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Lessons Learned From Preaching The Gospel Of The Grace Of God On The Streets In Saint Augustine Florida

On March 24 in 2012, I stepped out onto the corner of St. George and Hypolita streets in downtown Saint Augustine, Florida, and answered the call of God on my life to preach on the street. I preached alone that day, but amazingly God has provided co-laborers to minister with me every time since then including today.

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In St. Augustine we preach to all different kinds of lost people, and we preach to all of them the same message. We preach Jesus Christ crucified, died and buried, and risen again on the third day according to the scriptures.

“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” Acts 20:24 (KJV)

On March 24 in 2012, I stepped out onto the corner of St. George and Hypolita streets in downtown Saint Augustine, Florida, and answered the call of God on my life to preach on the street. I preached alone that day, but amazingly God has provided co-laborers to minister with me every time since then including today.

So I thought I would share some of the lessons that the Lord has shown me through street preaching.

ACOUSTIC PREACHING: Though I have never used amplification when preaching on the streets, I have watched and listened as others have done so. It seems to me that when you’re preaching without amplification, it comes off more like the conversation that it’s supposed to be. Street preaching through microphones has a very harsh quality to it, and can be quite off-putting to the passersby. I believe with all my heart that if God has truly called someone to preach on the streets, then He has also given them a voice that can carry through on its own without electronic amplification.

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A MAN WITH BRO. DAMIEN PRAYING TO RECEIVE JESUS AS SAVIOUR AFTER HEARING THE STREET PREACHING ON HYPOLITA STREET

LOVING THE LOST: Nothing makes me cringe more than watching some angry, self-righteous street preacher calling people out for their sins while mocking and belittling them. I think these people do a disservice to the cause of Christ. Yes, we are called to preach against sin, that’s true, but we need to always remember that it’s the Holy Spirit that brings the conviction. In St. Augustine we preach to all different kinds of lost people, and we preach to all of them the same message. We preach Jesus Christ crucified, died and buried, and risen again on the third day according to the scriptures. We preach Jesus Christ as the one and only way to Heaven. We preach because Hell is real and we don’t want to see them or anyone else going there. In short, we preach because if God loved the lost enough to send His Son to die on the cross for them, then showing them love is the least we can do.

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Bro. Damien preaching the gospel on Saint George street in St. Augustine, Florida

A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THE POLICE: When we started this street ministry, one of the first things we did was pay a visit to the then St. Augustine Police Commander, Steve Fricke, and spoke with him of our desire to preach on the streets while at the same time staying within city codes and ordinances. Commander Fricke was very nice to us, and told us what we needed to do, and we did it. From that day to this, 6 years later, we’ve never had a tense or bad moment with local law enforcement as we’ve preached within the hearing of well over a million people and the handing out of over 250,000 gospel tracts. The St. Augustine police have treated us very well. So it makes me just a little suspicious when I hear stories of street preachers who have these horrific run-ins with their local police. I can’t imagine they are not operating “in the flesh” when these incidents occur.

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Bro. Jay Taking Two Men Through The Surprisingly-Tricky ‘Intelligence Test’

Many things about the Church have changed over the past 2,000 years, with some of those changes being good and some being not so good. But one thing that has never changed is the God-appointed ministry of street preaching. Jesus was a street preacher, all His disciples and apostles were street preachers, and the apostle Paul was absolutely a street preacher.

“And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” Luke 14:23 (KJV)

If God has called you to be a preacher, don’t wait around to “get a church” who will give you a “pulpit”. Grab a boxful of gospel tracts and your King James Bible, and head out to your local street corner and preach the gospel of the grace of God to the people walking by. I promise you that by the time you’re done, you will know for sure if God has really called you to street ministry.

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Click To Order Your Box Of The Official Now The End Begins Gospel Tract

How the NTEB Gospel Tract came to be sent around the world

One day back in 2015, I was walking to St. George street to preach, and this thought came into my head that I should make the NTEB gospel tract we were using available through the website. I entertained that thought for a moment, then after we started preaching, I promptly forgot all about it. About an hour later, I was approached by a young Spanish couple on St. George street who stopped to hear me preach. After listening awhile, the man asked me in broken English about what I thought was him getting some tracts. So I handed him a box of tracts and he gave me a $20 bill. I assured him that there was no charge for the box of tracts, but that’s not what he was asking me. I finally understood that the the $20 he was handing me was to be put towards printing the tracts in large quantities and making them available online. Funny how the Holy Spirit works, isn’t it?

