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.