a blessed time

Brothers & Sisters, Take a second to think of how great our God is and how truly blessed we are to be found in Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. There is no greater joy that can be recognized in this or the next life, than knowing and accepting Jesus as one's Lord and Savior of sin, condemnation, and eternal suffering and damnation. Last Saturday, we welcomed a new brother, Stephen, to the family of Christ after recognizing the joy and grace he was missing out upon without the blood of Christ. Praise Jesus! The night started out with a chilly walk, along with Jen Karaman, Sam Chapeau, & Ben Fast, in the Minneapolis night to the Salvation Army. After handing out Gospel tracks and/or sharing the Gospel with those we passed along the way, we finally arrived to the Salvation Army to pour into the homeless of Minneapolis. We shared the Gospel and prayed over many individuals that were hungry for God. After a blessed time at the SA, we made our way back to meet the rest of our group. Amongst our group, we made a pact to at least attempt to either share the Gospel or put a Gospel track into the hands of EVERY person we passed on our way to meet the rest of our group. By God's grace, we were able to achieve this and I pray that those words and tracks break the souls of those who we handed them to. Once we arrived back to meet the rest of our group we met a young man named Stephen. We shared the Gospel with him & he admitted he has never accepted Christ in his life. He acknowledged his emptiness without Him and was very adamant that he wanted to accept Jesus Christ at that very time. He prayed by acknowledging that he was completely separated from the Father without Christ and that he accepted the free gift of grace given to him through the Cross of Jesus Christ. Praise Jesus! As we prayed to close out the night, Stephen came & interrupted us by saying, "Please pray that Satan does not overcome me or this dark city of Minneapolis. I have been won by Christ & I am now completely living for Him and His glory…". We handed Stephen some Gospel tracks, and we saw him pass out Gospel tracks and talk to EVERY person he passed, as far as we could see. Please pray for Stephen that his confession was truly genuine & that his life is wrecked by the Gospel each & every day of his life. As a last note of encouragement, I leave you with Galatians 2:20, " I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." I pray that you are filled with Christ's glory & that you truly live for Him as a new being in Him. In Christ, Mitch Atchison

I ran into death

It was the weekend before Halloween and it had been months since I had been out proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost. As I got out of my car I went to the edge of the ramp and looked down at the people and thought that I might be the only one out this night as I waited for those the Lord would have me witnessing with. I do not expect people to just show up and come out with the Jesus Freaks I pray for the Lord to bring those that He wants there to Further His Kingdom. We are nothing Jesus is Everything.I went down and started handing out tract to the everyone in site. I had been praying all summer for the Lord to reignite the fire inside me as I had been feeling lukewarm at best(burnout). I needed rest and I wasn't realizing it until I had no ambition to do ministry. Then I knew in my heart that there was something wrong. God was going to use this time of rest to refine me. We all know, "the Lord disciplines the one he loves,and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” (Hebrews 12:6) I was grounded by my Father.So then I waited for the Lord to use me, as He was to show me where I needed refining. 8 Jesus Freaks were filled with excitement as we walked the streets of downtown Minneapolis. We split in 2 teams and agreed on a time to meet back up. It had been 4 months since I was on the streets. I prayed before I got out of the car that I would just observe and hang back a little. Not knowing how the Lord was going to use me this night.The Lord knows us better than we know ourselves. Chris and I were in the company of Molly who had been out once before and Jessica this was her first time. You could see the boldness in them ready for sharing Christ's love. I was walking right into the bus shelters full of people on Nicolet proclaiming The Gospel as I did before. This time with genuine love and compassion to the lost. I could see it in there reactions I was getting as I spoke of sin and redemption. I could actually see it in there eye's that they understood and comprehended the message I was sharing and that it truly concerned them. I would then ask if they had a bible at home if not I would offer one to them. We planted hundreds of seeds this night and prayed God would provide the increase. The one encounter that sticks out the most is I ran into death. He was dressed in a grim reaper costume and all you could see of his face was 2 red glowing eyes. I approached him as he was walking down Nicolet. I stepped in front of him and He screamed at the top of his lungs at me. I stood there until he was done and continued to witness to this man. As I was sharing with him he hugged me tight and I was taken back a bit but did not stop the witness. He had done this 2 more times during the conversation and told me that he was thinking about this the night before and that this was not a coincidence that we met. You will never know of the lives you touch with the gospel unless you get out there and start sharing Christ. Mark 16:15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Mike

God At Work -- Johnny

God gives the increase

Mike, my brother in Christ!, I want to send you and the other Jesus Freaks who visited, prayed, and shared Christ's love with Greg and his family this latest update.  We have continued to visit Greg and his family every time we are on the North side.  Last Saturday, I received a call from his fiance, Katrina.  (I gave her my number some time ago, to call me for a ride to church, but she has never called.) Katrina seemed very desparate, and asked if I could come and talk to Greg.  My wife and I got to go and pray and minister to Greg and Katina, once again we shared the love of Christ and and salvation, and although, he even asked at one point if he could be saved today if he chose, when the time came, once again he pulled back, and didn't make a decision. 

Lately some words from a couple of verses have been pressing on my heart and mind, Psalms 46:10 (Be still and know that I am God) and Isaiah 40:31 (Wait upon the Lord), and I was reminded once again "that only God gives the increase" 1 Corinthians 3:7. Katrina and Greg committed to going to church with us the next day if we picked them up, and Praise God, the next morning Greg, Katrina and all six of their kids were there waiting.

And now for the let us come together and worship our Great Saviour, "whose mercies endure forever" -Psalms 136.  When I picked up Greg, he looked better than I ever saw him, a peace seemed to had fallen on him some time during the night.  He told me that He prayed and confessed that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God, and asked God to save him.  Hallelujiah!,  We continue to pray for Katrina and their six kids to come to salvation.

  

Greg asked if he could go to a men's Bible study at ICCM church tonight, so I will be picking him up and taking him, please pray for God's protection on him and his family during this critical time of his early Christian walk.  

I thank God for each of you that I had the priveledge to serve and do God's will with, and look forward to the next time God calls us together to further His kingdom, until then I pray Phillipians 4:7 that the peace of God, that passses all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, in Jesus Christ name we claim this scripture over each of our lives, Amen!

Phil B.

the Gospel anywhere and everywhere.

We came together as Jesus Freaks on another summertime Friday night to spread the good news. On this night we met at 7p to head out onto the streets of North Minneapolis. We began at Broadway and Lyndale and walked up Broadway.

In advance of going out for this trip, I personally had to do some soul searching and praying. I knew that this trip would be different than a typical trip to Uptown or Downtown. This particular area of North Minneapolis is known for high poverty and high crime. I have spent time in neighborhoods like this at various times in my life. I have witnessed first-hand the type of ruthless crime that poverty can breed. I know that it is in places like this where many are killed for absolutely no reason. More than any other time heading out to the streets, I asked myself if it was worth the risk.

 I actually considered whether I was willing to die so that the Gospel could be told. As I weighed the scales of what I was risking, I realized that all of the things I was afraid to lose, were things (my life, my family) that had been gifted to me by God. And none of it was mine to keep. I needed to give it up and trust the Lord with it. I needed to go where he was leading. He is always leading us to share the Gospel, every man. 

