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| Moses in Hollywood |
Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and said, "I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted; the horse and it's rider He has hurled into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; this is my God and I will praise Him; my father's God and I will extol Him. The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is His name. Who is like You among the gods, O Lord? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders? You will bring them and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance, the place, O Lord, which You have made for Your dwelling, the sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established. The Lord shall reign for ever and ever." (Exodus 15:1-3,11,17-18 NASB)
This year's intrepid Halloween team included (l to r) Sharon, Sai, Pastor Kosol (Thai Outreach Church, Pasadena), Carol, Nichole, Dean C., Debbie, Dean S., Bruce, and Lisa. Others not in the shot included: Vinny, William, Richard, and Steve. After enjoying a wonderful time of fellowship, great food, and encouraging prayer at Dean's place, the team arrived in Hollywood and dove right into the clamorous throng.
At first the crowds seemed absent and a weird calm caused us to ask, "Where is everybody?" But evidently that was the calm before the storm, as the throngs of zombies, vampires and ghouls staggered into the area.
Brother Vinny: Let me share with you what sin is. Sin is all that is contrary to who a holy God is. Let me tell you what the most terrifying thing about God is. The most terrifying thing about God is that He is holy, good and just. And you're going to ask me, "Well what's so terrifying about that?" What's terrifying about that is that nothing that is unholy, nothing that is unjust, nothing that is not good can enter into the kingdom of a holy God.
Brother Richard: Only God can save you. No false god can save you. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." No one comes to the Father except through Jesus Christ. The Bible says that He made Him to be sin for you, so that you may become the righteousness of God in Him. Jesus Christ took the punishment on your behalf, when He was nailed to that cross. Jesus' death on the cross is a free gift, there is nothing you can do to earn it, but you must respond by repenting of your sins and trusting in Jesus Christ.
Law enforcement kept a non-judgmental eye on the proceedings, although one man was detained for unknown reasons.
What does a person have to do to get noticed, and arrested, by the Hollywood Police on Halloween night?
One of the interesting aspects of the evening was when this fellow took up a position next to the box and began denouncing the most high God and exalting the enemy instead. Appropriately costumed as an average man on the street, (i.e. one who denies God by ignoring His existence), he held a simple sign stating: "Hail satan". Our brother William, from Grace Community Church, was on the box, and he did a very good job of responding to a seemingly well rehearsed attack.
Some of the Heckler's groundless assertions included: "Jesus is dead." "God is a liar." "If Jesus died to take away the sins of mankind then Christians should not sin anymore." "Jesus lied all the time."
He also made the following statements directed at the crowd that was forming: "You guys are okay. You guys are just people. You don't have to worry about anything. These people are trying to tell you that you are a bad person. Christians are violent extortioners. Christians are supposed to follow the word of God, but they don't. Because God is the God of love, but Christians have no love. Jesus is not the messiah. Jesus is not the Son of God. It is blasphemy to the Jews to think so. Jesus released death on the world."
Sound familiar?
Then the Heckler turned to the man on the box and said: "Give me all your money, Christians. Luke Chapter 6 verse 30 ("Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back." NKJV) Jesus says, Give whatever you are asked. So, christians, I ask you, in the name of Jesus, give me ALL of your money.
William: Yes, but God also says, Do not give pearls to swine.
Heckler: The reason why you do not give me all of your money is because you really don't trust God, and you really don't believe the word of your God.
William: Well, man, but what are you doing, are you giving? Obviously not cause you've still got the poor.
Heckler: I am not a Christian, I don't have to do what your God says. Your God says you are to give whenever you are asked. Now I ask you to give me all of your money.
William: My God commands me to love my neighbor. Peter said, "Silver and Gold I do not have, but what I have received I give to you in the name of Christ."
Heckler: The reason why you don't give me all of your money is because you don't trust God to provide for you.
Steve: No the reason why is because we don't trust you.
Heckler: This man is disobeying Jesus because he refuses to give me his money because Jesus tells him to give and he won't give. You don't trust your own book. You love your money more than you love God.
