April 21, 2018
“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
“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
Dear Friends,
The last time we sent out a ministry update was in January of this year. The period of time from then until now does not present many opportunities for open-air evangelism to large numbers of people. As you will see, the month of March is an exception. Beginning in May and through to the end of November is the season when we have a great many opportunities to conduct gospel witness at large public events. Lord willing, we do intend to make the most of these opportunities to share the gospel of Christ with multitudes of perishing souls.
By the way, recently, we were blessed to be able to send 3,000 of our gospel tracts and some of our Urgent Plea to Roman Catholics tract in Spanish to a faithful Christian couple who live in Maryland and are involved in much evangelism at large public events in the Mid-Atlantic.
Our thanks to those who pray for this ministry work and also those who have helped us to have the means to fund it.
Sincerely,
Ralph Ovadal
The last time we sent out a ministry update was in January of this year. The period of time from then until now does not present many opportunities for open-air evangelism to large numbers of people. As you will see, the month of March is an exception. Beginning in May and through to the end of November is the season when we have a great many opportunities to conduct gospel witness at large public events. Lord willing, we do intend to make the most of these opportunities to share the gospel of Christ with multitudes of perishing souls.
By the way, recently, we were blessed to be able to send 3,000 of our gospel tracts and some of our Urgent Plea to Roman Catholics tract in Spanish to a faithful Christian couple who live in Maryland and are involved in much evangelism at large public events in the Mid-Atlantic.
Our thanks to those who pray for this ministry work and also those who have helped us to have the means to fund it.
Sincerely,
Ralph Ovadal
Witness at a Roman Catholic Parade
As I am sure you all know, we of PCC are very pro-life and are all for efforts to save the unborn, so long as such efforts by evangelicals are not at the expense of the true gospel, the spiritual purity of Christ’s blood-bought flock and in disobedience to the Scriptures which forbid Christians to spiritually, religiously yoke with Roman Catholics or other false religionists. Of course, such ecumenical error by evangelicals also deceives Roman Catholics that their church is Christian and that they are safe in Christ, when neither is true!
On January 27, our “Omaha Connection,” as we call Mark and Janet, witnessed to many thousands of Roman Catholics in Lincoln, Nebraska during the Walk for Life parade in that city. Mark held appropriate Scripture signs and preached to the marchers as Janet, literally dodging idolatrous statues and tapestries portraying “Our Lady of Guadalupe,” handed out our gospel tracts, each with an insert titled “Dear Roman Catholic.” Remarkably, over 230 individuals, by far mostly Roman Catholics and a good share of them young, accepted those tracts with inserts. The following is excerpted from a report Mark sent us on the ministry in Lincoln.
On January 27, our “Omaha Connection,” as we call Mark and Janet, witnessed to many thousands of Roman Catholics in Lincoln, Nebraska during the Walk for Life parade in that city. Mark held appropriate Scripture signs and preached to the marchers as Janet, literally dodging idolatrous statues and tapestries portraying “Our Lady of Guadalupe,” handed out our gospel tracts, each with an insert titled “Dear Roman Catholic.” Remarkably, over 230 individuals, by far mostly Roman Catholics and a good share of them young, accepted those tracts with inserts. The following is excerpted from a report Mark sent us on the ministry in Lincoln.
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The march draws between four and five thousand people. Over the years, the march has gone from an ecumenical event (although we know that would not be right either) to an almost total Roman Catholic event. And they make no apologies for it, even from the microphone at the state capitol. The march is filled with statues, pictures of “Our Lady of Guadalupe,” people reciting the rosary, dozens of priests and nuns. Young boys painted letters on their chests to spell out “PRO-LIFE,” and the whole thing is kind of what I term a “block party” for the Diocese of Lincoln.
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Witness to Wrestling Fans
On Saturday, March 3, nine of us traveled to Madison to share the gospel with fans attending the 2018 WIAA state high school wrestling championships at the University of Wisconsin field house. We split up and covered both of the entrances to the event. Each team held one of our large gospel signs by the door, while the rest of us handed out gospel tracts—in fact, 1,037 gospel tracts. Something to keep in mind, regarding the number of tracts we hand out at such events, is that the persons taking them know what they are getting since our large gospel signs are very visible to all.
As usually happens at this particular event, a UW security guard told us we had to leave. As usual we told him we had a constitutional right to do what we were doing, how we were doing it, and where we were doing it, that is, on the grounds of a public, tax-funded university. The security guard huffed off to speak with the police, and that was the last we heard of him.
One of the most encouraging things to occur during this ministry concerned a Muslim man, his wife, and their three children. Before anyone even had time to offer gospel tracts to the family, the man approached Joy. In her own words, this is what then took place.
As usually happens at this particular event, a UW security guard told us we had to leave. As usual we told him we had a constitutional right to do what we were doing, how we were doing it, and where we were doing it, that is, on the grounds of a public, tax-funded university. The security guard huffed off to speak with the police, and that was the last we heard of him.
One of the most encouraging things to occur during this ministry concerned a Muslim man, his wife, and their three children. Before anyone even had time to offer gospel tracts to the family, the man approached Joy. In her own words, this is what then took place.
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Before I could say anything to them, the man asked, “What is going on up there?” I told him it was the state wrestling tournaments, to which he replied, “What is wrestling?” I tried to explain! His English was good, but I guess that was something he was not familiar with! Then I said, “But I’m here to share the good news of Jesus Christ.” He very willingly took a gospel tract, and so did his wife. Then the Lord, I believe, caused me to remember the New Testament in my camera bag, and he willingly took it, saying, “New Testament,” as he looked at it in his hands.
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This is not the first time Muslims have accepted gospel tracts from us. I hope all of you are encouraged as we are by the knowledge that there are Muslims in this country who are open to receiving the gospel, and in the case just mentioned, even a Bible!
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Meanwhile, on the Same Day in Nebraska . . .
While we were sharing the gospel with wrestling fans in Madison, Wisconsin, Mark and Janet were doing the same thing on the same day at the 2018 Nebraska girls basketball championships. They gave out 540 of our Christ Jesus Came into the World to Save Sinners tract, the same tract we gave out at the wrestling championships.