I met up with Mike, and we started witnessing to those in the parking lot of the strip mall. There were so many people just hanging out in the parking lot. We just walked up to them and asked them if they knew Jesus Christ as their savior and if they would read through our pamphlet. When the Holy Spirit is leading you and guiding, fear goes away and is replaced with joy. I am not just saying this. People really need to understand this. The Holy Spirit removes fear from your mind. 

We spent some time talking with a man named Camp who explained that he was a musician, and that he was having a conflict with an old friend of his who lived out of state. He asked that we pray for that relationship, and that friend. We prayed with him. 

We met a gentleman on the street who stopped to talk with us and confirmed that he was also a born again Christian. He asked where we went to church. Mike was able to give him a Harvest business card.

We met a man who was playing guitar, an electric guitar with an amp attached to it. He was playing “Cocaine” by Eric Clapton. He said he would sell us the guitar and amp for $500. He also said that he loved the station KTIS and that he loved Christian music. He listed off some Christian artists. We told him the message of salvation. He talked, we listened.

Sometimes you meet people who say they are Christians, and who tell you they know the Lord. They might even be wearing a cross. They may be able to use the terminology. But then you walk away with a feeling that they really don’t know the Lord. We met a few people like this as well. Sometimes I feel like these people who do this, their problem is that they do not fear the Lord. So they know the truth, but do not allow the truth to change them from within. 

We stopped into a bus stop to witness to two women and a man. One of the women asked, “Are they paying you guys for this?” We told her no and that we didn’t do it for money. She then said “You guys need to run..run before the sun goes down, you should not be out here.”

We met quite a few families with children, and our handouts were cartoons, so it was good for the children as well. 

I talked with a homeless woman who told me that every morning she prayed and gave thanks to the Lord. She started her day like that. This woman had nothing. She literally had…nothing. You see so many extremes in this type of environment. 

So many people were just happy to come across another believer. This is typical of our trips out to the streets. Many people, when a stranger approaches and mentions Jesus, they roll their eyes and look for a way out. But there are also so many that, when you mention Jesus, their eyes light up, and you get that smile, and you know you have found someone who shares your faith. It’s a faith in a God that can do anything. A God that has given us anything and everything we have. 

When we talk about Christ, our eyes light up and we smile. We get to have those conversations over and over again. We have joy. And that is why we bring the Gospel anywhere and everywhere.

overwhelming power of prayer!

The Harvest is Plentiful; The Laborers Are Few

I am staggered that week after week God's Holy Spirit continues to pour out his presence on us in such tangible ways as we carry the gospel to northern Minneapolis.  Jesus himself focused often on preaching the gospel to those who had the least and therefore recognized their need for him the most.  I suppose then that it makes sense that as we brought the gospel to this most impoverished area of the different places we have preached so far, that I felt Jesus' presence most clearly and joyfully.  

Our methods of conveying the good news have evolved over the last several months.  As we began, our tendency was to bring gospel literature and ask people about their spiritual beliefs.  We continue to use these good methods and have now added to that offering food, clothing, and other necessities (supplied by ICCM) and boldly inviting people to receive prayer from us.  I have observed that offering prayer has been very effective in persuading some people who were otherwise uninterested in speaking with us to open up and share in a gospel-centered conversation.  I have also seen it encourage many Christians we have encountered.  Also, what a blessing it is to be able to confront some of the highly difficult circumstances some people are faced with with the overwhelming power of prayer!

Even in my first conversation on Friday evening, I was amazed by the unlikelihood of what unfolded.  I asked a young man with a baby in a stroller if he knew Jesus.  He responded by saying that he had just become a Christian the morning before, and the reason that he became a believer was because he heard God speak to him-- after he had been asking God to speak with him for the last year.  I prayed with this young man, encouraged him, and invited him to attend our Bible study.  He said that he wanted to come and he gave me his phone number.  I called and invited him this week, but he did not make it.  Please be praying that Kwame would come to our Bible study next week or that he would get plugged into a church, and that most of all that his faith would remain alive and well.  

The night progressed with many more fruitful interactions filled with prayer and the sharing of the word of God.  We encountered several believers who appreciated the encouragement, and we also came across several people who did not believe in Jesus and benefited from hearing the truth proclaimed to them.  Another young man I met, Milion, wanted my phone number because he wanted to invite me to come and hear some new music he produced.  Please also pray that he would contact me so that I and some of my brothers could go and listen, and invite him to believe in Jesus as well.  

Although our numbers are strong, there is always more room for more laborers.  Jesus spoke truthfully when he said that the harvest is plentiful  but the laborers are few.  There are many more people's souls who are imprisoned in sin and need to hear about the liberation that is found in Jesus.  Our mission is urgent because the return of our Lord draws closer each day.  We are praying that the Lord will send more laborers into his harvest.  I urge you to listen carefully for God's nudging to join us-- or that you would simply take a leap of faith and come along side us.  In doing so, you will lift higher the name of Jesus and experience new heights of joy in your relationship with him.  If you walk along side him on nights like these, you will find that he walks more closely to you throughout the other days in between.

In Christ,

Ross  

Another Holy Spirit led evening with the Jesus Freaks.

First above all else, all honor and praise to God our Father through Jesus Christ who lives and unifies each of us in one body.  Friday night we met up with the Jesus Freaks in North Minneapolis, after joining in one voice of prayer asking for the Holy Spirit’s guidance, I had the privilege of partnering up with Al and Kyle.  We made a house call to visit Greg and his family.  We brought quilts, hotdogs, chips, crackers, but above all else the love of Christ. 

A couple of months ago, We felt the Spirit leading us a block or two off of the beaten path to reach out to a family we saw.  Greg, was less than welcoming at first, but we had a burden for his 6 kids and felt we had to try.  The Lord opened the door by the end of the first night, and we have been able to go back and visit several times. 

Greg was raised by his Grandma and who took him to Church every Sunday, but when she died, violence consumed his life and everyone around him.  He turned to what he felt was the only way to survive and began gangbanging.  He makes attempts from time to time to get away, but feels like every time he makes one step in the right direction, something terrible happens that brings him right back;  from burying 4 of his brothers/friends/cousins in one month to violence, to having his sister and cousin shot in a drive-by just a couple of weeks ago, to robberies and beatings, the list goes on. To see the children so young and being brought up seeing that lifestyle is heart wrenching, and burdensome for us as well as Greg…but there is good news! The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.. 2 Peter 3:9 Hallelujah! Praise be to God, whose mercies endure for ever!

                God is reaching out to Greg and his family, and using every willing part of the body of Christ to do so.  It was apparent that the spirit of God went before us and prepared the way.  This was so exciting to see, from a sister of Greg’s giving him a Bible when he left Chicago, to his brother who was visiting that night who began to quote scripture, reinforcing the message that we were there sharing, to Al, Kyle and myself being welcomed with open arms and being filled with Christ’s love and scripture that flowed seamlessly through no effort or skill of our own.  The Spirit led the conversation, the scripture, the prayer, and we were each humbled to be used, and see our God in action!  We ended our time with a couple of rounds of prayers over Greg, his brother, wife and kids,  that was accepted and needed in order to cover every member of his family. 

So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 1 Corinthians 3:7 I am so glad God’s will is not dependent on my abilities, and that He only required our obedience to show up and hand the steering wheel over to Him Friday night.  Walking away that night with my brother’s in Christ, and as I write this now, my eyes began to water as I am over-filled with compassion and the love of Christ, for Greg and his family.  Jesus loves them so much and wants them to spend eternity in Heaven with Him and so do I.

