Reaching the Marketplace for Jesus

Next Door They're in the Living Room 

The last few weeks during Thursday night visitation I went to visit people that had visited our church and all of them were Christians – nothing wrong with that I just hadn’t led anyone to Christ since New Years eve.  So last night I talked Chuck into going up to Brooklyn, MD with me. There are usually a lot of people on the street (pimps, hookers, drug dealers, your garden variety night owls) and a lot of them are even willing to talk to you.  

We handed out lots of tracts to people on E Patapsco Ave – everyone seemed too busy to talk but they were all polite enough to take the tract. One homeless gentleman, Jeff, told us how he had just gotten out of jail and was trying to turn his life around. He was able to give us a clear testimony and he knew he was saved and on his way to heaven. We invited him to the church’s addiction program and gave him some info on how we could help him get back on his feet and heading in the right direction. We huddled together on the street and prayed. Chuck and I prayed for Jeff and his addictions. Then Jeff prayed for our safety and for blessings. 

If you want to see a funny look on someone’s face, hand out a tract to a gang member and invite him to church. They aren’t sure how to react – I guess they’re not used to “common folks” actually coming up to them and striking up a conversation. It really is pretty funny.  Anyway, I digress… 

We made our way up 6^th street and then along Annabel and the residential area with a lot of row houses. There was a teenager sitting on one of the porches so I told her we were out inviting people to church and asked if she wouldn’t mind if I gave her something. She said sure and, as I handed her the tract her friend rode up on a bike. We chatted for a bit then I asked them if they went to church and they said sometimes. I then asked them “the question”: If something happened to you, are you 100% sure you’d go to heaven? Neither one knew. Even sadder, as I went through the plan of salvation, when I talked about Jesus coming to earth to die for our sins they said that they had heard on TV (Discovery Channel) that some “experts” sat that Jesus was just a story (I could have shot someone then). Anyway, I asked them if they thought Jesus was just a story and they said, “No.” 

Usually, if the devil is going to jump in to mess things up, its right when I ask the people I am talking to if they want to trust in Jesus to get to heaven. No disappointments this time on Satan’s timing. The very second I was asking them, two teen age boys show up and jump up onto the porch. The girls asked Jesus to come into their heart anyway! And, I asked the boys if they wanted to hear what I just shared with the girls. One of the boys said, “I’ve already asked Jesus to save me” - is exact words. The other boy said sure, he was interested. We were able to lead him to the Lord. 

Then, as we walked off the porch, one of the teens said, “Hey, the people next door just moved in and they are in the living room. I bet they want to listen to you.” Sure enough they did and sure enough they are now on their way to heaven.