A Very Good Time of Witness in Madison
Since 2003, we have given out well over 38,000 gospel tracts at the state basketball championships at the Kohl Center in Madison. We have also witnessed of the way of salvation to many times that number at the same event with our large gospel signs.
This year, on March 17, and by the grace of God, eight of us were able to witness for the Lord to the fans, including a very great number of high school students, arriving for the boys basketball championships. Two of our number held gospel signs on two different sidewalk approaches to the Kohl Center. The rest of us handed out gospel tracts. By the grace of God, 2,150 basketball fans accepted tracts from us, and again, even though those individuals saw our gospel signs and knew what we were handing out. Sad to say, but consistent with our experience, the fans from a Roman Catholic school which had made it to the championships were the most unreceptive to the gospel. But some still did accept tracts, and we trust the Spirit of the Lord to do the needed work in their hearts.
At one point in our ministry a UW event person, a lady, informed one of us, Joy, that we could not hand out gospel tracts on a UW sidewalk. Before Joy could respond, a nearby ticket scalper with whom we have had conversations many times over the years, stepped in and said to the UW official, “They can be there. They’ve been coming for years. They can be on university property because it’s freedom of religion.” At this, the event woman cheerfully said, “I stand corrected then!” Many encouraging things took place during our time of ministry at the Kohl Center.
This year, on March 17, and by the grace of God, eight of us were able to witness for the Lord to the fans, including a very great number of high school students, arriving for the boys basketball championships. Two of our number held gospel signs on two different sidewalk approaches to the Kohl Center. The rest of us handed out gospel tracts. By the grace of God, 2,150 basketball fans accepted tracts from us, and again, even though those individuals saw our gospel signs and knew what we were handing out. Sad to say, but consistent with our experience, the fans from a Roman Catholic school which had made it to the championships were the most unreceptive to the gospel. But some still did accept tracts, and we trust the Spirit of the Lord to do the needed work in their hearts.
At one point in our ministry a UW event person, a lady, informed one of us, Joy, that we could not hand out gospel tracts on a UW sidewalk. Before Joy could respond, a nearby ticket scalper with whom we have had conversations many times over the years, stepped in and said to the UW official, “They can be there. They’ve been coming for years. They can be on university property because it’s freedom of religion.” At this, the event woman cheerfully said, “I stand corrected then!” Many encouraging things took place during our time of ministry at the Kohl Center.
NCAA Basketball Tournament Regionals
On March 23, Mark and Janet witnessed at the National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball regional tournament. It was a windy day, in fact, too windy to even hold a gospel sign. But the dedicated twosome did hand out close to 400 gospel tracts to basketball fans from all over the country, and Mark had a good conversation, sharing the gospel with a Roman Catholic man.
Gospel Billboard Update
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We began this year with billboards in Fort Atkinson and Rockford, Illinois. These two went up in mid-December and stayed up through mid-January of this year. Toward the end of this month, April, our billboard will go up in Superior and Marshfield. Then in June, we have two billboards going up on heavy-traffic streets in Omaha, Nebraska. These will be up during the 2018 College World Series baseball championships, at which Mark and Janet and at least one of our PCC congregation will be sharing the gospel with teeming multitudes from all around the nation. In July, our billboard will go up in Dodgeville. Then in September, we have two digital billboards which will run our gospel message in Monroe, including right over Cheese Days when huge crowds gather here for that event at which we conduct much gospel ministry over three days.
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“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10
January 22, 2018
“I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant . . .”
Genesis 32:10
“I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant . . .”
Genesis 32:10
Dear Friends,
2017 has passed into the history books. Looking back, we are thankful for the rich abundant grace and tender mercy of the Lord which He has shown us all: personally, as a church, and certainly in our public ministry gospel work. We do want to thank each one who has prayed for that work this past year and those who sent gifts to help our little church reach such a great multitude of the perishing with the gospel of Christ. Our last public ministry update went out in mid-September. The months December through February do not feature the sort of opportunities for mass evangelism which the other months of the year do. But we continue to pray on during those months in preparation for the start of our gospel work the end of February or very early in March. At the same time, our gospel billboard campaign does continue through those same months. After updating our gospel ministry work since that last ministry report in mid-September, I hope you may also be interested and encouraged to read a brief summary of our public ministry work for 2017.
Sincerely,
Ralph Ovadal
2017 has passed into the history books. Looking back, we are thankful for the rich abundant grace and tender mercy of the Lord which He has shown us all: personally, as a church, and certainly in our public ministry gospel work. We do want to thank each one who has prayed for that work this past year and those who sent gifts to help our little church reach such a great multitude of the perishing with the gospel of Christ. Our last public ministry update went out in mid-September. The months December through February do not feature the sort of opportunities for mass evangelism which the other months of the year do. But we continue to pray on during those months in preparation for the start of our gospel work the end of February or very early in March. At the same time, our gospel billboard campaign does continue through those same months. After updating our gospel ministry work since that last ministry report in mid-September, I hope you may also be interested and encouraged to read a brief summary of our public ministry work for 2017.
Sincerely,
Ralph Ovadal
Return to the Dubuque Farmers Market
In our last ministry update, I shared with you how last summer, on August 19, while several of us were sharing the gospel on the public sidewalk at the farmers market in downtown Dubuque, Iowa, we were told by city police, at the behest of a foul-mouthed farmers market manager, that we had no right to share the gospel there and that we would be arrested if we did not leave immediately. As I informed you in that last ministry report, though I did share with the officer why we had the constitutional right to do what we were doing and where we were doing it, the officer, a self-professed Christian who was nevertheless furious with me for not leaving immediately, did not want to hear anything having to do with the law, the Constitution, or US Supreme Court rulings. It was leave now or wind up behind bars fast. Consistent with the wishes of constitutional attorneys we have worked with over the years, just as the handcuffs were about to come out, we finally left rather than wind up with two simultaneous court cases, one in a state court for the charged “offense” and one in federal court dealing with the constitutional issue. But I did let the officer know that we would be back.
