End of a Season

It has been a year since we started going out to Markville Mall to evangelize. It started as "Witness Wednesday" but has since become "Testify Tuesday". We missed the week of Nov 7, but every single one of the past 52 weeks (which is a year), we have faithfully gone out to Markville to share the gospel of repentance and forgiveness in Jesus Christ.

We took no breaks, not even if the week was really busy. We faithfully went out because sharing the gospel is just that important to us as we help advance the kingdom. We have talked to 275 groups of people, together composing of 428 souls. This is 8.23 person per week. We don't count conversations where we simply prayed for them (though those are amazing too).

So that's 428 people who have heard the full gospel. That is that they are Hell-bound sinners in need of a savior and that savior being none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Granted we share this with tact and with love. But that's a lot of people who now know what it means to be a Christian and how to do it. We have planted 428 seeds in just a year! Hallelujah! And this with only an average of 4 evangelists each week.

Though we have "only" had the privilege of seeing 5 people come to faith in front of us, we know that there are countless seeds that have grown because of what we did. And who knows what God has done with them by now! So for that we rejoice.

This ministry started with just me, but God has since grown it immeasurably, especially in terms of prayer warriors. And that is the key strength of this: prayer. Without prayer, we lose the help of the Holy Spirit, and without Him, we can do nothing.

Witnessing statistics over a year. I have more, I just didn't want to make the graph too convoluted.

I have moved to Chicago as of Aug 17th. However, Testify Tuesday is still going strong under the faithful and strong leadership of Mike Fenty. Please keep him and everyone involved in your prayers. Let's pray for even more fruit next year!

In case anyone is wondering, I'm not posting updates for Testify Tuesday anymore. I'm now doing a lot of outreaches with Moody Theological Seminary (where I am getting my Master of Divinity). Check out http://moodyoutreach.blogspot.com/. I will keep updating that one (at least until God moves me to another city).

Tony's Last Day

2013 Aug 13 (45)

Exhortation

Today is Testify Tuesday. 6:30PM, Markville Mall.

Should I give an exhortation as to why we need to evangelize? No, that's saved for Harvest York Region Young Adults on Thursday. Come to that. However, I am going to ask you to pray and wait. Join me and the team in praying for God to do something great tonight.

This will be the 45th week that we have been out in Markville. 45 weeks of sharing the gospel,This will also be the last time I'm consistently there. Mike Fenty is taking over as I move to Chicago.

So if God is leading you, I would very much like to go evangelize with as many of you as possible. Will you consider it?

Testimony

This will be my last testimony sharing from Testify Tuesday... Sad times... My biggest takeaway: Prayer.

We started going out and sharing the gospel weekly at Markville Mall on October 3rd, 2012. Since then, we've gone out every single week (except Nov 7, arghh). Every single week, we were there talking to random strangers about who Jesus Christ is and why they should care. Many weeks we were discouraged, saddened that we faced so many rejections and so few opportunities to even share the message. Many weeks we begged God to save someone but seemed to face stone walls. But every week, we were faithful.

The biggest thing I want to leave with everyone is the importance of faithfulness, especially faithfulness in prayer. Testify Tuesday started with just one person. I went five weeks by myself, until I couldn't take it anymore. But when I took a break on Nov 7th, God convicted me of my sin and I had to repent. As I went back the next week, I pleaded with God to send someone with me. God answered and brought Mike Fenty. Shortly after, Ben Sampson joined too and the three of us have been going consistently since.

Since we started, we've shared the gospel with 365 individuals, faced many more outright rejections, and only encountered 11 actual Christians (not nominal ones). That's about 0.03% of the population. The harvest is very plentiful but the laborers are so few. Nevertheless, God is good. Over the span of the ministry, 29 different evangelists have come out with us. And we've had 5 people come to trust Christ as Lord and savior. We rejoice over these five souls. But please be praying for us as evangelism is hard, HARD work. We often wish for more fruit but know that this is not the nature of our ministry.

Last night, the team consisted of Mike, Ryan, Matthew, Ambrose,Samantha, Melinda, Linda, and myself. Norman even joined at the end. God has grown us from just one to this many! And we represent not just one church, but many. I know God can do more if we are faithful in prayer, so please keep praying for this. Please keep pleading for more souls to be saved. I know for a fact that our God answers prayers!

In the month of May, we prayed on our knees that God would do two things: 1) Save someone, 2) Add a team member. (http://testifytuesday.blogspot.ca/2013/05/2013-05-08.html) God answered both of those on the very last week of May. See, faithfulness in prayer is what pushes our ministry, nothing else. Testify Tuesday is a prayer movement more than it is anything about evangelism. Many weeks, within our team, we pray almost as long as we evangelize! Evangelism is merely a natural outflow of passionate prayer for the lost. Never forget that.

