Battle Log

• Battle Log
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Toowong (QLD) Team

Battle Log of Operation 513 at Sunnybank on Wednesday Aug 9, 2023 from 1300-1500

This was yet another day of God's grace empowering Hung and Edwin (Qin Hao) to do street outreach at Sunnybank with Johnny on leave for a family vacation. Edwin is really gifted in evangelism reaching people of all nations, cross generation with quick precise gospel message and with full confidence. I found the way to work with Edwin selectively follow up with some of his target especially those self-claimed Chrisitan to test on their assurance of salvation. Recap below is the Battle Log of Hung.

1) First approach was with a mainlander from Shanghai ??who claimed himself a Buddhist?. When I asked him if he thought there is any perfect person in human race, he used the Buddhism terms to express that everyone has their sin or transgression to be hold responsible?????, so this was spot on for leading him to the awareness that no one can be exempted from punishment of our own sin except through Jesus to be our Saviour to take our place to receive the eternal death punishment dying for us. It was a pity his bus arrived but he was opened enough to take a tract and pray that it will lead him to the enlightenment for salvation.

2) Rejected by a few though still shared partially or the nutshell of the gospel.

3) Then I followed up on Won a Korean Christian lady that Edwin had just approached. She is the rare group of Chrisitan that have 100% assurance of Salvation, I only need to supplement her with a fuller Biblical teaching on salvation. I was amazed to find out that she is also a UQ 2nd year student of Counselling. So we shared a lot of our experience in this field that how God moved me to do the Master of Counselling course that enabled me to have a period of 7 years of China ministry using counselling as a media to share the gospel in China.

4) Rejected further by two to chat.

5) Then I was led to approach Kelvin a Filipino. He is however a nonbeliever but appeared open for religious life issues.

6) Then I followed up on a guy that Qin had chatted on the issue of assurance of salvation.

7) After that I approached an Eastern European lady who appeared sceptical about our gospel ministry. I anyhow change topic to my travelling experience in the Eastern Bloc country around 1990 when the Berlin Wall was torn down. Indirectly, I still shared a bit of my life witness in Christ.

8 ) Then came another Korean boy who is also a non-believer. Time was not enough but he took a tract to read.

9) Next I caught up with a Filippino girl who is UQ student. She claimed herself a Catholic Chrisitan but was diagnosed lacking of assurance of salvation. She was appreciative for my clarification.

10) Then I bumped in the same girl from Costal Province possibly Fujian.??????We chatted before but when I asked if she understand and agree with the message of the tract, she indicated she did not need another religion and she is happy to stick with her idolatry faith in a Chinese local idol called MaJoh.???I then lead her through the bible to widen her eyes on God's plan for human at the time Adam and Eve sinned against God leading the human race to become enemy o God rather than the people of God. But God's love for us let Him to devise the dual Kingdom and Redemption project as per Gen ?3:15. I was also about to show her the scientific aspect of the 6 days creation ???? but time is up. Pray for next time we can carry on with the unfinished story of God.

11) Then I connected with an ABC but just have no time to chat except giving him a tract.

12) Finally I approached again a Japanese who come to study at Griffith majoring in Business. We clicked because of my Japan life experience and although he claimed his English is no good but I still managed to share the full gospel with him.

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Toowong (QLD) Team

Battle Log of Operation 513 for Toowong on Tuesday August 8th 2023 from 1330 – 1500

It was a fine day for outreach. Again, only Johnny and Hung team up to serve at Toowong which is a mission field from cross cultural outreach to those UQ International Students. It was so weird today that the queue for bus around half past one was historically long turning the corner and ending at the back street. We could approach someone at the end of the queue so that we can have ample time to accompany the target inside the queue till they boarded the bus. There were large varieties of people group we met and chat today. Muslim from the Arab world, Indian, mainlander and above all Indigenous people or from the outback. There was first timer to hear the gospel. Chrisitan without assurance of salvation, and also stone heart people who reject the gospel. Nevertheless, the Gospel was preached and seeds were sowed. Our God is the one to nurture and harvest. God is great and good. Recap below is my Battle Log: -

1) My first approach was a Muslim ??but a Japanese Manga lover. He bought a cloth hand bag with animation printer on it in Japanese and Kanji. It actually was an evil picture showing the monster in the form of a skeleton bond is having a girl as its breakfast. He was amused when I translate for him the meaning of the manga so his attitude had turned soften and open for more chat. But because of the long queue, he finally chose to call an Uber instead of waiting. Not sure if it is a way of avoidance ??? But certainly, have left with him an impression of wide world view and someone who know the truth that trying to share with him.

