Location 3, Week 3: S Cooper St & W Pleasant Ridge Rd, Arlington, TX

"Have not I commanded thee?  Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."  

- Joshua 1:9

Time:   4:40 - 6:40 pm

Main Happenings:

1)  A guy in a van was driving slowly up Cooper and handed me a loaf of banana bread AS he was passing by saying, "Amen brother!  We're supporting you!" Something to that effect.

2)  A couple of girls passed me by to the stoplight, read my sign, I responded with something (I can't remember exactly) and they said, "We're Muslim."

3)  Waves and thumbs up; but no honks this time as I remember.

Sign Held:

Banana Bread!

A van was stopped at the stoplight facing me, passing by on Cooper.  As he was slowly passing by, a man handed me a loaf of banana bread out the window with some papers and said something like, "Amen brother!  We're supporting you!"  My wife and I had some later that night.  It was great bread!  The papers he handed me was "There are answers to your heroin addiction and other addictions... Jesus is the way out!"  Something or another.  They weren't tracts, but invitations for something.

A couple of girls passed on by, waiting at the crosswalk to cross Cooper where I was.  As they passed by they wanted to read my sign.  After they read it, they kept on walking, and I said something, but can't remember what, like, "Do you believe?"  And they said, "We're Muslim."  Maybe I should have opened my mouth to say something about Jesus, but I didn't.  I'm not exactly sure what I would say... but I did not take the above Joshua 1:9 verse to heart.  I was not strong nor took good courage.  But I pray to the Lord that I would be filled with that courage if the situation arises.  

Other than that, mostly dead out there.  I don't even remember any honks.  But, I did notice a lot of people reading the sign, and then ignore it... look the other way quickly.  I also noticed kids in the car straining their necks trying to read it, since they were shorter.  So I held my sign up further!  Hey you never know what Romans 6:23 could do to a child further in his life.  Is this not written in Scripture?

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." - John 14:26

Could it be that years down the road, later in his life, God will suddenly bring that Scripture verse to remembrance?   Nobody knows for certain.  

"I hope the sign causes a disagreement, dispute, or quarrel."

I also can't help but wonder what happens inside a car when there is a man and a woman; let's say a boyfriend and girlfriend who are both reading that sign silently to themselves.  Because I definitely see it: through the front windshield I can see them both reading it.  Do they discuss it after?  Does it cause uncomfortableness in the car? (awkward, nervous, strained... haha)  Now of course we all pray that it will.  For what saith the Scripture?  "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.  For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.  And a man's foes shall be they of his own household," in Matthew 10:34-36.  

So when Jesus says, "set a man at variance against..." it basically means "Jesus came to cause a disagreement, dispute, or quarrel."  Meaning: that if one person in the household believes on the Lord Jesus Christ to get saved, that will cause an instant division in the household.  The family member being kicked out, disowned, or whatever else... YEAH THE GOOD STUFF!!   So I certainly hope that my Romans 6:23 sign brings a division between the couple inside their car.  HEY!  The Lord Jesus says in the same chapter, verse 37: "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worth of me." 

Location 3, Week 2: S Cooper St & W Pleasant Ridge Rd, Arlington, TX

"I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation."  

- Psalm 40:9-10

Time:   2:30 - 5:30 pm

Main Happenings:

1)  Within the first 10 minutes a VW Beetle stopped at the stoplight and a couple of girls gave me $10 to support what I was doing.
2)  Honks, waves, thumbs up.
3)  Drive by shoutings:  "Good Job" and some people screaming at me, but it was just noise to me.
4)  A guy, out of nowhere, approached behind me and gave me a cold bottle of water.
5)  A girl was honking at me while stopped at the light on S Cooper.  I get many honks, so I waved back and thought nothing of it.  But she ended up parking somewhere and ran up to introduce herself.

Sign Held:

The LORD provided: The first monetary contribution!

The Lord provides things when you least expect it.  During the first 10 minutes of being there today, this VW Beetle stops at the stop light where I was at, the window rolls down, and it was a couple of girls that wanted to give me money, to support what I was doing!  It was $10!  At first I was taken aback because I have never been offered money before.  But they said, "Here... this is to get something later on while you're standing out here, like a drink, or something to eat."  

Now this is amazing to me, because I had given extra tithe this week to an ex-pastor of Cuba (who incidentally is featured in the modern Foxe: Voices of the Martyrs), who really needed help during his move to Texas.  Anyways, with the extra tithe that I gave, I got it back!  