On October 7, we finally did return to that farmers market after the Center for Religious Expression had set the city of Dubuque straight on the constitutional issue involved. By October 7, the farmers market crowd was much smaller, and off-and-on heavy rain further diminished the crowd. However, the Lord graciously gave us a window of opportunity, with the rain giving way to only a very light drizzle over the city of Dubuque the moment we arrived on the scene, even as the heavy rain continued around the city. We set up our gospel sign and handed out tracts while a market manager in her booth nearby took pains to act as if we did not exist. A young Christian woman came over to thank us for what we were doing and ended up expressing her outrage that the city had attempted to outlaw the sharing of the gospel on the public sidewalk. One middle-aged man, who was obviously very sick, gaunt, and full of despair, took our tract Heaven or Hell, and on seeing the title, said, “I’ll be there soon”—meaning, we took it, that he would soon be dead. He walked away looking at the tract. We were so thankful to have been able to get that gospel into his hands and “love our neighbor” by sharing the gospel of life even as he stood on the brink of eternity and knew it.
After spending some time in one place, we walked through the entire market with our gospel sign and handing out tracts. I ended up talking of the gospel with two men in the doorway of a bar for some time. Both took tracts and said they were going to read them. As the rain began, we headed for the car. As we were waiting to cross a street, a woman read our gospel sign out loud and began asking questions. We ended up ducking into a doorway to get out of the rain, and I answered her questions and shared the way of salvation with her, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. When all was said and done, it was clear to us that even though the spiritual principalities and powers spoken of in the epistle to the Ephesians had determined to rid that farmers market of our gospel witness and us, by the grace of God, it ended up for us as the apostle declared in 2 Corinthians 2:14: “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.”
On October 7, we finally did return to that farmers market after the Center for Religious Expression had set the city of Dubuque straight on the constitutional issue involved. By October 7, the farmers market crowd was much smaller, and off-and-on heavy rain further diminished the crowd. However, the Lord graciously gave us a window of opportunity, with the rain giving way to only a very light drizzle over the city of Dubuque the moment we arrived on the scene, even as the heavy rain continued around the city. We set up our gospel sign and handed out tracts while a market manager in her booth nearby took pains to act as if we did not exist. A young Christian woman came over to thank us for what we were doing and ended up expressing her outrage that the city had attempted to outlaw the sharing of the gospel on the public sidewalk. One middle-aged man, who was obviously very sick, gaunt, and full of despair, took our tract Heaven or Hell, and on seeing the title, said, “I’ll be there soon”—meaning, we took it, that he would soon be dead. He walked away looking at the tract. We were so thankful to have been able to get that gospel into his hands and “love our neighbor” by sharing the gospel of life even as he stood on the brink of eternity and knew it.
After spending some time in one place, we walked through the entire market with our gospel sign and handing out tracts. I ended up talking of the gospel with two men in the doorway of a bar for some time. Both took tracts and said they were going to read them. As the rain began, we headed for the car. As we were waiting to cross a street, a woman read our gospel sign out loud and began asking questions. We ended up ducking into a doorway to get out of the rain, and I answered her questions and shared the way of salvation with her, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. When all was said and done, it was clear to us that even though the spiritual principalities and powers spoken of in the epistle to the Ephesians had determined to rid that farmers market of our gospel witness and us, by the grace of God, it ended up for us as the apostle declared in 2 Corinthians 2:14: “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.”
Sharing the Gospel at the Harry Potter Festival
On Saturday, October 21, nine of us traveled to Jefferson, Wisconsin, to share the gospel with the crowds who turned out for the Harry Potter Festival which was spread out over a large area of downtown Jefferson and also in the city park. The weather was near perfect and the crowd during the course of the day was estimated to be about 35,000 people. We broke into two teams, each with one large gospel sign, and handed out our Christ Jesus Came into the World to Save Sinners tract. At this particular event, the crowd in general, many of the adults dressed up like witches and wizards and weird Harry Potter characters, was much more cold toward the gospel than at most events we attend; and we did run into more individuals who were openly contemptuous of our gospel labors. Nevertheless, after 2½ hours of concerted effort to get the gospel into the hands of as many as would receive it, we had given out 2,085 gospel tracts; and several of us had conversations, including in one case with a “real” witch, and also saw a Satanist wearing a pentagram and other satanic symbols on his shirt. “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen” (Romans 16:20).
Our Gospel Witness at the WIAA State High School Football Championships
On Thursday, November 16, just five of us were on hand to share the gospel to the football fans arriving at Camp Randall stadium in Madison, Wisconsin, for the high school football championships. The teams playing were from the smaller schools, and so there were much smaller crowds as compared to when we have witnessed at the games featuring the bigger schools. The fans at these games are predominately high school age, and many younger children as well. We made use of two gospel signs at two locations while three of us concentrated strictly on getting out tracts—in all, 729 gospel tracts.
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On Friday, November 17, with the weatherman promising heavy rain, two of us decided on the spur of the moment to head back for Madison and Day Two of the football championships. One of us held a gospel sign while the other focused on getting gospel tracts out under a lowering, threatening sky. In time, the clouds finally poured out rain, but not before we had handed out 385 more gospel tracts, raising our two-day total to 1,114 gospel tracts. By the time we arrived at our car, we had been thoroughly drenched by a cold, driving rain but were also thoroughly glad to have been able to share the gospel with so many perishing souls, both by gospel tracts and our sign.
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Gospel Billboard Campaign Update
So far for 2018, we have reserved billboards in Superior, Wisconsin (May 21-June 17); Marshfield, Wisconsin (May 28-June 24); Dodgeville, Wisconsin (July 16-August 12). We have secured two billboards in strategic locations in Omaha, Nebraska (June 4-July 1). The time these Omaha billboards will be up includes the dates of the 2018 College World Series in that city. We have also reserved two electronic billboards for Monroe, Wisconsin (September 1-September 30). The multi-day biennial Cheese Days celebration in Monroe will take place within that time frame.