2) Then I witch to a mainlander Xao ?from Shenyang??, he overheard my conversation with the Muslim guy and was also amused to find out the funny meaning of the cartoon. As such he appeared very open and impressed about me for a long chat possibly because of my wide exposure of the world. I did not just cover the gospel but my whole testimony and he looks very opened and receptive ??to the gospel and as a result he took both the Chinese and English tract to read.

3) Then I was moved to connect with an aborigine girl from Mt Kaiser in Qld. She claimed she is a & days Adventist Christian, but was tested without assurance of salvation. She anyhow was very open to my explanation and clarification about the real meaning of salvation by grace through faith in Christ.

4) The I connected with a Hinduism, Indian girl who anyhow was not that open for the gospel.

5) Then came next is a girl from the United Arab Emirate. Had a brief chat and shared the nutshell of the gospel then our conversation was cut short by a phone call.

6) Then I connected with Han from Sichuan??, he was very opened especially after knowing I had been a disaster relief team member to Sichuan. ???He also was keen to learn more taking both the Chinese and English tracts. ???

7) Then next I caught up with a Mani lander from Shenzhen ?????she has been here for a long while?????but she is those typical Mainland who was afraid of connecting with local people on religious issues. ???

8 ) Aarushi was yet another Indian girl, and we met last week. So, I followed up on her understanding of the gospel but she still missed the point that being a good person is ok.

9) Then I approached a PNG aborigine lady who was on the phone.

10?Then I caught up with yet another Mainland girl who is very unopened.

11) Last but not the least I have a long chat with an Aussie girl Alisha from Mackay and a home town in the outback town called Naranjo. Her parents are Aussie father with a Spanish mother with strong Catholic background. So she claimed she was baptized as a baby, but when I shared the gospel , she obviously did not understand salvation, so I simply treat her as a non-believers to share her the full gospel which she appeared overwhelmingly receptive and took my advice to ponder again if she has yet ever repent and accept Jesus as Saviour. I was looking forwards to meeting her next week.

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Battle Log of Operation 513 at Sunnybank on Wednesday Aug 2, 2023 from 1300-1500

Praise be to the Lord, the Street Outreach Squad has grown from strength to strength by the grace and calling of God. Today Jase joined the regular Sunnybank squad making a team of five including Johnny, Hung, Amy, Qin Hao and Jase Lemont. We split into two teams with Amy and Jase going over to the Eastern side of Mains Road. Qin is very gifted in hitting gospel target with high efficiency. Sharing the core message in quick time. I somehow found that for those who has been reached by Qin, I can do some follow up or supplement work. We make a very effective oneness team to serve in His strength in Christ. Recap below is the Battle Log of Hung.

1) First I caught up with a lady from Nanjing, Jiangsu????. Johnny had chatted with her before, but I still followed up on her status finding that she still think Buddhism is good enough for her to have and happy life. I stressed again that all religions are not bad in guiding people to be a good person, but it does not resolve the issue of our sin. May this message shed light on her path of seeking of faith.

2) Then I approached a Filipino ???who had no assurance of salvation. I clarified this to him and his friend arrived just then to pick him up by car ending this conversation.

3) Then I chatted with another Filipino lady ??just enough time for the nutshell of the gospel.

4) Edith a Christian lady from Kenya that Qin had approached. I carried on to test her assurance of salvation which is perfectly 100% sure because of Christ alone. She was encouraged to notice that she is the rare species of Christian who has 100% assurance of salvation.

5) Then I was moved to catch up with a Chen Couples from Guangzhou who are on a self-managed off hand tour around the world. ???????. They came up from Melbourne and I shared with him my similar kind self-managed tour date back in 1974 and then my salvation testimony. He was over joyed to be able to meet up with me that can identify with their chosen form of life. He happily took both Chinese and English tracts as he believed message and sharing form me was noteworthy and credible.

6) Then I briefly Connected again with a Filipino that I met in the past weeks though it was interrupted by the quick arrival of his bus.

