Believe in Prayer!” with a sharp tone to his voice.

I said I didn’t care what he believed and that I didn’t expect him to believe what I believe. “I just want to pray for your lungs.” He finally said something like “if it will make you feel better.” I prayed and after that, he started crying. Then he started telling me that he was a bad man, and no one would forgive him. I shared the gospel with him and he was condemning himself all the more.

He said that he had killed too many people and no one could forgive him, and he could never forgive himself. He shared a little bit of what happened. He was stationed in Africa and got shot in the butt. He turned around and pulled the trigger at the one who shot him and it was a 9 year old boy! After that I shared the gospel some more and told him a little of my testimony.

After that I asked if I could pray again. He said that there was no way God could heal him or would heal him. I prayed anyway. Then he started feeling a lot of pain in his chest. He started coughing and said that he felt a heavy burning where his lungs were missing. After about a minute or two of feeling pain, he then took a deep breath, and told me that he hadn’t breathed that deeply in years. Both his lungs were fully restored! After that he stood up to give me a hug, and he told me he didn’t deserve this.

As he got up he limped and said his leg and shoulder were messed up from bullet wounds. I started to pray. He tried stopping me saying, “Don’t pray, I don’t deserve this.” But I prayed and his leg was restored. Then I prayed over his shoulder, and God healed his shoulder. I got a word about his upper back and God healed his upper back. He started saying, “I didn’t tell you about my back.” Then I prayed over his lower back and prayed for all nerve damage to be restored. He told me that he had a knife wound where I laid my hand on his lower back. God also healed him totally in his shoulder. His right hand had no feeling because of the nerve damage, He started telling me how he could feel things. He had full feeling in his hand and he started crying. After that he prayed to receive Christ, and he even prayed over my wife and I. That was the most amazing and touching miracle I’ve seen.

On the Streets

On Friday November 18, we witnessed at 16^th St. and Mission. The weather forecast said it wouldn’t rain. However, soon after I began preaching, it started to rain. There was no awning in sight, so I got out an umbrella and tried my best to cover our equipment. After 20 minutes, the rain stopped and our equipment was not damaged.

Soon after we arrived, Chris showed up. In the last newsletter, I mentioned that Larry DuBois had witnessed to Chris and invited him to attend Calvary Road church, which he has been attending. Eric Martinez, who leads worship for us on Friday nights, pastors that church. Eric ministered to Chris, who was quite surprised to see us.

That night, Dave St. Marie witnessed to JJ, who is of the Sikh religion. JJ was quite receptive to the gospel, asked lots of questions, and received a Bible and immediately started reading it. He also witnessed to Jared, a young man who had attended a Christian school and had lots of Christian friends and said he was “taking a break from God.” I witnessed to Hector, who said he believed in Jesus but was a drug addict. I prayed with him.

The next day, Tim Moon, Chuck Girard and Paul Coca were all schedule to minister with us in Berkeley. That morning, however, Tim called me to tell me that the 100-year-old apartment complex across the street from where we minister to had been destroyed in a fire, and that the Fire Department had closed off the entire block. (Nobody was injured in the fire.)

We decided to move our outreach to 5^th St. and Market in San Francisco. Chuck had a meeting that night near Sacramento, so he and Paul were unable to join us. But Tim ministered with us that afternoon. We witnessed to a lot of people that afternoon and gave away several Bibles. Tim ministered to a women he had met at the Prodigal Project many years before and he bought her some food. We also met some other Christians who witness in this area. Several hundred people were attending a nearby convention of the Society of Biblical Literature. I tried to offer them some “Biblical literature” but most were clearly unsaved, and not interested.

The following Saturday, we returned to 5^th St. and Market in San Francisco. Tim Moon again ministered with us in music, as well as Dave Gould, who plays keyboard and sings. Mark asked Dave Gould about the rapture. He explained how he could get right with God, and Mark said he wanted to do that, so Dave and Jack prayed with him to receive Christ. Mike witnessed to a well-dressed man named John, who was thinking about jumping off the ledge to the BART station below us and killing himself.

On Sat. Dec. 10, the band “Book” from Modesto joined Tim Moon and Dave Gould in ministering at UN Plaza. About 1000 people dressed as Santa passed by our outreach. They were part of an annual event called “Santacon,” which involves a lot of drunkenness. Fortunately, they chose Washington Square instead of UN Plaza to attempt a world record for the most naked Santas that afternoon. Most of the “Santas” were not receptive to the gospel, but we prayed with several people that afternoon.

On November 26, Ed La Rose went to be with the Lord. Ed participated in several SOS outreaches with us over the past 25 years, and carried a cross in 50 nations preaching the gospel. He also had a ministry to Native Americans. He leaves behind his wife, Rene, and five daughters aged 9-19. Please pray for them.

Coming Events

Note: Outreaches are subject to change. Call (510) 282-5629 (cell phone) to confirm outreaches or for more information.

Friday Jan. 6, 13, and 20 7:30 – 10 PM Witnessing in San Francisco neighborhoods. (call for location.)

Sat. Jan. 7, 14, 21 San Francisco or Berkeley Afternoon Outreach (Location depends on weather. Call Sat. morning for exact time and location. )

Ministry News and Needs

Thank you for your prayers and financial support for this ministry. We were able to fix our van and I am now getting some work done on my car.

We have a new member of our ministry house. Dave Gould came here from Seattle. He was involved in street ministry there. He loves to witness, and also is an anointed worship leader who plays keyboard. He has been ministering with us through music on the streets.

We still have several openings in our ministry house for Christians who want to do evangelism. We are once again opening up our house to women as well as men. Please pray that God will provide the right people for our house.

I hope many of you will join us for an outreach this next month. Let’s start the New Year right – by bringing the gospel to those who desperately need to know Jesus.