A Barrage of Testimonies!

2013 April 16 (28)

Exhortation

Testify Tuesday. Markville Mall. 6:30PM. Preach Jesus. Come/Pray.

This weekend at Harvest Bible Chapel York Region I heard from Rom 8:9-11... I heard a sermon, like many before it. And now I'm going to the mall with a team of Christians to preach this same good news of Jesus Christ to others who need to hear it.

I want to be honest though. I'm tired. Right now I'm on my lunch break at work, and tonight I have a paper to write for seminary. I'm tired. A part of me just wants to go home, eat dinner, and not even do my paper...

I'm no superman. I don't always get excited about sharing the gospel. I'm no elite evangelist. I don't pray enough. I can't even share eloquently half the time. I'm just a guy honestly trying to do the things Christ tells me to do as best I can. I know many people coming tonight are like that too (ie. Mike, Ben). So no, I won't just go home and eat dinner, I WILL proclaim the gospel at the mall tonight. I have to, for people have to hear this gospel! This is life! And without it, all they'll have is death... eternal death (Matt 25:46). How CAN I keep quiet...?

So please, pray for us. We need it, I need it... Pray too for the people we'll soon encounter, they'll need it even more. And pray for yourself, for your own walk with Christ. Know that I'll be praying with you too.

Testimony

Mike’s
Today (at Testify Tuesday with Tony Chuang, Ben Sampson and others from Harvest Bible Chapel York Region), we proclaimed the gospel at Markville Mall again. Today I came in feeling very very very tired and a bit apprehensive. Staying at home would have been the easiest thing to do. Today Jackson and I were partners and the first two conversations appeared as though they were flops and we may never know what the outcome of them will be, but the gospel was proclaimed. We planted, others may water, but it is God that gives the increase. There's a huge group of older Macedonian guys and their wives that meet every single day at the mall to hang out. We had always wanted to approach them, but were scared. Well, today was that day! It went really well and opened the door for future conversations. There are there every week...no, actually they're there every day! Anyways, Psalm 28 says "the joy of the Lord is my strength and my shield" and that was so true of us when we concluded tonight. Praise God for more opportunities!

Linda’s
Amazed and humbled truely, by what God did at Markville Mall today at Testify/ evangelism Tuesday.
Dorothy and I had the opportunity to engage in two conversations.
The first, we talked to a group of three who vaguely knew about heaven and hell, but categorized it as just another "experience". We did walk away encouraged that after sharing the gospel and asking about prayer requests we were able to pray with them.
Our second conversation,was with an individual who says he is a Christian. We wanted to "toil the soil" to reach a deeper understanding of where he stood and weren't quite sure, yet again walked away encouraged that we could pray for him. We invited him to come check out Harvest. Let's pray that he does! God is good and truely the joy of the LORD is our strength!!! — with Mike Fenty and 4 others.

Dorothy’s
Was reading a book by Mark Cahill on the subway on the way to work this morning and felt convicted by this question: Would you deal with your laziness problem for the love of money when you won't deal with it for the love of God? Too often I pass up opportunities for God to be glorified simply because I didn't feel like it. Yet for things like work or school I will manage to get myself going despite how I'm feeling.

Another great Testify Tuesday evening with Harvest Bible Chapel York Region peeps, Tony, Mike, Ben, Jackson, and Linda. Teaming up with Linda, I met a group of friends Keanna, Brendan, and Sabrina, who were really courteous and patient, and were open to hearing us out. Though they didn't express interest in considering the gospel in the end, Keanna nevertheless asked for prayer for her grandmother, who was recently in a serious accident.

We next met Mark, with whom we also had a generally pleasant conversation. His responses were rather vague, though he was genuinely interested in the dialogue, and was interested in visiting Harvest sometime. He told us that he has been a Christian for a little over a year. Though we don't know where exactly he's at in his relationship with Jesus, we trust that God will use this encounter to spur Mark further towards Himself.

Glory be to God. Even when we present ourselves to him with unworthy hearts, He still uses it towards the up-bringing of His Kingdom. What undeserved grace! Praying that He will continue to break us out of our complacency and turn our concrete hearts to softened ones, that we would hurt for those who have yet to know the peace of God that transcends understanding.

