"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience - " (Ephesians 2:1-2)

 

Blessings in Christ to all of you, beloved saints of God! It has been far too long since I've made the time to update you on what's been happening in the mission field of our beloved city and region. An increasing work load (for which Wendy and I praise God!), class obligations, sermon preparation for a small group study, and an unfriendly virus that hung around for a while have all contributed to delay this overdue newsletter. I thank you for your prayers and ongoing support; your faithfulness to the cause of reaching the lost continues to undergrid my own commitment and brings great joy in our labors.

 

I'll use another newsletter to cover some of the past few weeks. This week, however, saw us once again at the annual Moonfest event on Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach. This is the third year we have had the privilege of partnering with our brother and sister in Christ, Kevin and Janine Murray, and their sons, Caleb, Marcus and Octavious. They were also joined by another friend, Brian, and our dear brother Todd Francis was also with me. Between us, we handed out dozens of gospel tracts, while Kevin and I "tag-teamed" with the preaching, and Janine lifted her beautiful voice in songs of praise to our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

 

We were able to set up and preach just inside the barricades at Banyan and Quadrille, and we preached to the people coming in for two hours without interruption. We had to leave a bit earlier than usual, as Kevin and Janine are now leading the worship at their church and had to get ready for the Lord's Day the following morning. Still, many conversations were had, the Word of God went forth in power  and boldness, and the name of Jesus was lifted high over the streets.

 

 

"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved!" (Ephesians 2:4)

 

We saw the hand of God in our midst that evening. Kevin and Janine were approached by Felipe and Jorge, two young believers who were greatly encouraged by our outreach! They joined us for a time of prayer and encouragement, and went away emboldened in their faith.

 

I was handing out tracts outside one of the parking garages on Banyan. I was able to have a lengthy conversation with Stanley, a young man who attended church, and new some of the vocabulary, but had no real idea of what the words meant. He knew about "the blood of Jesus," but didn't know what Christ had accomplished for him as the result of the shedding of His blood! He knew about his own sins, but admitted he had no power to stop doing what he knew was sinful! Like many in this generation, Stanley knew the words, but couldn't hear the music of the gospel.

 

 

Stanley admitted that he had no power over his sin, and that, even as a young man, he did not have the strength to fight off the sin that beset him. We prayed that the LORD would open Stanley's eyes to see his condition, that God would grant him repentance leading to everlasting life. Stanley accepted some gospel tracts and my business card, and agreed to read the gospel of Mark from his Bible when he got home early the next morning. His sobriety, his honesty and his open heart revealed that the Spirit of God was drawing him to repentance. Please pray for this young man.

 

Another young lady working at the same parking garage came over and introduced herself. Crystal had heard me preach over at the Green Market the week before, and told me how encouraged she was to hear the Word of God proclaimed for all to hear. She was a great encouragement to me, as well, and I thanked her for her kindness and her prayers.

 

We were also "visited" by an official from the Moonfest event, who wouldn't speak to us, but took numerous photographs and videos of us while we were preaching, and of our table with its Bibles, gospel tracts, and bottles of water to hand out. Clearly she was trying to intimidate us, but the police officers never interfered and we continued our outreach with no hindrances. Praise God for that! I wonder if she was as careful to photograph all the debauchery that was occurring inside the event, and not just the work of the LORD outside.  

 

Thank you again for your patience with me for the past couple months. I was unable to travel to attend the Fall For Greenville outreach earlier this month because of that pesky virus, but praise God for His sustaining kindness! I was able to preach at the first Green Market of the year that weekend instead. Our City Place outreaches have consistently generated gospel conversations, and with the cooler weather upon us, we'll be traveling to Delray Beach and also preaching at the regular festivals at the Meyer Amphitheater downtown along Flagler Drive.

 

I would also ask you to pray for our brother, Todd Francis, who is seeking better employment and improved living conditions. He has been a steadfast co-laborer, and it has been my honor and great pleasure to have him with me so consistently.

 

I have a couple topics I look forward to sharing with you in the next two weeks, so please check your inbox for another newsletter shortly, Lord willing. Thank you again for your generosity and support; we are continuing several local outreaches, the next Super Bowl Outreach will be here in four months, and I am also planning to attend the annual Shepherds Conference in California at John MacArthur's church next March, Lord willing. And please pray for my studies at Expositors Seminary! The class load is not a burden yet (I am only taking a couple of classes), but I have some writing projects due next month that will require a clear understanding of justification and sanctification, and I'll have to take the finals in Apologetical Methodology.

 

May our LORD richly bless each of you and your families. I am honored to partner with you in the gospel of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ!

 

 Soli Deo Gloria! No king but Christ.