Battle Log

• Battle Log
• Page 12

Christchurch (NZ) Team

Well, we are well and truly in winter's grasp now.  We’ve had to miss a few street outreaches due to weather.  But that didn’t mean we had to stop the outreach - online.  I still marvel at how much opportunity we have to share the gospel.  The opportunity is virtually unlimited.

 

Just yesterday, the Holy Spirit dropped me into the back seat of someone’s car in Auckland.  He was holding an implement I assume to be used for abusing substances for pleasure.  Later in the chat he did indeed light it up and start puffing from it.  I asked him what he thought happened after life and a conversation was away.  He didn’t take it very seriously initially.  At one point, he even reached over and pulled what looked like a little machine gun into view so I could see that he was a bad boy.

 

Yet, as the conversation progressed, I managed to trigger some serious reflection from him.  He turned to the issue of evil and suffering.  Why had all these horrible things been allowed to happen to him?  I’d say this is the most common question I get when a conversation breaks through silliness and superficiality.  I’m ready for it.  I have 3 answers that I usually give in order.  Answer 1) empathy, answer 2) people are responsible for their actions - they can’t blame God, and answer 3) God allows evil so he can demonstrate his justice (wrath), patience and mercy (Romans 9:22-23). In this case, my first answer: empathy caused the crack in his resistance, and he opened up to hear the law and the gospel.

 

It was interesting, because as I explained grace, he immediately articulated salvation by works back to me.  So I pushed back with grace.  The bomb hit, he understood, because he asked the classic question: “So, I can do whatever I want then?”  To solidify grace in his thinking, I affirmed his question, but then explained that, as a result of grace, we are now free from slavery to sin: the drunkard will put down his bottle, the wife beater will stop beating his wife.

 

He was provoked to confess that he had tried religion, but that it hadn’t worked.  As I asked for clarification, he gave up on me, reached out and skipped.  The Holy Spirit took me away.  I was sad by the sudden ending, but then I rejoiced.  I had been able to plant the gospel seed!  What happens to it is out of my control anyway, but my mission was complete.  Glory to God.  He can use that seed to magnify his justice, or he can use that seed to magnify his mercy.  Either way, God is glorified.  Our feeble effort is never wasted in God’s strong hands.  And so, I will never get sick of this hard, often repetitive labour.  I want to be anonymous.  I want to put my head down and work, telling the next person, then the next person, then the next person about Jesus!  Telling them about the wonderful gospel of Jesus!  And I rejoice in His glory.

 

On Friday, we (Andy, Roger, Brian, Laura, and myself) were at the Bridge of Remembrance.  A dreary day weather wise; I had my thermals on!

 

One special interaction stands out in my mind.  A young couple went past, and we got into a chat.  He was emotionless - indifferent to the conversation, and yet she was very engaged.  I could tell by the look in her eyes.  As she grasped the grace of Jesus, she said something that impacted me.  She said, “no one has ever explained this to me”.  As I write this, I’m considering my emotions.  Joy, that she came to understand about Jesus.  But then, anger.  Anger that she has never had someone explain this simple message to her.  She wasn’t resistant, she didn’t ask me any hard questions, I just stuck to the simple script.

 

Due to the dynamic of the situation, the conversation needed to be short - he wasn’t interested, and they obviously needed to be somewhere.  But in that short time, the seed had been planted.  I was able to point her to a Bible, specifically the book of John.  I could tell she was very engaged, because she articulated back to me which book in the Bible she needed to start with.  I was also able to point her to a church before they moved on.  In the hands of God.

 

Lord, help me to deal with my anger rightly.  Help me to be an encouragement to other believers in sharing the gospel.  Lord, may your church not be distracted.  Help us.

 

Two other conversations from the month stand out in my thinking, one was an online chat with two young guys who live in the suburb next to mine.  I said to my pastor just after, that even if I had 24 hours with them, I wouldn’t exhaust the need for biblical counselling in their lives; yet, gospel seed planted.  The other was a very short text chat with a guy, no religious background, the building builder analogy made sense to him and he opened up to hear the gospel.  He immediately expressed interest in the Bible, so I pointed him to John when he suddenly skipped; gospel seed planted.  But, I’m out of time to give any more details.