Ben’s
Yesterday evening, with friends from Testify Tuesday at Markville Mall; I verbally communicated the good news of Jesus Christ to complete strangers. Up until now, I have been somewhat reluctant to talk about what God has been doing with and through us on Tuesday nights, especially on Facebook, though it has been going on for some 6 months. (Perhaps I am afraid of what you, the cyber friend, think of God or me and my motives concerning God.) Friends, the good news is that Jesus Christ took the punishment we deserve for sin and now we, everyday people, must repent and believe in him in order to be saved. Jesus died for our sins, He rose from the dead, and He will return to judge us. This is something I believe, and I daresay that when I surrendered my life to Christ; He has changed every aspect of who I am, and who I am becoming. I praise God for the friends he has put in my life to help me obey this command - make disciples of all nations, including Canada! (Matt 28:19-20) My Christian readers.. will you join me on Tuesday? Will you pray for me today? Will you submit to God's word? I have only just begun to realize who I am in Christ when I obey him... will you begin to do this in your life and join me???!!! I need your help...! - with Tony Chuang, Mike Fenty, Jackson Tsuji, Hope Linda, Dorothy Leung.

Jackson’s
Last night was another evening of sharing the Gospel at the Mall! Mike Fenty and I paired up last night, and we talked with a few groups of people about the life-changing Good News of Jesus Christ. We did not see much “fruit” from most of our conversations, unfortunately. (But who knows what God will do?) Even so… we’ve got to keep proclaiming this Good News and not stop! The Bible says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16 ESV). It’s only by the Gospel that we can be saved – that Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, came to earth, lived a perfect life, and died to pay for our sins (thoughts/actions that are displeasing to God) so that we could be forgiven and not face the eternal punishment that we deserve. That’s some amazing news (how will you respond to it?), and it ought to change those who have received it. I’m not saying you have to share this message at a mall with us, but if you’re saved, is the Good News of what God has done in you flowing out of your life? It’s a great check for me as well.

I was so convicted last night that I need more boldness in sharing this message. I struggle, and even struggled last night, with speaking the whole truth about the Gospel and speaking it plainly, because I’m afraid of what people will think of me. BUT praise God that He is the one who gives us boldness and the words to speak (Ephesians 6:19-20)… I can trust in Him that He will keep growing me in this area.

Thanks to everyone who came out (Mike, Dorothy, Ben, Hope, Tony). Because of what Christ has done, let’s keep praying that God will transform us to be people who live out each and every day for His Glory. — with Mike Fenty and 4 others.

Tony’s
You’ve heard testimonies about Testify Tuesday from Mike, Linda, Dorothy, Ben, and Jackson. I asked all of them to write individual testimonies because last night was different. We had many interesting conversations. This one guy Sam wanted to leave about 4 times during the conversation but somehow we kept talking to him for a while. He said he was Christian because he went to church, naturally I had to quote Matt 7:22 to him. At the end, Ben somehow convinced him that he needed to be born again (John 3:3). But sadly, like Nicodemus, he just walked away... :(

The thing is, we should be discouraged. We should be disappointed and tired because honestly, the conversations weren't “fruitful”. But we weren't depressed. Instead we experienced more joy this time than we ever have! We joked with each other. We walked away from conversations knowing that though they didn't respond well, the full gospel has been unashamedly proclaimed, without adulterating an ounce of truth. Oh just imagining how these seeds will take root excites me. And we were filled with such joy, such overflowing joy!

It was the joy of knowing we did exactly what God told us to do. The joy of the Lord supernaturally filled every one of us as we shared the Word with each other and prayed fervently in the Spirit at the end. Team, we were wrong, there was fruit! The fruit was the work done in our own souls! I praise the Father for all five of you and for countless others who were praying. You truly make my joy complete and I wouldn't be able to keep evangelizing without you. The fruit is you too, the one reading. Brother, be encouraged. Sister, be edified. Family, be exhorted to work for Christ and so experience His extraordinary joy! :D

Souls (19) {Total: 211}

M (gay guy);
H (good life personal trainer);
P, T, T, J, S (5 teenagers);
S (Adventist);
M and Macedonian crew (7 people);
S, K, B (prayed for them);
M (self-proclaimed Christian)

Team (6)

Tony, Ben; Mike, Jackson; Linda, Dorothy