MARDI GRAS 2007

If someone asked me to describe this year’s Mardi Gras Outreach in New Orleans in just one sentence, it would be just that: We are winning!

Unless you have been on the streets of New Orleans witnessing during this event in the past, it would be difficult to believe that we are actually winning the battle for the hearts and lives of those who flock to this city each year—but rest assured that is exactly what is happening!

Over ten years ago, when we lead our first team of Ravens into the French Quarter to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, our ministry was almost exclusively in the Jackson Square area of the ‘Quarter. Dozens of palm readers, tarot card readers, witches, psychics and voodoo practitioners peddled their wears and did their enchantments in this central locations. Our teams would be busy for hours ministering to the thousands of people who would stroll into this area just two short blocks from Bourbon St.

Today, Jackson Square is a ghost town at night and only two lonely palm readers huddle together in their feeble attempt to attract customers! We have pushed the battle lines back!

Eventually we moved “around the corner” and would set up our sound system and play music and witness as thousands of curiosity-seekers would be drawn by the sound of electric guitars, radical praise and worship and Holy hip hop. That area is now typically inhabited by a few people on their way out of the ’Quarter! We have pushed the battle lines back!

A couple of years ago we moved the team to St. Peter between Royal and Bourbon and would catch the overflow crowd as they ventured to the biker bars, Pat O'Brien's, or one of the other popular hangouts—those area are now sparse! We have pushed the battle lines back!

This year we did what we have NEVER done before during the course of a Mardi Gras Outreach—we put the ENTIRE team on Bourbon Street at once! Nightly, we would have between 90-100 soul-winners at the intersection of Bourbon & St. Peter preaching the Gospel and seeing souls brought into the Kingdom! We have pushed the battle lines back!

Prior to this year’s outreach, the press of the crowd and the sheer volume of the atmosphere made witnessing with much success very difficult directly on Bourbon St during this event—but we are fast advancing into what was once thought of as an impenetrable stronghold of satan! We have pushed the battle lines back!

It is exciting to see the adversary beginning to whither under the onslaught of sold-out saints of God standing for righteousness and taking the fight to the devil! For years and years, many people (long before Raven ever showed up) have stood in faith against this heinous demonstration of debauchery, blasphemy and degradation and the fruit is now being made manifest. We have pushed the battle lines back!

I said during the outreach, “I am believing that one day the true believers in Jesus Christ will outnumber the partiers to the degree that no none would even show up and the event would have to be cancelled!” The momentum is building for something just like that to take place! We are already gearing up and getting ready for Mardi Gras 2008 so that we can push the battle lines back even further!

Don’t wait until next January to commit to being a part of the team—–make a commitment TODAY so that we can see the victory TOMORROW. Unless Jesus returns between now and then you can be assured that there will be a RAVEN team there pushing the battle lines back a little further in 2008!