 

If you read this, can I ask 2 things of you: 1) join me.  We offer free training.  The opportunity beyond the opportunity in your everyday life (friends, family, etc) is limitless.  2) please pray for us.  I want to go to heaven, I’m eager for Jesus' return, but another part of me wants to keep doing this, as tiring as it is, till I’m at least 96.  I want to push my walking frame down Colombo street to the Corner of Cashel and tell the young people about Jesus.

 

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Battle Log of Operation 513 at Sunnybank on Wednesday July 2nd, 2025 from 1030-1200

Today was an extremely windy day but it did not deter the eagerness of Edwin to rejoin me after a long break due to heavy Bible college study load. He can rejoin me from now on , not only during term break but his last terms left with only one subject so, he should be more free and available to come. We are of different type of evangelist, Edwin is good as quick approach with the nutshell of the gospel. I prefer to dig deeper and have a longer conversation, situations permitted. So, we both had a fruitful day in term of number of conversation for Edwin and long chats for Hung which is recap as below: -

1) First with a nonbeliever from Liaoning 遼寧人, Mainland China. He was cautious but still polite enough to let me share the full gospel to him and took as tract at the end.

2) Then Theo an ABC with parents of a Christian family from mainland China. Theo only has 60 % of assurance of salvation as such he was shy to admit he is a fair dinkum Christian. But now after clarification he was joyful to ascertain he has 100% assurance now.

3) Next is also a Christian from South Africa who has migrated to Australia for 15 years. He also lack 100% assurance of salvation but now claim himself a fair dinkum Christian.

4) Then I was led to catch up with and arrogant Australian born Filipino. He took a rebellious attitude to attack the gospel and doctrine but eventually he cannot rebuke the rationale and logic of Gospel but still refused to accept a tract from me..

5) last but not the least was Eddy a local Aussie young brook with a Chinese girl friend. He showed initial skepticism but eventually fully impressed and convinced by the gospel.

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Toowong (QLD) Team

Battle Log of Operation 513 at Toowong on Tuesday July 1st, 2025 from 1030-1200

After a couples of rainy day, we had a fairy windy day making the temperature appeared a bit chilling but luckily with a Sunny sky above. It made a good day to outreach though with lesser people flow during term break.

There were an Indian dad playing hide and seek with his troller daughter full of joy and laughter that I felt too inappropriate to interrupt them. But it set the tone for the day that people should be introduced back to our heavenly Father to live a Child like life to be affectionately close to our Father.

All approaches for gospel conversation basically were pleasant and Spirit led with positive result. I was led to chat with a Canadian young man called Faith and a Kiwi youngster, then full gospel chats with a Vietnamese girl and Peddia an Iranian lady who is nonreligious, but open and receptive to the gospel message especially Jesus as our Savior.

Pray that all people heard the gospel will eventually be blessed to receive Christ in God's timing

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Battle Log of Operation 513 at Sunnybank on Wednesday June 25th, 2025 from 1030-1200

Today I served alone again at Sunny bank. It was totally out of my expectation that I had a longest conversation ever lasting over one and a half hour with a Christian pastor. By appearance , you would never guest he is a believer not to mentioned an itinerant pastor doing both local preaching and mission work in Africa and Filipina. He was making for himself a self made cigarette and most of his teeth were lost or rotten with a suspicious sign of drug addiction. Yet through conversation, he quickly identify himself a fair dinkum pastor and self-employed missionary. He is well verse in several Filipino dialect. He claimed he did his theological study at the Bible college in the Gold Coast. He lamented most churches teach only salvation by faith but not enough emphasis by grace, which itself is an unclear concept. Through to and forth clarification, he possibly means the need to live a sanctify and holy life after becoming a Christian otherwise it is only an empty title we got as a Christian.

There are a lot of Christian and doctrinal jargon in his mind as such it is not easy to have a hear to heart communication with him. I can only take it as the benefit of the doubt that it is the way of his expression of faith and the gospel in some local old fashion.

I only reached out to another Mainlander girl who showed skepticism toward Gospel but just listen on for politeness sake

 

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Toowong (QLD) Team

Battle Log of Operation 513 at Toowong on Tuesday June 24th, 2025 from 1030-1200

It was readily the term break of UQ ad such the people flow drastically drop with only a handful around at the bus stop. But still God made it a day of fruitful outreach giving me chance to teach about assurance of salvation for a few Chritians including a Catholic Christian girl from Filipine and an Islander Christian from Naru. Both have 100 %assurance of salvation but different degree of understanding about the holistic salvation plan of God.