Question:

"What is a Jesus freak?"

Answer: The phrase “Jesus freak” was originally used to demean/insult Christians involved with the Jesus Movement in the 1960s and 1970s. It was primarily directed towards “Bible thumpers” and those who were especially aggressive in their evangelistic efforts. The core meaning of Jesus freak was a person who was so dedicated to following Jesus that there was nothing else the person could talk about. A Jesus freak is basically a person who is obsessed with Jesus.

While it was originally used as a pejorative, Jesus freak has become accepted and even embraced by many in the Christian community. A “Jesus Freak” song and album by the Christian band DC Talk in 1995 helped popularize the term. This is perhaps similar to the term “Christian,” which seemingly originated as an insult (Acts 11:26), but later became the most widely accepted term for a follower of Jesus Christ. If obsession with Jesus is indeed the core meaning of Jesus freak, then yes, a Jesus freak is precisely what a Christian should strive to be (Matthew 16:24).

In the Jesus Freak song, there is a contrast between how the world views a Jesus freak and what the Bible would declare to be a Jesus freak. First, a man with “Jesus saves” tattooed on his belly is standing on a box in the middle of a city, claiming that he had a dream. That is perhaps how the world thinks of as a Jesus freak. Contrasted with that is the example of John the Baptist. While the world thought he was crazy, he demonstrated the ultimate commitment to Jesus by dying for refusing to be silent: “the king took the head of this Jesus freak” (Matthew 14:10). That should be the definition of a Jesus freak. We should be so radically committed to Jesus that we would rather lay down our lives than deny Him.

Planting Seeds and Growing HIS Kingdom!

     Hitting the streets with the “Jesus Freaks” has been a pure joy!  We had the honor of evangelizing with them a 2^nd time on Friday, May 24, 2013 in Minneapolis and at Catholic Charities.  I don’t think I’ve met so many people, in one place, with their hearts so on fire for God!  Our prayers continue to be that his spirit may continue to cultivate this passion to do what he has called us to do, to be witnesses first. 

     Our spirits are all united with the passion of sharing the “Good News” and it is like we’ve all known each other for many years when we are witnessing.  You can grab a couple of “Jesus Freaks” and say, hey there are a couple of guys down here lets go tell them about our Savior, and in a sprint, they would beat you 9 out of 10 times.  God is so good!  There just isn’t anything or anywhere that they wouldn’t go in the glorious name of Jesus!

     We met up with the “Jesus Freaks” at 8:00PM at the corner of Lyndale and Broadway and we just knew that it was going to be another awesome night and that HIS Holy Angels had already been working that corner for us preparing the hearts and minds of those that either had never heard the good news of Jesus Christ or were in denial of HIM.  Often, they convince themselves that anything of eternal value can be dealt with when they are closer to death and not at the present time.  We learn in 2 Corinthians 6 that today is the day of salvation and that tomorrow is not promised.

     Often the first 5 or 10 minutes of each encounter is very similar as the folks you meet on the street want to quickly convince you that they are already Christians and to just leave them alone.  It is almost scary how many of them know about the Bible and about Christ and can often quote scripture, but we continue to pray for discernment so we may know the difference.

     Often, our Muslim friends make the argument that “we are all praying to the same God”, and we know that this simply is not the case.  Unfortunately, all three of the monotheistic religions force their believers to pray only to “God the father” which is quite different than Christianity.  It says in John 14:6 that Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me".  Although many would like to convince themselves that all roads lead to God, this simply is not the case as society has begun to teach us right after 911.  "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it" (Matt 7:13-14).  What we do know is that the love that we are approaching them with is “Christ's love” that is discussed in Ephesians.  We are not here to discuss or debate whose religion or theology is correct but simply to plant the seeds that would eventually lead to their salvation.  Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.  And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God…but now you are light in the Lord.  Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord (Ephesians 5).

     As our 2 teams continue to serve together and seek the will of the Holy Spirit together, what is apparent is that he is building up 1 team for his kingdom and we are proud vessels to serve at any capacity that he may use us!  Unity in Christ continues to flow through his spirit when our teams are together.  In John 17:23, it says, I in them and you in me; may they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

     The body is a unit that is comprised of many parts and that all of these parts form one body.  So it is with Christ.  (1 Corinthians 12:12).

Romans 6:5

5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.

1 Corinthians 1:10

10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.

Praise to our King Jesus

Rain Sends Us to Catholic Homeless Shelter

Jesus Freaks had another amazing night of evangelism last Friday. Once again our group teamed up with the ICCM Team of Street Evangelists. We met up in North Minneapolis and hit the streets for as long as we could until we started to get rained on. It was so encouraging to see a group of people, from different churches, with wet hair and damp clothes from the rain not wanting to end the night early due to the rainfall.

ICCM invited us to the Catholic Homeless Shelter with them and we anxiously accepted. As we filed into the shelter with food, bibles, and prayer I was immediately struck with the humility of the men that we were serving. They were all so grateful that we came to visit.

After we fed them we started walking up and down the rows handing out bibles and offering prayer to whoever needed it. We ended up giving away all the bibles we brought with us (around 60)! Praise the Lord!
 The most glorious part of the night was when I was taking a final lap around shelter and I noticed that every man was sitting on the floor or their bunk eating the chips we gave them and they were all reading their bibles! It was beautiful to see the Spirit grip all these men as they were captivated by the Word.

On another note, as a 21 year college student I feel there seems to be a bit of a revival among young Christians. It is not hard for me to find peers who have a passion to give their complete lives to the Gospel. I am fearful though that as I grow older and eventually have a family to take care of my ‘fire’ will burn out a little bit. But then I see men of the Lord like Mike (the leader of Jesus Freaks) or Scott (the leader of ICCM) and I am so encouraged that they are men with families and jobs, but they are still on crazy fire for the Lord! They never come down from the mountain where they are screaming, “Christ Loves You!”

To see the older men who are leading our Churches in evangelism is exactly how the Church is suppose to work. They are showing and teaching me, and all of the college students, how to be so overwhelmed by the Joy of the Gospel that they HAVE to tell people! Praise God for their leadership skills and their constant encouragement!

God is so Good, Christ is so Glorious, and the Spirit is always moving!

Kyle

to the point of tears

Friday night with the freaks was incredible.
And it has me rethinking how to present the Gospel.
I used to say that it is by grace, through faith, that we are saved.  Which is true...and it is not.
We are not saved by grace.  We are saved by the One who extends grace to us - the One who alone is worthy to save.
And we are not saved by faith.  We are saved by faith in the One who is able to save.
Why the processing?
Because of the amount of people who by their own admission are guilty of sin, but if judged by the ten commandments think they are heading for heaven.
Why?
Because they confessed their sin.
Because God is love.
Because God forgives their sin.

But what is missing is the Messiah.  The substitutionary atonement of the Blood of the Lamb, by the Lamb of God, by Whom we are saved.

The second principle that people are massively confused on is the triune Lord.
The S'hma:  Hear O Israel, the Lord your God, the Lord is One.  And you shall love the Lord with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength.

