We Shall Always Be With the Lord 3/28/2015

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will be no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 NKJV)

Saturday Outreach

3/28/2015 Burbank

Perhaps an idol of March Madness, we chose to refer to this object as the "Red Heifer." This statue was standing in front of the patio dining area of the Market City Caffe.

(FYI - Here is a recent article on a red heifer that is the subject of much speculation.)

Dr. Jack was the lead-off man on the box. For a while it was just like old times on the mall. An unusual quiet pervaded the area. That was short-lived, however. Later, the street performers reasserted their dominance of the sonic environment.

Many tracts were distributed. Razmik visited with longtime CBC'er Murlee.

Mark and Steve also took turns on the box. At the end of the evening, Mark was approached by a man who has talked with us before. His name is Christopher. Christopher is very critical of our ministry, and has taken several opportunities to inform us that our ministry is without power because we "are not demonstrating the power of the Holy Spirit." The examples he used to give evidence of his claim were the fact that Mark has a physical infirmity, and that the beat-boxers were drawing a large crowd while we were being ignored.

Here is an excerpt of their conversation:

Christopher: The Lord is wondering where the demonstration is. "I come to you not only in word, but I come to you in power and demonstration." So where is the demonstration? Especially if you are preaching from a place where you are sickly, and you need healing yourself and you're preaching about a God who heals, but He won't heal you. That's a trouble! People want something tangible, right?

Mark: They want a sign. "A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." (Matthew 12:39, 16:4)

Note the slight twisting of the scripture as paraphrased by Christopher. Here are some better understandings of the passage(s):

1 Thessalonians 1:5:

For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.

Ray Comfort's commentary:

God backs up His Word with power. When the unsaved ask for proof, we have it. If any person obeys the command to repent and trust Jesus Christ, he will experience the power of the gospel. God will transform him on the inside by giving him a new heart with new desires. Instead of drinking in iniquity like water, he will begin to thirst after righteousness. He will be born again. God will make him a new creature all of which will give him "much assurance." (Evidence Bible, p. 1717)

John MacArthur's comment:

It had to come in word, and not word only, but in Holy Spirit power and in confidence. The quality of the message was confirmed by the character of the lives of the preachers. Paul's exemplary life served as an open book for all men to read, establishing the credibility of the power and grace of God essential to making the message of redemption believable to sinners. (MSB, NKJV, p. 1843)

1 Corinthians 2:1-4:

And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men bit in the power of God.

John MacArthur's comment:

Paul came to Corinth after being beaten and imprisoned in Philippi, run out of Thessalonica and Berea, and scoffed at in Athens, so he may have been physically weak. But in that weakness, he was most powerful. There were no theatrics or techniques to manipulate people's response. His fear and shaking was because of the seriousness of his mission. (MacArthur Study Bible, p. 1731 NKJV)

Ray Comfort's commentary:

Qualifications for evangelism:

1. A witness need not have "excellence of speech or of wisdom." He should simply declare what he has seen and heard.

2. He must not get sidetracked with unnecessary details, but focus on the essentials of Christ's death on the cross.

3. He must have "weakness" (not trusting in his own strength or ability)

4. He must have "fear" (in Greek, phobos, "that which is caused by being scared")

5. He must have "much trembling" (awareness of his insufficiency)

Do you meet these qualifications?  (Evidence Bible, p. 1633)

The Morning Shift - NoHo Station 3/25/2015

Steve was blessed with the opportunity to read the word of God at NoHo Station on Wednesday morning. Genesis 1-3, Isaiah 42, 52-53, Matthew 5-7 were the texts that were shared from the  box. Many came up to receive bibles. Afterward, our brother Arthur, who works for a vendor in the mornings, stopped by to encourage Steve and to share his testimony of the blessings that God has given him, saving him from an upbringing in difficult circumstances, saving him from a gang lifestyle and leading him to a new church with solid biblical teaching. He also expressed his gratitude to our brother Tony Miano whose ministry generously bought Arthur a new bicycle to replace the one that had been stolen from him by thieves. Praise the Lord! We are always blessed to see our brother Arthur.

Please stand with us on Wednesday mornings at 6:00 AM at the North Hollywood Metro Station on Lankershim Blvd. it's a great opportunity to share the truth with the thousands of commuters who pass through this area. Please watch for text announcements on Tuesday evenings. Please always RSVP if you plan to join us on Wednesday mornings.

Abortuary Duty

Article: Margaret Sanger and the Minority Holocaust

You can join the effort at the Mission Hills clinic, 10200 Sepulveda Blvd., 91345, every Saturday and Wednesday morning from 8 to 10 am. No experience necessary.

News Items

Article: Street Preacher Fined for Quoting the Bible

Article: Children of Same-Sex Couples Speak Out

Jan Markell Show: The Blood of The Martyrs - must listening for every believer

Apologetics Corner

Article: The Force of Probability Arguments

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!!