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Battle Log of Operation 513 at Sunnybank on Wednesday June 18th, 2025 from 1030-1200

I was a bit late being held up on a Kairos drilling arrangement with Ps Richard Jiang as such I possibly missed meeting Ann who used to come the same time but work across the road and come to join me when she sees me. Anyway, I was moved to keep using the accident happened last week whereby the rear left tail of the bus hit hard on a lamp post by the road side when departing from the bus stop. If any one stand near, even not in front will get hurt if not get killed. This happened when I talked to Matthew the Hong Konger young man that it is better early than late to make his personal decision to receive Christ when he readily acknowledges the need for him as well as all good persons that are not perfect to accept Jesus as Savior. Our life is not in control by ourselves but God. Right after I said these word, the bus hit hard at the lamp post with a loud big banging noise that rightly demonstrates how life could be vulnerable if any one stood near the lamp post will instantly lose his/her life.

Therefore, I was moved to keep inviting people to have a look of the crash mark of the bus left on the lamp post. It includes a couple migrated from Jiangsu Nanjing, a Senior elderly from Hong Kong, Parminder an Indian guy I caught up last week, and finally a UQ electrical Engineer Year 2 lady who is a local Aussie. God let me have long enough time to chat and share the full gospel message that seemingly have touched her heart like Matthew last week. She even missed her bus by taking time to have a selfie with me. So at the end, I was moved to accompany her till her next bus came and shared a lot more and deeper about the three folds deliverance and encouraged her to really consider seriously to make her timely decision to accept Jesus as Savior.

In contrast to a humble and willing heart of above mentioned people. God also led me to face rejection by a Mainlander young man. He deceitfully claim he got flu and asked me to keep a distance from him. He really did not know what he had missed. May God's grace bee enough to give him another chance to listen to the gospel.

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Toowong (QLD) Team

Battle Log of Operation 513 at Toowong on Tuesday June 17th, 2025 from 1030-1200

It was again a day of early winter chill, but the fire for gospel outreach sustained me as a solo evangelist to keep serving God with His ever presence and empowerment along the whole period on mission with God. It was basically a fretful day though not without hardship and rejections as shown in the Battle Log for today: -

1) Sunny, an ABC with Pa from Shanghai and Mum from Guangzhou but still manageable to speak Chinese , yet I switched back to English to gear up the communication efficiency with her. She is non religious as a family from mainland China, but comparatively she is still very open and appeared receptive to the Gospel.

2) Next was a local young guy who share the logic of the gospel message that no one is perfect as such every one has automatically lost the right to be admitted to the heavenly kingdom that will demand for a perfectly clean no sin record as if the crime free requirement for any migrant applying for PR than citizen to a country.

3) After too smooth outreach than came several outright rejections

4) Then I was led back to a girl who was busy in phone conversation, who initially still allow the conversation to carry on but then decline to carry on when she realize it was going to lead to a chat about God and Jesus claiming she is an Atheist and did not want to engage in religious chat.

5) Then I was led to approach an elderly man from NZ visiting friends in Australia, I suggested to him this is definitely a divine appointment to let us meet and chat. He indicated he is well verse in theological study but claimed he still found a lot of issues without answer. Because of time limit, I went straight to test his assurance of salvation which he struggle to give an assertive answer and the arrival of the bus cut short our conversation. I still pray this incomplete conversation still serves God's purpose in his life.

6) Next was Sam a girl from Europe that I could only manage to give her a quick nutshell of the gospel and she looked receptive despite with a nose ring suggesting she is a post modern person.

7) Last but not the least was Corner a local Aussie who appeared very opens and receptive even to the quick nutshell of Gospel in 1min stressing requirement for heaven is perfect and no one is perfect as such every body in the fallen human race has been disqualified for the heavenly citizenship. Only a perfect person can help to take our place for the imperfection and issue virtually a sin free certificate to guarantee us be justified and reconciled with God regaining the heavenly citizenship the moment we accepted Jesus as our Savior and Lord of our life.

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Battle Log of Operation 513 at Sunnybank on Wednesday June 11th, 2025 from 1030-1200

Today again Hung and Ann turned up to do gospel outreach individually. Ann also does gospel outreach at other time and at other places during the week. But she still chooses to come around the same time to Sunnybank every Wednesday. She treated me as her supply station to replenish gospel tracts when her stock has run out as I have all the stock of gospel tracts stored in my car behind the bus stop.

