Signs & Wonders Blog

When people hear the term street evangelist , some think of men and women standing in public places shouting out Bible verses. That’s one way of reaching multitudes who might not hear the gospel otherwise. Romans 10:14 says, “And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” All the prophets of old as well as Jesus and the Apostle Paul preached in the marketplace.  Unfortunately, many open-air preachers I’ve seen lack compassion and do not speak the truth in love. They preach more about God’s judgment than His mercy. Some call women “whores” because (in their opinion) they don’t wear enough clothing. Jesus didn’t talk like that to the woman caught in adultery. Rude preaching repels sinners instead of drawing them closer to God. 2 Timothy 2:24-25 says, “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant t...

This past week at the church I’ve been working with, we had a visiting evangelist named Joe Jackson. That had me thinking of famous people with that name such as Michael Jackson’s father, a baseball player with the nickname “Shoeless,” and a British singer whose biggest U. S. hit was the Grammy-nominated “Steppin’ Out.” As I watched the music video of that song for the first time in years, I suddenly realized how Joe Jackson’s tune could be turned into an exhortation to obey the Great Commission. The hardest part about evangelism is simply getting started. Even after doing street ministry for over twenty years, there are times I don’t feel like talking to people. But once I get over myself and start sharing the gospel, the Holy Spirit flows through me and I feel much better afterwards. Back in the early 1990s when I was involved with network marketing, I heard a sales trainer point out if we only do things that are comfortable, we are “screwing up big time.” One way we matur...

Last Sunday, a Facebook friend from New York City wrote on his wall about getting into trouble for preaching the gospel on a bus. A friend of his who I’ll call Bruce (not his real name) tried to discourage him from doing that . I posted a response quoting Jesus’ commandment to “preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15).  During an ensuing exchange of emails, Bruce repeatedly labeled me a religious fanatic. According to the New Oxford American Dictionary, one definition of fanatic is “a person with an obsessive interest in and enthusiasm for something, esp. an activity.” The fact is everybody gets enthusiastic about someone or something. It’s interesting to note the word enthusiasm originates from a Greek word meaning “possessed by a god” or “inspired.” I pointed out to Bruce that whenever the Yankees win the World Series or the Giants win the Super Bowl, the streets of New York City become crowded with sports fanatics. Many of these fans are not ashamed...