Dan and I spent an hour with Victor - a man who claimed to be muslim, but was familiar with the Bible, and also the "holy koran" (his words, not mine).
And as we shared the Scriptures that Jesus testified to be the I AM, we watched him come to the point of tears multiple times.
He continued to say that Jesus was the Son of God, but not God.
He continued to claim that Jesus was a prophet, but not the fulfillment of all prophecy  -  (the volume of the Book is written of Him - Psalms/Hebrews)  - The I AM who took on flesh and dwelt amongst us.
And as we shared from God's Word alone we watched the seed fall.
And it was incredible to watch the Holy Spirit visibly bypass his intellect and go straight to the heart.

Victor had great faith in "god."  But claimed that all that called on the name of God - whether it was Allah, or God - were the same.
And yet the pivotal question for him, as to all of us, was that asked by Jesus Himself.  Who do you say that I AM?
And the answer to that question will separate those who follow Messiah, or who follow a false god - one who cannot save, or forgive, or extend grace - regardless of the sincerity of the plea.

He alone is our salvation.  And He alone is our grace.   And He alone is love.  And He alone is worthy of all glory and honor and praise.
It is a blessing to be able to share the Gospel with those who are searching for the One who can give living water, that they may never thirst again.
And it was pure joy to be able to sow seed, that the Lord of the Harvest may bring to fruition.
Blessings

Jesus Freaks and ICCM

From Our Heart to Yours

Hey Jesus Freaks,

     I finished speaking with my team Friday night during street ministries and it was unanimous that we were just thrilled to join forces with you guys last weekend and share Christ’s love with the hurting.  After several emails back and forth with Mike, we were ecstaticed to put together a game plan that was going to work for both teams.  It was an honor to pray with all of you and to see your hearts in action and we are thankful for the opportunity to serve with you guys on the front lines proclaiming the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!  Your obedience to Christ’s will is to be commended as you continue to pray for his guidance in all things.

     We are excited to be his vessels and are proud to be his hands, feet, eyes and ears and are like a potter to the clay anxiously waiting to be molded.  We are very excited to see what HE has in store as he understands our compassion, talents, and capabilities more than we do.  Our prayer is that whatever HE has for us and wherever HE leads us that we are willing and eager to serve at whatever capacity that may represent.

     Although we are unable to predict exactly what we will be doing each weekend, we would formally like to extend an invitation to each of you so that you may also share in the kingdom building experiences.   We look forward to seeing what is in store for our futures, as in God’s eyes, we are all one team that will be used for his ultimate glory!  If transportation is an issue please let us know in advance and we’ll try to determine who is coming from that direction that can pick you up.

All for HIS Glory!

Rick

rolled up our sleeves

There have been a lot of posts this week about the Jesus Freaks experiences, so I'll focus a bit on our partners.

Last Friday the Jesus Freaks teamed up with a group from ICCM (Inner City Church of Minneapolis).  The ICCM team is made up of very joyful, energized Christians that are on fire for evangelism!  It was really fun to see them in action.

We met in a parking lot at the intersection of Broadway and Lyndale, but it was ICCM's second stop of the evening.  They had stopped first to visit some homeless that were living under a bridge.  They had already given out the Gospel with some hot dogs before coming to meet us.

When their van pulled into to the parking lot to meet us, the first one out to greet us was Steve, who runs their program.  They set up a couple of tables to give out hot dogs, chips, clothing, and shoes.  Smaller teams of people are sent out to engage people on the street and invite them back to the parking lot for food.  The offer of a free hot dog seems to be a very effective way of opening up a conversation with a stranger.  After our conversation was done, a lot of the people did head over for the food, and they'd be met by the team members still in the parking lot for more conversation.  So, each person got at least two chances to hear the Gospel and receive prayer.

A couple of us men from Jesus Freaks were asked to escort four ICCM ladies around the neighborhood.  The ladies were joyful, they were energized, and they were bold!  All six of us were able to meet a number of people on our walk.  Danny, one of the ladies from ICCM, spent a lot of time in prayer with one young lady that had a friend killed earlier in the day.

One of the things that really impressed me about ICCM, is that they brought brochures about their church and they handed those out to everyone with invitations to their church.  The brochures included a phone number that the person could call to get a ride to the church.  Since it was the Friday before Mother's Day, they were also offering to anyone that came to the Mother's Day service, a free picture of your mother, child, etc, done by a photographer.  A lot of the women we made contact with where very interested in the picture offer.  The underlying message of "we want you at our church and we want you there this Sunday!" was pretty clear.    

Once back in the parking lot, we still had a lot of opportunities to get into conversations because a lot of people where milling around the ICCM tables.  As I was talking to Danny and Phil (Danny's husband) about their deliverance from a background of drugs and abuse, a couple of gunshots rang out from the other end of the parking lot.  No one was shot, but it was a reminder that life can be a lot different just a couple of miles apart in the same city.        
 

The partnership with Harvest and ICCM was a very positive and upbeat experience.  The ministries serving side by side were able to sow a lot of seeds.  We didn't discuss doctrine, theology, or which worship style is best.  We just rolled up our sleeves and served.   

In Christ,

Al  

fighting the good fight

What other words can we say about Friday night, except for "Wow - Praise Jesus!" This night was so perfect that it literally felt like I was walking into a movie. Soon after we arrived a large van parked in the Walgreens parking lot. Shortly after, the doors opened and numerous impoverished people from all over Minneapolis came out. Despite their current financial and living situations, these individuals did not solemnly come out of this van. The doors were burst wide opened and they came running out with laughter and the biggest smiles one could imagine. It was the epitome of Phillipians 4:4-5 in which Paul says, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is Near." 

Why so excited - you may wonder? They were not down on the emptiness that this life provides for us. They were full of the Holy Spirit and excited to take part in Christ's calling for them to share the Good News to fulfill the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20). They're passion, fire, and excitement got me riled up even more to share what Jesus Christ calls each and everyone one of us, within His body, to do - to preach the truth of the Gospel (2 Tim 4:2), and preach it with boldness and without apology (Romans 1:16). Though I had never met any of the non-Harvesters, I felt a genuine sense of being yoked with them as the Body and Family of Christ. I couldn't be more excited for what was about to come…

I began the night by sharing with my brothers Chris, Nick, Isaiah, and Elijah. Isaiah and Elijah were 13 year old impoverished twins from the ministry we were paired with. I could definitely tell these kids really looked up to the three of us. Throughout the night, I really felt the Lord's call to pour into and encourage these young brothers in Christ. Praise the Holy Spirit for the words He provided for us to lift them up in their young walks with the Lord.

Throughout the night, the Lord placed countless people in our paths, many of whom were hungry - Hungry for hot dogs and hungry for the Word. Thankfully, we were able to provide them with both! The Holy Spirit truly spoke to us and through us for individuals who were completely lost in this world, as well as fellow brothers in Christ that we randomly met that night. We shared the Gospel with boldness, prayed over those who were both lost in the world and found in Christ, and prayed for our fellow brothers as they got into deep conversations about the Gospel. 

Lives were being changed that night. One of those lives was mine. The Lord has really fired me up for sharing the Gospel over the last several years, but especially within the last several months. I take literally zero credit for any fruit that was spread that night. All praise, honor, and glory belong to our Savior Jesus Christ. Praise Him for the safety He provided for us in a very rough part of town and for equipping us with the Sword of the Spirit (Eph 6:17). 