And why do we do it? Soli Deo gloria.

Souls (7+) {Total: 365+}

J (weird church);
J;
K;
M;
M;
M;
K

Team (8)

Tony, Samantha; Mike, Matthew; Ryan, Ambrose; Melinda, Linda

Rejection and Repentance

2013 Aug 6 (44)

Exhortation

Testify Tuesday. What does that mean? That means it is Tuesday and therefore we go to Markville Mall and share the gospel. Tonight we are starting at 6PM.

"Sing to the LORD, all the earth!
Tell of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples!"
- 1 Chron 16:23-24

That! That is what we are doing tonight. You are invited to join.

Testimony

Testify Tuesday:
When God's people pray for his kingdom to be expanded he opens up Heaven and gives them more then they could expect. LTM~

Praise God for the amazing conversations we had tonight!
Our team consisted of Tony, Norman, and Melinda.
Upon arrival, Tony, Norman and Melinda were in conversation with a couple who seemed to be listening courteously. Apparently no one had ever shared the gospel with them, but they were willing to listen, and thanked us for sharing with them- which was an encouragement. We never know how the seeds will be invested in the soil.
We then divided into pairs, girls and guys. Initially as Melinda and I set off with our fire to share the gospel- it felt like it was doused with the water of rejection. We couldn't understand why no one we approached (three attempts) wanted to talk to us. Yet God is faithful, our fourth attempt was a lady waiting for her daughter, she professed to be a Christian and was so encouraged by us and wanted us to meet her daughter- who was inside the store. Further she was so encouraged by us she wanted to treat us to ice cream! We kindly refused the offer but appreciated her prayers and support- our efforts were renewed.

Norman and Tony seemed to have a fruitful conversation, so much that when they gave a invitation to check out our church, the guy they talked to said he would be interested in coming! Please pray for no hindrances, but for God's will to be done.

So after a reboot in confidence, Melinda and I approached a guy who is Catholic but also believes parts of the Muslim faith.
Melinda did a fierce job presenting the truth of the gospel stating that it's not about labels but about the heart what a person believes and a relationship with Christ. It seemed like we went down tangent lane alot- but through our discussion he came away knowing why as young people we were there sharing the gospel on a Tuesday and that Christ wants to pursue a relationship with him.

Norman and I then had the opportunity to have two conversations; One with a young man whose religion is Hindu, but he is an atheist. Praise God this young man has a friend who is a Christian, and apparently his Christian friend has talked with him and shared from the Bible! Amazing...seeds being planted at different stages! So Norman and I shared with him the gospel- although for an atheist he knew alot OF the Bible but not as much about the relationship with God- this was deeply lacking. He asked alot of good questions like how come we were Christians? What made us turn our lives around. This opened the opportunity for us to share our testimonies briefly and we both touched upon repentance in our own way. It seemed fruitful until his family came. We had given him a card and invited him to come out to Harvest and he seemed interested, but his Mom took the card. Regardless, our God is greater. Like we told him God has a plan for each of us and we never know where our discussion will lead.

Our second conversation was with a woman who says she is a Christian,although she doesn't go to church as often as she should, nor reads her Bible as much. When asked where she is going to go she said somewhere in reunion with her mother, father and brother- but not Heaven. We probed her about heaven and Hell and she refused to believe there was a hell or further that God would send people there. She couldn't get over how a little sin could send someone to hell. She was knowledgeable about the Bible, and Norman was really fierce in presenting the origins of Sin from Adam and Eve and how God is a righteous judge-but she just wouldn't budge.Overall she was kind to us. We wish we had more time with her, she was delightful to talk to, but had to leave. Apparently she was visiting her grand daughter and sister since she lives in Florida! Divine appointments tonight for sure!

Thank you so much for partnering up with us through prayer tonight, and for trooping through this essay .
Please continue to join us in our petitions that God will add to our numbers, unify us, give us courage, boldness when we go out and have wisdom in following up with those God places before us.

Thank you dear brothers and sisters.

1 Timothy 4:12:
Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

Souls (11) {Total: 358}

J, R;
D;
P;
J;
J;
M;
A;
T;
G;
N

Team (6)

Tony, Norman, Melinda, Linda; Ryan, Stephen, Matthew

Ben's Last Day

2013 Jul 30 (43)

Exhortation

It is here again, Testify Tuesday. It means once again we are going to Markville Mall at 6:30PM to share the gospel. It also means that we'll need your prayers once again.

I often wonder, when you read this now, do you feel anything? Do you just think of this as another thing that Tony, Mike, Ben, and others do? Or do you realize that a real battle is being waged, and we are in serious need of more soldiers? Do you pray fervently, pleading with God for His power to be made known while evangelists like us do local missions? Because we need you to.

Yes, and that is what we are doing. We are local missionaries, preaching the gospel to people who have never heard it before. We have not once asked for money even though we do the same work (also because it doesn't really cost anything, except gas, tracts, etc.). We send out "mission updates" every week as do missionaries (in fact, they do it less frequently). We face much depression and discouragement weekly, especially on Tuesdays, as would missionaries. Our hearts burn and cry for the lost, as should anyone who truly believes in Hell.

I urge you, take this seriously. We spend thousands going on mission trips to foreign, exotic places, but the field is ripe for harvest right here! Christian, labor exactly where you are. Only then should you start thinking about going anywhere else.

Testimony

Ben's Future

Tomorrow I begin the first week of a new stage in my life. I have just quit my full-time job to head to Vancouver in Sept for 3+ years to study the Bible (Master of Divinity). Hopefully, one day, I will work in the Church/Para-Church in some major capacity

If you had told me a few years ago that this would be the case, I would have laughed at you. If you knew me back then, you know this is true! If you know me now, I want you to know that my faith in Jesus is responsible for this change. I submit this knowing that I struggle to consistently demonstrate behaviour taught by Christ, in the Bible.

I honestly feel like a normal guy, whatever that means. I just want all of my virtual friends to have faith to not be afraid to take risks that they believe will make a maximum impact for God. Thanks for your time... I'll miss you GTA

Souls (16) {Total: 347}

P;

R, R, A;

G(autistic);

C (atheist);

A (Catholic);

J (Catholic);

Couple;

Group of teenagers;

R (gave email)

Team (8)

Tony, Linda, Matthew; Mike, Stephen; Ben, Ryan, Abbey

Ryan Tanking It

2013 Jul 23 (42)

Exhortation

It is Testify Tuesday. Does anyone get sick of these exhortations sometimes? I do. I mean there's only so many different ways I can write this! We are Christians, Christians should share the gospel, so we share the gospel. It's that simple.

6:30PM, Markville Mall. Come, or pray, or do both.

Testimony

Tony asked me to write the post about Testify Tuesday today at Markville mall.

The first person Mike Fenty, Tony Chuang and I approached was a women who was sitting down holding all her belongings in a cart. She said that her greatest need right now was for a room to sleep in with a shower. She spoke about how Christians downtown are always giving the homless gospel tracts and saying nice things to them, but never actually helping to meet there physical needs. She seemed to have a lot of anger towards the church she used to attend, and she blamed it for putting her out on the streets. She was a good speaker and she was able to tell us a little about Jesus when Tony asked her if she knew who he was. She said that the historical Jesus who walked on earth 2000 years ago was her personal saviour who has helped her through her whole life, ever since being alone at age 15. Tony and Mike kept trying to go deeper by offering her help and connections but she wouldn't accept it. She said that she didn't want help from guys. (If you are a girl who has a passion to see the lost saved, come out on tuesdays! May have been a great help today) We will continue to trust that God will work in this womens life no matter what she will face in the future. She claims to know and believe in Christ, the only saviour. Let's pray that she really does.

After that conversation, Mike and I spoke to someone in the food court. He was very willing to hear what Mike had to say about Christianity and Buddhism. God used Mike to speak powerfully about the gospel and our need for a saviour. After speaking about our sin and how no one can meet God's standard for perfection the man said something along the lines of "But that's tough because no one is perfect." Mike said "exactly!" he explained how because non of us are perfect and how non of us can get to God on our own, we need a saviour - Christ. After he explained how God is a righteous Judge who must punish sin, he then explain how God sent his son Jesus Christ to earth to pay for our sins by dying on the cross. And on that Cross Jesus took the wrath of God and the punishment we deserve. 3 days later He rose from the dead never to die again. And its ONLY through repentance and by putting our faith in Christ that we can inherit eternal life with God.

Matthew Luong And i also spoke to 2 other people. Although they heard this all before, we needed to explain how works and good deeds do not get us to heaven. It's only our faith in Christ that we are transformed and bear fruit. We had to really explain sin to them and how God cannot tolerate it. Then we were finally able to tell them about Christ. We can't let sin rest lightly on our conscience.

Ben Sampson also went around tonight to witness. I did not get to hear any specific stories from him. He did say that he had a couple great conversations tonight so praise God. Maybe he will share them in the comments!

For those of us who felt very tired tonight - Isaiah 40:28-31. Wait on the Lord and trust in him. He will renew your strength.

Souls (8) {Total: 331}

D;
O;
Two Sri Lankan guys;
White guy;
E;
M, F

Team (5)

Tony, Mike, Ryan; Matthew, Ben

How Did They Understand the Gospel!?

2013 Jul 16 (41)

Exhortation

Testify Tuesday is here. We're going to preach the gospel at Markville mall starting at 6:30PM.

