Hello. Just want to let people know I still go out and evangelize. I just dont post much anymore. I will continue to post on facebook if someone gets saved or an unique experience occurs. While it is wintertime, I still distribute tracts and go out to downtown when I am bundled up. So thank you much for the prayers and support.
Last Friday was the first of the month. What makes the first of the month so special in downtown Knoxville is the Artsty crowd put their Artwork on display, musicians come out to play and make a few dollars, and the Lord sends me to share the Gospel.
Armed with tracts, the Bible, and a stool to stand on; God directs me to different passages to read to the passing crowd. One young college atheist, stops me and says, “What are you doing? You actually think someone will stop and listen to you” (This kid obviously had a “blonde” moment, Duh! I am thinking you stopped and are listening.)
He told me it was foolish for me to come out here.(The only fool was him for as scripture states, “The fool in his heart says there is no God.”)
Several people stopped to listen, one man snapped a picture, a friend from church stopped for a bit to talk to me. The Lord had me lovingly but truthfully to plead with the downtown crowd to put their treasures in Heaven and not on these Artsy-fartsy artwork that will eventually get dirty and fade away. Where you treasure is there your heart will be also.
I also pleaded with the UT football homecoming crowd walking around the downtown area. I gave the same “where your treasure is…” to them. I said how sad it was they will spend more money during the football game on parking, food, tickets and beer(estimate $300) but will put less than 10% of their income during the church offering. Now football is not a sin. It can become a snare when you prioritize it more than your heart to the Lord.
On Saturday, I went to the Old part of downtown around the bars. I overheard someone say….”That guy is back again and he is going up and down this whole bar section, he isn’t going to let up.” Another college guy gave me a “shoulder check” to knock me off my stool as I read the Word of God. Eventually, one guy my age came up to me and asked me to read a portion of Scripture. He told me the scripture I read was the one he heard at his friend funeral back during the beginning of spring. His friend was the UT Swim coach and was a strong Christian. He thanked me for reading the scripture and it encouraged him. I prayed for him as he walked away. As I went back out to my car, I placed a couple of Chick tracts car windshields.(
I love evangelizing and pray for the lost in Knoxville. Especially the bar crowd and UT students.
I prayed about where to go last night to evangelize. So I took the leading from the Lord and went to Old City area in Knoxville.(This is a high traffic bar area in downtown Knoxville.) I had a small stool next to a lamp-post in front of a bar on a street corner.
I began to read from several passages from the Old and New Testament. Many ignore the Gospel and continue on to drink the night away. However, a couple and a man name Vince stopped to ask me why I do what I do. I gave them my testimony and I have a desire to share Jesus with those going out to party. I had my longest conversation with Vince. I asked him for his testimony and he said it was a coach that took shared the Gospel with him. I told him the Gospel message to remind him of how Jesus paid for our sins 2000 years ago. Then I said we have to make the choice of turning from a life of living for ourselves and turn towards God. I shared we cannot do this on our own but by the power of the Holy Spirit.(Zech. 4:6) Emphasized it was important to make our decision for the Lord now because we may not have tomorrow. He asked me about how I shared with different people. I told him sometimes the Lord lets me be gentle with the humble but tell the truth. Then there are sometimes I have to be vocal and say “The bridge is out and if you continue to go the direction your headed, you will go off the edge.” Many do not realize they are so wrapped up with the cares of this world and it only leads to a place that a famous rock group sings, AC/DC, Highway to Hell.
He thanked me for talking to him and being honest and polite to him and went his way.
Evangelism in the open and in public is exciting. I thank the Lord for the opportunities he gives me to share Jesus with people. Now sometimes it can get into some interesting conversations.
I talked with an Atheist, who thinks Christianity is foolish and a time waster. He said that he thinks intellectually. He wanted me to be realistic and define my beliefs intellectually. I told him simply according to the Bible, you need to come to Jesus like a little child. A child does not worry about being “intellectual”. I told him if I was going to talk to him intellectually, I would give the most intellectual statement……”Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”
During the football game between UT and the Georgia Bulldogs, a very big(400lbs) man approached me. He was drunk. He repeated every thing I said when I was reading the Scripture aloud to the passing football crowd. Then he said, “Your just reading pages from the Bible, your not doing anything more than that and do not know what you are talking about.” I told him, “Jesus loves you”. He then got very belligerent and said “No, Stop saying that.” I said, “Nah, by the way, Jesus loves you.” He then got right to my face, nose to nose. grabbed my Bible, I held on. He said, “Your going to stop.” I said, “Nope, Jesus still loves you.” One of his friends grabbed his arm to lead him away.(By this time a huge crowd had gathered. The Police were observing across the street.) “You do not know what you are talking about, you need to stop what your doing,” he said very very loudly. I kept saying to him, “Jesus loves you, He died for you, that if you repent and put your faith in Him you will have eternal life.” He then got loose of his friends grip and started to charge me.