My fellow brothers and sisters, as this world continually gets darker and further from God (Romans 1:18-32), the Light & Truth of the Gospel shines even brighter. Jesus Himself calls us to become the Salt & Light of this completely lost world (Matt 5:13). I encourage you all this week and keep fighting the good fight of faith (1 Tim 6:12)

and persevere until the end (Hebrews 12).

I love you all.

In Christ, 

Mitch Atchison

Block Party!!!

Last Friday night with the Freaks was a party! About 8 college kids showed up to do the work of an evangelist, fulfilling their ministry (2 Tim 4:5).  Before we went out Ross told me, “Dude, I just don’t care anymore. Tonight, I want to be more bold with the Word than ever! I am so fired up!” He was. We all were.

Mitch and Jim accompanied me at first. We prayed over countless people. We proclaimed the gospel to at least 30 people on Friday night. Most were receptive due to our Spirit-empowered boldness. Luke 10:19 was running through our veins, “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”

One divine appointment was with a group of four high school students. Because I lived in Tanzania last summer, I could tell immediately they were from East Africa so I said, “Habari ya jioni! Unatoka wapi,” which means “Good evening, where are you from?”  They said they were from Burundi, a country bordering Tanzania. Now we were immediately friends! After sharing Christ with them, they each gave me their cell phone numbers. I plan to bring them to Harvest next weekend!

We also met a man who was waiting outside of a restaurant in hopes that the owner would give him food to bring home to his wife. As I told him about the love of Jesus he asked if we could pray for his daily bread. We did. God answered. Ross and I bought him and his wife dinner that night. Answered prayers are not always supernatural. Many times they are simply through the faithfulness of the Body of Christ.

If you have not gone out with the Freaks, there is a side of God that you have yet to see. If you have not seen broken, homeless, addicted sinners say “amen” to your prayer for God to come in and transform their lives, you are cutting yourself short. Make no mistake, God doesn’t need you to go out. He is going to bring all His children home regardless. But I need to go out. I need to be reminded how powerful the Truth is to convict and transform. I need to be reminded that charismatic urban churches can team with reformed suburban churches and rejoice together as God saves people in front of their faces. I need to go out and get as uncomfortable as possible, for that is when the Comforter shows up (John 14:16 KJV). Trust me, once you go out with the Freaks, Fridays will never be the same! 


In Christ- Christopher Asmus

"the Spirit is Here!"

The Jesus Freaks teamed up with ICCM and proclaimed the gospel on Broadway and Lyndale Ave. in North Mpls. This was the first time we had ventured into this part of town. The Lord was calling us to a new fishing spot.

Unsure of how they would bite on the gospel I approached a group of 10-12 young adults waiting at a bus stop. I went in as I always do but my entry into the group  was not welcomed by all. They started  harassing me and I just told them that I come to share the love of Jesus. I left them with a few tracts and went back to our group as we waited for our new friends. I am realizing that this part of town will need a different approach.

The other group arrives and we exchange welcomes and team up and are off into the neighborhoods. There were at least 20 people involved in this mission. I teamed up with Rick a brother I have been emailing back and forth for the last 2 weeks about joining forces. We walk down Broadway and I say lets go into the neighborhood and meet people were they are at just like Jesus.  We talk with a woman and her daughter who is real agitated and itching,I know she is high on something. We give them hot dogs we brought along and invited them back to a free meal. We pray with them for strong holds to be broken .

We fellowship as we approach our next encounter 3 Spanish men working on a car. I say a few words in Spanish and give them  Spanish tracts. The Spirit is guiding us and we are in it 100 %. I am loving this new area in which the Lord Jesus has directed us to.

We see another group and approach them share the gospel and give bibles. We ask and give a little boy a package of crackers.

As we are walking down Lyndale 4 blocks from Broadway we see a young girl carrying a couple bags of groceries. We approach her and give her a 180 DVD. I ash her if she is alright and she says no, this man was following her making sexual comments to her and she is scared. Before I could say a word Rick asks if she would like for us to walk her home. Yes, is her reply. We both take the bags from her hands and continue to talk with her. As we are getting closer to her apartment building there is a new Church lit up across the street from her place. I say something in Spanish and tell them we will be right back. We bring our friend safely home and are sharing the gospel with the people outside the building. We give bibles to everyone and go back across the street to the church. We fellowship with the men outside the church it is a Spanish Church.

We are back at Broadway and Lyndale the Walgreen's parking lot discussing the night with the teams. I see Ross,Luke and Mitch and ask how it went as I am talking with them I notice they are fired up. They tell me that the Spirit is here. This gets me so excited because I feel the same way. This is an affirmation from God. With excitement I tell them we are coming back.

Our evening is coming to a close and we start to pray and the circle gets bigger and bigger and bigger . This is Awesome!! People leave and Mark and I fellowship with our brothers and sister until 11:00pm in the parking lot. I am told that there was shots fired in the parking lot that evening. This does not even bother anybody. Why you may ask? Because, "the Spirit is Here!"



Mike

I am preaching my life to His Glory.

I will try to give the best recap of last Wednesday night. As words cannot show my passion.

When I go give testimony I search and pray for a certain passage of scripture to preach from. The Lord did not direct me to any. I have a calmness to go and just give my testimony knowing Gods word is always proclaimed in my speech.

I get to the church and I pray in my my car for His wisdom and I recite Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
  
I get inside and there is my friend Calvin to welcome me. I see all these yellow banners hanging from the walls that say Live Christ and I am excited. Calvin explains to me that it is there theme for the next year and that it comes from Galatians 2:20. I tell him that I just prayed that in my car. I am walking Boldly with the Holy Spirit flowing through me. I have no gitters or nervousness as I know this is all for the Glory of the Lord. 

I begin by asking if any are offended by the t shirt I am wearing (i killed Jesus)? A few hands go up and I ask why? I explain the message of the shirt and and they agree with the message. There was over 100 people in the room. I give my testimony quoting scripture for the next 35 mins and I see a hand in the back give me a 5 minute signal. I speed up the ending and finish. You see I never prepare anything on paper I allow the Holy Spirit to reign in my life. I am preaching my life to His Glory.

 The main passage given in my message was from 1 Corinthians 15:33  Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” I explain that you will become who you hand around with.
 I also used Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
There was abundance of scripture references used this night all for Gods glory.

 I also use the quote from Pastor Brent in last Sundays sermon "Live your life in Christ all of the time". 

When ever I am used by the Lord Jesus it is amazing. I feel as though I am bullet proof and nothing could happen to me. I have been feeling like this since Wednesday night. For the first time I am starting to believe that God is allowing me to experience a brief moment of what heaven is going to be like. 

They all go into there small groups and discuss the night. I set up a table with bibles, tract ,dvd's, books of hope, and everything the Jesus Freaks take out on the streets. Waiting for them to come and ask me questions after there group time.

 As they all finish and slowly start coming out of different rooms. The say thanks for coming as they look around the table. I tell them that all the stuff on the table is free and they have to promise me before God that they will give it away. They take bibles 1,000,000 bills, dvd's and all that was on the table. If you know my passion I am loving every minute of this . They see the red and blue tracts and ask what is this? I show them and this blows there mind, it is an optical illusion tract and they all want a set to show there friends. I most likely showed this about countless times As they all end up leaving the church 1 by 1 my friend Calvin lets me know he will be calling me back again. 
Praise Jesus! All for His glory.