I asked them if they were believers, they said yes.  Then I asked them where they go to church, since my wife and I are looking for a place to go.  They both went to different churches, but the driver suggested that we try the church that she goes to, Harvest Church in Fort Worth, at 620 N Chandler Dr.  I gave them one of my tracts I had in my pocket... And right after I didn't know why I did that... they both were saved!  Oh well.  It was just a spur of the moment thing. 

Sometime later a girl was honking at me from in her van while waiting at the light at S Cooper to turn onto W Pleasant Ridge.  As I get many honks, I wave back, thought nothing of it.  Then a few minutes later this girl comes running at me from out of nowhere to say hi and introduce herself.  She said she was the girl honking!  So we start talking and she was happy that I was holding the sign.  She was telling me some of her background and how she was saved and everything else.  She stayed there a good 20 minutes... a happy, excited type girl.  She ended up saying she was blessed by seeing my sign holding.  And actually, she almost got run over when she ran back to meet the person she was meeting.  She left with, "Ok!  See ya!" And she suddenly turns to run across the crosswalk, without looking at all, and at that moment a car moves forward at the green light... it's a near miss of hitting her!

Sometime after this episode, a young guy came out of nowhere, and when I turned around, this humble, gracious kid offers me a bottle of water and runs off to where he was parked.  It was frosty cold!  It was the perfect thing I needed because I hadn't had any water for hours and I was starting to get thirsty with dry throat!

Those were the major happenings.  

A few drive by shoutings of "Good job!" and other screaming, and what not.  One of them scared me half to death because I was facing the other direction when I heard this piercing scream at me from this car or truck as they drove by at 45 mph.  And then the usual honks, thumbs up, waves and head nods in my direction.  And once again I swear I see people taking my picture with their cell phones.

That's all for today.  

Location 3, Week 2: S Cooper St & W Pleasant Ridge Rd, Arlington, TX

"No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light."   - Luke 11:33

Time:   4:30 - 6:15 pm

Main Happenings:

1)  honks, waves, some thumbs up.
2)  A passerby called the police on me.  A police officer stopped by to talk to me to see what I was doing.  He said he got a complaint that I was shouting obscenities and swear words at a passerby waiting at a red light.
3)  An evangelist by the name of Bill Doby parked in a nearby parking lot, honking, and waved for me to come over.  He introduced himself, wanted a picture of me and my sign for his Facebook, and we got to talking.

Sign Held:

The police was called on me!

Jesus saith in John 15:18-19, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.  If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you."  Also in Matthew 5:11-12 Jesus saith, "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."  I guess I experienced a very mild form of these today when the police was called on me.  Either somebody hated what I was doing out there, or it was some sort of prank.  Now I'm not saying I'm going to get all these great rewards in heaven for this little thing, but, those verses DID come to mind.  Namely, because it was evil against me falsely.

A police officer stopped in the nearby parking lot and came over to talk to me and find out what I was doing and all that.  He told me that somebody had called the police with a complaint that I was shouting obscenities and swear words at them while they were parked at the red light.  Of course I did no such thing, and I never once opened my mouth to anybody, and don't say a word when I'm holding my signs. 

He said, "Ok, well, just stopping by and seeing what you're doing, and I even agree with what you're doing and your holding signs and all.  Just make sure you aren't blocking traffic and shouting obscene things at people, disrupting peace, that sort of thing."  But that got me thinking about street preaching.  "Street preaching is still legal isn't it?" I asked, because I wanted to make sure things weren't getting worse in regards to freedom of speech.  He said of course.  "There's a Planned Parenthood up the road," saith he, "so perhaps there was some anger from somebody from there or something."

Then, right before I was about to leave, somebody from the nearby parking lot was honking at me a few times.  When I turned to whoever it was I noticed he was motioning for me to come over.  He introduced himself as Bill Doby (giving me his card), who is an evangelist that likes to take the gospel to the street and do other activities.  And of course I was interested right away.  His website is www.final-days.org, but the site is expired at the moment, nothing came up.  So I asked him if he needed any help: I could accompany him holding signs or doing whatever else.  He said he is in the process of planting a church himself, so he will contact me to further talk.  So we'll see what happens.  He told me he left a church of 13 years because the pastor was against his street evangelism.  He said the pastor would never visit him when he did it nor give any encouragement!  He also took a picture of me holding my sign to post on his Facebook.

Other than that, got my usual rounds of honks, waves, and thumbs up.

Location 3, Week 1: S Cooper St & W Pleasant Ridge Rd, Arlington, TX

"I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed."   - Psalm 119:46

Time:   4:45 - 6:15 pm

Main Happenings:

1)  a few honks, a few waves, one or two thumbs up .

