Shalom and Blessings in the Name of Yeshua, Our Beloved Messiah!!
Hi Dwayna, well.... after some much needed rest and regrouping, we three girls were back out on the streets of New York City as a team in what has been a few weeks. Thank God the weather was nice, considering that we are already at mid-October, although it was a little chilly and quite windy at times.
We decided to set up the table outside the post office across the street from Madison Square Garden at 38th Street and 8th Avenue. It was great being back out at our old location with our trusty and handy ministry table, covered in all kinds of materials addressing evangelism and the Gospel, Bibles, discernment, apologetics, end-times, prophecy, false belief systems and religions and cults, materials for Arabs and Jews and some in Spanish for the Latino community.
Strangely enough, we saw many people walking back and forth with name tags on which said "new birth", etc. At first, I was not sure to what this was referring, but eventually we found out when we were approached by someone who decided to stop and talk with us. He indicated that he was on his way to the
New Age convention taking place at The New Yorker Hotel which was a few blocks uptown from us, but he had decided against it as he felt something (he would later admit that he believed it could be God, and I concurred) was keeping him from attending. I then added to this observation that by him stopping at our table, this was further confirmation that the Lord did not want him to attend this occultic event and that he could rest assured that he did the right thing.
I told him nothing is by coincidence, and all things are foreknown by God, as He is sovereign and everything happens for a reason. We then proceeded to have a very lengthy conversation with him, in which I tried to explain that one must worship the Lord in spirit and in truth, and you cannot bring false idols or false worship, also known as
Avodah Zarah (in Hebrew) to Him, as He looks upon it in disgust.
I proceeded to explain from the Bible how God views the occult and the consequences of dabbling with spiritual entities and mysterious things: psychics, mystics, diviners, witchcraft, fortunetellers, soothsayers, etc. One cannot claim to love Jesus Christ and God the Father and, at the same time, dabble with or in the enemy's camp. We are told in the Scriptures that we are to test all things and to test the spirits to see if they be of God, and any spirit that is not the Holy Spirit is a counterfeit, antichrist spirit and, therefore, a minion and cohort of Satan.
While the man explained that he was raised in a Christian religious household and had received Catholic education, he was disenchanted with the Catholic Church, to which I also offered my concurrence, as a former Catholic realizing Catholicism preaches another Jesus with another spirit and another gospel, which is accursed. Salvation is obtained through the repentance of sins, turning from one's evil and self-fulling ways and walking toward God, through faith in the finished work of Jesus upon the Cross, dying in our place as the sacrificial Lamb, once and for all… for our sins and that it is by grace, a merit which we do not deserve, that God imputes Jesus' righteousness upon us, whereby we are adopted into God's family, made co-heirs of Christ and are now seated in the heavenly places spiritually with God. Upon supernatural conversion, God bestows upon us His gift as a Father, the Holy Spirit, the seal of promise. The Holy Spirit was sent into the world to convict the world of sin as a general mandate but in the life of each believer, He is a friend, a comforter, a teacher, and He leads us into all truth. He convicts the heart, and He is God's Power manifested on earth. The only way one can live the Christian life is by having the indwelling of the Spirit of God, the
Ruach HaKodesh.
While the gentleman seemed very versed in the Bible and knowledge of topics therein, he definitely had itching ears when it comes to the apocrypha and philosophies of men and mystics. I implored him to turn and avoid those things, as they would lead to destruction and open him up to the spiritual realm with in which the Bible warns we have no business dabbling. He assured me that he knew this, yet he just seemed to be stubborn in wanting to continue on the same road by having a syncretistic faith. I explained there is a way that is right to God and a way that is right to man, and that way is the path to destruction. While he did not want to take any of the materials we had on the table, he was very open to hearing us and conversing with us and, hopefully, he took what we said regarding right worship to heart. Please keep him in prayer, that he would turn from his ways and turn completely and repentfully to God and that he would consider visiting our church to hear the Bible being preaching uncompromisingly. He was adverse to church, yet I explained that God warned us not to forsake the assembling together of the brethren and that we are not called to be lone rangers.
We had another young fellow come by the table who engaged actively with Suzi. He was very interested in apologetics and it was apparent to us that he was indeed very open to the truth and was searching for answers. We pray that he would come to full repentance and faith in Jesus Christ alone for his salvation, by the grace of God. Please keep him in prayers.
There is so much confusion in the world today as people look at the outer appearance but don’t look at the doctrine and substance of religions and cults. Since they are Biblically illiterate, they are being taken for a ride because certain religions may appear to have "modesty and goodness", but they deny God and His Power.