I am nothing, Jesus is everything!
Mike 

Freed!!!

 

First of all, it was such a blessing to walk the streets again with our faithful brother

in Christ, Farhad.  Love you brother.

 

Second of all, it is an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to spread the gospel

so freely and openly in this great state and country.  This I believe will not always be the

case, and we need to take every opportunity we can to witness to the lost.

 

That being said, Friday night was awesome.  I haven't been able to go out with the freaks

for two months so I was excited to get out there again.  Eric, Farhad and I had many

encounters and people were generally in good moods.  One encounter stood out for me.

We were heading back to the parking garage to meet up with the other freaks and I saw

a little lady dressed in a nurses uniform.  So I approached her and handed her a gospel tract.

Then I asked her some questions about her faith background and she said she had none.  She

was from Ethiopia and was going to work at Fairview Hospital downtown.  She said she went

to Catholic school for a few short years in her youth, but didn't know anything about Jesus or

the bible.  We kept walking and asked if she had a bible.  She said no, so I asked which

direction she was going.  Turns out we were walking to the same spot.  I had given out all

my bibles so I said, I'll get you a bible.  It's just up here a few blocks.  We walked and talked

and I saw Mike witnessing to someone at our meeting spot with his backpack open.  As this

lady and I walked past, I went over to Mike, grabbed a bible out of his bag, and gave it to

her.  She was a bit confused and amazed at the same time.  She took the bible with

gratitude and as we kept walking I thanked her for talking and asked her name.

She said it was Freed.  Her accent was fairly thick, so I asked again for clarity.  Once again

she said Freed.  F-R-E-E-D.  So as she walked away I said, have a nice night and I hope

that you are freed from your sin. 

 

We are all bound by our sin, and I praise God that He freed me of my sins.  Jesus paid

it all and I give Him all glory, honor and praise for anything that comes from my wretched

little life.

 

 

Scott

Impressions from Jesus Freaks evangelism

Impressions from Jesus Freaks evangelism April 24, 2013

This is my second attempt at street evangelism. It was like shock and awe, being exposed to a bone chilling coldness on a warm evening. I felt like a deer in headlights trying to follow Mike’s leading into the storm of insanity that is downtown Minneapolis on a Friday night. Oh, and don’t forget about my mind numbing terror riding right on the back of the Holy Spirit’s prompting and urging!

This was not the safe haven of Wayzata Free Church. It was all the world’s rawness in living color. It was the Lord verses the proud and arrogant all over again.

We were seeking out the lost and hurting. The Lord has given me an outgoing personality, but even so, I felt strangely out of place. I was desperately holding on to God’s promises of protection and hope while being confronted with my former life in the abyss of sin and rebellion.

When I think back on the evening, I see many faces. There were faces of mistrust, suspicion, anger, pride, pain, hurt and a quiet desperation. I felt like I had marbles in my mouth while trying to get the right words out. It just seems so hard to break through the fog of this world. There are many time that I don’t even know why God reached down and pulled me out of the slimy pit. God broke me down until I had to finally admit I wasn’t going anywhere fast.

The bottom line is, I will continue to do what is necessary to serve my Lord Jesus. All I can and want to do is be the Jeremiah 20:9 guy He made me to be.

Andy L.

making myself available

I have been given so many opportunity's to witness to people at a few parks already in the last 3 days. This weather is awesome!

We had the Jesus Freaks last Friday night and wow the turn out is beyond expected. Praise Jesus!

 There was 19 people out on the streets of Downtown Mpls. proclaiming the gospel of Christ. I also ran into other evangelist and we talked and encouraged one another. We go out on the same nights. Praise Jesus!

I walked with Andy he is 60 years old and is on fire for the Lord. He found us on the internet. Praise Jesus!

 He attends Wayzata E-free and is looking to get something started with his church. He plans in coming out with the Jesus Freaks once a month. Wait for his blog post.

Wednesday night I am giving my testimony at a local church possible 170 students and adult volunteers.

This is a student from the youth group I gave my testimony to in 2006 at the last church I attended. He is now a  youth Pastor. He asked me a year ago to do this and the date has arrived.


Galatians 2:20  I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.


Mark 16:15  He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.


I Love being a child of the one true King. Jesus!

Mike 

gently persuaded

Last Friday night a large group of college students and young adults spent their Friday night at the Mall of America.  Our goal was not to socialize or window-shop, it was to proclaim to glory of the gospel of God to whomever would hear it in the hopes that they too would receive Jesus as their savior. 

The Mall has an increasingly diverse demographic of visitors.  I have personally found that the affluent white community is generally disinterested in having conversations about God and spirituality, and many of the members of our group and myself have experienced a hand-full of rejections from this group.  However, many of the people from other cultures are open to hearing the truth and we were glad to share it.  

We paired up in twos and I went out with my faithful brother in Christ, Kyle.  We were quickly amazed by the grace of God as we were blessed with a number of fruitful conversations.  Our first was with a man from India who believed in the Hindu religion.  When we attempted to explain the good news of Jesus with him, he explained that he believed that Jesus was one of many Gods.  We explained that Jesus was the one true God and the only way to come to the Father.  Although he was not open to believing at that time, we were grateful that he was opening to hearing.

We next came across a Nigerian man who was visiting the United States.  He was a Catholic, and his theology was tainted by the belief that Jesus' sacrifice was inadequate and that he had do good things to merit God's love.  We gently explained that Jesus was sufficient to cover our sins and that our trust ought only to be in him alone, otherwise we make out his sacrifice to be imperfect and we do not know him.  He kindly heard our message and we pray that it took root in his heart.

Another encounter we had was with a Chinese man named Peter who encouraged us with the story of his recent conversion and his plans to return to China to preach the good news.  We prayed with him and said that we would remember to lift him up in the hopes that many more would be saved through his witness.  

A final conversation I would like to share was with a Russian man.  He initially said that he did not want to speak with us, yet Kyle gently persuaded him to hear our message.  We shared with him the path of salvation through the Christ.  He continued to protest against our message, but did not end the discussion.  After a short while, his wife joined us and was eager to hear our message.  We praise God that she was open to hearing and hope also that the word of God has gripped her's and her husband's souls.  

These experiences made it very much worthwhile to devote a Friday evening to building up the Kingdom of Heaven.  Although speaking with strangers can be intimidating, God's spirit is more than capable of overcoming any hindrance.  Evangelism is not an optional activity for a Christian, it is a mandate of Jesus Christ.  When one is in the midst of sharing the Gospel with an unbeliever, the presence of God is experienced in a new and very pleasant way.  So, whether it be with us or not, I encourage you to be active in sharing your faith with unbelievers, and to keep in mind that we are always eager to have new people come alongside us and join us in our mission.

In Christ, 

Ross Tenneson

every opportunity

Today I had a day off of work. So this morning I called a man about replacing the garage door springs as ours had broke a couple weeks ago.

Trying to find a time that would work for him as this was not an emergency. I had mentioned next week and he got me in today. Jeff and his son came and replaced the springs in less than an hour and at a great price.

As they worked I chatted with them and talked about their interests. When they had finished the job and were cleaning up I handed Jeff the check and a gospel tract(1,000,000 bill) I also gave one to his son.

 I mention that there is a gospel message on the back and ask that they would read it. I mention that there is nothing that I can say or do, it is between them and God. They thank me and we talk about an estimate on a new door in the future.

