More Neat Stories

MINISTRY PROFESSIONS OF FAITH

OCT 09 COURT SQUARE 24
OCT 10 JAMES MADISON 16
OCT 11 CROSS LIGHT 01

Here are my favorite stories from downtown and J.M.U. last week...

DOWNTOWN COURT SQUARE

Let me first share the two difficult ones before I move on to greener pastures...

I met an African-American couple from New York. They both thought they would go to Heaven because 'they had a good heart.' The lady stood in the back as I engaged the man.

For each sin that we went through (liar, thief, adulterer, murderer, blasphemer), the man offered an excuse. I kept sharing, letting him know he needed to be honest with God. Finally, exasperated, the woman handed the bracelet back to me and said...

"BUT GOD KNOWS OUR HEARTS!"

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9)

Later on, I shared with a daughter and mother. As I was going through each of the sins with the daughter, she got upset and walked off. So, I engaged the mother. When we got to the point about hatred being murder in the heart, she had had enough, handed me the bracelet and said...

"I DIDN'T COME HERE TO LISTEN TO THIS!"

I share these two difficult ones to let you know it is not always easy. I also share this to let you know that the ones who do pray with me to receive Jesus had to really humble themselves to get there.

GREENER PASTURES

Angela was the first person that I shared with. I opened with, "How are you today?"

She was not doing well. The man she was with was becoming increasingly violent, so she had come downtown to get help. I encouraged her to do so, and then said, 'Let me share some hope with you."

Angela thought she would go to Heaven because she 'helped people and tried to do right.' After hearing the gospel, Angela understood that she had been trusting herself as Savior, and needed instead to trust in Christ as Savior...

"HE SAVED ME. (MY HEART FEELS) A LOT BETTER."

After I finished sharing with Ronnie (a man filled with anger and hate who definitely got some deliverance), I turned and saw a young man standing right next to me. He was waiting for a bracelet.

TROUBLED YOUTH RECEIVES CHRIST

This young man had a case manager who was standing right behind him. Evidently, she had seen me out here before and was allowing him to listen to me. Or, maybe she just sensed the Spirit and allowed him to get one. Whatever the case may be, I felt honored that she trusted me enough to share the gospel with this young man Lucas.

I do not know this young man's story, but it obviously has to have been pretty rough for him to end up in a boy's home. It was a joy to lead this young boy to Jesus!

He initially told me he was '99% sure of going to Heaven because 'he was good'. After sharing sin with him. Lucas understood that he was 'not good'.

After sharing Christ, Lucas understood what God had done for him and he wanted to place all of his trust in Him. Lucas prayed with me and said...

"HE SAVED MY SINS AND CAME INTO MY HEART."

Then, I asked him if there was anything he wanted to share with me before he left. Remember, this is a 12 year old boy.

"THANKS FOR HELPING ME TO UNDERSTAND THIS. IT MEANS A LOT."

Then, at the end, we both prayed. Listen to what little Lucas told the Lord...

"THANKS FOR SAVING ME AND TAKING MY SINS AWAY. THANKS FOR COMING INTO MY HEART AND HELPING ME TO TRUST IN YOU. I LOVE YOU."

A WEEPING, DISTRAUGHT MOTHER

Sandy was standing across the street, on the verge of a breakdown. Something was wrong. I waved for her to come across the street. (I have seen Sandy downtown many times over the years)

As she was walking across the street, she began sobbing. By the time she got to me, the torrent released...

"It's not fair! My son is going to jail for five years! I'll never see him again!"

I just hugged Sandy, and she wept, and wept, and wept. (Sandy is probably in her 60's) She told me she had not taken drugs in over 20 years, but was so upset that she wanted to go home and take them.

I asked her if she had ever given her son to the Lord. 'No.' Did she want to? 'Yes'. I explained the story of Abraham and Isaac to her, and then we prayed together, giving her son to the Lord...

As we were in the middle of the prayer, I heard commotion. The guards were transporting the inmates from the court across the street to the building adjacent to where we were praying. We had to move immediately.

I led Sandy away from the path of the inmates and guards. Just one problem. Sandy saw her son!
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I had to physically restrain her to keep her out of harm's way. Sandy was hysterical. There were moans, sobs, and outbursts of anger towards the system. She also yelled, "I love you son!"

Thankfully, Sandy is an older, petite woman. She also was respecting my restraint, and could have been much more difficult if she wanted to be. This was a grieving mother, and I just wanted to give her space to let it out.

Well, we finished the prayer of giving her son to the Lord and she said she felt better, 'relieved'. Then, I shared the gospel with her. She prayed with me, and said that God had forgiven her and she was now 100% sure of going to Heaven.

"EVERY TIME I NEED YOU, YOU ARE ALWAYS HERE."

A lady in a car pulled up and angrily yelled for Sandy to get in the car. She turned and said to me, "Here we go again."

SENT BY HIS MOTHER

As I finished sharing with a couple, I turned and a young boy was standing next to me smiling, 'Hi Pastor Mike.'

"How did you know my name? How did you know I was here?"

'My mom.'

I guess mom was around somewhere, and she knew me and had told him to come talk with me. So, I shared the gospel with Marcus.

Marcus was where most kids in the church are. They think God will let them into Heaven because they 'obey the rules, help people, and go to church.'

I shared sin with Marcus and then I shared Christ. Marcus understood that he needed to stop trusting himself as savior, and needed to trust in Christ as Savior. Marcus wanted to pray with me...

