My First YouTube Video!

I finally figured out how to upload videos from my iPhoto application (Apple OS), so I plan on sharing a lot more visual stuff to accompany my words here. One disclaimer: I didn't edit anything, so please forgive the profanity coming out of the mouths of these two drunk students. For some reason my blog layout cuts off part of the YouTube videos, so if you prefer to see the entire video, click here. Now, here you go!

WHO WOULD HAVE IMAGINED?

Who would have imagined that one of the banners we use in our open air preaching ministry (to which I devote 4-9 hours weekly) and that I had made while in the U.S. in February would have such an impact? First, I met a brother in Christ from one of our supporting churches - Pine Valley Bible Church - who has a sign shop. I asked him if he'd be willing to make me three banners in Portuguese, to which he replied, "Of course, Bill. That's what I do!"

I sent the text over by e-mail and Bro. Mark made me three banners. After, he expressed to me some reluctance on his part over the text on two of the banners despite not knowing any Portuguese. If one knows Spanish, however, he can usually figure out the gist of what is being said in Portuguese.

You see, one of the banners boldly proclaimed, "YOU DESERVE HELL." with Rev. 21:8 on one side. On the other was written, "The God of the New Testament says, 'It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God' (Heb. 10:31)." Now, I realize this is very confrontational, but the open air preacher should use whatever he ethically can to arrest the attention of those passing by in their spiritual blindness. To be honest I, along with at least two other North American preachers, have yet to find a more "arresting" phrase than "YOU DESERVE HELL." Frankly, the reactions we get are always interesting.

This past week three reactions stood out. The first was by a 40-something man who quipped, "God doesn't even exist!" as he passed me while I preached. I replied, "God doesn't exist? How convenient! You think that by denying God's existence you'll be free from hell? Let's say you firmly believe that the sun will not rise tomorrow and go around telling people this. But will your belief that the sun won't rise change the fact that the sun will rise? Of course not! In the same way, just because you don't believe that God exists doesn't change anything if He does exist. And if he does exist, just because you don't believe in Him won't change the fact that you're headed for hell!"

The second reaction that stood out was a 20-something guy who flashed the finger toward the banner as he passed by. I told him that he'd give an account to God one day for that, to which he replied with the same obscene gesture directed at me. As negative as his reaction may seem, you have to remember that someone reacting so strongly is obviously experiencing some level of conviction by the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, they would just brush off the hard truth of God's Word.

The reaction that made our week, however, was by another 20-something guy who stopped to talk to my Brazilian colleague, Ednilson - who was holding the banner while I went on campus for a meeting. Ednilson told me later that this guy wanted to "testify" to the effectiveness of our very confrontational banner. Two weeks earlier he had planned to buy some drugs and wine to get stoned and drunk. As he walked through the Largo da Carioca in Downtown Rio he spotted our banner - the Hebrews 10:31 side - from a distance. Instant conviction fell upon him! Ednilson wasn't sure what this guy's spiritual background was, but he was carrying a bible around in a bag under his arm that day and squirmed when he read Heb. 10:31. He told Ednilson, "I knew at that moment that what I was planning to do was sin and that I had better not take sin so lightly. After all, your banner says that it's terrible to come under God's judgment."

As he passed by us that fateful day he said he didn't want to turn around and look at the other side of the banner, but curiosity got the better of him. When he saw "YOU DESERVE HELL." he said under his breath, "Yeah, and if I do drugs and get drunk that's where I'll end up!"

As this guy continued walking, he was suddenly overcome with God-produced sorrow. Second Corinthians 7:10 says, "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." He squatted down against a fence and put his head in his hands. Then he decided he should open his bible, and guess which verse he just happened to open to? Hebrews 10:31!!

He wanted to "testify" to Ednilson that day how God had used His written Word - on a banner, of all things - to convict him of his sin, to show him he was nothing more than a false convert and that he needed to repent of his sin and place his trust once and for all in Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord. He wanted to "testify" to us that God had saved him as a result of our very confrontational banner!

Amen!

CARNIVAL & OTHER OPEN AIR ADVENTURES

After flying all night from Houston, TX to Rio de Janeiro - with intermittent sleep - we arrived at our Brazilian home across the bay from Rio on February 16, 2010. I had a few hours to rest before finally getting my shot at doing some serious evangelism during Rio's world famous - and largest - Carnival. I had intended to preach with Ruben Israel of Bible Believers at Mardi Gras (the U.S. version of Carnival) in New Orleans, but we had to come back to Rio a few days earlier than originally planned due to space limitations on the flights right after Mardi Gras/Carnival.