2017 PCC Gospel Billboard Campaign in Review
As the new year dawned on January 1, a PCC gospel billboard was bearing witness of the way of salvation in Dubuque, Iowa. By the end of the year, we had put up that same billboard in the following Wisconsin cities: Watertown, Sheboygan, Eau Claire, Shullsburg, Fort Atkinson, and on a busy traffic artery just outside Madison. We also put up our gospel message on billboards in Freeport and Rockford, Illinois, as well as one in Omaha, Nebraska. In all, during 2017, we had eleven billboards in ten cities and towns. As I mentioned, thus far, we have already reserved a total of seven billboards for 2018. We hope to reserve, and put up, more gospel billboards this year than last year. As I have mentioned in the past, we choose billboards in very good locations, and our billboards not only have the gospel message but a simple, easy to remember Internet address to a much more in-depth message—in fact, the text of our gospel booklet From Death unto Life.
2017 PCC Gospel Witness at Public Events
We held gospel signs and passed out a total of 30,515 gospel tracts at the following public events in 2017: the Roman Catholic Walk for Life, Lincoln, Nebraska; wrestling tournament, Madison, Wisconsin; basketball tournament, Madison, Wisconsin; Nebraska state track meet, Omaha, Nebraska; Cinco de Mayo, Omaha, Nebraska; Cinco de Mayo, Darlington, Wisconsin; Memorial Day parade, Rockford, Illinois; College World Series, Omaha, Nebraska; Memorial Park concert, Omaha, Nebraska; farmers market, Beloit, Wisconsin; Fourth of July parade, Mineral Point, Wisconsin; Labor Day parade, Rockford, Illinois; SeptemberFest, Omaha, Nebraska; farmers market, Dubuque, Iowa (2x); Harry Potter Festival, Jefferson, Wisconsin; football tournament, Madison, Wisconsin.
This year, 2018, is once again a biennial “Cheese Days” year in Monroe. Cheese Days years always help us to get out even more gospel tracts. In 2016, the last Cheese Days year, we handed out 13,450 tracts at that one event and so over 40,000 tracts over the entire year. To put this in perspective, if those 40,000 individuals stood in line, with three feet allowed for each one of them, that line would stretch for 22.73 miles! Lord willing, this year, we are hoping to put the gospel into the hands of as many as 45-50,000 people. It takes plenty of hard work to get the gospel into the hands of that many people, one by one. But though our church is small, we have willing workers eager to serve the Lord of the harvest. And for that I am very thankful.
This year, 2018, is once again a biennial “Cheese Days” year in Monroe. Cheese Days years always help us to get out even more gospel tracts. In 2016, the last Cheese Days year, we handed out 13,450 tracts at that one event and so over 40,000 tracts over the entire year. To put this in perspective, if those 40,000 individuals stood in line, with three feet allowed for each one of them, that line would stretch for 22.73 miles! Lord willing, this year, we are hoping to put the gospel into the hands of as many as 45-50,000 people. It takes plenty of hard work to get the gospel into the hands of that many people, one by one. But though our church is small, we have willing workers eager to serve the Lord of the harvest. And for that I am very thankful.
September 16, 2017
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10
Dear Friends,
For those who have taken an interest in our PCC Public Ministry work, here is an update of that work since the last summary I sent out in July. This goes out with our heartfelt gratitude to the Lord for calling us to and enabling us for this glorious gospel work which is, after all, nothing less than in conformity to that second commandment, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” which is “like unto” the “first and great commandment”: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” And is it not true, brethren, that the first duty of the church without her walls, that is out in the world around us, is to share the gospel with the perishing, and is not faithfulness to this duty essential to obedience to our Lord who has called, enabled, and equipped His church to be “the light of the world” and “salt of the earth”?
We want to again thank those who remember this work in prayer and those who have helped our little church have the financial wherewithal to be able to share the gospel with so many people from so many places. As to the financial side of it, we have just put in an order for another 20,000 gospel tracts, specifically our tract titled Christ Jesus Came into the World to Save Sinners. We currently make use of this tract plus our Heaven or Hell tract. In this report, the gospel tracts mentioned that we have given out were one of those two tracts. We also make use of our gospel booklet From Death unto Life but mostly during our door-to-door lit dropping in the fall. I would also mention that it is not at all unusual for us to give out gospel tracts to a Muslim or two when the events we are ministering at are in bigger towns.
Our gospel billboard campaign continues on. In December, three more billboards will feature our message in three more towns, making twenty-three boards we will have put our gospel message on in a total of 20 cities since our billboard campaign began in May of last year. For more details on the December billboards, see the last item in this summary.
Sincerely,
Ralph Ovadal
For those who have taken an interest in our PCC Public Ministry work, here is an update of that work since the last summary I sent out in July. This goes out with our heartfelt gratitude to the Lord for calling us to and enabling us for this glorious gospel work which is, after all, nothing less than in conformity to that second commandment, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” which is “like unto” the “first and great commandment”: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” And is it not true, brethren, that the first duty of the church without her walls, that is out in the world around us, is to share the gospel with the perishing, and is not faithfulness to this duty essential to obedience to our Lord who has called, enabled, and equipped His church to be “the light of the world” and “salt of the earth”?
We want to again thank those who remember this work in prayer and those who have helped our little church have the financial wherewithal to be able to share the gospel with so many people from so many places. As to the financial side of it, we have just put in an order for another 20,000 gospel tracts, specifically our tract titled Christ Jesus Came into the World to Save Sinners. We currently make use of this tract plus our Heaven or Hell tract. In this report, the gospel tracts mentioned that we have given out were one of those two tracts. We also make use of our gospel booklet From Death unto Life but mostly during our door-to-door lit dropping in the fall. I would also mention that it is not at all unusual for us to give out gospel tracts to a Muslim or two when the events we are ministering at are in bigger towns.
Our gospel billboard campaign continues on. In December, three more billboards will feature our message in three more towns, making twenty-three boards we will have put our gospel message on in a total of 20 cities since our billboard campaign began in May of last year. For more details on the December billboards, see the last item in this summary.
