First Friday Downtown Florence Report

It was a glorious night at 1st Friday, the weather was warm and many people were out on the streets. We arrived there about five o'clock. Diane, Becky. Shirley, Don and Paul from Huntsville arrived a little later. We set up on our usual corner where I have been preaching for about a year and a half. A police officer showed up and Diane was speaking to him and he said we can preach there but we need a permit for amplification. The last few months we had been using amplification and the police have not said any thing to us, but this time was different. At the corner we preach at the owner of the store was angry last month that we were preaching out by his store and handing out tracts. He told somebody from our group that this was his store and we won't be witnessing by his store next time. After Diane's conversation with the officer we proceeded to hand out tracts to the people around us. We handed out hundreds of tracts last night as the streets were full of people. We open air preached many time;myself and Paul and Diane shared her testimony with the crowds. The Lord always sends those who encourage us and a gentleman came up and said he seen us last year and was encouraged. Richard, a man we saw last month who my Brother Dennis witnessed to and gave him a John Piper book, stopped by to say he read the book and was encouraged and wanted us to give it to someone else to read. He seemed upset with us last month and he said he acted wrong to us and apologized to me about that. He claims to be a Christian. I preached alot about the heart and how GOD has to change your heart and how you need to become a new creation in Christ. Becky shared with me later in the evening about a little girl who was with her Dad and as they walked by she said

"Daddy look he is preaching" (this girl was around 6 yrs old ). The dad said "you don't need to hear this" or you don't want to hear this; something to that effect. This little girl heard the Gospel and was drawn by the word of God. Jesus said let the little children come, and that we have to come with child like faith. This really broke my heart this morning as I was sharing this with my wife. She heard and was drawn to the Gospel and her Dad will be held to account for this. Paul was open air preaching and he had a young man around 10 to 12 years old and was held captive by the word of God as Paul preached. He stood there for around 15 minutes and listened intently until his Mother called for him from across the street. Oh may our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST receive all the Glory.

Friends where are the Pastors and Leaders of our churches?? Have we not a mission field in our own backyards??? Are there not untold millions dying and going to hell in our own country? We need to stop playing church inside our four walls! Stop sending people on glorified vacations and calling it our mission field. Does anyone just share the Gospel anymore or do we need a plan or a special day to do it ? Literally thousands upon thousands of dollars are wasted on these trips to other countries, building things and cleaning things but not sharing the Gospel. Isn't that the point of a mission! These works are not wrong in themselves, but if we are not sharing the Gospel with people they will head straight to hell, and you might have done some nice things for them but they will be in conscience torment forever. Even the unsaved do nice things for people; often more than our churches. It should not be said "I minister from 9 to 5" like a office job. You should have a passion within your soul to see men come to Christ and seek and save the lost. The hypocrisy of people wanting to go on mission trips yet they will not witness in their own community because they might be seen by people they know. Enough with our giant budgets to run our churches like a business, to have these big buildings and fine manecured lawns. Our doctrines may be right but if we are not putting legs to our doctrine and living it out it means nothing.

May GOD recieve the GLORY!!!!

God Bless,

Frank Rollberg