We had several other people visit the table and take various items.
It seems that every time we go out, while we have been immensely blessed and protected, yet there is always at least one "rabblerouser" who wants to yell at us or start a fight. Suzi got into a heated discussion with a woman who took offense at what Suzi said regarding Jesus being the only way to the Father.
This woman was on her way to the New Age convention but didn't know exactly where it was, so first she stopped and asked Christine and then ended up with Suzi. It is so sad how many people are being groomed for accepting the coming one world religion prophesied in Revelation and the kingdom of the Antichrist, which is on the horizon. So many people are falling for the ecumenical and interfaith lie that all religions are the same and that we can eat the meat and spit out the bones when it comes to differences in beliefs and doctrines. Biblical Christianity, while exclusive, is inclusive when it comes to salvation being offered to all men, both Jew and Gentile. So many people are caught up in the cares and vain philosophies of this world, trying to make a god in their own image, a god which cannot save. I hope that we have many more opportunities to shine the Light on the darkness and use our salt in a savory way.
We are in need of more materials on the last days, prophecy, as well as Bibles in English, Spanish, Arabic and Hebrew. Also, it would be great if we could get more Way of the Master resources in Spanish and more materials concerning evolution and the new age, as well as any material on UFOs. The John Blanchard booklets are very handy. Also, the various booklets from Answers in Genesis are very helpful, one of which is a booklet concerning the veracity of UFOs. I don’t know if you are aware, but apparently, last week there were reported UFO sightings in Manhattan, and we believe that this will probably or could possibly be the great deception that is being planned and will be used to explain away The Rapture of the Ekklesia (the called out ones, those who are born-again of the Holy Spirit Christians/believers).
We stayed out until about 5 p.m., as now the days get darker earlier and the wind was picking up steam. After returning our items to the church office, we decided to get a bite to eat at the diner and to have a time of fellowship and prayer for all the souls who stopped by as well as for those who are not saved and other issues of need.
As always, we remain steadfast in preaching the whole counsel of God, in fighting the good fight of faith, and never, ever, giving in to apostasy. We pray for continued blessing and protection and for laborers and materials for the ministry, whether financial and/or products. As winter draws near, and the temperature dips below 68 degrees, we will start setting up at our alternate location, which is located in the subway corridor at 42nd Street between 8th avenue and 7th avenue (Times Square station) that we like to call the Christian hallway, on the 7th avenue side of the passageway near the 7 train. We can still be reached by e-mail at
thegoodnewsfriends@yahoo.com , should anyone wish to contact us or need questions answered or for prayers.
Attached are two photos of us ministering at the table.
May the Lord Jesus come very soon!!! Maranatha!!
Shalom,
Heidi, on behalf of The Good News Friends
From Suzi:
Excellent update, Heidi!!
I wanted to add that a Mormon came by the table, asking if we had change for a dollar which then led to talking about the difference between Christianity and Mormonism and giving him some materials.
We also met a woman who came from a psychic reading at this conference. She had an uneasy feeling about it and spilled her coffee and felt like she had to get out of there. She found our table where we explained that she had opened herself up to what God forbids in scripture. We were able to pray with her and hopefully she will pursue the Lord and not the occult any longer.
Another woman stopped into the conference before heading off to church. She said it was like magic for grown-ups. Unfortunately, sorcery and all forms of the occult have been mainstreamed in our culture, but God clearly forbids any participation of it.
It felt like we were a spiritual clinic fighting a battle for souls just a few block away. So many are like sheep going astray, and searching for answers in all the wrong places. It's an awesome privilege to point souls away from what is evil and lead them to the only One God who is pure and true!
(By the way, the woman mentioned in Heidi's update who became so upset was looking for a meeting which she said was a gathering of 40,000 people from all religions coming together as one to create world peace. When I told her that true peace could only be found in Jesus Christ and that He alone is God and Savior, she went ballistic. It seems there is tolerance for everything today except taking God at His Word!)
Blessed to be serving Him,
Suzi
Dan sent me the photos from his phone. They had a slow, windy day, but we know that God will give them busier days there now that we can get a spot for setting up! Perhaps the most unique conversation was with someone claiming to be a Christian who was offering "dream interpretation."
Dan writes: "We finished in the Rose St. parking lot lifting up in prayer the lost to our Lord Jesus Christ who is the Redeemer of our souls. How much more time will we have to tell others about Him before His return? At Venice Beach it becomes very apparent as to just how far our sociaty has regressed on every level, but the Lord is still at work to save."