7) Then I was moved to catch up with a Taiwanese guy from Kaohsiung. He was fully open and all receptive to the gospel message.

8 ) Then I was moved to catch up with a man from Thailand who sat at the farthest side of the bench. Despite Qin had chatted with him and given him a tract. I dug deeper to have a long chat with him explaining the difference of Christianity with all other world religions including Buddhism. He was also open and receptive to the gospel message.

9) Last but not the least I caught up with a lady from Chengdu.?? We clicked for a long chat when she learned I was part of the earthquake disaster relief team in 2008. Her attitude changed from care free to seriousness in the issue of sin. Pray for God continuous work on her until we met next time again.

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Toowong (QLD) Team

Battle Log of Operation 513 for Toowong on Tuesday August 1st 2023 from 1330 – 1500

It was a hot winter day with bright sunshine. It was also the new academic term with many fresh students coming to UQ. Thus, for the first half an hour to 45 minutes, there were long queues of students. Johnny and I picked up some one at the end of the queue and walk up with them to be in queue for a quick ride back to the UQ student registration centre. Today was very special to me, apart from Chinese people, all others were students from India. In general, they were more open than the Chinese students. Recap is the Battle Log of Hung Kwan.

1) At the end of the queue, I was moved to picked up Miss Guo from Mainland China. ????She was all ear listening to the full gospel and took a tract to ponder on the message that she also need a Savior as long as she realized she is not perfect. ??

2) Then I was led to connect with Ashley an Australian born India. He is all open to listen up the full gospel but did not take a tract.

3) Then I connected next with Kao ?from Chengdu??, we clicked for an open and deep sharing because of my history of helping out the earthquake relief work as a Counselling student of UQ. He was major in computer science????, but he showed good receptiveness to the gospel message.

4) Then Iwas led to connect with local Aussie girls who are associated with the department of Religion which is not a Bible college but a department to study and compare world religions. They claimed they are all Christians but of Anglican and Catholic background. Naturally, they all were tested lacking assurance of salivation.

5) Then I connected again with another Indian UQ student who claimed to be an Atheist but still listened to the full gospel withe openness.

6) Then I was led to approach Jack a young man without hope and goal of life. He just finished Grade 12 but showed no interest in anything as such he has chosen to go into his gap year but doing nothing as he does not know what is the goal of life. Thanks God he was still open to discuss life issues and OK to take a selfie with me in case we can meet and chat again next week.

7) Then I connected with a Chinese look but Malaysian from Sabah. He was also opened for a chat on life issue.

8 ) Then I connected with yet another Indian girl who was very opened to the gospel and appeared very receptive.

9 ) Then I connected with the last Indian girl called Ash who was very opened to the gospel and appeared very receptive.

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Christchurch (NZ) Team

A full week of street outreach this week.  Roger and Dominic were with me on Tuesday late afternoon in Riccarton.  Andy, John, Roger and myself on Friday afternoon in the city.  I was in Riccarton Saturday lunch time.  And Susan joined me on Sunday afternoon in the city.

As Roger and I were arriving at our fishing hole on Tuesday, I noticed a guy on a bike talking with someone.  Dominic was already there and into a conversation!  Great to see.  As I was helping Roger set up his flipchart (not that he needs help, I just like to serve him), Dominic joined us, and we prayed together.  As we finished, I noticed three young men coming round the corner, and so I instinctively said, “would you like to try the good person test?”  They gave me an inch, so I made the most of the opportunity: 1 started talking with me, and so Roger started engaging another, while the 3rd continued walking.  The guy I was talking to started engaging, which was encouraging (he came to understand that he is suppressing what he knows about God).  Sadly, the 3rd guy came back and gave him the look - he really didn’t want to stay and talk with us.  But the guy I was talking to left with a tract - hopefully he decides to read it based on the short chat we had.

Dominic and I paired up, and we moved over to our side of the street (leaving Roger to his patch!)  We were able to have 2 solid gospel conversations.

The first was with a young Indian guy.  He is fairly new to the country and is studying health sciences at Ara.  It was a great chat in the sense that I was able to go through the whole flip chart with him, and so Dominic was able to get the whole overview.  This young man came to understand the gospel, and even made a profession of faith.  But when I got him to count the cost (I invited him to church), he hedged.  But he accepted a copy of the gospel of John (he said he would read it), a tract and a card for my church.  He said he may consider it once he has had a chance to settle into his new life in New Zealand.  May the law bring conviction, and the gospel conversion by the power of the Spirit.