He started to cuss louder, I gave him two verbal warnings very loudly to “Stop, DONOT COME ANY CLOSER to ME.” His friend had to slip his arm under his friends arm and across his chest to drag him away. He was cussing as he was being led away saying, “He is just repeating the Bible and does not know what he is doing, this guy is full of (BEEEEEEP.)”
The cops never came over, so I resumed my original position and continued on reading Scripture and sharing the Gospel message to the large crowds. A couple of people came up to me to talk about what was happening and why I was doing this after the altercation. I simply gave my testimony of how and where God saved me. I said to them that they have the same opportunity to turn from a life of self and to faith and repentance in Jesus Christ.
Another young man came up to me. He had a beer in his hand. He asked me why I was doing this. I gave him my testimony and told him that the same opportunity I had back in July 2008, he could have. I offered him a bible tract and a pocket New Testament. He declined both. I asked him if he had a Bible, he said yes. I told him to read it and ask God to show himself to you. Scripture says, “If you draw near to him, he will draw near to you” He shook my hand and thanked me for talking to him.
Another young man talked to me. I gave him the “Man card” gospel tract. He started to read it aloud in front of me and the crowd. I encouraged him to consider the message and call out to the Lord tonight. He thanked me and went on his way.
Was I afraid of a guy twice my size or the abusive comments made by an atheist? Nope. I know Jesus is with me and I am happy to share the Gospel message to all people, no matter what the reaction.
I recently received an email from a young lady(name being withheld) about the blog called Madness Monday Evangelism. She made some assumptions about the evangelism team and what we did and did not do. I have posted the email with my response concerning the matter:
The young ladies letter started like this:
On behalf of all street performers, I think you are truely mistaken about the whole
scenario posted in your blog.
The reason you feel that they were trying to drown you out, is because neither one
of those performers have an amp (nor do they have the money to provide one), and
were straining their voices just to keep a crowd. These guys are trying to make a
living just to keep food in their stomachs, they weren’t doing it out of spite. I
think it is very un-Christian-like for you to make assumptions about these guys when
you haven’t even talked to them yourselves. You may be surprised to see what they
have to say!
Not once did I ever hear the magician say that he “hated Christians”, and I see him
every time I’m in the Square. If I’m not mistaken, he is devoted to God himself. I
have seen his show many many times, and everytime, he bangs his stick on his
table….this is to draw the crowd and start the show, not to drown the other
performers out.
Have you even took the time to see his show??
As for the musician, I can’t really speak for him, but I do know that he
was there to make a buck to stay alive.
It’s hard to survive as a street performer when you are being drowned out by someone
with an amp. Personally, I believe your group had the upper hand…you were louder,
and you had more people on your side.
To this day, I wonder if those street performers made enough to eat that night.
All in all, being a Christian myself, I strongly believe that if people wanted to
hear The Word of God, they would go to church or read their own Bible…not go to
Market Square on a off day to hear a street preacher. People want to go to the
Square to be entertained and relax, not verbally hit with Scriptures.
God told me to write this to you.
(her name)
My response to some of the issues she stated.
Dear ______,
Thank you for your comments.
I have seen many street performers use amplification. We are aware of local laws and ordinances pertaining to free speech. We do not attempt to drown out others.
Every person performing in market square has equal access no matter what the message or performance. As a street preacher we do not preach out of spite.
I made a correct assessment of the situation about the situation of the other performers. I do not say “hate Christians” and I heard him plainly said some off comment about one of my street preacher friends. I have talked to the street performers before. The musician did approach my team and stood in front of us to block us in exercising our first amendment rights. We do not do the same. We attempt to provide equal space like the others in sharing the Square. So I would say you have made an unchristian like assumption about me in the way I do my ministry.
As far as only doing “Christian preaching” in church only, goes against the scriptures as it says in the Great Commission to “Go into the whole WORLD and preach the Gospel.”
