ISEMA Newsletters
Rose Parade Outreach Report
by Sondra Berry Young (Box 3044, Newport Beach, CA 92659, (714) 650-0525)
Over 500 Soldiers for Jesus came out on the streets to witness and break the power of the devil over the lives of those who came to view the Rose Parade and football game! Bernie Pass, team leader from the Eagle’s Nest Fellowship said that 28 people came to Christ while they were on the streets….Bernie also said one person on their team was witnessing and felt prompted to say that God could forgive that individual of anything–including murder. Immediately that person began to weep and unfold the details ofhow he had murdered someone years ago. They were able to lead him to Jesus and give him a fresh start at the cross.
Joe Scott from Family Worship Center in Northern California said he had come each year to witness at the Outreach with his friend, Jim Kelley. Jim led over fifty people to the Lord at our last outreach, but Jim went home to be with the Lord over the past summer. Joe came this year anyway, without a partner, he thought. His wife went out with him on the streets instead, her very first time to witness at the outreach, and ended up leading five people to Jesus. Joe prayed with fifteen people. He said to me on the phone, “Now I have found a new witnessing partner–my wife! Now we are going to get ready to travel back East and do another outreach together.”
Yvonne Harp wrote in saying, “This was my very first time preaching the gospel and attending the Rose Parade Outreach. Between my girlfriend and myself, 14 people were saved and 2 filled with the Holy Spirit….I can’t think of a better way to bring in the New Year!”
God Squad’s Andrew Batty says “I just called to say thanks for having the outreach. I feel renewed and on fire for God again after coming to the witnessing outreach.” Tim Lavalle, Evangelist on staff at Palmdale First Assembly of God says he brought four first-timers out on the streets and, while witnessing at 4 AM, God gave him a Word of Knowledge for two teenage girls who both broke down crying and committed their lives to Christ!
God Doesn’t Believe in Atheists
by Ray Comfort (Living Waters Publications, Box 1172, Bellflower, CA 90706, (213) 920-8431)
Ray Comfort is an evangelist from New Zealand who has recently moved to Southern California. He preaches regularly at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles and teaches evangelism to Christians around the world. Ray is also a prolific writer, and God Doesn’t Believe in Atheists is his twenty-second book!
This book is directed primarily to unbelievers–especially atheists and agnostics. It begins with a series of arguments for the existence of God. Next it goes into a presentation of the gospel, using God’s Law to bring conviction of sin. It concludes with advice for Christians who are involved in evangelism. The book is very readable for unbelievers as well as Christians, and it is filled with interesting and amusing stories. It is also non-copyrighted. Below is an excerpt from the book:
When we arrived [at the blood bank], I spent quite some time filling out a form about my background. The AIDS virus left blood banks in justified paranoia. Ordinary banks are worried about bad withdrawals; blood banks, bad deposits. The list seemed endless. Had I had AIDS, did I have heart disease, did I have fainting spells? etc. I looked down the list then across to the boxes on the right side of the form. Simple. All they contained were “Yes,” “No.” So I went down the boxes and did what all good Downunders do, I crossed out the non-applicable one. Had I AIDS? Crossed out the “Yes,” leaving a clear “No” for the person making the form. Made sense to me. I then took the form to the nurse and sat beside her. She stared at it for about three seconds, then looked at me in horror. The form said that I had AIDS, hepatitis, typhoid, malaria, cancer, heart disease, lumps under my arms, skin rashes, fainting spells and that I’d had diarrhea for over a month among other things! Her facial expression changed when I told her that New Zealanders walk around up-side-down, drive on the other side of the road, and fill out forms differently.
So, in one sense, you have in your commitment to Christ, moved into a different culture. You are now living in a Kingdom which has rules that are radical compared to what you have been used to. You have bowed the knee to the sovereignty of the King of Kings, now you owe your allegiance to Him, above all else…and His ways are different. Never a man spoke like this man. Jesus said to “love your enemies,” “turn the other cheek,” to “do good to those who despitefully use you.” Many have missed the point of why the Christian should let another person stomp on top of him. The reason is not that the Christian is a wimp, but that he has committed the job of vengeance to the Lord….