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Click Image To Make A Donation To The Ongoing Work On Now The End Begins

So in March of 2015, I made a web page advertising the tracts for sale, and within minutes orders starting coming in and they haven’t stopped. We regularly get orders from just about all 50 states, Canada, New Zealand, and as far away as South Africa. The Lord has truly blessed our efforts to get the gospel out.

At the 6 year mark of our street ministry, these are some of the things I have learned about preaching on the street. I’ve learned that preaching to people goes a whole lot further than preaching at people, that showing a little love and compassion can make the difference between someone walking closer or walking away, and that lost people really are listening even when you think they aren’t.

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The Original 2012 Founding Members Of The NTEB Street Preaching Team from L to R Bros. Jimmy, Stephen, Craig and Me!

And I’ve learned that there is nothing more satisfying on this earth than having the privilege of leading someone to the Lord Jesus Christ in whatever way God chooses to use me to do it. If you would like to experience what it’s like doing street ministry, please send me an email to make arrangements, we’d be happy to have you join us some Saturday afternoon.

The war is real, the battle hot and the time is short…to the fight!

 


 

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BIBLE BELIEVERS SUNDAY SERVICE: What The Bible Has To Say About The Word Of God

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On this Sunday Service, we discuss what the King James Bible has to say about the word of God, and why you should want to know what that is

Your King James Bible is not shy, it has a lot to say about what the word of God is, what it is not, how it operates and functions in the lives of the believer, and how God views it above and beyond your thoughts, feelings, emotions and opinions. If you want to learn all about the Bible, the best place to begin is found in the pages of The Book itself. On this Sunday Service message, I bring you the truth about what the Bible has to say about the word of God. Preached live this morning at the Bible Believers Church at the Bookstore in Palatka, Florida.

Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.” Psalm 199:160 (KJB)

SUNDAY SERVICE STUDY NOTES: What The Bible Has To Say About The Word Of God

What The Bible Has To Say About The Word Of God

Introduction: God Defines His Word By What It Does

Hebrews 4:12

“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.”

The Bible does not describe the word of God as symbolic, optional, or subjective. God defines His word by what it does, not by how man responds to it.


I. The Word Of God Gives Life

(Bread, Food, Seed)

A. The Word As Bread From Heaven

Deuteronomy 8:3

“And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.”

Matthew 4:4

“But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”


B. The Word As Necessary Food

Job 23:12

“Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.”

Jeremiah 15:16

“Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.”


C. The Word As Incorruptible Seed

Luke 8:11

“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.”

1 Peter 1:23

“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”


II. The Word Of God Cleanses And Refreshes

(Water, Rain)

A. The Word As Rain From Heaven

Isaiah 55:10

“For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:”

Isaiah 55:11

“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”


B. The Word As Washing Water

Ephesians 5:26

“That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,”

John 15:3

“Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.”


III. The Word Of God Burns And Breaks

(Fire, Hammer)

A. The Word As Fire Shut Up In The Bones

Jeremiah 20:9

“Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.”


B. The Word As Fire And A Hammer

Jeremiah 23:29

Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?”


IV. The Word Of God Produces Growth

(Milk And Strong Meat)

A. The Word As Milk For New Believers

1 Peter 2:2

“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:”


B. The Word As Strong Meat For The Mature

Hebrews 5:12

“For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.”

Hebrews 5:13

“For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.”

Hebrews 5:14

“But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”


V. The Word Of God Illuminates And Directs

(Light, Lamp)

Psalm 119:105

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

Proverbs 6:23

“For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:”


VI. The Word Of God Fights And Judges

(Sword, Mirror)

A. The Word As A Twoedged Sword

Hebrews 4:12

“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.”

Ephesians 6:17

“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”


B. The Word As A Mirror

James 1:22

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

James 1:23

“For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:”


VII. The Word Of God Builds And Establishes

Acts 20:32

“And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.”


Conclusion: God Magnifies His Word

Psalm 138:2

“I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.”

