Back to Open Air

I gave away my tracts to other seed-sowers today. They're not part of GNN, but they are Christians (well, I know definitely one is, I'm praying for the other, but she says she likes the Bible--she doesn't speak clear English, so I don't know what she believes, exactly, but she does read the tracts she lets me place in the window of her little shop). One of them I met a while back, gave her the GPT, found out she was saved, but had never heard the Gospel put in those terms and was willing to use it on someone. Saw her again this morning and gave her about 115 tracts to hand out. Pray for Ellie as she steps out in faith in her workplace and on her rugby team. (Yeah, if you saw her, you wouldn't believe that she plays rugby, either, but, yeah; and her boyfriend plays Gaelic Football. So there you go.)

So when I got off work this evening, I had no tracts to use. Normally, I wait for the train to be full of Cardinals fans before I preach, but not this time. The Lord told me to preach, not to sit. And I did. And I wasn't well-received the first time. Gave the Gospel to those who were still listening, and moved to the front of the car. Now things get interesting!

There were four highschool senior girls in the front of the car, all immodestly dressed. God gave me the power to focus on those faces that would be burning in Hell if they didn't repent, so that I could witness to them. There was a young man at the back of the front section of the car who didn't like what I was saying about the holiness and wrath of God.

He seemed to me to be a false convert, but I didn't get to talk to him much about his conversion experience. However, my calm demeanor did make him look a mite bit foolish for getting so wound up talking to me. He told me that he could put himself in Hell, by cutting himself off from God, but, as soon as he wanted to, he could repent and everything would be all right, because he was a child of God. I reminded him that he is not dead yet, and thus hasn't been so separated from God.

At this point, he shouted, "You don't know what happens after someone dies!" and went on to spout the rather foolish line of reasoning that no one has come back to tell us (which isn't true, but that's beside the point). What about the Creator warning us about the place that He prepared originally for the devil and his angels, but which place we also will inhabit for eternity if we side with him? Doesn't that count for anything? Apparently not.

Anyway, I did preach the Gospel, and then he said that we might actually be on the same page. That (lie) stunned me more than anything else. Please pray for him. I know he doesn't know what he's talking about. Pray that he will actually read his Bible tonight and think about what does happen after death.

The girls invited me to sit down, and I did. One of them just kept talking about how the guy got so angry with me as I took them through the Law. I kept thinking about the yelping dog (if you throw a rock into a pack of dogs, the one who yelps is the one that got hit). Then one of them went where I had deliberately avoided:

"Isn't sex outside marriage a sin?" Apparently she had heard that somewhere. (You go, Bible preacher!!) But she was clearly more educated than her friends. Their response when I affirmed her worst fear?

"What?! Seriously?!"

Then of course, the ever popular question: "What about you?" I tell them, and it never fails: "No way! You can't be a virgin!!" I am. Sorry. (Not.) Their eyes got very big, and they insisted that I was not telling the truth, until I swore before God that I was telling them the truth (for some odd reason, I felt permission from God to do so at that time; not a regular practice, just a special circumstance.)

Then I hit them with a bombshell: "Jesus said that if you just look with lust, then you're guilty of adultery in your heart, so I've broken that commandment there."

One of them said, "Man, we're all going to Hell." I quickly re-emphasized the importance of repentance: Jesus died to save us from that, so repent and trust Him, and you don't have to face eternal Justice.

Then, at the Forest Park Station, several people got on the train in our half of the car. The chat with the girls now in front of me was turning idle, and I wanted to have these people hear the Gospel anyway. So, I turned around and gave them the Good Person Test. Failing to realize that I was still on the wrong train. How did that happen? Let's back up:

When I first got on the platform, there were several skate-boarders, and I wanted them to hear the Gospel, so I forgot that this was the wrong train for me and boarded with them anyway. Then, when the operator made the announcement that we were at Forest Park and those who needed the south-bound line should get off, I didn't pay any attention, because I was looking at fresh soil for seeds. I am very distractable.

So, anyway, that conversation with the latecomers went rather well. They seemed to understand everything, so I just got off and bid them and the HS girls a good night.

Then the Lord kept me talking to people all the way home. Three conversations stand out to me:

I forgot these two girls names, but they stayed on the platform while I boarded the train when I finished talking to them. One of them didn't want to hear what I had to say, after we got to the part about us being murderers, but the other one did. the first one had to listen, because they only sat about a foot apart if that. But I did move up to the second one in order to finish explaining the Gospel. I think both of them were grateful.

Then I wandered over to try to talk to two young ladies but could not get an opening. I prayed and moved on (turned around, actually). There was a man and his wife and a friend. The friend was on the phone. I asked the couple if there was a wrestling show in town, but they said no (the friend was wearing a shirt that advertised one of the WWE stars.) I tried to take them through the Law, but only the man listened, and when we boarded the train, they sat where I could not get to them.

But the girls that I had wanted to talk to were open. I sat down right in front of them and asked them about the Good Person Test. Took them through it, got to explain it thoroughly. They seemed convicted, please pray for them (Shamika and Cassandra). I prayed for them (silently) while we were there.

Then, the dynamics of the seating changed: people got off, and the friend moved up.

Now, she was sitting one seat back from me across the aisle: not too far for conversation. So I asked her about her wrestling interests (my grandmother watches that stupid stuff, so I know something about it). Turns out Shamika loves wrestling, too, because she likes the same "superstar" that the friend liked, as a favorite all time.

After small talk, it was time for testing. I told the friend and the wife that I had given the hubby the test already, but I wanted to give it to them, too. They let me, and he didn't try to stop them. (Praise the Lord!!)

Turns out, the friend is angry with God because her father died of a heart attack. She had wanted her father to see her wedding. I told her that my father is still alive, and, even though we are at odds right now, I would be very hurt myself if my father were dead. But that's not God's fault. That's ours--we who daily consent to the rebellion of Adam.

We moved off topic for a minute, and then I told her how much God loved her (sent His Son to die for her instead of punishing her). She said that she didn't care if He punished her or not. I told her that I would pray that she would change her mind.

Why would I give the Gospel to an obviously proud person? Because I know that people posture a lot. Plus, love melts the heart of stone. Well, either that or the heat of wrath. And I like to think that applying both works faster than either alone. Don't know her name, but I do ask you to pray for her and her buddies.

Oh, and there were two ladies who waited for the bus with me. I got to say precious little, but I think I did influence the conversation positively. They didn't even resent my obvious eavesdropping or my intrustion into their rather private conversation.

Heh, then I became very glad that the two guards didn't check our tickets/passes/transfers while I was witnessing to Shamika and Cassandra: My pass had expired and I hadn't bought another one! I need to remedy that tomorrow. Good night.