Last night while we were ministering the Gospel on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Pastor Jamie Sanders was approached by a man and a woman who passed by as he open-air preached in the midst of several XXX night clubs.
"I have a question for you!" said Travis, as his female companion attempted to drag away the obviously intoxicated man. Then pulling out his St. Christopher medalion from beneath his shirt he said, "Does this make me any less f a Christian than you are?" -- seemingly thinking that his life-long devotion to the Catholic religion provided him a free pass into heaven.
Pastor Jamie attemted to "cut to the chase" and avoid a Catholic/Protestant debate went straight to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the message of living in righteousness. The man (Travis) persisted and continue to tug at the gold tone medalion previuously hidden from site beneath his yellow t-shirt. "DOES THIS MEAN I AM LESS OF A CHRISTIAN?"
He then began to ask, "What religion are you?" - - obviously trying to conjur up a debate about the origins of the Christian faith.
As they continued in their exchange, I pulled the female companion from the conversation and began questioning her about her relationship with Jesus. She too immediately went for her Catholic "trup card" to justify the lifestyle that they were obviously living (sinful). I soon found out that her knowledge of Jesus was limited to the regurgitaion of a few well-worn phrases and her knowldedge of the Word of God was virtually zero (she did not know one passage from it!)
While we spoke, her male companion left his conversation with Pastor Jamie and soon tried to interrupt my conversation with the woman. When the conversation returned to his false faith in the Catholic religion, things took a turn! Quoting from 1 John 1:6 and saying, "If you say that you have fellowship with Him [Jesus] yet continue to walk in darkness - - then you are a liar."
Upon hearing that statement, Travis screamed out and through a kick to my groin area. Supernaturally, the blow had no effect at all! This only infuriated the man more and he attempted to "get at me" and try again.
Pastor Jamie immediately stepped in the way to keep the man from physically attacking any further and was the recipient of a wild punch to the jaw! Our team (Pastor Jamie, Nathan, Jonanthan and myself) remained calm and merely stood our ground for the Gospel without making any retaliatory or agressive moves towards the man.
In a few minutes the police were there and questioning the man, us and the bouncers closest to the altercation. The man and the bouncers both told lies as to the exchanged -- but a man came down from a balcony and told the police the true story! He said to Pastor Jamie, "Man you turned the other cheek..," and was amazed at how our team responded to the violent act.
The police cuffed the man and were going to book him on two counts of assault - - then he asked to speak to me. The officer asked if I wanted to say anything to him. . . of course I did.
I was able to share the Gospel with the man and show him how his actions proved what we were telling him about his so-called relationship with Jesus. He apologized and said that he knew that his actions were both stupid and wrong for anyone claiming to be a Christian. I assured him that we were not angry with him at any time, but that sin would destroy him life.
The officer then said to the man, "Your situation is in these guys hands" and I looked at the officer and said, "Let him go." The man shook my hand and continued to apologize and said, "You may not believe me, but I will never forget what you just did for me."
Please pray for this man - that the Holy Spirit will continue to take him to this moment and show him that he stands between MERCY and JUDGMENT and that he must truly surrender his heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ!
...and thank the Lord for Pastor Jamie who "took one for the team!" PTL
Pastor Troy D. Bohn - - taking the LIGHT of God's Word into the DARKEST of places
"I have a question for you!" said Travis, as his female companion attempted to drag away the obviously intoxicated man. Then pulling out his St. Christopher medalion from beneath his shirt he said, "Does this make me any less f a Christian than you are?" -- seemingly thinking that his life-long devotion to the Catholic religion provided him a free pass into heaven.
Pastor Jamie attemted to "cut to the chase" and avoid a Catholic/Protestant debate went straight to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the message of living in righteousness. The man (Travis) persisted and continue to tug at the gold tone medalion previuously hidden from site beneath his yellow t-shirt. "DOES THIS MEAN I AM LESS OF A CHRISTIAN?"
He then began to ask, "What religion are you?" - - obviously trying to conjur up a debate about the origins of the Christian faith.
As they continued in their exchange, I pulled the female companion from the conversation and began questioning her about her relationship with Jesus. She too immediately went for her Catholic "trup card" to justify the lifestyle that they were obviously living (sinful). I soon found out that her knowledge of Jesus was limited to the regurgitaion of a few well-worn phrases and her knowldedge of the Word of God was virtually zero (she did not know one passage from it!)
While we spoke, her male companion left his conversation with Pastor Jamie and soon tried to interrupt my conversation with the woman. When the conversation returned to his false faith in the Catholic religion, things took a turn! Quoting from 1 John 1:6 and saying, "If you say that you have fellowship with Him [Jesus] yet continue to walk in darkness - - then you are a liar."
Upon hearing that statement, Travis screamed out and through a kick to my groin area. Supernaturally, the blow had no effect at all! This only infuriated the man more and he attempted to "get at me" and try again.
Pastor Jamie immediately stepped in the way to keep the man from physically attacking any further and was the recipient of a wild punch to the jaw! Our team (Pastor Jamie, Nathan, Jonanthan and myself) remained calm and merely stood our ground for the Gospel without making any retaliatory or agressive moves towards the man.
In a few minutes the police were there and questioning the man, us and the bouncers closest to the altercation. The man and the bouncers both told lies as to the exchanged -- but a man came down from a balcony and told the police the true story! He said to Pastor Jamie, "Man you turned the other cheek..," and was amazed at how our team responded to the violent act.
The police cuffed the man and were going to book him on two counts of assault - - then he asked to speak to me. The officer asked if I wanted to say anything to him. . . of course I did.
I was able to share the Gospel with the man and show him how his actions proved what we were telling him about his so-called relationship with Jesus. He apologized and said that he knew that his actions were both stupid and wrong for anyone claiming to be a Christian. I assured him that we were not angry with him at any time, but that sin would destroy him life.
The officer then said to the man, "Your situation is in these guys hands" and I looked at the officer and said, "Let him go." The man shook my hand and continued to apologize and said, "You may not believe me, but I will never forget what you just did for me."
Please pray for this man - that the Holy Spirit will continue to take him to this moment and show him that he stands between MERCY and JUDGMENT and that he must truly surrender his heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ!
...and thank the Lord for Pastor Jamie who "took one for the team!" PTL
Pastor Troy D. Bohn - - taking the LIGHT of God's Word into the DARKEST of places
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