"HE CAME INTO MY HEART AND GAVE ME ETERNAL LIFE."

Mom came over towards the end of the gospel presentation. She thanked me several times before they both left.

D.J. said he would get a bracelet, after he quickly paid a fine. Well, he came back out of the courtroom almost immediately...

'They're already closed!'

I knew why he was here, but I decided to keep that to myself and just share the message. D.J. was like Marcus, he 'obeyed the rules, helped people, and was a good dad'. D.J. has six kids!

After sharing the law with him, D.J. admitted that he had not kept the rules. After sharing Christ with him, D.J. admitted that Christ had kept the rules for him, and even taken his penalty for not keeping the rules. D.J. wanted to trust in Him instead...

"HE MADE ME TRUST IN HIM. I PUT MY TRUST IN HIM. (MY HEART IS) FULFILLED."

Before he left, he spoke up...

"NOW I KNOW WHY I CAME HERE TODAY!"

JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY

Just like downtown, I had some tough ones. When you share the law (sin) with people, some get offended and walk off. I had two girls, and then two more, who became visibly uncomfortable as I was sharing. They left.

Sometimes, these ones who get uncomfortable do stay and end up praying to receive Christ. Not this time.

Here is a student who was dressed up in a Halloween costume like the grim reaper. She actually moved right in front of me and was handing out fliers...

MOVED TO TEARS

Ashlie was the first student with whom I shared. She initially was 80% sure of going to Heaven, telling me that God was her Savior. She told me, 'He died for me.'

Here is the litmus test...

"Is that enough?"

'No, you also have to pray, witness, and go to church.'

Many people in the church are stuck right here in the book of Galatians. They need to come back to a place of trusting in Christ alone.

As I shared with Ashlie, she began to cry. Ashlie understood that she was not completely trusting in Christ.

"Of sin, because they believe not on me." (John 16:9)

More tears as she prayed with me to trust in Christ alone...

"HE SAVED ME. (MY HEART FEELS) HAPPY."

Emma was an Acolyte in the Methodist Church in the first grade. At age 12, she had drifted away from her faith. Emma was humble enough to endure the chastening of the law (sin part), and wanted to place her trust in Christ alone...

"HE OPENED ME UP. (MY HEART FEELS) OPENED."

HONORING THE MOMENT

Rolando said 'some days he believed in a place called Heaven, and some days he did not'. He wanted to hear how he could be 100% sure.

After sharing the law and the gospel with him, I gave the invitation. He hesitated at first, so I backed off and answered his questions. Then, I asked him again and he said 'yes'.

Before we prayed, he stopped and said...

"LET ME TURN MY PHONE OFF FIRST." (I have never had that happen before) Rolando wanted to honor this holy moment.

"HE GAVE ME A CHANCE TO REPENT. I TRUST IN GOD. (MY HEART FEELS) VERY GOOD."

Mike was 'not sure that he believed anymore.' He used to go to Reston Bible Church. He was banking on the fact that he was a 'good person'.

Sharing the law makes God real to people in their consciences. It lets them know they are in trouble on judgment day. It creates a need for trusting in Christ.

Sharing Christ gives people something solid to trust in. Mike wanted to trust in Christ alone this day...

"HE SAVED MY SOUL."

HIS DAD IS A PASTOR

Wyn had also moved away from the faith. He, like almost every other student, mentioned being a 'good person'.

After trusting in Christ alone, Wyn told me that his dad was the minister of a Methodist Church and he was going to tell him that he got saved.

"HE SAVED ME."

NO IDEA WHY?

Katie said that God would forgive her. Why would God forgive Katie? She had no idea why.

So many people think that God forgives just because they ask. No, God's justice must first be satisfied. Then, God is free to forgive.

Why? Because His justice has been satisfied. In Christ alone.

"HE FORGAVE MY SINS BECAUSE JESUS CHRIST DIED ON THE CROSS FOR ME." (MY HEART FEELS) FULL OF LOVE." (LOTS OF JOY HERE)

Listen to James' response after transferring his trust from his 'good' to Christ alone...

"GOD SHOWED ME THE WAY AND GAVE ME FAITH. (MY HEART FEELS) BETTER, A LOT LIGHTER."

TWO CHANCES TO LEAVE!

Initially, Nick told his friend to go eat dinner without him. He would come after he heard the message. Then, right in the middle of the message, a girl ran up to him, hugged him, and asked if he had eaten dinner yet. Thankfully, he declined the offer to join her.

I thought she was one of his friends, but, after trusting in Christ alone, Nick told me that he had never seen that woman before! She had approached him at a crucial time during the presentation where he really seemed to be understanding and believing the truth. I am thankful that he stayed!

"HE GAINED MY TRUST. (MY HEART FEELS) GREAT."

WE TALKED FOR OVER AN HOUR!

Ryan was 70% because 'he had faith'. I asked him what he meant by 'he had faith.'

'I have faith in my family and I have faith in myself.'

Ryan sat down on a chair next to me to hear the gospel. He stayed for over an hour. Ryan was a Roman Catholic, who had never heard the gospel before.

Ryan humbled himself under the law, and then happily understood the gospel. Ryan wanted to place his faith in Christ alone...

"HE LED ME TO ACCEPT JESUS AS MY SAVIOR. HE TOOK ALL OF MY SINS FOR ME. (MY HEART FEELS) OPEN AND GRATEFUL."

Here is a 2 minute testimony of Ryan...

SOLI DEO GLORIA!