Battle Log
Sunday 14 July 2024
Posted 14 July 2024, 3:00 PM by Glen Richards. Permalink
Time for another report. It always feels daunting when I have to write one of these, but then the hour goes fast and I have something to post. I’m amazed that anyone actually reads these, maybe the hour would be better spent in actually doing evangelism? Anyway, let’s summarise another week.
I made it to all four scheduled street outreaches this week. The weather was poor for today, but I decided to go anyway (City). If Joshua can do it in the rain, then so can I. It rained as I walked to my outreach spot, but then it stopped as I started, the sun even came out!
I felt strangely invigorated. It was like I had an extra dose of energy and joy. I was able to enthusiastically hand out gospel tracts with a smile and a cherry ‘have a nice day’ to all those that refused them. Who knows, maybe they will take one the next time, or even stop to chat to see why this crazy old man so persistently does what he does. (Answer: glory to God for the good he works through wretches like us.) If people stop, I want them to find out how amazing Jesus is. He truly is.
I saw a lot of my regulars today. I didn’t spend a lot of time with them, as I wanted to get the gospel to others.
But my highlight chat for the day wasn’t with unbelievers but with a couple of YWAMers who were out giving food to the poor. My encouragement to them was to not only give people practical help (Galatians 2:10), but to be precise in sharing the gospel. Gospel precision leads to gospel understanding, which is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16).
I had two rather daunting chats this week. One on Saturday (Riccarton), and the other on Friday (City).
On Saturday, I didn’t feel very invigorated. The outreach was slow. I felt like an old man, in old clothes, on my own, looking like a fool standing next to a gaudy flip chart. People in cars driving past must think I’m crazy. I probably embarrass some Christians. And yet, God uses what is weak and foolish as a means to show his strength and wisdom.
A young couple went past (teens). I recognised them, I’d talked to them before. We fell into an easy chat, and I was quick to swing it to spiritual things. She was the main talker. She thought about what happens after life, but her way of dealing with it was to put her head in the sand. Enjoy this life and try not to worry about the next. My focus was to not let her hold that attitude, but to make her realise that if she faced it, there was hope. We ended up talking about evil and suffering. I dealt with this in my usual way. I gave hope that there would be justice for sin (no one will get away with anything) but also there was mercy and an everlasting life without suffering or evil. We can respond to evil either with bitterness or forgiveness. God gave us the ultimate example of what we should do: Jesus' sacrifice.
It was a daunting chat, because, sadly, we talked about some pretty dark things. A very real reminder of the depravity of man. Sadly, I didn’t get to finish giving my answer to why there is evil and suffering. They had to move on. But my heart goes out to them. I’m going to be regularly praying for them, and I really want to talk to them again.
I was grateful to be able to process this chat with one of my elders at church today. I’m reminded that, although talking about these deep issues can be daunting: the responsibility for salvation is not on us - we have responsibility, but not for God’s job; and we are part of a body of believers - we don’t have to do this alone.
Friday’s chat was with an older Muslim man. It was a conversation that probably would never have started under normal conditions, but I was squeezed into a small spot (other conversations happening around me) and he just happened to be weaving through. It was natural for me to look up and ask the question: “Excuse me sir, can I ask, what do you think happens after life?”
He was a bit taken aback. But he got engaged anyway. A few times he asked, “why are you asking me these questions?”. I was always honest with my answer: I wanted him to understand the sure hope for heaven. Part of him wanted to move on, but another part of him didn’t want to leave. He was being forced to face the truth in contrast to things he has held to his whole life. So, it was a bit of an awkward chat, a very deep tension between us was bubbling under the surface. Both of us wanting to be polite as our ideologies clashed. Part way through our chat, he asked for a tract - I think that was the part of him that really wanted to hear this wonderful truth. I gladly gave him one, and then the conversation ploughed on. He kept bucking away from the truth, and I gently kept bringing him back to it. He used various techniques for this, eventually trying to bring political tension into the picture as a distraction. I wouldn’t let him, pulling him back to the reality that he would be standing before God, alone, on judgement day.
The tension under the surface was so tight that I eventually cracked. I lost my cool, ever so slight, sadly. But it was good to break that tension and finish up then anyway. I wasn’t going to make any more progress for the time being. We parted ways with a handshake. But, inwardly, I was shaking a bit after that chat. It was a very real spiritual battle going on.
On Tuesday, Roger and I were both in Riccarton for an outreach in very crisp weather (sunny but cold). The outreach was busy, I think because of school holidays. I ended up finishing the outreach in a nearby coffee shop with a man who was keen to talk (it was dark and really cold by this stage)! I think he is keen to talk again next Tuesday. He knows where we are.
Thank you for your prayer for this gospel work, here in Christchurch, NZ. Be encouraged in your own evangelism efforts, wherever you are. Tell people about Jesus. Glory to God alone.
View previous Christchurch (NZ) report (7 July 2024)
Christchurch (NZ) Team
Weekly outreaches:
Tue 3:30pm - 5:30pm - Riccarton (corner of Riccarton Rd and Rotherham St)
Fri 1:30pm - 3:30pm - City (Bridge of Remembrance)
Sat 12:30pm - 2:30pm - Riccarton (corner of Riccarton Rd and Rotherham St)
Sun 1:30pm - 3:30pm - City (corner of Colombo St and Cashel St) - only 2nd, 4th and 5th Sundays of the month.
Contact Glen Richards or Andy Barlow for more information.