Stampedes and Atheists

In the past three weeks we have been up and down the east coast preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We’ve gone from Charlotte, NC to Atlantic City, NJ, with a stop in Washington, DC to preach at the Atheist Reason Rally which hosted some big name atheists. We hope you are encouraged by this brief harvest field report.

Charlotte, NC Coca Cola 600

There is a lot of cultural Christianity in Charlotte. Cultural Christianity refers to someone who thinks they are a Christian because they either belong to a certain area, family, or church. (This is not what being a Christian is.) During our time in Charlotte, we found ourselves having to clear up for a lot of people what it really means to be saved. These particular verses were helpful in exposing people to truth: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 3:2 ) The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel. (Mark 1:15) Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. (Matthew 3:8)

The Lord was merciful and protected us from a stampede of people that was caused by a fight between two gangs. Once things settled down after the stampede, I used it as a platform to preach the Gospel. Several thousand people heard the Gospel, over a thousand Gospel tracts were handed out, and four people made professions to make Jesus their Savior. We worked to get them plugged in with Desiring God Community Church in Charlotte.  Pray that they would attend Pastor Coty's church and bear fruit proving their repentance was genuine and that they would grow and mature in their faith in Jesus.

Washington, DC Reason Rally 

A team of six from Raleigh went and proclaimed Jesus Christ to around 20,000 of our atheist friends at the Reason Rally, which billed itself as "the biggest gathering of nonreligious people in history!"  Some of the atheists were willing to dialogue while others simply wanted to shout their opinion as close to our ears as possible. The ground was hard, but we continued to love by speaking truth in spite of the hostile environment. There were many different Christian ministries there sharing the Gospel: Way of The Master, Striving for Eternity, Gospel of God Ministries, and others.

I am reminded of the words of Mark Dever, pastor of Capital Hill Baptist Church, “ We are not called to be fruitful but faithful.”

Atlantic City and Ocean City, NJ 

After the Reason Rally in DC, my family picked me up and we headed to New Jersey. We took a short family vacation and on Friday I teamed up with Pastor Wes Handy from Christ Our Hope Church to do some training.  We also went out and shared the Gospel. Our first location was a Planned Parenthood in Atlantic City that does pill abortions rather than surgical abortions.  For a pill abortion, the mother takes some pills to murder her baby.  She then delivers a dead baby and returns to the clinic for a check up to make sure everything is 'normal'. One young lady came in, accompanied by her mother. We gave each of them pro-life booklets and shared about the reality of what that young lady was getting ready to do. They left with the pills in one hand and the pro-life booklets in the other. Please pray that God would change this mothers mind and that she would respond to the Gospel.

Next, we did some training and then preached on the board walk in Ocean City.  Many heard the Gospel and over a hundred tracts were given out that day. I was able to have a conversation with a gentlemen named Steven about the reality of his sin and the beauty of the Gospel. He wanted a Bible and we were able to direct him and his girlfriend to a church that our ministry partners, Mike and Laurie Angerman, attend. Pray that Steven and his girlfriend will get plugged in and receive the Gospel in repentance and faith.

Thank you for praying and partnering with our Ministry! Without you we could not be out in the harvest field.

Go proclaim the Gospel to see a life transformed.