Something is missing

As I am about to depart for Croatia Friday, 3/26, I just stopped by my favorite corner one last time and decided to take a picture of a sad site.  Something is missing.  There is no one standing up for Jesus on the corner to share Scripture with those driving by.

It pains me to think of Arlington's multitudes of motorists without a regular gospel witness on this busy street.

Lord, who will you send?  Who will go for us?  Who will stand up for you in Arlington?  God forbid the streets be left without a witness.  God forbid.

Signing off from America, my next post will be from the beautiful country of Croatia.  All praise to Him who reigns above in majesty supreme. 

A Difficult Goodbye

These are the two people who have loved me since before I was born - my mom and dad.  Praise the Lord I had the opportunity to see them again before my departure to Croatia.  I spent 4 days in Big Spring and we had some good fellowship together.  My sister, brother-in-law, and their 3 children live in Big Spring too and it was a joy to see them also.

It is difficult to say goodbye to those who love you, but when I survey the the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died, my richest gain I count but loss and poor contempt on all my pride.  Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small.  Love so amazing so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.

I am thine O Lord.  I have heard thy voice.  I surrender all.

Goodbye precious family.

Home Sweet Home

While standing on the corner with a gospel sign in Austin during morning rush hour I received a call from my missionary in Croatia, Johnny Leslie.  He had located a ground floor apartment in Cakovec Croatia for me at a good price and very near to the church! Hallelujah.
Since I will be arriving there on 3/27 - 12 days from today - it was very timely to locate a place for me.   They emailed pictures to my phone and we made the arrangements for a deposit to be made - all while holding a gospel sign - Amen!
As it turns out, this is a very small, BRAND NEW apartment building.
The Croatian people believe in using a lot of bright color to liven things up.  NO, this building is not pink, it is peach. (And I don't want to hear any more about that! :-)

Below you can see it has a great looking shower.

I'm not sure what this room is for, but they call it a k-i-t-c-h-e-n.

God is good!  He has provided a neat little place for me to live while I endeavor to serve Him on the mission field of Croatia. And He did it during rush hour on a street corner in Austin.  (That was an exhasting search for a place to live!)

On 3/27/10, this will be home sweet home.  Wow!

Capitol City Baptist Church! Hallelujah!

My recent visit to Captiol City Baptist Church in Austin was such a great blessing to my heart.  It is great cause for rejoicing.  We gave Austin a good dose of the street ministry and saw many positive responses, not only in the passers-by but also in the participants.  PRAISE GOD.
Here we are catching the early morning rush hour.  God put in my heart to be out in front of the rush hour traffic to give people some Scripture to think about on the way to work.
One lady stopped her car and ran up to me weeping, threw her arms around my neck and thanked me repeatedly for what I was doing.  While choking back her tears she said, "Thank you so much.  This world needs to be saved. Thank you. Thank you." Then she backed away and told me she had to get to work and she was gone.  Try to tell me God's Word isn't powerful!

Jared Williams and I caught the afternoon rush hour traffic at an enormous intersection on the other side of town.  Austin traffic is unbelievable!  Praise the Lord.  Every car is piloted by an eternal soul.

 

 

 

Traffic was non-stop for hours and hours!  With reflective gospel signs, that is no problem.  The light shineth in darkness!

 

 

Saturday afternoon was a big bonanza for the street ministry.  We had 16 people on the street with gospel signs.  It looked like (ministerially speaking) we had half the New Testament available on the corner.  Talk about a blessing for a "street man" like me! Wow!

 

This young lady is filled with SONshine.  What a blessing and encouragement she was.

This young man is a special kind of encouragement.  What we are doing here is not rocket science, but if it was, he would be right at home.

The young lady holding the sign that says, "What shall a man give...", is the pastor's wife.  AMEN!  That's a great encouragement to us all.  She was ecstatic with the opportunity to stand up for Jesus - as were we all.

The man on the very corner is a precious blessing and encouragement.  He is 75 years young!

The traffic was incredible.  Praise the Lord!

Several of our people were out in the median, sharing the Word in every direction.  Thank God for young people who are not afraid to take a stand for Christ.

Even my good friend Robert Williams got into it.  He loved every minute!

Look at the souls heading our way to read the gospel message!

The response from Austin was incredible.  The saved are encouraged and the lost are convicted.  That is the power of the Word of God.  Every participant in this ministry was fired up!  The pastor's young daughter said, "Daddy, I want to do this every week."

I can't help but think of the great old hymn, 

Stand Up Stand Up for Jesus, Ye Soldiers of the Cross. 

Lift High His Royal Banner.  It Must Not Suffer Loss.

Would you be willing to stand up for Jesus?  To bear His name in a public way?

I think of what He did for me, and it helps me to make better decisions about what I am willing to do for Him.

I love the verse, Hebrews 13:13, Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

 Amen!