Coming Events
(Outreaches subject to change. Contact me at mail@sosmin.com or (510) 282-5629 one or two days before outreach to confirm.)
Friday December 4, 11, 18 Witnessing in San Francisco neighborhoods.
Saturday December 5, 12, 19 Fisherman’s Wharf 12-5 PM East of Franciscan Restaurant (Pier 43 ½) – Embarcadero St.
LOVE NOT THE WORLD
Dear Christian friends,
There is much I could say about the political turmoil going on in our nation. As I write (Nov. 16), the media has declared Biden the winner, but Trump has not conceded. There also are still two Georgia Senate runoffs scheduled for Jan. 5. If Biden becomes President, these runoffs will determine whether Democrats control the Senate in addition to the Presidency and House, giving them potentially unlimited power.
Pres. Trump is claiming Biden’s apparent lead is due to massive voting fraud that could have altered over 3 million votes. There are many reports alleging such fraud in at least 7 “swing” states. Will the President’s attorneys be able to uncover and prove in court enough fraud to change the election results before the Electoral College votes on Dec. 14? That is definitely an uphill battle. In 2000, the dispute involved one state, Florida. This time, as I write, the difference between winning and losing is about 49,000 votes in 3 states.
No doubt, there will be massive rioting in our cities should Trump emerge as the winner. However, a republic cannot survive without fair elections and public confidence in election integrity.
One Christian wrote on Facebook: “People are saying ‘God is still in control.’ I fully agree, but He allows free will, which in turn allows gross errors and wrongdoing. You can grieve those errors, along with the decline of a once great nation brought on by those errors, without abandoning your belief that God is sovereign.
“People are saying ‘Don’t make a god of your party or its leaders.’ Got that right! But clarifying your choice of leadership is hardly the same as worshipping a leader. I am glad, personally, to have clarified my position. I respect others who have done the same, whether or not we agree.
“People are saying ‘America will stand.’ I’m doubtful, but I’m not a prophet, so maybe it will. But the Kingdom of God will definitely stand, and soon enough, the insanity of this life will make way for the reign of the only true King. That, thank God, I am not doubtful about.”
One thing God has been showing me through this is that I am too much in love with this world. The USA is an amazing country, and I am so thankful that I live here. In many respects, it is the best country that has ever existed on this earth. Nonetheless, there has been a tremendous spiritual decline in this nation over many decades that has intensified in recent years. And God will judge any nation that turns its back on Him.
Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36), even though He was living in Israel, a nation established by God under His laws. Paul wrote, “Our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil. 3:20). Because of the great prosperity and comfort of our lives, compared to the way people lived in the past and still live in much of the world, we can easily get comfortable in this world.
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:15-17.
“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling… Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:1-2,6-8).
The church in the US and much of the world has become financially prosperous, comfortable, complacent and lukewarm. We often forget that this world is not our home. As we watch very disturbing events unfold around us, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, long for our heavenly home, and redeem the short time we have on this earth to preach the gospel to the lost.
On the Streets
I’ve gotten really far behind in our outreach reports. I’ll try to catch up over the next few months. Unfortunately, that means eliminating a lot of good testimonies. But it is important to preserve this record of how God has enabled us to continue preaching the gospel after the government ordered us to shut down our “non-essential” preaching. While San Francisco’s “shelter in place” order has been modified, it is still in effect. Fortunately, the police are not enforcing it against us.
On Sat. June 6, we witnessed at 24th St. and Mission. When we arrived, there were George Floyd protesters across the street. Their number soon grew to about 1000. We had about 15 Christians, and preached on 24th, 23rd, and 22nd St. We experienced some opposition from the protesters, and one of our signs was destroyed, but everyone in that area heard the gospel, and we had several good conversations. Mike and Alex witnessed to Cenia and Reshi, in their early 20’s, who had come for the protest. Cenia asked, “If sin is so bad, why does it feel so good?” She also asked about the Trinity, and ended up taking a gospel of John. Afterwards, we witnessed at Dolores Park.
On Sat. June 13, we witnessed at 16th St. and Mission and at Dolores Park. We had no problem with the police at either location. We put up our banners and signs at 16th and Mission and preached on 16th and 17th Streets. Many people took gospel tracts at 16th & Mission and we had a few good conversations. Dolores Park had about 2000 people in it. We preached at two locations and carried signs around the park.
On Sat. June 20, we witnessed at the Farmer’s Market at the Embarcadero Ferry Building. We preached at three locations near the market for 4 hours and had no problem with police. Corey and Daniel witnessed to a man also named Daniel, 50, who said he was raised Christian but hadn’t attended church for 23 years and was studying the Quran. They spoke a long time and he let them pray for him.
On Sat. June 27 we witnessed at 24th and Mission and at Dolores Park. About 20 Christians joined us. We preached on 24th, 23rd, and 22nd Streets. Two Spanish Christian groups preached across the street from us. Corey had several conversations with homosexuals, who were angry that he was evangelizing on “Gay Pride” weekend. One lesbian threw some liquid on him. We preached at two locations at Dolores Park with no problems with police. More people seemed to be listening, and a few non-Christians joined us when we gathered for prayer at the end of our outreach.
On Thurs. July 9, Corey joined a group of 200 Christians lead by Sean Feucht who were protesting California’s ban on singing in churches. They gathered on the Golden Gate Bridge and sang worship songs. A police officer who had been called to the scene approached them and asked for prayer.
On Sat. July 11, we witnessed at 16th and Mission and at Dolores Park. At 16th and Mission, Corey ministered to Patrick, 59, for four hours. Patrick could not stand up straight. After Corey prayed for his healing, Patrick said, “I haven’t been able to stand like this for years. My legs have never been this straight.” Corey shared the gospel with him and he asked a lot of questions. He gave him a Bible and his phone number. After their conversation, Patrick said he had put his faith in Jesus.
Alex and Steve witnessed to three Black Hebrew Israelites, Mike, Kishar, and Nishab, for two hours. This cult believes that true Jews have black skin and came to the Americas, and that only true Jews can be saved. They base this on a vision that F.S.Cherry had about 100 years ago. They have a chart that says, for example, that American Blacks are from the tribe of Judah, and Haitians are from the tribe of Levi. We often see this group preaching their message on the streets.
Ministry Needs
Thank you again for your prayers and financial support for this ministry. Scott has brought his son Mike to paint our house. A lot of the paint had peeled and bare wood was exposed. It will cost us about $6000.
This winter will be a challenge for us, since it will be hard to find good places to witness on cold and especially on rainy days. Please pray that God will give us wisdom and direction.
I hope you will have a joyful Christmas and New Year. As we celebrate our Lord’s birth, may we be comforted in the hope of His soon return.
Also, I pray that in this New Year, God will stir the hearts of His people to proclaim the gospel with urgency to all who will listen.
Come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Yours in His love,
Larry Rosenbaum