A close friend of mine is a partner in a Christian T-shirt company. One of their shirts had a particular word on it that was used by a well-known apparel company. Soon after the shirt was released, my friend was informed by the company that they would take them to court for using the word, if they didn’t come up with a quick $10,000. Even though he was told by his lawyers there was no way they could lose the case in court, he prayed about it and felt to …[give them the money.] Jesus said if someone sues you for your coat, give them your cloak also, so he gave them a number of checks (over a short period of time) totaling $10,000, then another one for $1,000. He sent the checks to the apparel company stating the Biblical reason for each of the checks. What he did didn’t make much sense.
Within one month, God had so blessed the T-shirt company, they moved from eight employees to forty two. In fact, within three years of business, they have sold over one million T-shirts! (pp.134-7)
Coming Events
Saturday March 23 Strategies for Cities Seminar, San Francisco, CA. John Dawson teaching. $15. 8 AM-5 PM. Held at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Geary & Gough St., San Francisco, (415) 587-5028.
Saturday March 23 Street Evangelism Seminar, San Antonio. Contact Rev. David O’Dell, Operation Christlift Ministries, 3400 W. Park Blvd #2117, Plano, TX 75075, (214) 519-0195.
Saturday March 30 Easter March and Worship Rally, San Francisco. Meet at 1 PM in front of City Hall, Polk St between Grove & McAllister. Contact SOS Ministries, Box 27358, Oakland, CA 94602, (415) 531-5325.
May 3-4 Kentucky Derby Outreach, Louisville. Contact No Greater Love, Box 263, DuQuoin, IL 62832, (618) 542-4503.
May 24-26 Indianapolis 500 Outreach. Contact No Greater Love (address above) or Christ in Action, Box 100, Chatsworth, GA 30705, (404) 695-1868.
May 25 San Antonio Evangelism outreach. Contact Operation Christlift (address above).
May 28-June 10 Nicaragua Outreach. Make improvements on church-run orphanage and minister to children. $975. (also outreaches to England, East Germany, Romania, China, and American Indians throughout the summer and fall–prices vary). Contact Forward Edge, 15121-A N.E. 72nd Ave., Vancouver, WA 98686, (206) 574-EDGE.
June 10-15 (tentative dates) Rescue Atlanta ’91. Contact Rescue Atlanta, Box 965039, Marietta, GA 30066, (404) 924-0201.
June 21-29 SOS-Hollywood. Contact SOS-Hollywood, Box 2809, Hollywood, CA 90078, (213) 469-3027.
June 28-July 6 SOS-San Francisco. Contact SOS Ministries (address above).
The Real War
“And whereas our own beloved country…is now afflicted with…war, it is particularly fit for us to recognize the hand of God in this terrible visitation, and in sorrowful remembrance of our own faults and crimes as a nation and as individuals, to humble ourselves before him and pray for his mercy” Abraham Lincoln.
The Persian Gulf War is still very much on our minds. Moslems on both sides call this a “holy war” and think they are assured of a place in heaven if they die in this war. American troops, regardless of their beliefs, are likewise willing to die for what they consider a just cause. Many left their jobs, families, and comfortable lives to live in primitive conditions and risk death in the desert. Regardless of our views on the war, one must be impressed by the dedication of those who are willing to die for their country.
Yet there is another war going on that is much more important than this one–the war between God and Satan for the souls of men. And we as believers are called to give our lives in this battle. Unfortunately, most Christians are A.W.O.L. (Absent Without Leave). We are caught up in worldly pursuits and seemingly unaware that a war is going on and millions of people are dying, headed for eternal torment. Like the men in Luke 14, we all have our excuses for not serving in God’s army.
“Therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No soldier entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who has chosen him to be a soldier” 2 Tim. 2:3-4.
Pray that God will shake us from our complacency, convict us of our disobedience to His call, and send us into battle for His Kingdom–before it is too late.
1991 International Street and Evangelism Ministry Directory
We are now taking orders for the new 1991 International Street and Evangelism Ministry Directory. This Directory includes several dozen new ministries, and new addresses for many other ministries. Also, for the first time we are able to typeset the directory, which will make it much more readable. Thank you, Neil Ginsberg, for helping with this. This year, the Directory will be available only to ISEMA members for $5 each, which covers our cost of printing and shipping. Our Tape of the Month is “Evangelical Frustration” by Ray Comfort. This tape is an introduction to Ray’s teaching on the use of the law in evangelism.
Yours in His love,
Larry Rosenbaum