FRIDAY NIGHT PLUS an EXCITING SUNDAY

Catherine & I rode down with Keith, his daughter Kate, to 1st Friday Night at 3rd & Roosevelt to share the Gospel. A little while later a first timer, Tony and his wife Lorna, met us there. We all go to Harvest Bible Chapel. As usual Friday night at the Phoenix Art Fair was swarming with thousands of people. Right after we set up the banner that asks the question: "ARE YOU A GOOD PERSON?", they can get a free glow-stick if they are. Immediately a crowd was in front of me willing to prove they were good. About 10 minutes into asking them about violating God's Ten Commandments, the police stopped me because I was drawing a crowd that always comes when I offer a free glow-stick to anyone who can prove they are a good person.

I've been on the triangle every 1st Friday of the month, which is on the corner of 3rd and Roosevelt, for over four years. I was told it was a hazard for me to do that because the crowd would block the sidewalk and others would have to walk on the street. At this triangle there is yellow tape that extends out from the sidewalk about 3 feet that allows pedestrians to walk on the street safely. (So I don't get it, do you?)
 
We then went across the street where we set up the sign again. Praise the Lord as that side provided more listeners and better lightning that ever before! Catherine came to me shocked and asked if I had any more Million Dollar Gospel messages as she had given away over 200 of them. She was shocked as it was only 9:30!

We were met by others who want to reach out to the lost. Patrick, and his wife Vinka and their young son Joey, as well as his Pastor from North Phoenix Baptist Church.  Matt, Leigh, and Matthew were there as well.

Now comes the exciting Sunday!

After worship Catherine & I went to Denny’s to get a bite to eat. An elderly couple was struggling to get out of their car. The man was out of the car and on crutches and the woman was trying to get out, to reach her walker. I walked over to lend a hand. As they followed us in I turned and gave her a Million Dollar Tract for allowing me to help her. She gave me a big smile and thanked me! As Catherine & I were about to open the door, her husband asked if I was a Christian.  I asked him why he asked that and he said I gave them a Gospel Tract. That’s when his wife said we’ve been believers for over 50 years and can’t remember anyone giving us a Gospel Tract. They sat us next to each other at Denny’s and were able to hear all that went on with our conversation with our waitress and the other waitress.

 I always ask this question after we give our order to our server. “We usually pray before we eat is that okay with you?” They always say yes. Then I ask them, “Is there anything that we can pray for you about?” This time I was pleasantly surprised as Catherine beat me to it! This is when I wish I had a camera as you should have seen the joyful look on her face. She told us that she needed to take a test so that she could go to nursing school and was concerned about doing it.  

She came back several times while we were eating to ask if we needed anything else. That’s when I will bring out the RED & BLUE illusion card which helps them realize that their eyes can fool them and then I can proceed to ask them about breaking God’s Ten Commandants. Interestingly enough she stayed to answer the four specific questions about lying, stealing, swearing and lust. She was truly convicted by her own answers and that God would have no choice but to send her to Hell.

Thankfully this concerned her, as many times those who admit to being law breakers believe God is love and would not punish them. Now comes the part we all love! Yadi, our waitress, turned to me and asked, “So what do I have to do to be saved?”  Praise the Lord as I could see a contrite heart at that moment!

I explained to her she should go home and get on her knees and ask God for forgiveness and repent, which meant having Godly sorrow and that she would now place her trust in Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of her sins. That’s when I shared with her what it would be like to be born again, as that’s what happens. We are given the Holy Spirit and that’s what transforms us from the inside out.  I asked if she had a Bible at home and she said she did so I told her to read it her obey what it says, as the Word of God should not be read like a novel but as a love letter with instruction on what our Heavenly Father requires from those whom He has adopted into His Kingdom.   

Here’s a side note. While we were eating a man who was sitting across from us got up to leave and told me that I had dropped some money under the table. I bent down to retrieve it and immediately offered it to him for being honest enough to tell me. You should have seen the look on his face as he reluctantly took it, and I told him to read the back, as it was a Gospel Tract.

So as she is pondering her faith she goes to serve others and then a little while later bring another waitress who had just lost her infant 9 month old grandson. This lady wanted to know if it was okay to scream at God in anger. After expressing our remorse for her loss, she mentioned what a good person she was and why would God do that? That’s when I asked her if she would answer a few questions to see if she was GOOD? Sadly she didn’t believe in Hell or even Heaven! That’s when I looked at her and was amazed, that she would get angry at a God she doesn’t even believe in.

 Just as Yadi was going to serve another customer, before leaving our table, she said she was very appreciative about what I shared with her as she finally understood what she needs to do.

 As we are writing this, Catherine stated, “It’s good that we go out to eat so that we can engage with those who serve us so we can ask if we could pray for them.  If we hadn’t gone out after church today we would have missed this tremendous opportunity to share.”