Street Preaching on Washington Ave

Provisions

Washington Ave in Houston, at 10:30pm is a wild and dangerous place to be.

My pastor and some guys from our church went there one evening to go street evangelizing/preaching, this was my second time going with them. On the way there we read and prayed, Ephesians 5:1-21, last time we went out, there was reports that people believed they were living in a simulation, the words "Awake oh Sleeper!" in v14, came to me. Providentially, that is the passage that says do not be drunk with wine.

We arrive at 10:30pm, and go to the corner where theres a bunch of food trucks. It wasn't a particularly busy, since it had been raining heavily. But that just meant the people out tonight, were the more desperate ones.

Bill, one of the guys at my church, brought a loud speaker and asked if I would like to kick things off.

Crowd Work

I gladly accepted. Truthfully I love it when anyone gives me a mic. I gave a happy introduction, by letting everyone know that I bring them Good News! Most people try and ignore me, but by maintaining eye contact you can tell there are some people who receive. I love crowd work, the challenge of trying to continually speak salt and light, the responding to the hecklers who mock, but then by there engagement open up a dialogue that people watch.

These were my people, I knew how to talk to them. I talked about who I was and who I am now. I told them how I partied so hard I broke myself, and it took God to put back the pieces, how that I had partied harder than most of them, and it left me empty and sick. After reading Ephesians 5, I reminded them the world has put them in a simulation that will leave them desperate and wanting. That all the evil things they were seeing in the news satanic pedophiles, rape gangs, and the overall sexual confusion and debasement, testifies to the dark and fallen world they're in.

The Encounters

A veteran and his girlfriend spoke with me for a little bit. He didn't want to agree with me, but he definitely liked getting to be known, we even laughed when I asked him how come he hadn't married his girlfriend yet? She was standoffish to me and didn't wish to be persuaded either, but did like that question. Her gazed softened towards me as they watched me engage with other people.

Shortly after our conversation was over, a truck with loud rap music blaring, rolls up at the taco stand. I couldn't be heard over it, so I approached the truck, inside were 4 young men. since I had the speaker, I was able to ask them over the noise if they could turn it down, since I was trying to share the gospel. One of them was fairly agreeable and tried to tell me they were just getting hyped, he said a couple of them were Christians. So I asked him if he thought the stuff in the music they were listening too was good?

He said no, and proceeded to confide in me that he was a new believer and he felt like his friends were pulling him in a different direction. He started asking me a lot of questions about books in the bible, how to pray, and how to read the bible, we started talking so long his friends threatened to leave him, then eventually did. He insisted I not worry about them, and I said if they were his friends they wouldn't leave. They eventually did come back and I told him to keep in contact, I got his number and not wanting to be rude to his friends, I said goodbye!

Moments like that fill me with life and joy, like, who am I, that this young man would honor me in such a way. It fills me of gratitude towards Jesus for saving me for occasions like this.

After this encounter Bill took back the loud speaker, I saw Adam across the street and decided to join him. Crossing the street, I made eye contact with one guy I approached to talk to him, but he was hostile immediately, saying he wanted nothing to do with me even though he's a Christian. I asked why he was so angry with me? He said because he didn't want to talk to me, I replied, but I'm talking about the Gospel man, let the humble hear and be glad! He said it again loudly, so I said, "okay, I'll go," very peaceably and respectfully, then turned from him. As I did I could see he was sad, either from the way he acted or how I responded. I exhaled out a little laugh from my slight bewilderment, and thought, "ima just dust off my feet!"

I linked up with Adam and let him lead a bit with the tracks. We had a couple of nice talks. One guy who claimed through a gritted grill and squinty eyes, that he wasn't a "bullshiter", but said he believed in God, but also sex before marriage was cool. We read Ephesians 5:5, he seemed real nervous, and agreed it was the word of God before he backed away, we assured him there is forgiveness in Christ Jesus, but we must repent of our sins.

One guy said that it was super real and awesome we were out here, told us about his girlfriend of a few years. He said they were having sex and I asked him why he hadn't married her yet? He laughed and said you right man, I gotta go do that, and said he was convicted. Super nice guy and I loved talking to him, I enjoyed talking to everyone out there. People in general are so bizarre and interesting as creatures.

The next guy was really aggressive. He had short dreads tied up together on the top of his head. Now, this is not to mock him, but his head did remind me of an onion. He got in Adam's face and raised his fist, and threaten to punch him in the face. Adam was unflinching, I asked the guy why he was so mad, genuinely. He got in my face and asked me if I wanted him to hit me too. I asked him gently what the matter was? Seemly dissatisfied in our lack of intimidation or conviction for his own behavior, he stomped away quickly.

The next was a girl and two men, the girl told me it was crazy that I was out here talking to her, because she had a dream from God that she would receive a message tonight. It had been here first night out in three years since she had become a Christian. I asked how they knew each other and the one in the middle who honestly just seemed like a drunk dope said she was a hooker. Because of the way she was dressed, I was a little stunned not sure if he was serious or not. She incredulously said she was not and the other guy introduced himself as her brother, who didn't even want to be here, and that he was only looking out for his sister, and that he was a believer and being their "holy buzz kill" tonight.

As I was getting hyped with her brother, and almost on a whim a she just departed like a breeze was blowing her away. I looked at him and said "Lets go dude she's wandering off! We followed and I prayed with him, so focus on our conversation, I nearly ran into something, but he warned me before.

After, there was the drunk streamer who gave our church a shout out to "chat" and said we were real ones for being out here. Also, that he was gonna come to church on Sunday. He didn't, but he struck me as a person of peace.

My last conversation was with a Muslim man selling booze. I told him I did not like Mohammed, and even told him about a story in one his Hadith about the sodomey of Mohammed by a group of men. My pastor brought up the lack of assurance he has in salvation, he agreed and said he needed to repent of selling alcohol. I think Mohammed butt stuff got to him.

As I was starting to lose my voice, Marc my pastor called for us to go, it was already 1 am, and I was starting to feel it. The whole experience is one I highly recommend, a heart enlarging prospect and a real adventure. When you start doing stuff on faith like this God shows up in weird ways! We plan to go back soon and looking forward to the adventure!