Sign Held:

You might be wondering why I am holding the same sign lately.  That's because I decided to ONLY hold signs of God's word, not reference verses signs.  In other words, the other signs I have references God's word - in my own wording - rather than straight from the Bible.  I have the lettering for one more verse sign as well, but it isn't prepared yet.  I am letting God's word cut to the people's hearts, not my own wording, as it is written: "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." - Hebrews 4:12

Well it's a tough crowd out there.  Dead today... same as yesterday: no action, nothing happening.  I wonder what is going on?  I get a few waves, thumbs up, a couple of honks; but certainly nothing like the action I experienced at my other locations.  Oh well, that's how it goes sometimes.  I will keep fightin' on! 

Location 3, Week 1: S Cooper St & W Pleasant Ridge Rd, Arlington, TX

2/12/13

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."   - 1 Corinthians 15:58

Time:  3:30 - 5:30 pm

Main Happenings:

1)  a few waves, thumbs up, and about 5 honks in total.

Sign Held:

I was out there for 2 hours and nothing  but a few waves, thumbs up, and about 5 honks in total.  Maybe tomorrow will be better.  This ends my entry!  Wish I could write more, but it was pretty much dead today, no activity.

Intermission Entry

Hello everybody.  I'm inserting this intermission post to show the overall map and the places we've been so far.  This map shows Fort Worth and all the surrounding area, but not Dallas.

The red dot is where we live.  The markers go in order: location #1 is the top marker, then location #2 below that, and then the bottom marker as location #3.

Location #1 (645 Grapevine Hwy, Hurst, TX): 
Background:  this was the place where my wife saw the homeless guy, standing in the rain, with a sign: "Need job. Please," while driving home one day from work. So instead of a homeless guy with a sign, I wanted to hold my gospel sign instead standing in the same place! 

Location #2 (Precinct Line Rd & W Harwood Rd, Hurst, TX):
Background:  location #1 wasn't as great as I thought, so I went to look for another location, and this one was close by with lots of traffic.

Location #3 (S Cooper St & W Pleasant Ridge Rd, Arlington, TX):
Background:  while driving through South Cooper St one day, I noticed how busy it was in this area of Arlington!  So I chose one of the busy intersections.  

Location 3 (trial day): S Cooper St & W Pleasant Ridge Rd, Arlington, TX

"To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they many receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me."   - Acts 26:18 

Time:  4:30  - 5:45 pm

Main Happenings:

1)  A lady rolled down her window and wanted to give me some coffee or something to drink, but I politely declined. She said she went to the Crossroads church in Grand Prairie, TX and gave me a brochure/bulletin thing.
2)  A guy snapped a picture of me to put on his Facebook page. 
3)  Honks and thumbs up
4)  Two "drive by shoutings": the 'F' word was shouted at me (couldn't really understand what he was saying), and then something about "Jihad!" from another guy.
5) Lady rolls down her window and says, "God Bless you!", and I asked if the sign is easily readable and she said yes.
6)  A few people rolled down their windows and said "good job" or whatnot, and I asked if they were saved, or believed, or a Christian, and they said yes.

Sign Held:

The New Location!!

Well here it is: the brand new location!  As you guessed, the red X's are the places I stood at.  I alternated at the spots throughout the time being there.  I knew I wanted intersections at South Cooper St because there are TONS of cars that pass through - it's extremely busy down there in south Arlington.  But at first I actually couldn't decide on a location.  I drove around the area trying to pick a good place.  And as you remember from the previous post, I want to stay at a specific location for 3 weeks.  So once I decide on a location I want to stay there.  I'm not going to bounce from place to place every time I go out.  So I finally settled on S Cooper St & W Pleasant Ridge Rd right next to the Express - The Parks at Arlington shopping mall area.

For the first 5 minutes being there I was wondering if I even picked out a good location.  It seemed to me that I couldn't reach the people with my sign - either they couldn't see it very well or most just driving right on by and not reading it.  But I quickly warmed up and now love my new location.  This is the place I will be at for the next 3 weeks.  So stay tuned for more adventures in gospel sign holding!

Let's see where to begin.  The first thing that happened was a lady rolling down her window and asking me if I wanted something to drink like coffee or water or whatnot, which I politely declined.  I said, "Are you saved?!"  She said yes and asked what church I was going to.  I told her I currently wasn't going to church, that my wife and I were looking for one.  She told me she went to the Crossroads church in Grand Prairie and then hands me a bulletin/brochure thing from the church.

More to come...