Now, I fully intended to get Dominic involved in the next conversation, but to my shame, I ended up hogging the next chat!  Two guys stopped and became very engaged.  One was very postmodern in his thinking (we can’t know anything).  It was a long chat, and we ended up going right till it was dark and we could see our breath as it was getting cold.  The other guy started asking very good questions.  Those guys left with cards for my church too.

I didn’t have time to take pics for that outreach, so I snapped a quick one of Roger just after we had packed up.

On Friday, I was paired up with John, we continued an important theological conversation that came from a gospel conversation we had last week.  It’s great that, even though we strongly disagree, we are still able to understand each other, love one another, and continue to labour alongside one another.

Our first opportunity was with a young Maori guy.  Initially he was taking offence.  He was making assumptions about us, based on New Zealand’s colonial past, and the fact that we were obviously representing Christianity.  It was like a volcano was going to erupt in him.  Somehow I managed to defuse him.  I showed him how logic is universal, and transcends religion and culture; I showed him that I wanted to talk about truth that applied to all peoples.  He calmed down and I was able to briefly share the law and the gospel.  He even opened up about the influence of Christianity in his relatives, even if he was rejecting it.  It was a short chat, but a good one in the end.  He left with a tract.

Next up we ended up getting into a chat with a Philosophy student and his friend.  The Philosophy student was very resistant.  At one point he was even shaking.  And yet, even though I gave him many opportunities to end the conversation, it went a lot longer than I expected.

Back at the bridge of remembrance, John and I ended up splitting up.  I ended up getting into a very long conversation with a young guitarist / vocalist / songwriter using Roger’s flip chart.  I was able to share the law and the gospel, but they guy kept pulling the conversation to philosophical points.  To my amazement, among other things, he expressed a struggle with the reality of the sovereignty of God in salvation!  I was gobsmacked, because this is an important issue that Christians struggle with too!  Yet, this guy was working hard in his suppression of God.  Twice in the conversation, I had to point out: “you know what you are saying right?  What you are saying is: ‘I am god’”.  Our hearts are idol making factories.  We hate the true God, because we want to be god.  I wanted to end the chat, because it wasn’t going anywhere.  But, by this stage, a fellow band member had arrived, and Andy was engaging him.  So I kept my conversation going so Andy could share the gospel.  Andy had a great chat!  In the end, the guy Andy was talking to left, when the guy I was talking to didn’t want to leave, in spite of his resistance.  Roger helped me with that chat, and by the time it was finally over, the outreach was over.

Roger and I ended up having coffee with a young guy keen on evangelism, but is subtly articulating works for salvation.  It was a tiring conversation!

Please keep us in prayer as we minister to all quarters.

Saturday was great.  It started out with a chat with a young Muslim, but that was interrupted by two high school kids who had talked to me at last year's Canterbury A&P Show.  One of them wanted a selfie with me, for some reason.  Maybe to mock?  Maybe not?  I was able to engage them both in gospel conversation and they took tracts.

Later I had a chat with an elderly gentleman, with a strong Christian background, but wasn’t understanding the gospel.  He was too proud and confronted with some of the simple gospel realities I was presenting.  He avoided them by talking about himself, sadly.  He left with a tract in his pocket.

And this reminds me, that Dominic and I were able to share with an elderly gentleman on Tuesday too.  The gospel is not just for young people.  It’s for everyone.

I’m running out of time, but I just want to touch on the wonderful outreach I had today in the city.  For the first part, I didn’t really have any down time.  I caught up with a few regulars (3 of them), before getting into a long conversation with a young student doctor whom I’ve talked to a couple of times before.  He is a transvestite (the first time I talked to him he was wearing lipstick and a dress).  I shared the law and the gospel with him the first time I met him.  And so today, he just asked me questions.  He is resistant to the gospel, but at least he feels comfortable talking to me!  I don’t hate him, and he knows it.  And yet, he knows I think homosexuality is a sin.  He knows I want him to accept that gospel, knowing it will change his life.  He didn’t want another tract as we parted ways.