Sincerely,
Ralph Ovadal
A few Christians. By the grace of God, a mighty work accomplished.
“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” Romans 10:14-15
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In June, Joy flew from here to join our “Omaha connection”—simply put Mark, Janet, and two-year-old Anna—to share the gospel with the teeming multitudes attending the annual College World Series of baseball, which was held in Omaha June 16-27. While Janet and little Anna, when temperatures permitted, were posted with a large gospel sign, Mark, Joy, and when he was able, a good Christian brother named Larry handed out our gospel tracts and also had more than one conversation with baseball fans, young and old, but predominantly the former.
For instance, when Joy offered a group of teenage boys gospel tracts, one replied, “I go to Prep, so I already know God.” (Creighton Preparatory is a Jesuit high school.) When she told him that the tract would tell him how he could have assurance of his sins forgiven and of heaven, he said, “Really?” and took the tract. His friends also accepted tracts.
For instance, when Joy offered a group of teenage boys gospel tracts, one replied, “I go to Prep, so I already know God.” (Creighton Preparatory is a Jesuit high school.) When she told him that the tract would tell him how he could have assurance of his sins forgiven and of heaven, he said, “Really?” and took the tract. His friends also accepted tracts.
During the eleven days of series baseball games and events, Joy was able to help out for five days (nine events) which she had been able to take off from her work. The weather permitted Janet, with little Anna, to be out for nine days (thirteen events). Larry was on hand for six days (seven events). All labored for many, many hours each day. Mark was able to get quite a number of days off from his employer; and by the time the last pitch of the series had been thrown, he had put in eleven days (sixteen events) of ministry labor at the CWS. By the way, the week after the CWS finished, our “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” message went up on a billboard we had rented on a very busy multilane street in Omaha. But, for the last word on the CWS ministry, I will let an excerpt from our faithful brethren’s final e-mail report speak for itself: “That makes for a total of 10,313 tracts for the 2017 CWS! And many thousands and thousands saw the Scripture signs. ‘The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.’ Psalm 126:3.” To that report, I would just add that many times 10,313 also read the gospel signs held by our faithful, hard-working brethren!
What could be called a “double header” gospel week
“. . . Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” Luke 14:23
The last games of the CWS were played the week of June 25-July 1. To close out that week, on Friday night, Mark and Janet were on hand to share the gospel with fans arriving at Memorial Park in Omaha for a rock concert. Janet held a gospel sign while Mark handed out gospel tracts—in fact, 515 of our gospel tracts.
The last games of the CWS were played the week of June 25-July 1. To close out that week, on Friday night, Mark and Janet were on hand to share the gospel with fans arriving at Memorial Park in Omaha for a rock concert. Janet held a gospel sign while Mark handed out gospel tracts—in fact, 515 of our gospel tracts.
Proclaiming gospel liberty on the 4th
“. . . proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants . . .” Leviticus 25:10
The Fourth of July this year found four of us in Mineral Point, Wisconsin. The occasion was a Fourth of July parade. Between us, we handed out 2,050 of our gospel tracts. Think of that: 2,050 gospel tracts handed out at a parade in a small town like Mineral Point! Think of that and rejoice in the grace and mercy and effectual power of the Lord! A good day in Beloit
“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear.” Isaiah 59:1
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On Saturday, August 5, seven of us shared the gospel at the open-air farmers market in Beloit, Wisconsin. We split into two teams and set up at opposite ends of this large, well attended farmers market. One member of each team held one of our large gospel signs. Everyone else concentrated on handing out gospel tracts—in fact, a total of 1,334 gospel tracts.
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Trouble in Dubuque
“But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.” Acts 16:37
We are well aware in all of our gospel labors out in the world that at any time that great spiritual adversary of the Lord’s blood-bought church may succeed in stirring up opposition to our ministry from those who despise the gospel and true Christianity and often Christ Jesus Himself. Over the years, we have experienced this at times, to one intensity or another; and sometimes it has been necessary to go to court in defense of our right—and the right of all the Lord’s people—to share the gospel in the public square.
We are well aware in all of our gospel labors out in the world that at any time that great spiritual adversary of the Lord’s blood-bought church may succeed in stirring up opposition to our ministry from those who despise the gospel and true Christianity and often Christ Jesus Himself. Over the years, we have experienced this at times, to one intensity or another; and sometimes it has been necessary to go to court in defense of our right—and the right of all the Lord’s people—to share the gospel in the public square.
On Friday, August 18, three of us made the spur of the moment decision to share the gospel at the farmers market in Dubuque, Iowa the following day. We knew very little about that event, so this was a sort of scouting trip as well. To make a long story short, we ran into a buzz saw of animosity from both the farmers market management and from a police officer who, after telling us he is a Christian, proceeded to repeatedly, and with anger, threaten us with arrest because we did not have a permit to do what we were doing. Constitutional law meant nothing to this man. To make a long story short, after I had gotten on video all that was needed and more to secure our right, and the right of others, to share the gospel of Christ in public, and by the grace of God staved off actual arrest during that time, we left, more than likely in the nick of time.
Attorneys who take such cases prefer to avoid the complication of adding a case in the state courts—in this case, the threatened arrests for “trespassing”—to the all-important case in the federal court which is essential to correcting the city’s unlawful acts and restoring the right of free speech for Christians in the public square. The Center for Religious Expression has taken our case at no charge to us. The CRE survives on free-will donations. I am confident things will turn out in the end, and we will be returning to Dubuque, even though interaction with the Dubuque city attorney has revealed that our constitution, the gospel, Christians, law, and liberty do not have a friend in that office!
By the way, in spite of having little time to hand out gospel tracts, we did manage to give out 308 tracts, and many people did see our gospel sign. And for the record, we received verbal support from more than one person who witnessed the police officer’s behavior toward us.