I understood, after talking with Alexandre, a guy I'm discipling from Candido Mendes University (UCAM), that I'd be preaching with the aid of 2 or 3 guys from the Jews for Jesus Carnival project in the homosexual district of famous Ipanema. However, it became clear that the local Jews for Jesus leaders weren't about to associate their group with a hell fire preacher accompanied by a bullhorn and confrontational banner. So, suddenly, I was on my own. I could have submitted to their approach and been able to don the project t-shirt, but I was anxious to inaugurate my banner - with "You Deserve Hell" and a quote of Rev. 21:8 on one side; a quote of Heb. 10:31 on the other - in sin-soaked Rio de Janeiro. And boy was Rio "sin soaked!"

The first group I encountered in the park just two blocks from the homosexual district was a group of guys (who turned out to be homosexuals) waiting for a bus. I was walking with my banner unfurled and preaching from my bullhorn. It is amazing how people react to the statement "You deserve hell." Even well-meaning, so-called Christians seem to cringe at this biblically true statement (based on such well-known verses as Rom. 6:23 and Rev. 21:8). In my humble opinion, evangelism today is more defined by the culture than by the Bible! Oh, for a return to God's word for our evangelistic training - vs. such emphases as "We need to be connecting with the lost," "You've got to earn the right to be heard" or "That was appropriate for that time period, but this is the 21st century."

Not wanting to take away from legitimate and necessary changes in one's approach (e.g., evangelistic films, the evangelistic use of the Internet, etc.), have people really changed? My Bible tells me that no, people are still sinners under condemnation and in need of a Savior. That's why I still see - and expect to continue to see - a need for confrontational evangelism. Talking about a biblical method that is also one of the most cost-effective ones around! An open air evangelist can literally give thousands of people the bad news they so desperately need to see and hear so that they will either stop to ask him - like they did Peter in Acts 2 - how to be saved or, at least, go their way with God's relentless Word pounding away in their consciences.

Back to Ipanema (Remember the famous Bossa Nova song The Girl from Ipanema?), my homosexual "listeners" began to get a bit too agitated for my tastes. I was getting verbally "assaulted" from all sides to the point of not being able to adequately handle their objections and questions. Meanwhile, a thirty-something woman got into the fray, tearfully asking me for help. What I couldn't figure out was what exactly she needed help with! Finally, amidst all the confusion - complicated by my lack of sleep - I decided to walk to another part of the park. I was initially followed by several homos, who took it upon themselves to "denounce" me to those within earshot. One even hit my banner after trying to grab it and pull it down, but his friends called him off. Another kept unplugging my microphone from my bullhorn while I tried to preach, but I was just grateful he didn't try to cut the cord like some have done with a couple of my open air preacher friends.

I started preaching toward a heterosexual night club and was told I should go home since it was past my bedtime! One indiscreet woman expressed her disapproval of my message by bending over and "flashing" me with her gluteus maximus! A guy kept telling me to preach to his friends - by name - who had cans of beers in their hands. The "flasher" then threw her can of beer in my direction, but was well off the mark.

I decided to move on and preach to the folks waiting at the bus stop on the other side of the park. That group was calm and seemed particularly attentive. When I moved in the direction of the side of the park where I had encountered the homo crowd two guys stopped in front of me to read my banner. I soon discovered that they were Irish, so I had a good time challenging their presuppositions regarding the bible and Jesus Christ - in English! One of them seemed more "in tune" with the things of God, but the other was in blatant rebellion against his Maker.

I made one more attempt to preach to the nightclub on the other side of the park, and to my surprise, encountered two Americans - one from my old stompin' ground of San Diego. They both wanted pictures with me before discovering that I was a fellow American with a banner - in Portuguese - that said "You deserve hell." One told me in a rather crude way that I was courageous (i.e., "Bill, you've got b_ _ _ _!"), while I challenged each to seriously consider their true condition before a holy God and how to remedy it. One of the Americans - an airline pilot - told me he'd meet up with me again somewhere to continue the conversation . . . as he walked off with his Brazilian "date" (i.e., one-night-stand?).

It was already 3:00 a.m. and I could tell I was too tired to keep going, so I packed it up and headed for home. However, my curiosity led me to check out the Lapa area of downtown Rio, which is notorious for being one, big all-night block party during Carnival. Things were all lit up with hundreds of people still going strong at 3:30 in the morning. Next year I know where I'll be going! The Ipanema park was dimly lit, had at any given moment only 75-100 people in it and NO POLICE! The Lapa makes more sense . . . next year!