I went straight into a chat with a lovely Christian couple, and then from that I went straight into a chat with a young couple.  He was open about the fact that he didn’t have an argument against the existence of God, but he didn’t care.  I was able to labour with them both to an understanding of the gospel.  It was a great chat.

By this stage, Susan was with me, and we spent the last hour of outreach in ‘walk up’.  We were able to speak with a young French couple, Susan spoke with a couple of young ladies - one of whom took offence at God’s law, killing the chat.  While I had a brief engagement with a young Christian man who went to ‘works for salvation’, before correcting with ‘Jesus’.  Concerning, he left with a tract.

I’m taking a week’s break before getting into a busy summer of outreach, so it’ll be 2 weeks before my next report (God willing).  God bless you as you are salt and light to those around you.  Glory to God alone.
 

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Battle Log of Operation 513 at Sunnybank on Wednesday 26/7/2023 from 1300-1500

Praise be to God that Qin Hao has been moved to become a regular Gospel Outreach team member to serve at Sunnybank every Wednesday with Johnny and Hung. We thank God for Qin Hao who is a very productive member grasping every opportunity to reach out to people assembling at the Bus Stop on the Eastern side of Mains Road. God uses our team work to cover as many varieties of people group as possible during our 2-hour ministry hour. With the team division of work, Johnny focus on approaching Chinese speaking people leaving English speaking target to Qin Hao and Hung. But aftercall, it was the work of the Holy Spirit to guide us to make our individual approach and will follow up on the response of those gospel target when they are moved to read the tract and home with their heart being touched and moved by the Spirit to make their respective faith response. We are just the vessel used by God to channel the bottom-line blessing to people of all nations.

1) Joseph and Jim were two QUT students from India. They were both very open and keen to listen to the full gospel and appeared very receptive. They took a tract to read and ponder afterwards to make their faith decision.

2) Next, I was led to approach a QUT students from Taiwan. Again, very open and receptive to the Gospel.

3) Then came a Mainlander girl but was persistently not interested to talk about faith issue. Still managed to chat it out on other softer issue but at the end, still refused to take a tract after listening to the gospel.

4) Ella an Indonesian lady who quickly disclosed she is a Christian when Qin Hao approached her. I quickly took over to test for her assurance of salvation which surprisingly is 100% certain simply because of the redemptive work of Jesus taking our place to receive the punishment of our sin. I asked if this orthodox teaching applies to the whole congregation or just to a few matured Christian like her. She claimed it is the norm that everyone at their church is very clear about the gospel and salvation. I can only give all praise and glory to God that amidst a Muslim country, Indonesia Christian can be so matured. I only hope and pray that they will also be mobilized to share the gospel in Indonesia to their own people and cross culturally to other ethnic groups.

5) After that, there came a large group of teenagers possibly from a private high school. Qin reacted quickly handing out tracts to many of the students waiting for their coach to come and many of them did read the tract immediately on the spot. But after they boarded their chartered bus but still waiting at the bus stop. A young handsome boy came to the bust stop and sat down by my side. Girls on the bus kept signing him as if they were friends. But this handsome boy Birdie claimed he knew none of the girl on the bus. Anyway, I got connected with him because of this brief exchange of words and ended up sharing him also the full gospel. He also took a tract to ponder on the salvation issue and to make his step of faith decision accordingly.

6) Then I approached a Korean girl who is a non-believer. She also appeared open and receptive to the gospel.

7) Then I turned to a Chinese lady who claimed herself a Buddhist. She also said she had already had a chat with Winnie at Toowong. I nevertheless still repeat the gospel message to him stressing Buddhism is good bout only guided us to be a good person but could not resolve the issue of sin. She appeared a bit too resistant to all other religion other than Buddhism despite I clarified to her that Buddhism is actually not religion but a kind of education to teach people to be a good person.

8 ) Lastly, I caught up with a Buddhism lady Mardi from Bhutan, I took long time to share her the gospel with many side dish of testimony. She anyway was a bit too proud of her Country being ranked as no one happy country as such she even thought there might be perfect person in their community. But of course, going through the tract, she finally admitted there is no perfect person in the human race and that as long as we are not perfect, then we all need a saviour to cover up our imperfection or sin by His sacrificial blood.

