ISEMA Newsletters
Billboard Evangelism
Rodger McGough is now a missionary to Mexico. Many years ago, as a new believer, he was reading the Living Bible and God spoke to him out of Habakkuk 2:2: “Write my answer on a billboard, large and clear, so that anyone can read it at a glance and rush to tell the others.” God told him that one day he would be putting up billboards letting people know that He was coming back soon.
In 1987, Rodger was street witnessing in Houston using a Christ in Action gospel tract, “What has God ever done for me?” with a picture of Jesus on the cross. The brother he was witnessing with said he would really like to put that picture on a billboard in the gay neighborhood they were witnessing in. Rodger asked, “What’s stopping you?” The brother responded, “$1000 per month.”
Rodger went to the billboard company and told the executive about the vision God had given him ten years before. The man was a backslidden Christian and offered to give him the space if he would print the billboard. Within two weeks, $1500 was raised to print the 15 X 48 billboard. It has since been moved to a busy freeway in Houston. It shows the picture of Jesus on the cross with the caption “Behold, I am coming soon! Are you ready?”
Since that time, Rodger has received permission to put up billboards in New York, Phoenix, St. Louis, Kansas City, and Detroit but he lacks the funds to put them up. His most immediate need is for $145 each for the cost of putting up 24 billboards in San Francisco, San Jose and Sacramento. Normally, each billboard would cost several hundred dollars a month. Presently there are 38 billboards up in Chicago and last week 10 went up in Oakland. Billboard companies will often donate space to nonprofit organizations, but for unbelieving executives to donate space for a clear gospel message takes a special blessing of God’s favor. If you would like to help with this work, contact Rodger McGough at J.I.C. (Jesus Is Coming) Ministries, P O Box 214453, Sacramento, CA 95821, (916) 366-8851. Rodger assured me that all donations given for the billboards will go only for that purpose, not for administration.
200,000 Attend Kenya Crusade
(from the AD2000 Together magazine, 237 N. Michigan St., South Bend, IN 46601)
The president of Kenya and eight cabinet ministers attended a crusade last June with evangelist Reinhard Bonnke. Attendance at the final rally was estimated by the local newspapers at 200,000. The last two meetings were broadcast nationally on radio and television. 211 churches from 45 denominations participated in the nine day outreach. Tens of thousands of salvations were reported. Local police reported a dramatic decrease in crime during the outreach. Many thieves returned stolen goods as they repented. National papers carried testimonies of healings on their front pages. Kenya President Daniel Moi urged Bonnke to return to Kenya for future outreaches.
Student Suspended for Possessing Christian Literature
A high school student in Atlanta was recently suspended from school for passing a note to another student in the hallway. The note told another student the time and place of the next Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting. The suspension note read “refusal to follow instruction to keep Christian material off school property. In possession of Christian materials.” The principal had ordered the students not to bring Bibles to school or wear religious T-shirts or buttons. Many students, of course, wear T-shirts advertising various satanic music groups but the administration said they could not regulate this.
Attorney Jay Sekulow spoke with the school board in an attempt to get written clarification of their policy, but so far has not received one. Christian students have begun once again to distribute Christian literature on high school campuses throughout Atlanta, and so far the administration has left them alone. According to a brief filed by several Christian groups in a related case, these educators “failed to comprehend the distinction between speech by the school and speech by the students–between government sponsorship of religion and government toleration of religious exercise.”
Coming Events
April 7-18 New York City Outreach. Contact Scott Hinkle Outreach Ministries, Box 380306, Duncanville, TX 75138, (214) 331-6902.
Saturday April 7 and 14, May 5 and 19. Outreach and Worship Rally. San Francisco, CA. Contact SOS Ministries, Box 27358, Oakland, CA 94602, (415) 531-5325.
May 24-26 Indianapolis 500 Outreach. Indianapolis, IN. Contact Christ in Action, Box 100, Chatsworth, GA 30705, (404) 695-1868 or No Greater Love Ministries, Box 263, DuQuoin, IL 62832, (618) 542-4503.
June 2-10 Honduras Outreach. Approx. $700. Contact No Greater Love (address above).
June 20-23 Flower Festival Outreach, Lompoc, CA. Contact Joan Teran, Son Lite, P O Box 554, Lompoc, CA 93438, (805) 736-3964.
June 21-27 Los Angeles Outreach. Witnessing to South Central area. Housing provided. Contact Bonnie & Odis Hayslett, Genesis Harvest Ministry, 3549 M.L.King Blvd. #C-175, Lynwood, CA 90262, (213) 609-1410 or 729-0207 (beeper).
June 23-July 10 Outreach to 1990 World Cup Soccer Championships, Florence and Rome, Italy. Witness at the world’s most popular sporting event. March and rally in Rome. Street drama. $1995. Deadline May 11. Contact Forward Edge, Box 65238, Vancouver, WA 98665. Forward Edge also is sponsoring outreaches (usually 2 week) to Jamaica, England, China, Brazil and New York, Seattle, and to two Indian reservations this summer and fall. Write them for details.
June 29-30 St. Louis V.P. Fair. A million people attend this event. Contact No Greater Love (address above).
June 29-July 7 SOS-Hollywood. Contact Holy Ghost Repair Service, Box 1580, Hollywood, CA 90078, (213) 469-3027.
August 17-25 SOS-San Francisco. 11th year. Contact SOS Ministries (address above).
Some Final Thoughts
As I was writing this newsletter, I couldn’t help but notice the contrast: tens of thousands coming to Christ in Kenya, with full government support, while high school students are being suspended in the U.S. for “possessing Christian literature.” In Communist Nicaragua, the Gideons can freely give out Bibles in the public schools, while U.S. students are told they cannot bring a Bible to school.
It appears that the U.S. is truly rushing to judgment. The decadence of the Mardi Gras in New Orleans is being copied by many other cities. Also, every year more Southern cities have become centers for large, obscene parties for college students at Spring Break. This year about 1000 Christians were present to witness at the Mardi Gras in New Orleans and over 500 witnessed at the Mardi Gras in Galveston. Spring Break outreaches are going on right now in South Texas and Florida. Be praying that God would raise up more laborers for these outreaches, and for new outreaches to other cities that desperately need them.
The situation in the U.S. is much like that of ancient Israel. Israel had been taught the law of God but had turned away. God did not cast off Israel, but sent His prophets, and His judgments, to draw them back to Himself. God’s desire for the people of the U.S., as with the people of Israel, is that they might be saved. He desires to use us in this work.
As I was writing this letter, I received a call from a brother who was threatened with arrest for giving out tracts on a state-owned beach in Texas. We need to support those who are on the front lines in evangelism with our prayers, our finances, and by participating in outreaches with them. Also, please pray for ISEMA as we seek to bring together those who are involved in evangelism and to help evangelists and local churches work together. This is truly a formidable task and we need your prayers and support.
Our Tape of the Month is Small Town Evangelism by Scott Crawford. In many ways, witnessing in small towns is different from witnessing in big cities. In this tape, from an ISEMA evangelism conference, Scott gives some valuable tips for reaching people in small towns. Also, don’t forget to order your copy of the 1990 International Street and Evangelism Ministry Directory, a listing of over 500 ministries around the world. I believe that you will find this directory very useful in learning about ministries in your area and all over the world.
Yours in His love,
Larry Rosenbaum