ANOTHER DEFENSE OF OPEN AIR PREACHING!

"Bible Jim" Webber sent me this video, and I have to admit it is one of the best gospel explanations I've ever seen. Apart from his not emphasizing one's need for repentance in this particular video (edited out?), I know he preaches conversion by "repentance and faith," according to Acts 20:21. Otherwise this is an excellent example on what campus/open air preaching can do to "stir things up" and get people talking about eternally significant things. Enjoy!

If you have trouble watching it here due to the reduction of the screen, go here and watch it on YouTube.

EVANGELIZING THE OLD-FASHIONED, BIBLICAL WAY!

As we try to get our new ministry, The 8-32 Movement, off the ground, two days a week I have been going on the campus of Cândido Mendes University (UCAM) in Rio de Janeiro's business district (known as "The Center") to share my faith and to try to scrounge up some Christians interested in revolutionizing their campus for Christ. Actually, I was unable to go on campus for two weeks (the last week of October and the first week of November) due to our trip to Collierville, TN (just outside of Memphis) for the Worldview Weekend Training Institute. My wife, Aïda, is now in charge of training and materials (including the development of a transferable - for training purposes - evangelistic tool) for our new ministry (under the umbrella of PEF), where we are targeting university students and professors, professionals and churches. Our motto is Knowing, Living and Proclaiming Biblical Truth in a Postmodern World. We are doing this by reaching, developing and mobilizing students, professionals (including professors) and churches for the worldwide harvest. We reach via biblical evangelism, develop via apologetics and biblical/theological/worldview training and mobilize via short-term missions projects and long-term service opportunities.

Besides my wife and me, The 8-32 Movement (given this name based on John 8:32) has enlisted the participation of former Priority Associates (Campus Crusade for Christ) staff member, Erica Ribeiro, to help us get the professional component off the ground. Erica is currently discipling and training three professional women on the staff of Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ).

Getting back to my ministry activities in downtown Rio, I have found, in light of my strengths and gifting, the best of both ministry worlds! Not only do I get to interact with students about their faith (or lack thereof), but I get to open air preach in the notorious "Largo da Carioca," where tens of thousands of people pass daily. "Carioca," as this nerve center is commonly called, is a smorgasbord of sights, sounds and experiences. You never know what's going to happen next!

For example, I was introduced to a slightly-built preacher two months ago when a crowd gathered around him and an older gentleman decided to start slapping him! I intervened, holding the aggressor at bay long enough for the municipal guards to show up. I wrongly assumed they would uphold the preacher's right to preach, but they hauled him off and warned him to stop. Seeing a crowd of nearly 100 gathering out of curiosity, I whipped out my bullhorn and began preaching! After scolding the guards for violating the Brazilian equivalent to the preacher's First Amendment rights, I started to use God's Law to show the crowd its need for a Savior. After asserting that the Ten Commandments condemn lying, I asked anyone who felt they had never lied to raise their hand. Two men raised their hands. I told them they were lying about lying, and asserted that I knew they were sinners based on Romans 3:23. One guy grumbled something as he walked away, but the other guy - probably in his late teens to early twenties - started getting visibly angry, saying I had no right, as a foreigner, to be preaching. I responded with the fact that I may have been in Brazil longer than he, assuming he was 18 years old or less. He looked like he wanted to attack me, but his friend ushered him out of the area.

So, it's never a dull moment in the "Carioca!" This past Wednesday I was preaching against the gay agenda in our schools here, and a guy stopped to listen. He interrupted me to inform me that a well-known comic book series was introducing the gay lifestyle into its stories; 5 minutes later he handed me a copy of the comic book in question, pointing out the subtle, yet clear, message: "Let's all be tolerant of our gay friends and their choices." I'm going to boycott this comic book publisher from now on, as well as encourage others to do the same! Absurd!

When I was wrapping things up, a guy shows up and asks me to look up a verse in my bible for him. He then took issue with the fact that the verse translated God's OT name - Yahweh - as LORD. I knew I had a Jehovah's Witness (JW) on my hands, so I asked him about his view of Jesus. I confess that I didn't handle the situation the way I would have liked to (Hindsight is always 20/20.), so I plan to take a different approach next time. I encourage you to get your hands on the following tract and/or memorize it's approach to dealing with JW's. I know I will! Fortunately there's a Portuguese version.

To finalize, I came across the following video that graphically explains the benefits of open air and campus preaching. Yeah, it's considered controversial today and the results are not often immediate; nevertheless, God uses it to change lives. Invest just 7 minutes to see what I mean: