Saturday Night with Catherine

Catherine & I arrived later than normal on Mill in Tempe, as we were invited to a ST Patrick's dinner and didn't get there until 9pm. I must confess, we found it difficult to head down to Mill after the dinner as we came home to change our clothes. I go often and I had to force myself  NOT to stay home and just relax after an enjoyable dinner. We could have found lots of reasons not to go. Al, Alan, Marcus and Ronnie were already there passing out tracts.

Catherine had taken a large handful of the million dollar tracts, about 200, before we left for the dinner and commented that she would like to leave around 10-10:30, as she had a lot to do Sunday and wanted to get up early to get them done. She stated that she probably grabbed too many tracts as she couldn't see how she would be able to give them all away in just an hour. 

Time certainly fly's when your having fun and just past 10 Catherine mentioned to me that she only had a few tracts left and couldn't believe how many people passed by her accepting the free gift. Once they take she always pray that they read later and that the Lord would open their hearts. She was extremely excited as she now realized that just being obedient, as she really didn't want to go to Mill so late and to leave early, and yet the Lord blessed her and lifted her spirits as to how successful she was just because she came out to the street. 

One young man stopped to asked her about what she was doing handing them out and she told him it was a Gospel Tract and if he read the back it was worth more then a million. He read some of it and then stated he knew Jesus and sometimes went to church. He also spoke of how when he messes up he asks for forgiveness and knows that God is loving and forgives him.

I then asked him how often does he ask to be forgiven and he stated several times a day.  I then mentioned that I didn't hear him saying anything about repentance, since Jesus stated in Luke 13:3, that unless you repent you all likewise perish. Paul makes a similar claim in 2Cor. 7:10, For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.


At this point he started to explain how he really wasn't willing to give it his ALL, as he liked doing what he was doing and when that day came that he would be willing to give up his life style, he would accept all that Jesus required of him but not yet.

I tried to explain to him that maybe the Lord brought him to us tonight and this is the time for him to humble himself and to repent of his sins, have remorse, regret for offending a Holy God and not do them anymore. To consider asking God to have him hate the sin as much as God does, because you never know when you going t take your last breath.

I asked if he remembered the student who was killed here on campus a while back, he said yes, but just then a young lady came up to him who obviously was intimate with him, snuggled up to him and said lets go. He left with a smile and said see how hard it is?

A few minutes a group of four came by and took a tract from me and when they realized we were sharing Christ they stated that they were Christians, and didn't need one. One had two large black circular rings embedded in his ears with several nose rings as well. I don't understand why the youth of today think they have to defile their bodies.

After a few of his comments about how loving God is and He wouldn't send anyone to Hell.  I then asked if he considered himself to be a good person, and would he mind using God's Commandments to validate it. As usual he said yes, and then I asked the other guy and the two ladies to take the test as well. The two ladies answered quickly about lying, but the man with the earrings refused to answered and only replied with that he was saved by the Blood of Jesus.

After a while he commented that I sounded like those people who believe that I was chosen by God and NOT of my own free will, and he didn't want to talk to anyone like me because we were spreading lies. The God he believes in, which he himself sought out at age (7), is a loving God and would not send anyone to Hell. The lady next to him then stated that the questions I was asking was not what Jesus would do and that I needed to show more love.

When I asked her had she ever read Luke 18:18 where Jesus Himself used the Commandments, she said yes, but the way to share with others is to do it as she does. She explained how she sat on a bench with a homeless person and just asked about his life. She could see how amazed he was that she would sit with him.  She told him how she was sexually abused growing up as a child and had a lot of anger and bitterness in her. When she accepted Jesus, also at age (7), she forgave her molester and became a Christian. After her sharing her experience with this homeless man she made an amazing claim, that he accepted Jesus and became a Christian.

I then asked if I could summarize back what I heard her say? It sounds like if I have had a horrible experiences in my life, been molested, no money, relationship breakups, then all I need to do is accept Jesus, because He loves me and I will be saved.

I then asked her what would I be saved from, as it appears that God has burdened me with unimaginable situations when I have done nothing wrong.  Then those of us who have not been molested, have adequate finances and a well rounded relationships don't need to accept Jesus? That's when she said it was a waste of time taking to me and they left.