Handling Discouragement

A walk with family

Sunday night we went for a walk after dinner. The route we took led us to the park. I am always carrying tracts, because you never know when there will be an opportunity to share the Gospel. There was a young man sitting on a picnic table listening to his head phones. I pulled out a $1,000,000 bill Halloween edition and proceeded to hand it to him. He asked if was real. I instruct him with the gospel message on the back for you to read. As I leave I am praying that the Lord open his heart. This happens 3 more times before we leave the park. I do it out of love. You never know i may have been the only person that would have ever talked to him and gave him a gospel tract. Don't let your fears hinder you from sharing the Gospel. The Holy Spirit will guide you after you take the first step. Isaiah 55:6 Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Mike

AUDACITY - Full Movie (2015) HD - Ray Comfort

I'm back

Sorry for the delay. My ignorance was that God was done with me. The fact is that I gave up on my own. Never did I stop loving My savior Jesus. I am still preaching in jail once a month. The Lord has brought me back to witnessing to the world. The love for the lost is on my heart. Last week I was handing out million dollar bill tracts to the AWANA kids at church. They love them, but I told them that they need to give them away to kids who don't know Jesus. This was from the pulpit last Wednesday night. I told them that I will give them more when they tell me about there encounters. Go and make Disciple's. Mike

Why I Am a Christian (David Wood, Former Atheist)

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