"But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am with you" Galatians 4:18
April 2000 Newsletter
"But it is good to be zealously affected always
in a good thing, and not only when I am with you" Galatians 4:18
AFTER I’M GONE
There is an old joke where a bad singer asks for requests and someone wryly responds, "Why don’t you sing ‘After I’m gone’." HA. It is great that the SWAT team has been used of the Lord to zealously affect many individuals, churches and Bible Colleges for the service of the Lord in the area of publick ministry. It is sad that many of these are only affected while the team is present. May this serve as an affective goad to those that have slacked off and neglected the publick ministry since the SWAT team drove out of town. It’s the Lord’s will!!!!!!!!!
INSTANT BENEFITS OF
Publick Ministry
Two churches this month responded instantly to the challenge of publick ministry. Pastor Randy Chovan of the first Baptist of Pasco, WA took our challenge to his church to heart and rallied his folk to go and hold signs on Monday morning at 6 AM. As the chilly winds blew, some 12 brave souls held banner and scripture signs to publish the good news to thousands of souls driving to work at a nuclear plant in Richland, WA. WERE THERE ANY RESULTS?
The impact of holding scripture signs on the
workplace cannot be minimized. Recently we held signs in Richland ,WA., as some 5 to 6
thousand cars passed by on the way to work. We waved to some of our friends who had never
ever seen this happen before in our town. Brother Sutek was there passing out tracts to
the cars that stopped for the light. A dear black brother in Christ joined me
as he too realized something was missing in our Christian life after we left the friendly
confines of the four walls of our church. When we got to work a certain coworker was livid
as he ranted and raved about the traffic hazard we were creating by holding up signs that
he said you couldn't read anyway. I calmly told him that if it were "save the
dams" signs or "vote for Bush or Gore signs"
or "vote yes" on the school levy signs that people had held up in the exact same
spot then it would have been OK wouldn't it. Plus, I reminded him, if you couldn't read
them then what was the big deal anyway. As he continued ranting, the boss (who was not a
Christian), walked in and said (bless his heart), that If it were "save the
dams" signs then it would have been OK and the last time he looked there was still
freedom of speech. It was unusually quiet in our shop that day as conviction was on the
hearts of the unsaved and even more opportunities for witnessing unfolded not only for us
but for other Christians throughout the whole Hanford complex some forty miles away.
Reports of our public ministry are still coming in. There is a certain pureness and
cleanness that permeated my whole being after I stepped out of my sunshine soldier uniform
and really went into battle for the Lord and bore reproach for His Name. I highly
recommend it to any child of God who feels something is missing in their testimony. -Steve
Panther, Richland, WA.
The second church was Heritage Baptist whose pastor, Scott Hanks mentioned to
me at the end of a Wed. night service that he would like to take his people out with the
team that very evening. Following a hasty announcement we boarded a church bus and hit the
streets of Lawrence, KS with 45 first timers. The University of Kansas is located there
and the streets were still occupied. RESULTS… The pastor and another man preached for
the first time and the church bus was filled with Christians possessing a new zeal on the
way home. Will these continue "After I’m gone"? This is our prayer as well
as the Lord’s will.
ON THE STREETS
The team held 12 street meetings in 8 different cities and on 3 college campuses. We always enjoy administering the gospel to the brain-dead students at Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA. This month we included those similarly afflicted at Walla Walla College in College Place, WA. This is a Seventh Day Adventist School. We got some good press and some bad press when we mustered about 40 soldiers of the cross to "stand up against" (Ps. 94:16) the evil doers at a "Gay Rights" rally on the campus of the U. of Montana at Missoula. At one point one of our preachers counted 11 of our folk with Bibles open ministering the gospel to students on campus during this rally. What a great opportunity. Surely, if you have a campus near your church you are taking advantage of the outreach of publick ministry to those who will never attend your brick lampshade services. With the help of several pastors, Bro. Rick Olivera organized a Chicago mini-blitz.
We were able to swing by and pick up the Bear family and bring them to Chicago for this event so the original SWAT team enjoyed a reunion for this weekend. We mustered 65 folk out in the heart of Chicago and had two souls saved. We were greatly honored to have 84 year old Pastor Ruben Fields join us this day and help show us how it is supposed to be done. Tom Hall, missionary to Ukraine also was a blessing here in Chicago. We wrapped up the month by joining Bro. Bear on the streets of the town he is starting a church in which is Decorah, IA. He is still pursuing his case against that town for jailing him the first time that he ministered publickly there. We will keep you posted on the results.
IN THE CHURCHESWe were honored to minister in the following churches this past month. First Baptist, Pastor Randy Chovan, Pasco, WA., Touchet Baptist, Pastor Mike Paulson, Touchet, WA., Open Door Baptist, Pastor John Haveman, Missoula, MT, Faithline Baptist, Pastor Elvon Nelson, Milton Freewater, OR, Columbia Bible Baptist, Pastor Ed Henson, Columbia Falls, MT., Faith Baptist, Pastor Wayne Ova, Osawatomie, KS., Calvary Bible College, President Chipchase, Kansas City, MO., Heritage Baptist, Pastor Scott Hanks, Lawrence, KS., King James Bible Baptist, Pastor Chris Huff, Mt. Prospect, IL., Bible Baptist, Pastor Rick Olivera, Chicago, IL. and Providence Bible College, President Gomez, Elgin, IL.
We continue to have need of nothing but your prayer...
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