A man from the crowd was angry with the satanist and sought to give him a dollar to stop his mouth.
William: (Seeking to calm the man and maintain control) Hey man, Christ said if they don't receive the word to just wipe the dust off your sandals and kick rocks.
This seemed to calm the man down, as he acknowledged the appropriateness of the reference.
William continued: Jesus said that riches will not profit you in the day of death. Naked we come, naked we go.
At this point the Heckler made statements about the age of Mary (claiming she was 13) when the Christ child was conceived and asserting that God was a "rapist" and "child molester."
Meanwhile, Steve encouraged William to "Give 'em the gospel, brother!"
William ably forged ahead amidst the chaos: This is the gospel! We have sinned against God. We have broken God's law. And even though we have broken God's law, He sent us His Son to pay our debt, so that we could be forgiven of our lawlessness. So people, look, we all need forgiveness. Why? Because we all have offended a holy God.
Heckler: You're already forgiven! You're already okay!
William: If you have faith in Christ you are forgiven, that's true.
Heckler: Jesus is not the Jewish messiah!
William: The bible clearly says that we must run to Christ! And by faith look upon Him who was nailed (to the cross) for your sins.
Heckler: But if Jesus died for Christians' sins then Christians wouldn't sin anymore! But Christians sin all the time, proving that His blood is worthless!
William: He was not just a moral teacher teaching good things. The bible says that Jesus Christ was God in human form dying for human beings because that is the only way we can be reconciled with a holy God, is that if God Himself entered His creation, becomes a creature, and dies for our sins.
Heckler: Jesus is not the Son of God! Jesus is not God! He was a crazy person!
William (continuing): That is the gospel! That God Himself was made flesh. And becoming a human being He bore our sins.
After this, Dean took over the box and proceeded to continue the gospel proclamation, while the heckler gave up and left. Dean's strategy was to talk over the heckler, and this effectively stopped his mouth. William did a heroic job answering the devil with scripture. In the course of the conflict, the crowd heard the gospel numerous times.
Brother Mark reported later that the team in Burbank was fervently praying throughout the evening. No doubt their prayers, by the Spirit, strengthened, and bore fruit in, the saints on Hollywood Boulevard.
Thanks to all who participated in the outreach. As John said in describing our Lord's ministry, if all the witnessing moments of that single evening were cataloged here, "even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written." Amen!
Dave's New Blog
Here is a link to brother David's new blog. It's called Highland Bible Outreach
News Items
Apologetics Corner
David Platt: "Heaven Is For Real" isn't. This is a good quick summary of the salient points regarding the "Near Death Experiences" and the "trips to heaven," so popular these days.
Here is an excellent introduction to the facts about Islam, as well as a link to the website for Christian Ministries International
Comparison of Islam's Allah vs. Biblical God
(from Dr. Ron Carlson, Christian Ministries International, video: The Religion of Islam)
Islam's Allah vs. Biblical God
Unknowable / Knowable
Non-personal / Personal
Unitarian / Trinitarian
Changeable / Immutable
Capricious / Trustworthy
Remote / Loving
Transcendant / Enters History
Saves by works (legalism) / Saves by grace
Is the Quran Infallible? This video catalogs many of the historical, scientific, and moral errors contained in the Quran.
Reaching Muslims With the Gospel This video by Dr. James White has a lot of valuable information in ways to address misconceptions about the Bible and Christianity that Muslims have been taught.
Article: Ebola disease, the result of the Fall, by Johnathon Sarfati This is an excellent and fascinating article that explains the mechanism of viruses and some reasonable ideas of the original purpose for these things prior to the fall. Includes an animated sequence that hints at the astonishing complexity of life and the obvious necessity for a designer. The very existence of viruses, which are not living things, but which act upon and regulate the function of living cells, can only be attributed to an intentional cause of vastly superior intelligence.
Join Us!
Please join us as we proclaim the glorious Gospel to a lost and dying world on the streets of Burbank, Glendale, Hollywood and beyond.
Maranatha!!
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