Last Thursday a group of us invaded one of the squares in Downtown Guadalajara for the Gospel. Brothers Artemio, Juan and I preach regularly in this particular square, but this day we were joined by Giancarlo and Joshua (a brother visiting from the States). We had a fireteam of armed-and-ready soldiers of Christ, and we took advantage of it.
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| Juan began by open air preaching in one side of the square. |
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| Then, at the same time, Josh began to preach on the opposite side. |
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| And as Josh and Juan were preaching, Giancarlo went to a busline nearby and began preaching to them. |
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| After Juan, Artemio stepped up to the plate. Here he is just after the amp he was using ran out of juice. He kept on proclaiming the Gospel with that booming, thunderous voice of his. I don't know why he uses an amp, I don't really notice a difference when he preaches with one and when he doesn't. |
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| He even got so bold as to get up right in front of the statue of Pope John Paul II and preach against idolatry! The Catholic temple was only a few yards in front of this statue, and had its doors open. As soon as the people in the temple heard him, they closed the doors! |
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We had several great conversations that day. As the three brothers mentioned above were preaching, a lady came up to me who had been having serious problems with her drug addict/acoholic husband who claims to be a Christian and saved despite his practicing sin. She was disgusted with his hypocrisy but really open and receptive to the Gospel.
Later, as I began to open air, Giancarlo sat down and spoke with Jose Angel, a man sitting on a bench who likewise saw his need to repent and trust in Christ. He had realized on his own that no money, material posessions or sins could ever satisfy this great emptiness and longing he had in his heart, and was looking something real and true that would. Giancarlo sat down with him and shared the Gospel. They talked for about two hours! When I finished preaching I went over to where they were and was also able to minister to him. As Giancarlo was reasoning with him, a Catholic man sitting next to them heard what they were talking about and jumped in on the conversation. He began trying to "help" Jose Angel find the truth by giving him unbiblical and contradictory advice. On the one hand, he argued that Mary was the "Mother of God" and humanity's mediatrix, and that the Catholic church is the only true church...but on the other, he encouraged Jose Angel to go with our "group" of "separated brethren" because we were okay, that he should follow what "feels" right and gives him peace, and that God is in all of us and we are all His children. I asked the Catholic if he knew where he was going when he died. After the Catholic replied that he didn't, Jose Angel retorted, "Then why should I even listen to you? You're trying to give me advice, but you're not even sure where you're going! On the other hand, these two guys right here know where they're going when they die!" By God's grace he got it! And he understood that we weren't preaching "religion" to him, we were preaching Christ!
Fortunately, the Catholic promptly left, but a little while later another man who claimed to want to hear the truth walked up to us and asked us for help. It turned out, however, that he was an addict who didn't want to let go of his sins; all he wanted was money. It seemed that the devil was throwing these people at us to distract us from talking to Jose Angel, and to confuse him. But God be thanked none of it worked. He left telling us that he was going to get right with God that very night.
Please keep him, the lady, and everyone else that heard the Gospel that day in your prayers.