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Toowong (QLD) Team

 

Battle Log of Operation 513 for Toowong on Tuesday July 25h, 2023 from 1330 – 1500

It was a pleasant day for open air outreach, not hot, no cold but just warm. Also as the beginning of a new term, there was a long queue of students waiting for the bu. Many new students were caught up mostly by Johnny, who gave preference to Chinese students. I picked up people randomly with more other nationalities. One surprised encounter was with a Aussie look Hong Kongers who has just returned to Brisbane a week ago. Apart from a small group of mainlanders who were rejective to hear the gospel, people of all other nations appear open and receptive. Recap is the Battle Log of Hung.

1) My first approach was with a mainlander girl from Tsinghai???she is of Han tribe and majoring in Economic???We had a good chat??though when touching on the life issue if good person can go to heaven, she seemed to have a bit of reservation but in general, still appeared open to the gospel.?????
2) Than I approached an Indian man who did not queue for the bus. Thus, I thought he was nt in a hurry, but he looked a bit uneasy and use an excuse to queue for the bus when a few buses arrived. I anyway still had chance to catch up with him slightly about the gospel until he really boarded a bus.
3) Then I picked up an Indian couple from Bangalore. The boy showed initial no interest but still ended up with a good chat and took a tract.
4) Then I caught up with a girl from Wuhan who studies Sociology in UQ. ??????? She was delighted to know I had been to Wuhan and was empathy with the time the city was in complete locked down. She was happy to take a tract when her bus arrived.
5) Then I connected with yet another Indian girl Rachel who has migrated and live here in Brisbane. She was also very open for a chat and listen the full gospel.
6) Amber from Shandong China ?????Has been here for three years doing study in Finance. She was also all open to the gospel message.
7) Ashley another Indian doing Social Science was also open for a chat on the gospel message.
8 ) Thereafter, I suddenly encounter numerous rejection by the Mainlanders.
9) Then it was the surprise of the day that I met a Hongkonger but of Aussie origin. He showed me his HKG ID card. It was a pity his bus came and we took a selfie to give each other a chance to chat if we can meet next week.
10) Naveen an India from Southern India Galore. He was very open to the gospel message and indicated he has friends sharing similar message to him before.

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Christchurch (NZ) Team

It’s report time again.  Good weather during the week, but a very rainy weekend.  So, only 2 street outreaches this week.  Roger was with me in Riccarton on Tuesday; Andy, John and Roger joined me on Friday in the city.

There is no problem with going out in the rain.  I’ve done it many times, and the harvest field is so ripe that opportunities always present themselves, even if standing under a shop front!

But at the same time, God is blessing us with an almost overwhelming amount of gospel opportunities online.  We have face to face conversations with people, sharing the gospel with them and pointing them to the Bible and a local church.  From that, TikTok and YouTube videos are generated.  And that in turn generates people to come to us, via Instagram Messenger, with questions, and that always turns into a gospel conversation, leading to people being pointed to the Bible and a local church.

This morning, before church, I spent a couple of hours sharing the gospel via Instagram Messenger.  As per the picture, there were 1040 unread messages, not including new message requests.  Each unread message represents a person waiting for a response from us in a gospel conversation.  This brought the reality of the ripeness of the harvest field to mind.  And it’s not only online; on the street, there is limitless opportunity to share the gospel!

Yes, of course we should be sharing the gospel with those within our natural spheres of influence: friends, family, work mates, etc.  But, in the sense of the # of people you can reach, the opportunity is always going to be limited (it’s a long term game).  But when we intentionally go out to find gospel opportunities (a numbers game), the opportunity is limitless.  We need both, no doubt.  Of course we want to reach our friends, family, and work mates, etc with the gospel.  But if we don’t also be intentional in reaching out beyond that, the church will miss opportunity to glorify God.

The foundation is Christ and his word: the Bible.  By the power of the Holy Spirit, through prayer, we can overcome our fears in spiritual warfare to bring the gospel to the lost.  All to the glory of God alone.  This applies to the church, families and individually.  Teach the Bible, pray, and share the gospel.  All in reliance of the triune God of the universe, who shows his strength through our weakness!