Zechariah 6:12 says, "Behold, the man whose name is the Branch... he shall build the temple of the LORD." On that day, Christ will rebuild His temple and restore all creation to their former glory. Until then, Christ will build His church, He will do it. But what is our job?

Verse 15 continues, "And those who are far off shall come and help to build the temple of the LORD." Christians of all nations, hear the words of the LORD. You have come from far off and from every nation. Every nation will be blessed and God wants to use YOU! YOU shall help build the temple. YOU shall help edify the church. YOU shall proclaim the gospel!

Genesis 12:1-3, Zechariah 6:15, and Matthew 28:19-20, these are all talking about the same thing. If you are a Christian, you are called to build up the church, making disciples of all nations, seeking out the lost, orphaned, widows, and strangers.

Christian, join us in prayer. Not everyone may be required to preach, but everyone is required to participate. We welcome that participation in the form of prayer or coming out.

Testimony

I am so thankful for the prayer that goes on while we are sharing the gospel, here's why:

Ryan and I talked to these two Middle Eastern brothers about the gospel. When we were using the courtroom analogy, they got so into it. We even got them to role-play a bit (as the judge)! They said that how no matter how sorry the defendant felt, a crime is still a crime and he has to be punished. So when we turned it around and told them that they were the ones who committed this crime against God and the punishment was Hell, they fell silent. Like Nathan the prophet told David, "You are that man!" And like David, they had no rebuttal.

Likewise, Mike and Matthew got into a similar situation with a Hindu kid who after intently listening for very long, realized the truth of the gospel, asking, "So this Jesus, he is like the scapegoat then?" Yes! Amen! These people who (by their own admission) had never heard the gospel before understood it! Praise God because this knowledge was not from them, but from God. Ben also, though he was a bit discouraged at first, had Linda there to hold him up. We need her there more often.

It doesn't matter if you're from Harvest Bible Chapel York Region, Summit, or any other church. Keep praying for us! I have no doubt that our gospel conversations today were direct results of your intervention. Pray for the two Middle Eastern brothers, the Hindu kid, for them to hide and contemplate no longer, but instead trust Christ immediately.

Christians, let us rejoice in the great work that WE (together as a body) have accomplished tonight! Hallelujah!

PS. If you weren't praying, sorry, maybe you can rejoice with us next time. ;)

Souls (9) {Total: 323}

C (Macedonian guys);
G (High school Hindu kid);
M (Muslim);
H, H (Muslim/Christian parents);
J, L (older couple);
D;
J

Team (6)

Tony, Ryan; Mike, Matthew; Ben, Linda

Very Encouraging

2013 Jul 9 (40)

Exhortation

It is TUESDAY, and we TESTIFY to the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ on Tuesdays at Markville Mall at 6:30PM. And we are always looking for more people to join us in person or in prayer.

I'm trying to walk a fine line between exhortation and encouragement, so please forgive me if I go too far. But let me ask you (addressing Christians) a series of questions today:
1. Do you believe in death? Everyone dies right?
2. Now, do you believe in a life after death, that there is actually either a Heaven or Hell that people are going to after they die physically?
3. Do you believe that without Jesus, sinful people (aka everyone) are going to Hell, this horrible, horrible place with weeping and eternal suffering of the highest magnitude?
4. Do you believe that God has chosen (primarily) to save people through humans like you and me sharing the gospel (which can look very different from person to person)?
5. How do your day to day actions reflect these beliefs? Do they? Are you fine with doing nothing while ***** goes to Hell? What do you need to do?

Think deeply on those questions... Then let the Spirit work in you, not to be moved by guilt, never by guilt... but by His love.

Testimony

Testimony time!

We had some good conversations last night, but I want to share about something else, about those who encouraged me.

Mike, your simply being there is very reassuring to all that I do. Ben, your encouragement last night truly and deeply blessed my soul. Ryan, your maturity sets a high example for many to follow. This is not a one-man show. We are a team, and you guys are dearer to me than you can know. Harvest Bible Chapel York Region, your prayers form a big part of what sustains this ministry too.

See, we bumped into some Godly women from Harvest at the mall who prayed for us on the spot. You know who you are. Thank you so much. :) And all the others who were with us in prayer, know that God is working as powerfully through you as He did through us last night. Know that without your prayers, I and the team would have collapsed a long time ago. Our fire is burning and people are getting saved through your participation!

Christian, please do not stop spreading the gospel. To many, that may look like fervent prayer on your knees. Do that! And don't stop. Because neither will we.

Souls (10) {Total: 314}

J (Catholic);
Macedonian guy;
R;
D;
F, S;
T;
M, M;
J

Team (4)

Tony, Mike; Ben, Ryan