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

Why So Tired?

2013 Jul 2 (39)

Exhortation

Today is Testify Tuesday once again at Markville mall! We learned about David and Goliath at Harvest Bible Chapel York Region this Sunday. What is the size of the "giant" in your life in comparison to the size of our God? We're talking about the God who created the world, defeated sin and death and has forgiven us time and time again. This is what we preach every Tuesday to those who are lost and without hope. Please pray for us as we share the good news...perhaps maybe you'll even join us! The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few.

Testimony

This is the testimony for our witnessing tonight:

I was really tired today, I think Ben was too. I had no desire to go to the mall to evangelize. Even when I was there, I had no desire to talk to anyone. Even after talking to JP, I had no compassion for his soul. I'm ashamed to admit that I was just doing what I always did on Tuesdays. I'm very thankful to Mike for bringing the conversation to the gospel because I couldn't.

I feel like I've taken on too many roles and have too many responsibilities. I want to shrug off some but I can't, all of them are so important! Right now, I am just so tired... I don't feel like I can do much more... But I must! So yes, I was out tonight and the gospel got shared. Kudos to Ryan and Stephen tanking it once again; you should talk to them about their sweet conversations. Their zeal for the gospel is an encouragement to me. So are your prayers, oh how I covet your prayers!

Christians, please pray for perseverance for all members of the team. More than that, pray for the Spirit of God to give us strength daily. Most importantly, pray for people to come to know Christ as Lord and savior. It is for their eternity and the Father's glory that we toil night and day.

Yes, that is worthy of all my energy.

Souls (10) {Total: 304}

R;
4 students;
JP (Catholic motorcycle guy);
R;
G, H;
J

Team (5)

Tony, Mike; Ben; Ryan, Stephen

Low Hanging Fruit

2013 Jun 25 (38)

Exhortation

It's Testify Tuesday again. I hope every Christian reading this is testifying about Christ in their own unique way today. For a few of us, we are going to Markville Mall at 6:30PM to do just that. Join us if the Holy Spirit tells you to.

Those of you at Harvest Bible Chapel York Region last Sunday heard a bit about the shepherd heart of David. I pray often that God would give this heart to more people. I pray that more people would weep for the countless number of lost souls heading to Hell. I pray that God would send more laborers to this harvest field. I pray that these messages I put up every Tuesday do not fall on deaf ears.

Am I asking you to come out to the mall to evangelize to strangers, that you're not a good Christian if you don't? NO!!! Stop getting that idea! I am asking you to have a shepherd's heart for the lost, to have a gospel-centric lifestyle, to seek out ways to help, to pray for open doors for the gospel... I KNOW there's something only you can do. Do it!

And pray "also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel" (Eph 6:19), which is neither natural nor easy for me. Pray for that tonight.

Testimony

As usual, at the mall tonight for our weekly evangelism, we have many interesting stories to share, but we'll share one:

There was this group of two guys, one of whom had a best friend who died when he was a kid (hit by a car) and have since turned away from God. The other guy (let's call him Sam) just broke up with his girlfriend 3 weeks ago. He was obviously frustrated and angry, saying that she treated him like dirt even though he treated her like gold. We shared snippets of the gospel but could not get the whole thing out in one go. However, as we kept talking (and it was a very long conversation), he started opening up a bit more. I liked how Stephen kept pushing and digging deeper.

He started asking questions as we talked about sin and about how maybe he's been treating God like dirt while God has done nothing but love him. After some more time, Sam's friend got impatient and wanted to leave. But Sam wasn't done talking and wanted to stay! In fact, we exchanged contacts and he said he'll be here again next week on Tuesday.

As we parted, we told him that this was no coincidence, and he heartily agreed! We know the seed has been firmly planted and he seems so close! We've already sent a few text messages back and forth! Pray that we will see each other next week and be able to follow up with Sam. :)

The Holy Spirit moved powerfully tonight. Praise God!