Anyway, enough rambling.  I’m struggling to remember the details of Tuesday’s street outreach (I’m writing this on Sunday).  I think it may have been a bit of a slower outreach.  But I had a familiar face turn up.  A young man who I think has been to a few Tell Me Conferences turned up to investigate the street outreach.  He ended up joining me for about half an hour.  In that time, I had a young soldier and his girlfriend (wife?) stop to find out what we were doing.  They were willing to give the good person test a try, although there was much hesitance on their part.  Many people try not to think about the difficult realities we were discussing.  He tried to buck away from it.  But I was able to get him to stick around to at least hear the gospel, if not understand it.  They didn’t stay long.

I’m racking my brain, I’m sure I must have had other conversations, but I just can’t remember.  I remember glancing over the street and seeing Roger busy.  What a blessing!

On Friday, I paired up with John and we did some ‘walk up’ down Cashel Mall.  We both had conversation opportunities, but they were awkward in their own way.  We decided to cross Colombo St and head towards High St.  I don’t often go that way.  I ended up getting a conversation going with a young man from the USA, in NZ to play rugby.  He had a Christian background, but he pointed to ‘being good’ as the reason he was going to heaven, and so a law / gospel conversation ensued.  He became mildly emotional as he wrestled with the realities of the difficult truths we were discussing.  He started asking hard questions in defence.  One of them was: “what about those that have never had the opportunity to hear about Jesus, where do they go?”  Now, I’ve got a stock answer for this, but I sometimes forget that the question is less intellectual, and more emotional (and a deflection).  I tried to address the emotion as best as I could, but the intellectual answer is still valid and helpful, even though difficult.  Here is the stock answer by the way:

Everyone, even those in the amazon jungle with no contact with outside society, know God is real in the same way: the universe proves the universe maker (Romans 1:18-20; Psalm 19:1-4).  And, everyone knows they have done wrong: by conscience (Romans 2:14-16).  Therefore everyone justly deserves hell.  God is not doing wrong (in fact he is doing what is right) when he sends people to hell.  But, by his grace he saves some.

So, someone who doesn't know about Jesus will go to hell.  But, God is so merciful, he has asked us to go and tell everyone the good news!

The tensions in the Bible can sometimes be difficult to hold rightly.  Christians struggle with this stuff.  I struggle with this stuff.  But the truths of the tensions in the Bible are there for a reason.  They are right, good!  But John and I had to sit down and spend some time discussing, and digesting these truths.  The gospel, in one way, is so simple that a child can understand it, but in another, so deep, that a scholar will never exhaust it.  Even today, as I was listening to the truth’s of the gospel being explained in church, I was in tears.  Why does God choose me?  Oh, the wonders of his grace!!

Later, John and I had an opportunity to share this grace with two young Indian guys.

I’ve been doing more training work online.

On Friday I was able to spend an hour with a young man from Malta.  He has come to understand God’s grace and is now passionately sharing it with his friends.  But he wants to get sharper!  To my amazement, this young man has a stutter.  I was so encouraged that he would be willing to train with me to share the gospel, in spite of his impediment.  May this encourage you to face your constraints and fears and be prepared to share the gospel!

I was also able to spend about 45 minutes with a Pastor in Mississippi, who is writing a paper on sharing the gospel across cultural boundaries, online.  I was able to explain what we have learned about the benefits and shortfalls of online evangelism, and the tools and rules we have put in place to manage this.

On Saturday, I had a 2nd session with a lady in the USA.  I’m so encouraged to hear all she is doing, encouraging her church in evangelism, and leading training and outreach (flea markets, door to door, etc).  In this session I was able to communicate the power of questions, both to 1) keep someone engaged (don’t monologue), and 2) check that they are understanding the gospel.  I think she has much to process (I know it took me time!)  God willing, she will be ready for a 3rd session soon!

I’ve been having some wonderful face to face gospel conversations online too.  But I’m out of time to discuss them.

Come, join us in the harvest field.  It’s so exciting!  Come share in the joy of telling people about Jesus.  All glory to God alone.
 

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Toowong (QLD) Team

Battle Log of Operation 513 at Sunnybank on Wednesday 19/7/2023 from 1300-1500

It was a great day of street outreach with a full team of four all turning up including Johnny, Hung, Amy and Qin Hao. God ordained and used the four of us to supplement each other’s. Qin Hao is the most enthusiastic one quick in action. Hung looked after more Cantonese and Japanese speaking persons. It was a fruitful day of outreach. Recap below is the Battle Log of Hung: -

1) I was moved to approach a Filipino Mum and son of Catholic background. They were open and friendly for a long chat. I basically test their assurance of salvation, finding the lacking area of their understanding of salvation, explaining them in full. I was surprised the kid Liam is smart enough to get better and quicker understanding of my teaching than his mum Wilma.