I would like to stress that police officers who behave as this one we dealt with in Dubuque are the exception, not the rule. Such men are very real dangers to liberty, and in some rare cases, to life. But most police officers are not like this—quite the contrary. Given the current hatred and violence against them, when you get a chance, be sure to thank a police officer for all that they do and all that they risk for us. When dealing with the police during public ministry, I also expect the best and show respect for the office, though we must not allow the “bad apples” to trample under their feet the right and duty of Christians to share the gospel.
We plan on going back to Dubuque, so Lord willing, I will share the outcome of that in our next public ministry update.
Attorneys who take such cases prefer to avoid the complication of adding a case in the state courts—in this case, the threatened arrests for “trespassing”—to the all-important case in the federal court which is essential to correcting the city’s unlawful acts and restoring the right of free speech for Christians in the public square. The Center for Religious Expression has taken our case at no charge to us. The CRE survives on free-will donations. I am confident things will turn out in the end, and we will be returning to Dubuque, even though interaction with the Dubuque city attorney has revealed that our constitution, the gospel, Christians, law, and liberty do not have a friend in that office!
By the way, in spite of having little time to hand out gospel tracts, we did manage to give out 308 tracts, and many people did see our gospel sign. And for the record, we received verbal support from more than one person who witnessed the police officer’s behavior toward us.
I would like to stress that police officers who behave as this one we dealt with in Dubuque are the exception, not the rule. Such men are very real dangers to liberty, and in some rare cases, to life. But most police officers are not like this—quite the contrary. Given the current hatred and violence against them, when you get a chance, be sure to thank a police officer for all that they do and all that they risk for us. When dealing with the police during public ministry, I also expect the best and show respect for the office, though we must not allow the “bad apples” to trample under their feet the right and duty of Christians to share the gospel.
We plan on going back to Dubuque, so Lord willing, I will share the outcome of that in our next public ministry update.
Gospel labors at Rockford’s Labor Day parade
“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
Seven of us traveled to Rockford, Illinois on Labor Day, September 4, to share the gospel with the crowd watching the Labor Day parade in that city. We walked each side of the entire 1.3 mile long parade route, offering gospel tracts to all who were lined up along the route watching the parade. This was our first time at a Labor Day event in Rockford, and we miscalculated just how big an event it would be! 3,100 persons accepted gospel tracts from us which is wonderful, but we actually ran out of tracts a couple of blocks before the end of the parade! We always bring a good many more tracts to a ministry than we think we will need. But on Labor Day, we were reminded, and we bless God for the reminder, that our God is “him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).
Seven of us traveled to Rockford, Illinois on Labor Day, September 4, to share the gospel with the crowd watching the Labor Day parade in that city. We walked each side of the entire 1.3 mile long parade route, offering gospel tracts to all who were lined up along the route watching the parade. This was our first time at a Labor Day event in Rockford, and we miscalculated just how big an event it would be! 3,100 persons accepted gospel tracts from us which is wonderful, but we actually ran out of tracts a couple of blocks before the end of the parade! We always bring a good many more tracts to a ministry than we think we will need. But on Labor Day, we were reminded, and we bless God for the reminder, that our God is “him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).
Gospel witness at SeptemberFest in Omaha
“. . . for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few.” 1 Samuel 14:6
On Labor Day, Mark and Janet shared the gospel with people arriving to attend an event in Omaha, Nebraska. While Janet held a large gospel message sign, Mark handed out gospel tracts. During their time of witness, 300 gospel tracts were given out and a great many individuals also read the gospel message on the sign Janet held.
On Labor Day, Mark and Janet shared the gospel with people arriving to attend an event in Omaha, Nebraska. While Janet held a large gospel message sign, Mark handed out gospel tracts. During their time of witness, 300 gospel tracts were given out and a great many individuals also read the gospel message on the sign Janet held.
Gospel Billboard Campaign
“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
At the start of this summary, I mentioned how many gospel billboards we have put up thus far. Currently, we have three more billboards going up in December, specifically in Shullsburg and Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, as well as one in Rockford, Illinois. Since this campaign has started, it has not been unusual for our gospel message to stay up for days, at times weeks, past the one month we have rented the board. This happens in situations where no one else has contracted to rent a billboard for the time immediately following the termination of our contract time. Until someone else’s time starts, our boards have been staying up. It seems to us this has been happening an inordinate number of times! For instance, the billboard we rented this summer in Omaha stayed up for a whole month after our contract had expired!
Of course, in addition to the gospel message on our boards, we also have a web site address which goes directly to the gospel message on our church web site which is the text from our gospel booklet. From what we can tell, we have been getting a steady number of visits to that web page. At the bottom of that message, we have an offer of a free Bible to those needing one. We also have that offer on our home page. In recent weeks, we have had four sincere requests for the word of God.
But I close with just two short stories about our gospel billboards, stories which I believe are similar to many which the Lord knows of, even if we do not. During the time our billboard was up in Omaha on a very busy multilane street, Mark did some lit dropping of our gospel tract, Christ Jesus Came into the World to Save Sinners. Our billboard display is the front of that tract, plus of course the web site address I mentioned. One man was on his front porch having a smoke. He had a tremendous view of the billboard from there and gladly received the gospel tract, recognizing the front of the tract as being the same as displayed by the billboard. This man happily received the tract and immediately began reading it.
After our billboard in Dubuque was put up, we received a call from a Christian sister familiar with the area in which the billboard was posted. She let us know it is a very rough, dark place, with a lot of drug use, violence, and crime of all sorts—in short, just the sort of place where the Lord has so many times shined the light of the gospel into a great many dark hearts, regenerating men and women, born again of incorruptible seed by the word of God (1 Peter 1:23), and raised up as trophies of our God’s grace.
Of course, in addition to the gospel message on our boards, we also have a web site address which goes directly to the gospel message on our church web site which is the text from our gospel booklet. From what we can tell, we have been getting a steady number of visits to that web page. At the bottom of that message, we have an offer of a free Bible to those needing one. We also have that offer on our home page. In recent weeks, we have had four sincere requests for the word of God.