Outreach at Sunnybank today had mixed result. On the one hand, it continues to be the barren land for gospel outreach to mainlander. My initial approaches to mainlanders almost faced different forms of rejection without exception. Two mainlanders of older and younger ages both chose to avoid me switching to another side of the bench without a word. Another two younger mainlanders men chose to ignore me as if I was as transparent as the air. Then another middle age woman did not reject me but use excuse to look at the bus schedule to avoid me. When I thought she is OK after looking up the bus schedule, then she used any other senseless excuse to move away from me even though she never said no to reject me. Finally, I was able to get hold of a senior mainlander men to have conversation, but he use irrelevant response to cut and interrupted my gospel sharing so at the end, only a fragmented gospel message was shared to him before the bus came.

But by the grace of God, I was miraculously connected again with Matthew from a Hongkonger family whose Cantonese is extremely good. Last week he was the exceptional one that I could share the full gospel with very positive response despite he and his family ar all non-religious. Today he recognized me and reminder me we had chatted before. I naturally followed up checking if he understands and shares the logic of the gospel message. He show great assertiveness to ponder to receive Christ. I advised him it is better early than late even though he is young and seems to have a lot of time to ponder and make up his mind. Right at this moment, a bus that was leaving the bus stop but turned his wheel too drastically quick as such the rear left of the bus hit heavily on the lamp post beside the bus stop. One of the rear light lamp even was struck coming off. If any one was standing in front of the lamp post, that persons must have been struck dead. You can see the picture of me kneeling in front of the lamp post with the yellow paint scratch mark left by the impact of the bus with the lamp post. Matthew immediately exclaim also that if he was standing there waiting for bus, he certainly will be killed, so my advice turn out to be a proven prophetic word calling him to make his earliest decision to receive Christ. He agreed to let me know his good news of receiving Christ next time if we meet again.
God also let me caught up with first a girl from Guangzhou doing design in QUT, and an Indian guy from the better off northern India doing IT study. Both of them showed openness and receptiveness towards gospel.

So Gospel Outreach is always a kind of spiritual warfare that, facing difficulty and rejection is the norm, but keep preaching the gospel irrespective of the response to those most die heart people is the calling that God has given to all lay Christian also for the goodness sake of our personal growth in the true knowledge of Christ.

 

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Toowong (QLD) Team

Battle Log of Operation 513 at Toowong on Tuesday June 10th, 2025 from 1030-1200

It was a very cold and windy morning but God led me into a heated debate with two young UQ students, one local Aussie from interstate doing Archeology and another Hinduism background girl from Eastern Malaysia who studies science.

It was an interesting combination of cross cultural friendship amongst these two girls, one basically an atheist and one being religious but do not believe in a perfect God head. God gave me this opportunity to listen first to their thinking logic and rationale behind their common attitude of anti-Christ. The archeology student was taught to believe an very old earth thus failed to understand and accept the facts of a young earth through the 6 days creation including the creation of human , rather they still believe in evolution of humankind. They argued that God is not almighty because He cannot create a perfect human being that will not sin and betray Him. As for the Hinduism girl, her rationale is even more weird that God Himself is not perfect as such no need for humankind to be perfect. She even thought God creating woman by taking a rib from Adam is an act of inhumane crime.

God let me observe that when a person whose mind is overwhelmed with the twisted facts imparted to us by the Devil, then they for sure will be blind to the truth of God. But I still realize that this divine appointment was arranged by God, despite there was great difference between our view points, the two girls still were moved to keep the conversation going for almost 45 minutes skipping many bus and only call an end perhaps their class time was due. They sub-consciously felt my genuine positive attitude to exchange view point with them and appeared to be a good listener. Pray that God will path for a second encounter in His Will.

 

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Battle Log of Operation 513 at Sunnybank on Wednesday June 4th, 2025 from 1030-1200

I am glad that Ann finally noticed our change of time to 1030 and we met up there after she did here outreach at bus stop across the street. It was still a hard barren land for gospel lately, especially for people from Mainland China. Apart from a Hongkonger young man who was willing to chat and listen to gospel in Cantonese, all other approaches to mainlander received all sorts of negative responses either blunt rejection, avoidance, reluctancy to chat and half hearted conversation. Thanks God that he gave me all positive responses from mainlanders yesterday at Toowong as an advanced encouragement to keep sharing the gospel to His elected people even without visible fruitful result.

Hongkonger born

 

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