Battle Log
Battle Log > Plymouth Team > Saturday, 4 July, 2009
Saturday, 4 July, 2009
Hi, my name is Matt Rolfe and I am a 27yr old youth worker and care worker from Plymouth, UK. This is my first blog update since joining the ministry of operation513, and a bit longer than will normally be just to explain how I have gotten involved with operation513..
I am very privileged to have been asked to come under the umbrella of this ministry team. Conversations started in January when Josh Williamson and Peter Webber came for the evangelism outreach to the UK, and both stayed at my house during their time in Plymouth after making contact through Facebook.
I am a born again believer, would say im on middle ground in relation to being a Calvinist or an Arminian, having been a Church goer all my life, and a professing Christian since secondary school, though realising in October 2007 after a difficult divorce when I found my X-wife had committed adultery, that I was not actually saved, and unfortunately neither is she.
I came across the book 'The way of the Master', purely by chance (or what I thought at the time). When I was confronted with the true extent of my sin in the mirror of the 10 commandments, I saw my lust as adultery of the heart, and cried out to God in my car, sobbing over my sin against him, but then seeing the depth and kindness of his love and mercy in sending Jesus to die in my place, while I was yet a sinner, and put my trust and faith in him.
Everything in my Christian walk has changed since then, including regularly going out onto the streets of Plymouth in Devon witnessing to teenagers, adults and even with some Sunday morning church goers who do not understand the gospel fully due to the lack of true Biblical preaching here in Plymouth. I have also since found a great Bible believing Baptist Church which I attend, and have met others there who understand the law before grace principles, which so very few here in the UK do. I have used tracts from Ray Comfort and other ministries to approach people, especially the mdb's my favourite, and asking people if they had any change, then to converse with them in many different places. I have also helped lead a WOTM training course which has been great, and now help co-lead a group of about 6-8 Christians on and off with witnessing and open air preaching.
The vast majority of Churches in Plymouth are apathetic to evangelism and the need for the gospel to be preached, but seem to do everything else BUT preach the gospel to people. We have soup runs, healing on the streets, street pastors and all sorts of mission groups, but so many are offended at the thought of preaching at people. I have been told by a Christian that we shouldnt go out telling people that they are a sinner, a leader of street pastors said they dont go out there shoving Jesus down peoples throats, that God is Love and so we shouldnt be speaking to them about his wrath, and there are even ministers in Plymouth who believe a loving God would not create such a place called hell, or that Jesus is the way to God, but that there may be other ways to heaven?"*^!!! This is what our group is up against, just from inside the Church!
In October 1998, I was involved in a hit and run, a pedestrian on the pavement hit by a stolen car along with 3 other friends. After different operations and stays in hospital, I now have 2 big 'shark bite' looking scars on my leg, and God has really used this to show people how short life is, as so many people just assume they will die peacefully in their sleep of old age. I told them I would have thought the same the day before my accident, and looked what happened to me, and so using fear in a positive way, like seat belt commercials, its been a great witnessing tool!
I was fortunate enough to meet Ray Comfort and his ministry in Los Angeles last year, and also managed to visit New York for an evangelism holiday. I am thoroughly looking forward to the mission trip in London next week, and the chance to do much studying of the scriptures, fellowship and encouragement with other like minded Christians.
Saturdays outreach- Shirley and me preaching
On Saturday 4th July, we had a group of about 8 of us, including a good mate Wayne who goes out with his family evangelising, and joins our group when he can. People in our group were giving out gospel tracts, and Wayne had his prayers answered for one good conversation that day, and he found it with a man who really wanted to know more and took some literature from Wayne.
I was first to preach on our new 3 tier step ladder, a bit scared of PCSO's walking past, but managed to speak about truth and where we get our morality from, explaining that Atheists have nothing to base their morality on apart from the Bible, that the moral law of the 10 commandments was written on our hearts by God, showing us what truth is, that there is a moral law giver outside of our society, and explaining how our good works cant pay our fine.
A few young people commented, but as usual most people walk past with their heads in the sand like ostriches.
Shirley then started to preach on Independence day and the gospel, while I approached some teenagers with a 'Drag me to Hell' tract that Shirley had made. Shirley has made lots of good 'Law before Grace' tracts with her laser jet printer that are relevant and yet scripturally clear, which also saves some money. The young person I spoke with seemed a bit concerned after I went through the law with him that his final destination deserved to be hell, but was hard at times explaining the good news to him with lots of other young people interrupting and causing havoc all around, as per usual in the city centre on weekends.
Later on after Shirley had spoken, we saw a man approach us who had been listening in to our preaching whilst sitting on a wall. He was 30 and called James, and had some background with spiritualism and the occult. He said he was spiritual, but would that be enough to get him into heaven. When I explained to him that there is only one true living God, the God of the Bible, and that the only way we may be forgiven and enter heaven is written in Ephesians 2 v 8-9, by grace, through faith, it seemed to make sense to him.
Afterward I asked if he wanted to pray and to get right with God then, which I don't usually do, which he did, and so he prayed silently after explaining some things, and then I prayed against the demonic activity he had in the past, and that he would put his trust in Jesus, the God of the Bible. He took lots of literature including a gospel of John and a contact card, so hope God has saved him and that his life will dramatically change.
Later on that afternoon I got out my Ray Comfort 'Good person test' sheets to see if anyone thought they were a good person with our microphone. I approached 3 young marines, and one was brave enough to have a go, with his friends watching on in the background. He listened intently and was very humble and sincere in the questions he asked, along with his friends. A few people stopped to listen as well, and the 3 lads took tracts from me and a gospel of John, which was very encouraging. They knew they would be out there on the front lines, and would have to deal with death, and so the brevity of life hit home with them.
The Jehovah Witness selling balloon man was quite quiet today, as he sometimes phones the Police and makes false allegations against us to get us ruffled. I managed to have another conversation with 3 teenagers who attended a Catholic school, and who didn't think it was right we should be out there recruiting people by scaring them into believing because of the threat of Hell. I explained to them the reasons we speak about hell, and how it doesn't make sense without the use of the Law first, and so took them through the commandments to hope they would see why Hell would be reasonable. I gave them some tracts, and they have since added me on Facebook. One turns out to be gay, and so may be good to chat with him again, as this may be a stumbling block for him.
Were hoping to be out again in 3 weeks, and pray that we would remember as long as we are faithful in our gospel proclamation according to Gods word, we may sow, others may reap, but it will be God who gives the increase!
Romans 10 v 14-17... So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.