 So you see this is not the end of the witness only the beginning. Now we pray for the Lord to work in their lives. That someone would come and water the seed. Only God can make the seed grow not us.

Today is the day of salvation. Are you concerned for the lost, are you planting seeds? How are others going to water if there is nobody planting?

Everybody loves this verse. Romans 8:²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

If this is saying that you are the called according to his purpose. Then why do so many think that this one below doesn't apply to them?

Mark 16: ¹⁵ And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

Mike 

back in jail again

It has been 8 months since I have been in jail. I was devoting my time doing street ministry investing into lost souls. I was trying to fit everything in but something had to go and God was letting me figure that out.
I since have stopped being a small group leader in order to do the work of the evangelist. I am now doing street ministry and back on rotation in preaching to the captives. I love it! This is where God wants me.

As I was parking my car on the street across from the jail I made eye contact with a man waiting in a car. I waited a few minutes and the man got out of his car and approached mine. I thought he was going to offer to sell me something. He was looking for a man who looked like me. I got out of my car and handed him a tract and began to explain what was on the back. He stopped me half way through and told me that he was saved 2 days ago." Praise Jesus" I said. I gave him a word of encouragement and I headed into the jail.

I begin the message with Isaiah 64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing,And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;We all fade as a leaf,And our iniquities, like the wind,Have taken us away.
I tell them that there is no way to please God except through repentance and trust in Jesus Christ.

I begin preaching on Matthew 13
³ Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. ⁴ And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. ⁵ Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. ⁶ But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. ⁷ And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. ⁸ But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

I explain each soil and give illustrations for them as I was just at the MOA the night before sharing the gospel. I go through the 10 commandments and how we have broke all of them. I share my testimony with them and show the authority in which God has given me to be here tonight preaching to them. If it wasn't for Jesus Christ I would be dead or in prison. I share with them the struggles that they are going through and that I have been there. They all see that I am speaking truth and all eye's are focused on what I am saying. They begin to speak out and say" that's right"," you know it" and they realize that I have been down that road.

By the end of the night I am praying for the fire to ignite inside them and do not hide it under a bowl. Let everyone see what is inside them. As the service ends the men come and shake my hand and thank me for the message. They tell me that I encouraged them and offered them Hope and say thank you. One man was tattooed all over  came to me and said "look at me I thought there was no hope for me"."You gave me hope". He said " you don't' know how much you encouraged me" and gave me a hug with tears in his eyes.
There were many others who had shared with me, but that sticks out the most.

Mike

"it's not my gift"

Hello, my name is Tony. I am a sophomore at Bethel University and have been going out with the Jesus Freaks doing street evangelism since around mid December. I'm not going to lie, the first time I was invited to do street evangelism, I was deathly scared. Going up to a complete stranger and sharing the Gospel is so counterculture, I didn't want to do it. I began to think of excuses like "it's not my gift" or "most people have already heard the Gospel" or even "I wouldn't be good at it.". 

 

God graciously pursued me and wouldn't take no for an answer. I began to ponder why I wouldn't go evangelizing and all of my reasons were completely selfish. My main reasoning was it got me out of my comfort zone. I thought everyone would look at me and think "man, that guy is some crazy wacky guy". I continued to ponder going out and evangelizing, and then I just got smacked in the face by the Holy Spirit. Weren't the disciples of Jesus looked at as just crazy guys? Wasn't Paul looked at like he was a bit wacky? Those guys had far more reasons than I did not to share the Gospel, yet they risked their life sharing the Gospel, and ultimately died for sharing it.

 

 I have the greatest news to give people ever. I can tell people about Jesus, about his love, about the eternal life he offers. There is nothing on this earth that is more valuable than a faith in Jesus. Why was I so ashamed of sharing the news of Jesus if I truly believed it was priceless? "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile." - Romans 1:16.

 

 I realized I was not ashamed, just simply scared, but with enough prayer, God brought me the strength I needed to share the Gospel. I eventually went out evangelizing one time in December and I will never be the same. God provided me the strength and the power to share the life altering message of the Gospel. I now have so much pride, not in myself, but in the Gospel message. There's no pressure on me to make the Gospel message appealing. When I share, it's the Holy Spirit working within me. 1 Corinthians 3:7 says that  "So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth." It is not me going out and sharing the Gospel. It is God graciously working through me in order to bring more people to Him.

 

 If you haven't ever gone out and evangelized, I would encourage you to think about what is stopping you. Pray about it and listen to what God has to say. I would encourage you to just get out and give it a shot and let the Holy Spirit work through you. Put all your faith in Jesus and let him work through you in order to bring more people to Him. I will leave you all with this "But he said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” - Luke 18:27

God Bless

-Tony

Jesus Freak explosion

Last night at the MOA was an amazing time of fruitfulness. The Jesus Freaks had the biggest turnout in proclaiming the gospel of Christ. There was 6 women and 15 men (21) armed for battle against the evil one and his demons.

Everyone had fulfilled missions to share as the night was over and we met for a recap of the night. There were ones that fell on good soil, thorny soil, rocky soil,and to the way side as satan plucked away the seed. My words will never capture all of the details of investing into a lost soul. You need to experience this for yourselves. Just ask anybody who shares there faith regularly. I went out with Al and Eric we would speak to whoever God directs us , and there were many.

Just as God wants us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Does this not include sharing the gospel with them. And you know that every one is our neighbor. And Jesus commands all of us when He stated this.
Mark 16:15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation."

I will tell you of one witness last night I had with a woman and 5 girls about 11 yrs. old. I spoke to the woman first and gave her a tract and said that I have children tracts for the girls. They took them with excitement. I said I just ask that you read it when you get a chance. 

We continued to walk around the corner and witness to others standing there. No more than 3 minutes go by and a few of the girls walk over to me and say they cannot take theses tracts. My response was why? They said they go against christian living. I said no they don't. They then said if a non christian read this they would feel bad. Exactly how you want them to feel I said. I told them that the 10 commandments is a mirror we need to look into and see how how dirty we are in Gods sight. 

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthyrags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away. 

Then the mother comes around the corner angrily telling us that she doesn't believe in Jesus and that she was a Jew. She continues to speak loudly and say that we shouldn't be doing what we are doing. I tell her that we are sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. She gets louder at this point and tells me to leave her girls alone. I say, I asked you first if I could give the tracts to them. Again with a loud voice says leave my girls alone, I will call security. We left and continued speaking to others.

Matthew 5 

¹¹ “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. ¹² Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Mike

the experience was an eye opener

On Friday night, March 22nd, I went to downtown Minneapolis to see if I could help out with Jesus Freaks.  I was a little apprehensive, but I couldn't come up with any good excuses not to give it a try.

I teamed up with Mike and Phil, so I got to watch the old pros in action.  They are fearless!  They don't hesitate to walk into a bus stop full of people and try to engage as many people as possible. 

At one bus stop a woman started yelling at Mike, telling him that she was sick of Christians trying to force their religion on people, and she stormed away.  Mike wasn't detoured and he followed her and kept trying to engage her.  After a few more minutes of her yelling at Mike, she finally let down her defenses and her story came out.

She claimed to be a bisexual and felt shunned by the church.  She was raised by a mother that was a hypocritical Christian that drank too much and was abusive.  Sadly, the woman didn't come to Christ, but a seed was sown!