But I close with just two short stories about our gospel billboards, stories which I believe are similar to many which the Lord knows of, even if we do not. During the time our billboard was up in Omaha on a very busy multilane street, Mark did some lit dropping of our gospel tract, Christ Jesus Came into the World to Save Sinners. Our billboard display is the front of that tract, plus of course the web site address I mentioned. One man was on his front porch having a smoke. He had a tremendous view of the billboard from there and gladly received the gospel tract, recognizing the front of the tract as being the same as displayed by the billboard. This man happily received the tract and immediately began reading it.
After our billboard in Dubuque was put up, we received a call from a Christian sister familiar with the area in which the billboard was posted. She let us know it is a very rough, dark place, with a lot of drug use, violence, and crime of all sorts—in short, just the sort of place where the Lord has so many times shined the light of the gospel into a great many dark hearts, regenerating men and women, born again of incorruptible seed by the word of God (1 Peter 1:23), and raised up as trophies of our God’s grace.
“Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 2:14-17
June 3, 2017
“The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” Isaiah 52:10
Dear Friends,
For those interested, here is a summary of our open-air gospel work since I last wrote up such a report. In addition to the public events spoken of at which we shared the gospel, some of our members also lit dropped the homes of Albany, Wisconsin with our gospel tracts, and our brethren in Omaha also delivered the gospel to a number of homes in Mt. Vernon, Iowa. This summary comes with an expression of our deep appreciation of those who pray for this work and also those who have helped to keep our little church supplied so that we, by God’s grace, have been able to maintain this gospel witness to so many, in so many places.
Sincerely,
Ralph Ovadal
For those interested, here is a summary of our open-air gospel work since I last wrote up such a report. In addition to the public events spoken of at which we shared the gospel, some of our members also lit dropped the homes of Albany, Wisconsin with our gospel tracts, and our brethren in Omaha also delivered the gospel to a number of homes in Mt. Vernon, Iowa. This summary comes with an expression of our deep appreciation of those who pray for this work and also those who have helped to keep our little church supplied so that we, by God’s grace, have been able to maintain this gospel witness to so many, in so many places.
Sincerely,
Ralph Ovadal
Gospel Billboard Campaign
Last year, we posted our “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” message on thirteen billboards in twelve cities and towns in Wisconsin as well as one billboard in Dubuque, Iowa. So far this year, we have had our message on billboards in Watertown, Wisconsin and Sheboygan, Wisconsin. This month, that is June, our same message will be displayed on another billboard in Dubuque, Iowa and also on the extremely heavily traveled Highway 14 outside of Madison, Wisconsin. We also have one more billboard rented, this one in Ft. Atkinson, Wisconsin, but are planning on renting more billboards yet. All of our billboards have been in prime locations, and most have been lit up at night. So far, hundreds of thousands of people have seen our gospel message, and we know for a fact a great many people have gone to the web site address on our billboards and read the text of our gospel booklet, From Death unto Life which comes up there.
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Billboard in Watertown, Wisconsin
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“Holding Forth the Word of Life” at a Walk for Life (Philippians 2:16)
Mark, Janet, and a young brother in the Lord named Matthew shared the true gospel with a great number of Roman Catholics participating in a Walk for Life in Lincoln, Nebraska, January 14. Of course, our brethren are very pro-life, as are all of us of Pilgrims Covenant Church; and we certainly have not been silent on the slaughter of the unborn. But while many evangelicals are rightly concerned about the shedding of innocent blood, they apparently have very little concern to be “pure from the blood of all men” (Acts 20:26) in the words of the apostle Paul speaking somewhat figuratively, that is with “blood” referring to the eternal life of the soul. As the marchers went past, both ecumenical evangelicals and Roman Catholics, Mark held the sign with Hebrews 10:12—“But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God”—and handed out tracts. Meanwhile, Janet and Matthew, nearby, also gave out tracts, in all around 300 of our An Urgent Plea to Roman Catholics tract and also 126 of our Christ Jesus Came into the World to Save Sinners tract, inserted into Urgent Plea tracts. Quite a number of young Roman Catholic men and women accepted our tracts, which is very encouraging for anyone with a concern for those poor, deceived, perishing young people.
Gospel Witness to Wrestling Fans
Saturday, March 4, found us once again stationed by the entrances of the University of Wisconsin field house in order to share the gospel with fans from around the state arriving for the 2017 WIAA state high school wrestling championships. Only two entrances are used; so with seven of us on hand, we were able to effectively minister the gospel to everyone entering that sports arena. One of us by each door held a large Scripture sign and handed out gospel tracts, though it is hard to get out a great deal of tracts when holding those signs. One of the signs displayed Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The other sign we used featured this from 1 Timothy 1:15: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” The rest of us concentrated on getting gospel tracts into the hands of the wrestling fans. The crowd size was fairly good, though far from being what we might call huge. We were happy to get out 845 of our gospel tract Christ Jesus Came into the World to Save Sinners.
We had a little mild harassment from one police officer who first informed me that we could not do our ministry on the (tax-funded) public sidewalk of the (tax-funded) University of Wisconsin property. However, he soon abandoned that charade.
Part way through our time of ministry, a middle-aged, grossly overweight wrestling fan tragically had a heart attack. But as medical personnel worked on him, the wrestling fans, seemingly with little empathy for the poor man, continued to stream by on each side. Yet, rather than a lack of empathy being the reason of the fans acting as if they did not see the life and death drama they were witnessing, it seems more likely they only wanted to get past the reminder that “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” We were glad to be on hand with our gospel witness at such a compelling, telling time and also that the heart attack victim had seen our sign earlier and may well have been one who accepted and read our gospel tract. We were also glad to know that after a long, intense effort to save the man, the medical personnel did get his heart beating again and then headed for a nearby hospital with him. We can have good hope that our gospel witness will be used of the Lord to the saving of that man’s soul.
We had a little mild harassment from one police officer who first informed me that we could not do our ministry on the (tax-funded) public sidewalk of the (tax-funded) University of Wisconsin property. However, he soon abandoned that charade.