2) Peter of Sherwood suddenly turned up and we had conversation on doctrine and Christian living.

3) Then I approached a mainlander??. She was opened and took a tract when the bus came.

4) Then I approached an Aussie girl and used the slang dinkum as ice breaker. She was opened to the gospel message as well and also too ka tract when her bus came.

5) Next was a Korean girl, a non-believer, when asked if she think there is any perfect person, she was the rare lonesome person who think there might be some perfect person! It imposed difficulty for me to explained but her bus also came pre-maturely before I can finish my explanation.

6) Two Hong Kongers but appeared not interested and left the bus stop for more shopping, later after they come back, both Qin and Hung tried to approached but then time run out when the bus arrived.

7) A seemingly Filipino girl was opened but was interrupted by an incoming call, so I just left her a tract first.

8 ) Then I approached a Vietnamese man he was not keen for a chat.

9) Then I met a rare Indonesia Christian girl. It was a pity her bus also came very quickly that I did not have time to diagnosed her assurance of salvation.

10) Arusha was a Japanese lady from Tokyo for working holiday. Her English is not good, so Johnny and Qin refer her to me and I can greet her in fluent Japanese to keep her relax for a full gospel sharing. She was so appreciative and willing to take a selfie with me.

11) Then I caught up with Three Hkger and got good chat before entering to gospel sharing then two show reluctant to listen with one interested to carry one and took a tract from me at the end.

12) Finally, I approached two mainlander and one of whom is of minor tribe ??? Uighur. We chatted pleasantly for a while but was interrupted by an incoming call.

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Toowong (QLD) Team

Battle Log of Operation 513 for Toowong on Tuesday July 18th, 2023 from 1330 – 1500

Today is the new term starting week of UQ. We met many new students, some just arriving to do the student registration. We had been helping some of them to get on the right bus to get to UQ. It was good that we can serve as local guide to point them to the right direction for both their Uni study needs and the need of eternal life in Christ. God also called and moved a pious Australian born Indian students to stop and offer to pray for Johnny and me. It is good to know that we are not alone but God has raised up many prophets to prophesize turning people back to God. Recap is the Battle Log of Hung.

1) Chole a local Aussie girl who was open for conversation as such full gospel was shared and initial receptiveness was witnessed.

2) Andreas an Italian QUT Engineer student however lives in St Lucia, shared the nutshell of the gospel as bus came quite quick.

3) Kabir the Australian Born Indian but came to Christ in 2014, 10 years after an near death experience in 2004 that he really died for 9 minutes but came back to life being shocked by the Heaven scene he saw when he lied dead. It triggered his search for way to eternal life and received Christ 10 years later, But he only became a fervent Christian joining power to change and engaging in gospel outreach in the campus. He anyhow was moved to pray for us as a God sent angel.

4) Then I caught up with a Maninder from Jiangsu?? Changzhou??, he was open to the gospel and moved to pursue salvation by grace through faith in Christ.

5) Then I approached an Indian guy who was on the phone but still chatted with me for a short while letting me know he was approached before possibly by Winnie. He was at the right time for another extensive chat, so I had to let him go to continue with his phone call.

6) Then I turned to my right to try to chat with a Muslim look lady. But after chatting for a while, she suddenly claimed she does not speak English but how can she become a UQ student? So I could only draw to the conclusion that she took an excuse to decline my invitation to chat and share.

7) Then I turned to a Sweden girl nearby and she was open for chat. It was a pity her bus came a bit too quick to let me finish the full gospel.

8 ) Then I connected with a new student from Xian ???? who just arrived today and was about to go to the student registration office. I guided him the way and started the gospel sharing which he was open for understanding about Jesus.

9) Finally I caught up with a Singapore student who claimed he is a Christian, but has not assurance of salivation and don't even know much about Jesus and full of doubt about the Biblical account likes creation in 6 days. It was a pity his bus arrival cut short our conversation. But we both hope to chat again next week so we took a selfie to recognize each other's face.

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