New York, New York

So I knew that I would love the opportunity to go to spread the gospel in NYC, but I couldn’t believe how much I loved NYC itself. I LOVED IT! I loved the subways, the bus, the beautiful buildings towering into the air, I loved it all. I know I was in tourist mode so my goal is to back a few more times so I don’t love it so much. I’d go back tomorrow if I could. I could not believe all the people! The opportunity for street ministry there would be endless.

Anyways…With all the wonderful maneuvering that God orchestrated to allow me to go on this trip, I was excited to see what He was going to have me do down there. I really wanted to preach in Times Square, I wanted to pass out all my tracts, and I wanted to have some great one-on-ones. I really wanted to be used of God down there, but I soon found out what I’ve heard from many of my friends who have gone on short missions trips…the trip was more for them that for what they could do. Really it’s almost funny the arrogance of it all. God doesn’t need us, we need Him.

So I didn’t pass out all my tracts, and I didn’t preach in Times Square. I did have a good witness opportunity with a bunch of girls from England on a school trip, but it ended when the rest of their group called them back. God brought me down there to speak to me, and to encourage me. He used the preacher at Times Square Church, Carter Conlon, he used the preacher at Brooklyn Tabernacle, Jim Cymballa, He used the images that I saw walking down the street, and he used the people He sent down there with me. It was a wonderful time of worship and fellowship and ministry.

I would like to (in my free time) post a quick blurb about different parts of the trip as I can, even for me so I can go back and remember well, but free time has been hard to come by. I have a 5-7 page report to write, and a few tests to study for.

OK...I know this is dangerous ground to tread, but I am looking for your comments here concerning the comments of one of my heros, William Booth. Please leave your comments anonymous if you will.

The theatre in Worcester was crowded for the visit of William Booth on January 22, 1882. Even the General himself 'had great difficulty in getting in'. The door was smashed by the crowd still trying to gain admission after the place was full.George ' Sailor' Fielder, the Commanding Officer, had been put up to sing. He had been a sea captain with a voice that had often been heard above the roar of the waves. (Forty years later he still had ' a voice like thunder and gloried in open-air fighting'.) He sang his testimony in the words, ' Bless His name, He set me free.'

'That was a fine song. What tune was that? ' inquired the Army's Founder later.
'Oh,' came the reply in a rather disapproving tone, General, that's a dreadful tune. Don't you know what it is? That's " Champagne Charlie is my name".' That's settled it,' William Booth decided as he turned to Bramwell. ' Why should the devil have all the best tunes?'

An early pamphlet made the Army's position clear by saying that it' considers all music sacred when used with holy purpose'. For his Christmas message to War Cry readers of 1880 William Booth had already written: ' Secular music, do you say, belongs to the devil? Does it? Well, if it did I would plunder him for it, for he has no right to a single note of the whole seven. . . . Every note, and every strain, and every harmony is divine, and belongs to us. . . . So consecrate your voice and your instruments. Bring out your comets and harps and organs and flutes and violins and pianos and drums, and everything else that can make melody. Offer them to God, and use them to make all the hearts about you merry before the Lord.'

Getting There is Half the Fun

I guess the easiest way to do this is in little bites. First of all I want to praise the Lord for getting me to NYC, and I want to boast on Him for how He did it. When the trip was first offered, there was a man who offered to pay for me to go, but he has also helped me out so many times before that I didn’t feel comfortable with that. I fully planned on going to the Rochester parade to pass out tracts. A few weeks ago the man leading the trip explained that someone had to back out last minute so there was a train ticket and hotel already paid for if I wanted to go. OK, Lord! I’m going…well the guy who backed out had another change so he could go now. Did God still want me to go? Sure enough, as he came back on the trip someone else had to back out, so again train ticket and hotel provided by God! Just think of how that all worked. What a God! Then with ticket and hotel paid for I got the time off of work, and was all packed when at the last minute I had what was probably the worst toothache in all my life. Honestly my last post was written in such pain that I really didn’t think I was going. I e-mailed a few friends and took some Tylenol and finally around 1am went to sleep. Praise God I woke up and the pain was gone. It was sensitive, but it didn’t hold me back from going. Thank you for praying. God hears! From where I’m sitting it was just amazing to see God work out the details, and solve all the problems. He is a wonderful God.

Psalm 103:1 - Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

Off to NYC...

OK… so here’s where I’m at. I’m leaving for NYC in about 5 hours! You’d think I can’t sleep because I’m so excited, and that I’m just restless because this will be my first time going away on a smite trip, and its St. Patrick’s Day in the Big Apple, so I just can’t sleep, but you’d be wrong. I can’t sleep because I feel like someone has hit me in the face with a baseball bat.

A few days…er…weeks ago I lost a filling. Not Fun! It has been on and off troublesome, but not “the cost of getting it taken care of” troublesome. Well…today it is “Grown man crying” troublesome. Yes, I know I should have had it taken care of days …er…um… weeks ago, but I didn’t. I put it off and put it off, and now I’m in so much pain I can hardly think. Oh did I tell you I am leaving for NYC in less than 5 hours?

Why am I telling you this? Well… I need prayers, and I figure this may an easy way to get the 5 people who read this to pray for me. I so do not want this to ruin the trip! I know I am supposed to go. This would be kind of neat if it didn’t hurt soooo bad. I mean think about it. I’m at a point where I can’t do anything, which is just where God likes us because the only option it leaves is for Him to show Himself in mighty to get me through.

Please pray for our team as we head down to NYC to sow the gospel seed with Little Red Book. Pray that tracts would get into the hands of some seeking sinners, and find some soft hearts. Please pray that God would be honored and glorified with everything said and done. Please pray for my tooth that this pain subsides, and pray for the families of the team. Thank You SO Much!

I will do my best to post about the trip when I get back.