Part way through our time of ministry, a middle-aged, grossly overweight wrestling fan tragically had a heart attack. But as medical personnel worked on him, the wrestling fans, seemingly with little empathy for the poor man, continued to stream by on each side. Yet, rather than a lack of empathy being the reason of the fans acting as if they did not see the life and death drama they were witnessing, it seems more likely they only wanted to get past the reminder that “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” We were glad to be on hand with our gospel witness at such a compelling, telling time and also that the heart attack victim had seen our sign earlier and may well have been one who accepted and read our gospel tract. We were also glad to know that after a long, intense effort to save the man, the medical personnel did get his heart beating again and then headed for a nearby hospital with him. We can have good hope that our gospel witness will be used of the Lord to the saving of that man’s soul.
Giving gospel tracts to fans at the basketball championships
One of our Scripture signs at the basketball championships
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Ministry at the WIAA Boys State Basketball Championships
On Saturday, March 18, eight of us from Pilgrims Covenant Church made another yearly pilgrimage, this time to the Kohl Center in Madison to witness with the gospel of Christ to basketball fans, a great many of them students, arriving for the WIAA boys state high school basketball tournament. We again used two large gospel signs. Everyone gave it their best effort, as usual. But it was of the mercy of the Lord and His grace, that we were able to give 1,818 individuals our Christ Jesus Came into the World to Save Sinners gospel tract. We had no problems to speak of, none from the police and only a little mocking from a couple of individuals. One of the mockers was a young high school lad, but he ended up with a little competition for the ears of his buddies since at the same time one of them was reading our tract out loud! When all was said and done, there were but a couple of dozen of our tracts which had been thrown on the sidewalk. These, as is our habit when done with a ministry, we picked up and threw away properly.
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A Far-Reaching Gospel Witness
Horse enthusiasts from all around the country arriving at the FEI World Cup Jumping & Dressage Finals in Omaha on Saturday, April 1 were greeted by a gospel witness. Working solo and multi-tasking by holding both a large Scripture sign and handing out our gospel tracts, Mark was able to conduct an effective witness for his Master, Christ Jesus, even if he was only able to get out a small number of tracts.
Sowing the Gospel Seed to a Multitude at Cinco de Mayo in Omaha
Cinco de Mayo scene in Omaha, Nebraska
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May 5 is Cinco de Mayo day, a much celebrated holiday in Mexico and also by immigrants from Mexico in our country, as well as even by some Hispanics born here. The Cinco de Mayo celebration in Omaha, Nebraska took place on Saturday, May 6. On hand to witness for Christ were our PCC “Omaha Connection”: Mark and Janet (and their Anna in a stroller) as well as a good brother in the Lord, Larry, and one of his young adult grandsons who made his debut in gospel work, by the way, doing an excellent job, as it was reported to us. Janet, with Anna, held a Scripture sign. Larry gave out gospel tracts nearby, so as to keep an eye on the two, while the veteran evangelist Mark and the young brother in Christ walked the parade route, handing out as they went one of our gospel tracts complete with an insert featuring a number of Scripture texts in Spanish. In the end, over 1,800 people received gospel literature.
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The Cinco de Mayo parade in Omaha that our brethren walked handing out gospel tracts
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Cinco de Mayo Witness—Round II, Darlington, Wisconsin
Passing out gospel tracts at Cinco de Mayo, Darlington
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On Saturday, May 13, we took our turn witnessing at a Cinco de Mayo celebration here in Wisconsin, specifically in Darlington which has a relatively large number of persons of Mexican origin or descent in part due to job opportunities at a number of cheese factories and on large dairy farms. Nine of us from PCC were able to witness at this event; so we were able to cover it very well, setting up our witness at key places as well as a couple of us also making a sweep through the festival grounds to hand out more tracts just before leaving.
After we did leave, several of us went to a soccer tournament which was part of the Cinco de Mayo event but held at a different park. Two of us made a sweep through the park, handing out gospel tracts to the soccer fans, though it was not a very large crowd at all. |
The Lord was again very gracious to us during that ministry in the small town of Darlington at an event which was not really on a large scale. We handed out 876 Christ Jesus Came into the World to Save Sinners tracts, each with the Spanish Scripture insert. Also, I gave a Bible to a young Hispanic man who said he had none. He gratefully received it. The only contempt we had directed our way was from a couple of gringos. All of the Hispanics were very polite, at least the ones I dealt with, and I think that was true with the others of our group as well.
Joy seeking souls for her Savior at Cinco de Mayo, Darlington
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The youngest members of our team at Cinco de Mayo in Darlington – all in Christ and serving him
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Sharing the Gospel at the Nebraska High School Track Meet
The Nebraska high school track meet was held in Omaha in May. On Saturday, May 20, Mark undertook a solo gospel work to fans arriving for that event. Since the weather was inclement, Janet and Anna were not able to lend a hand. Yet, by his tenacious and faithful labor, Mark gave out 700 of our Christ Jesus Came into the World to Save Sinners gospel tracts! The Lord will always assist and bless His servants who labor for Him out of faith, with hope, in love. And, as I have more than once also reminded the members of our church, just as “God loveth a cheerful giver” of finances, so too I am convinced the Lord loveth a cheerful giver of time and labor.
And the Spirit of the Lord Was Also with Us in Rockford, Illinois
“And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them . . .” Mark 16:20
Seven of us from PCC traveled to Rockford, Illinois on Memorial Day, May 29, to share the gospel at a parade through downtown Rockford. We walked the parade route, handing out tracts both from the curb side on each side of the street and also from the sidewalk on each side. By the grace of God, we were able to put our tract Heaven or Hell? into the hands of just under 2,300 people, many of them definitely on the low side of the economic scale. The percentage of these individuals who accepted our gospel tracts, in many cases with spoken gratitude, was extremely high. Mark 12:37: “. . . And the common people heard him gladly.” |
Many in Rockford gladly received our gospel tracts.
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Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing.
Doth ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His name, from age to age the same, and He must win the battle.
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing.
Doth ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His name, from age to age the same, and He must win the battle.