Another instance was when a group of six or seven black teenagers were walking toward us and Phil just walked right into the center of them and tried to engage them.  He got them to take some gospel tracks.  Phil surprised me when he said his new focus was going to be on engaging white middle class types.  At first thought, I didn't think that seemed to be such a big goal, but as the night wore on I came to understand what he meant.  When we approached blacks or Hispanics, they were usually willingly to take a gospel tract and give at least a little bit of time to us, but surprisingly the reaction from whites was completely different.  Generally, the whites wouldn't make eye contact.  If they even acknowledged you were trying to hand them something, they wouldn't take it.  Most wouldn't respond to a question, and those that did were usually very short with a "Not interested" type of response.  Phil has his work cut out for him!         

My own personal experience was that when Mike or Phil engaged a group, there were always a couple of people floating around the edge trying to find out what was going on.  I'd approach that type of person.  One on one seemed pretty easy, and if I ran into a stumbling block, I had Mike or Phil bail me out.  I can't claim any great success stories, but one woman said she'd find a Sunday school for kids, and another woman took a bible and asked us to pray for her.

Finally, the experience was an eye opener.  I have spent some time downtown, but never when I was focusing so much on other people.  I was surprised how many broken people are just hanging around downtown.  They were plenty of drunk homeless men, but also young women dressed for male attention trying to get into the nightclubs, the successful that don't need anything, and the angry bisexual waiting for a bus and a Savior.
 
Al 

2nd missions on Friday night

 It has been a blessing from the Lord with the college students coming out with the Jesus Freaks. They come out every time. After we split on Friday night we all walked down both sides of Nicollet. When we met on 11th Kyle and his companions wanted to visit the homeless shelter. I had told him how to get there and here is their story. Praise Jesus!!

Our Friday night consisted of ministering to the homeless. We all had a heart to go to Harbour Lights homeless shelter on Friday night because we knew the harvest would be ripe. As we walked there, everyone had a sense of anxiousness and anxiety because we had never been this up close and personal with the homeless community of the Twin Cites. However, we knew that we are called to serve the poor, broken, and marginalized because before Christ we also we in desperate need.

The night took a dramatic twist upon our arrival though. It was as if God had sent angles to help us with our uneasiness. Right as we approached the sidewalk that led to the shelter's entrance, a white van roared around the corner. Within seconds a man by the name of Scott approached me. He said that he and his team were also sharing the Good News. They had 4 team members along with our 4 and together we started working as a giant army for the Lord.

Scott and his team had set up a table with hotdogs, socks, and gloves and they were distributing them to all who needed their bellies fed and hands warmed. We walked the block telling all the people we encountered that there was hot dogs and Jesus right around the corner! We returned and started putting hands on all the people that would allow us to and we prayed for God to move. We prayed that eyes would be opened to see the love of Christ. 

Ministering to the homeless was an unbelievable experience. To have fellow brothers and sisters there with us to help guide and support us was truly a God send. It is interesting that sometimes we search so hard to encounter God at the gym or grocery store, but  on Friday I saw Him in a totally new way outside a homeless shelter on a cold Friday night. I think one of the best ways to see God move is to be on the battle field, being faithful to the Great Commission.

In Christ,

Kyle 

Oh what a night!

There was 10 of us on the streets of Mpls. proclaiming the Gospel of Christ with enthusiasm and excitement.
There wasn't as many people out as there as when it is warm, but we did not let this stop us from reaching the lost. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." Mark 16:15

 Phil and I started out walking handing out tracts and we stopped to talk with Ron. He had been drinking and fighting with his girlfriend so he left and was walking the streets to cool off. As we talked the Holy Spirit was already preparing this mans heart. Ron busted into tears as his life was not how he intended it to be in how he could not provide simple gifts for his daughter on her birthday. We stood and listened to Ron unfold his story before us. We prayed for Ron as the Spirit had directed us. A seed was planted in the heart of this man.

We met the rest of the group and we prayed for wisdom, protection,and lives to be open to to hear the Gospel. As we were praying people would walk right through us as we were not even there. We did not let this affect our conversation with our Lord Jesus Christ. We then split up and continued on investing into the lives of others.

We had the privilege of Al walk with us and this was his first time doing any type of evangelism. I had mentioned to him that just let the Holy Spirit lead you. Shortly after that he was talking with others and handing out tracts. When he didn't know what to say Al did not let this little obstacle stop him from witnessing. He would call Phil or I to continue talking with the individual. Or as we we were talking with someone Al would speak with a person that was with our new friend. It was Awesome watching Al being obedient to our Savior. Al was doing this because he wanted to not a way of works, it was out of pure gratitude.

The college students went to Harbor Lights and had there own mission. It is amazing in how the Lord uses us in this HUGE responsibility. It is not a task it is a Passion. Do you have it? 

This is just a little taste of what goes on with the Jesus Freaks. If I was to tell you of what went on the whole night it would take me hours. If you are reading this and have not spent a night with the Jesus Freaks pray about it and find out if this is what the the Lord Jesus Christ has called you to do. How will you know if you don't take that first step in obedience. When you come out to serve the Lord in reaching the lost and it is not His will for you He will let you know.

As for me I Love sharing Jesus Christ and I will not stop until the day I die. If it is only myself on the streets then I will go alone.

 Galatians 2:20  I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Is there no other reason to do it. What is stopping you from furthering the Kingdom of God?

until next time,
Mike 

“Let the Dead Bury Their Own Dead"

 

                                                                                   (Matthew 8:22)

Jesus wants you to follow Him at all cost, don’t turn around and find excuses to stop doing  the message of the bible. Apparently, one of the disciples told Jesus that he’ll follow Him later but first he had to go back and bury his father. Jesus said,” Let the dead bury their own dead” Matthew 8:22

Following Jesus with a committed heart requires sacrifices; don’t worry about the mundane and temporal things of this world. The spiritual birth breathes in newness in you, you’d crave for the eternal light in Jesus and it may cost you everything that you own. If you are not born again the things of this world will continue to be of paramount importance to you even though, they are transient but you will also be dead in your sin. I explained the criticality of being born again to one of my Muslim associates. He was confused and said to me, he’d already read the bible a myriad of times, but wasn’t able to apprehend it. I kind of smiled and said to him it is up to the Holy Spirit to guide you and opens up your eyes to see the beauty of the gospel. He shook his head and said, “Man, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get it”. I gave him the parable of the wind which Jesus gave to Nicodemus recorded in John Chapter 3:6-8.

In essence, I was talking to him about the spiritual birth but I was so excited, instead of explaining the whole thing from the beginning I went directly to the parable of the wind to illustrate my point. Nevertheless, I went back and explained to him the source of the spiritual birth.  I clearly told him if he is not born again, he would never be able to see Jesus for who He is.

As the Disciples of Christ, we need to witness by boldly but lovingly proclaiming the righteous work of Christ on the cross. We should be aware of the fact that we can’t change the heart of mankind to see the glory of Christ. It’s the work of the Holy Spirit to intervene in one’s life in order to make him or her to see the redeeming work of Christ. The spiritually dead will always be buried in the temporal things of this work so it is a mandate for us as Christians to go out there and sow the seed of the gospel so with God’s grace they will inherit the spiritual birth through which they’ll be able to reap the everlasting fruits of the kingdom of God.

You’re all loved.

Barukzoy