PS. Props to Linda and Ryan for speaking to tons of people.

Souls (10) {Total: 294}

T; P, J, A, J;

F;

Guy;

K, S;

A (Christian)

Team (4)

Tony, Stephen; Linda, Ryan

So an Atheist and Agnostic Walks in...

2013 Jun 18 (37)

Exhortation

What do you do when you have prayer and evangelism going on at the same time? Which one is more important? Which one should you go to? My answer: Do both.

It's Testify Tuesday. Come to Markville Mall to evangelize at 6PM and come to Harvest Bible Chapel York Region to pray at 7PM.

God, do a mighty work tonight.

Testimony

Today was Testify Tuesday once again at Markville Mall. This week was much shorter since Harvest Bible Chapel York Region was having a prayer night, but we got out there and proclaimed Jesus to people. Today, we only had time for one conversation, but it ended up going so long that we were 40 minutes late for church prayer! I was joined by Ambrose Cato and Nathaniel Chow and Tony Chuang even joined us for a little bit. We spoke to two friends Myles(agnostic) and Cameron(atheist) and they were very talkative and open to talk about spiritual things. One of the guys said that he really liked all of the things that Jesus did and taught, but didn't see the relevance of having to believe in Him. We explained the fact that their sin had separated them from God and they needed a saviour. We went through the gospel, among other things, many times over and over. At the end of the day, we realize that we're not the ones who do the saving, but it's only the spirit of God that can regenerate the heart. Please continue praying for us and maybe even consider joining us :)

Souls (2) {Total: 284}

C, M (agnostic, atheist)

Team (4)

Mike, Ambrose, Nathaniel, Tony

Another Hectic Week

2013 Jun 11 (36)

Exhortation

It's Testify Tuesday once again Harvest Bible Chapel York Region. Please pray for us as we carry the good news to the poor once again at Markville Mall @ 6:30pm or even join us! We've been praying for the seed of the gospel to find good ground and for workers to go out into the harvest with us. "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few" - Matt 9:37.

Testimony

Today we had Testify Tuesday again! Thanks for keeping up in prayer Harvest Bible Chapel York Region, we surely need them as we hit Markville mall to share the gospel. Ben and Ryan joined me this week. It's only Tuesday and we all agreed that our weeks had been hectic already, but just like Romans 10:14-15 says "How then, shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard. And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent?". We must preach!

We had a really good conversation with these 3 friends (Tristan, William and Alvin) who were Catholic, yet believed in reincarnation. We explained that all have sinned and we went through some of the 10 commandments. Just like a criminal being sentenced by a judge would not get off for any good deeds done, they began to understand that they had offended the God of the universe. We shared the gospel and of the 3 guys, Tristan seemed the most responsive and asked a lot of questions! Although we don't know what they experienced, they heard the complete gospel and Ryan exchanged contacts with them to follow up. Please pray for these guys, especially that they would come to repentance and faith in Christ. Ben Sampson had some interesting conversations of his own that I'm sure he will share below! Please continue to pray that we would be faithful in sharing the gospel and that God would give us fruit that would remain.

-Mike

You are right Mike Fenty, the first guy I spoke with had never heard the true Gospel before. He agreed with me that there was good evidence for God's existence but thought that even if God did exist, he just had to be a nice guy - doing good things in order to go to Heaven. When I walked him through the Ten Commandments to demonstrate that he wasn't as nice as he thought, added to the fact that doing good things cannot cancel out bad things, he was visibly shaking in front of me (actually physically shaking). He kept saying how amazing the conversation was before we had even finished. Unfortunately, his family came and he needed to head out. But I know that he at least understood that he needed to repent and believe in Jesus in order to be saved. It is now in God's hands. The other conversations were a little rough :)
-Ben

Souls (11) {Total: 282}

T, W, A (brother Andre);
V;
The Zoroastrian family;
H;
A;
R (Christian);
N

Team (3)

Mike, Ben, Ryan