With the music and wind direction, the southeast corner of Court Avenue and 2nd Street was the best place to set up, next to our friends from Stam's Greenhouse. These folks have been an encouragement to our gospel ministry down at the Market, and it was good to see them after the 6-month winter hiatus.
God gave us a good day. I used the news story about "Editgate" - NBC's recent firing of 1 producer and 2 reporters over the deceitful editing of the George Zimmerman 911 tapes, done in order to advance a narrative (make you believe a story) that Zimmerman was racially motivated in killing Trayvan Martin. I also used examples of email scams like the one from Nigeria, to springboard to the reality of God, the law, and the gospel. Frank got up on the box next, and then Kaylynn, and finally Jim wrapped it up at 12 noon. We had several hecklers (always welcome) and good gospel conversations throughout the morning.
I captured some audio of the preaching today on my MP3 player. It has a bit of a buzz due to I don't know much about how to record audio, and although I had this hanging from my belt loop, it was too close to my mouth, and I guess I overwhelmed the poor thing. One of these days, I'll get this stuff down. You can access the audio by clicking here.
You know, it is hard to believe that this is the fourth year that we have had the privilege of publicly proclaiming the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in downtown Des Moines every Saturday morning from May through October. Believe me, we don't presume that we have many days or years ahead to labor for the Master.
Moses said,
"The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away...So teach us
to number
our days,
that we
may apply
our hearts unto
wisdom." ( Psalms 90:10,12)
This picture is from May 2009, probably the 2nd or 3rd time preaching at the market. Can four years have come and gone so quickly? And has God given us an open door here for so long, with faithful brothers and sisters to labor alongside? It is surely a wonderful, marvelous thing that God has done for us in our little corner of His harvest field. But so quickly! Oh that we may listen to the words of Moses, and be busy serving our Lord until either we go to be with Him, or He comes for us! God be praised forevermore.
Yes it was a great day. The weather was beutiful, lots of people, and many heard the gospel preached. I talked with a Marine named Mike who served his country proud in Iraq. I gave him a DVD of "The Biggest Question" and I asked him if he was a Christian. He was a little reluctant and said about 70%. I told him only 100% pleases God. He wrestled with the fact that if a man (which this did happen) gouged out a childs eye, and the child dies from illness, but the man repents and becomes a forgiven Christian, he is free to go without asking forgiveness from the child, then how is that justice. What he failed to realize, as bad as that is what had happened, that when you become a Christian, you receive imputed righteousness. We recieve Jesus' righteousness, and Jesus takes our sin and puts it on the cross. If God's only son was not enough for everyone's payment of sin, then Jesus died in vain. Jesus said, "it is finnished". Total, done, and we are justified completely as if we never sinned. Praise God, His mercy and grace endures forever.
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