When people come out to Market Square they are aware they can relax but take the risk of being approached by homeless begging for money, musicians singing songs that have questionable lyrics, politicians attempting to vie for their vote, street preachers proclaiming their religious beliefs. Since the bible times and still today preaching in the public arena has happened and will continue. As far as I am aware the first amendment is still in place and it is still legal to preach in the public square unlike communist and socialist countries where many of my friends cannot enjoy the freedom to openly share the Word without fear of oppression of the government.
From the results of your letter, I do not believe God told you to write what you did because your statements go against the Bible and God would never contradict himself.
I will post your letter to my blog, but will remove your name to not cause harassment to you or your email. Thank you once again for contacting me.
Sincerely,
Robert
I have heard these comment multiple times as well as many other evangelists have heard similar comments. We are constantly told that we cannot do what we do in public. Not based on any legal grounds, (Actually, it is a first amendment right and even if was against the law, we would have to obey the Lord’s Word.) but because someone does not like our message and does not want the Gospel message to be presented in the public arena.
Statements like this also come from within the church. Many have been raised on liberal theology that waters down the Gospel to attract more people to their churches. This is called post-modern theology. Many Christian churches and church leaders will put off biblical Christianity to a create your own Christianity based off the whims and likes of people. How much of the Bible to you cut out just to get more people in church. It is no longer a Christian church, but morphed into a Unitarian Church borrowing Christian phrases just so sound like a Christian church but “denying the power of the Spirit of God”. Many of these “seeker sensitive, emergent, liberal churches.”
Any other message like politics, gay rights, etc is welcome on Market Square and elsewhere around the nation with open arms. Yet, it is the Christian message that is not welcome. So much for “tolerance” from those proclaiming “tolerance”.
We street preachers in America have a limited amount of time before what we do is no longer legal in the United States with the liberal agenda of “hate crimes” and other worldly lifestyles will become more aggressive in curbing the First Amendment rights of Christians.
However, God is still on the throne and in control. We still have to be obey the Lord’s Word of the Great Commission.
School was back in session for the University of Tennessee students. On Friday and Saturday nights, I went out passing out Evangelism gospel tracts and reading aloud Scripture. It was a mixed crowd of students. Some were nice, some mean, and many drunk.
I encountered three groups of students. The first group of students told me they were Catholic. The leader of the group came up to me and made known to me I was an apostate because I was not a Catholic and I was not reading from the Catholic Bible. I just shared some passages of Scripture with him. He told me that I need to obey the Catholic teaching by recognizing Peter as the first head of the Church. I told him that is not true because according to God’s Word:
New King James Version (NKJV)
15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—
Then I told him Peter could not qualify as the first pope because Peter was married. He walked away because I would not stop evangelizing. I told him, I do not take orders from the Catholic Church, I take my orders from Jesus. Jesus gave me the Great Commission.
Another group of students approached me and told me the Bible is a product of man, not God. Then told me that Jesus was not God, just a man. Both the young man and his girlfriend said they were scientists and were more knowledgeable about what was truth.
As the man walked away from me, I told his girlfriend she has a choice to continue on with her Christ rejecting boyfriend or repent and put her faith in Jesus. She said, “I am a scientist.” Her boyfriend got mad and said for me to not paint him as the bad guy and that “I was full of S%#@!”
I told him I pitied him because he does not believe Jesus is God and the Word of God is truth. He said, “Don’t pity me, I pity you because you are stupid for believing religious lies.” I told him again, “I pity you for rejecting Jesus.”
As he and his girlfriend walked away, another female friend in their group began to walk away. Yet, she looked me in the eyes in sorrow. I looked in her eyes and said, “So what is your choice, your Jesus rejecting friends or do you choose Jesus?” She did not answer, but dropped her head and walked away with her friends. I silently began to pray for them as I wept for them.
I continued to read Gospel passages to the college crowds walking by urging them to choose the world or choose Jesus. As I was reading the Bible, the third major group of Muslim students began to drown me out by shouting, “GREAT IS ALLAH!” This is the first time I have encountered hostility from a group of Muslims. I pray this is the only kind of encounter I have with Muslims in the future. I cannot guarantee it will be as mild with Muslims. I have heard stories of other Evangelists in America(YES, IN AMERICA) being threatened and have physical force used against them.
This is why I ask for many of your prayers, I know God is with me and I only go when I am allowing the Power of the Spirit to be with me in any Evangelism encounters. I am pretty much the only one from my church going out to Evangelize college students and the liberal/other religion/non-religion crowds in Market Square. You may ask, “Are you not afraid doing this alone” or “Robert, your supposed to go only in pairs.” Well, like scripture says, “The harvest is plenty but the laborers are few.”
I am NOT afraid. If I am physically assaulted, I get physically assaulted. I do know some self-defense moves and have “safe” places I am able to go if I am in danger. The local law enforcement know me personally or from meeting me numerous times when I evangelize. I use wisdom in evangelism in public places. Yes, there are dangers when you evangelize in the public venue. What do you expect, your on Satan’s playground.
New King James Version (NKJV)
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
I grew up being bullied. I don’t regret being bullied, because it has prepared me to face the many ugly encounters in Evangelism.
I do always say to others when you evangelize to listen to the Word of God.
New King James Version (NKJV)
16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
First step: Pray.
Second step: Pray more.
Third step. Listen for God.
Fourth step: Read the Bible.
Fifth step: Ask the Lord for Holy Spirit unction.
Sixth Step: Take your Bible and some tracts.
Seventh Step: Pray as you journey to college area.
Eighth Step: Hand tract to college student and talk nicely to them. They do not bite unless drunk.
Ninth Step: Share Gospel.
Tenth Step: Pray after you are done talking with them.
Eleventh Step: Go on rejoicing in the Lord! Dancing like King David is acceptable, only not in just your underwear.
Last Monday a group of us went to Market Square to street preach. In Market Square there was two other street performers: a magician and a musician.
All three groups we heard by the crowds. Guess which of the three was not well received?
Two of the three groups were demonstrative in their performance. The third group, the street preachers, just plainly read some scripture and explained the scripture while handing out the tracts.
The magician does not like Christians and to drown our group out, he banged his magic wand louder and louder on his stand to drown out the Scripture.
The musician thought it would be cool after being paid by several people to stand in front of one of the street preachers and play as loud as he could. Hoops and Hollars and Cheers for the musician started to increased.
An openly homosexual lesbian in military uniform was ordering us to leave the premises cause we were ruining her date with her female companion. She told us we were taking our 1st amendment rights too far, funny how a few days earlier the gay community took their rights too far and were able to gain rights to be both openly gay and serve in the military.
Then an officer showed up. He said someone called on us because someone did not like us being in Market Square. He was told originally that we were another local evangelist that is constantly kicked out of the area for being obnoxious. When he found out we were not the “other” evangelist, he told us we have just as much right to do what we were doing like the musician, the magician, and any other person exercising their First Amendment rights. He said, “Have a good evening” and walked away.
Someday those opposing Biblical Christianity, evangelism and street preaching will get their way and it will be illegal in the U.S. to be an “openly Biblical conservative Christian.” It is happening sooner than you think.
I was praying big time as I went to Old City, while at Old City, and as I was leaving Old City. It was that much spiritual opposition in the air(Satan is the prince of the air) I could feel the oppression of them not wanting me in Old City. Yet, God is bigger and can whoop up on the demonic realm. So the fear left me.
God put a stirring inside me to go down to Old City(bar district in downtown Knoxville) and hand out tracts and read the Bible. It has been awhile, but I finally got some Hecklers. You know when you are doing God’s work in a battle zone when you encounter hecklers.
The Hecklers were drunk at nearby bar. They were throwing accusations at me as I had many people walk by me. Just like the religious crowd that accused Jesus of being friends and associating with the drunks and prostitutes. That is ok by me. Jesus loves them and so do I.
As I proceeded out to my car, there were a couple of vehicles with the “COEXIST” bumper stickers. Now many of you know me and what I do every time I see one of those bumper stickers. They get a free tract.
Returned to Market Square on Tuesday evening to pass out tracts and read the Bible. A group of young Pentecostals came up and spoke with me. They wanted to pray for me and I welcomed it immensely. A little eight year old girl stared at me while I read a portion of the Old Testament. A homeless man approached me asking for money. As a policy, I do not give out money. I knew him from previous occasions. He is aware of the feeding times at KARM and Salvation Army. He just prefers going downtown to get money for his drug and alcohol addiction. I did however give him a pocket New Testament. He told me, I think I better go sit down and read this.