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

nteb-free-king-james-bible-program-750-550

But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORTTO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

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At The Annual Christmas Parade In Dalton, Georgia, The Gospel Truth Jail Ministry Gives A Huge Shoutout To Bibles Behind Bars On Their Float

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The Gospel Truth Jail Ministry gave Bibles Behind Bars an awesome shoutout with the float in the annual Christmas parade in Dalton, Georgia

Pastor Rick wrote to me the other day and said “Hello Bro. Grider, we are entering a Ministry Float in the Dalton Christmas parade. We are recognizing both ministries. It will be December 4th at 6: PM. We want our local community to be aware of the need and blessing of the local jail ministry. We will have a couple of men dressed as inmates on the float and a couple of preachers witnessing to them, and about four more dressed as inmates walking along the street beside the float. I thought you would like to see this. Look at the BIBLE BEHIND BARS logo. Thank you again for supplying the Word of God to the men.” Blessed beyond words.

“The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.” Psalm 68:11 (KJB)

What started out as just a case or two of King James Bibles we sent in response to an email from Bro. Micah Hedges up in Georgia back in 2020, has grown to Bibles Behind Bars literally blanketing the jails in north Georgia with thousands of Bibles through our association with the Gospel Truth Jail Ministry. What an honor it was for them to recognize us on their Christmas parade float, and we very much appreciate that. It is also a prescient reminder to me that we are working against a ticking clock as we watch the Church Age coming to a close and that ‘voice like a trumpet’ getting ready to sound. Just one more soul!

The people at Gospel Truth are all in, Bibles Behind Bars is all in, what about you, Christian, are you all in? If you are, come and help us!

If God has prospered you, please take a moment to click on the donate button to help us in this monumental task of providing King James Bibles, New Testaments, scripture portions, gospel tracts as well as Spanish Bibles to inmates in jails and prisons from Florida to Alaska, and every state in between. We need your prayers, we need your generous financial support, and we need you to stand with us in the closing days of the Church Age. Thank you so very much, TO THE FIGHT!!!


NOTE: If you need a 501 C3 Letter of Donation for tax purposes, please send your donation to:

NTEB Ministries
1340 N Great Neck Rd.
Ste. 1272-129
Virginia Beach, VA 23454.

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

nteb-free-king-james-bible-program-750-550

But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORTTO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

Continue Reading

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The United States Continues Pouring A Massive Amount Of Troops And Weaponry Into The Caribbean For Soon Coming War With Maduro And Venezuela

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The U.S. military is moving more weapons and units into the Caribbean that give President Trump powerful new options to escalate his pressure campaign on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and potentially bring him down.

The Trump administration has poured an extraordinary amount of firepower into the Caribbean basin: stealth fighters, electronic warfare aircraft, naval strike groups, surveillance drones, and refueling assets staged within striking distance of Venezuela. Officially, this is about narcotics trafficking and sanctions enforcement. In reality, it is about leverage, regime pressure, oil of course, and the unmistakable message that war is coming. Just ask the Secretary of WAR if peace is the goal. It’s not.

And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” Matthew 24:6 (KJB)

The Caribbean has not seen this level of sustained U.S. military concentration in decades. Warships patrol key shipping lanes. Advanced aircraft operate from nearby islands. Surveillance assets blanket the region. And now, with the seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker and increasingly blunt rhetoric from President Trump, the mask is slipping. This is not a defensive posture, it’s a staging posture. This is not for peace, this is for war. History shows that major conflicts rarely begin with an announcement — they begin with “deterrence,” “security operations,” and “limited enforcement actions.” The language changes only after the first shots are fired. The Caribbean is becoming another chessboard square in a rapidly tightening global game — one that ends, according to Scripture, not with American victory or global peace treaties, but with the rise of Antichrist and the collapse of man’s systems.

United States Pours More Firepower Into the Caribbean as Trump Ramps Up Threats against Venezuela

FROM THE WSJ: After weeks of deadly boat strikes and the seizure of an oil tanker, the Pentagon is sending assets that could enable land strikes, disable Venezuela’s defenses and enforce an oil embargo—posing a direct threat not only to Maduro but to his regional allies such as Cuba. F-35A stealth jet fighters, EA-18G Growler electronic warfare planes, HH-60W rescue helicopters and HC-130J rescue planes are being staged in Puerto Rico, according to photographs and flight tracking data. Tanker aircraft that can refuel bombers and jet fighters midair have been moved to the Dominican Republic in recent days. Such aircraft could play a key role in any potential attacks on land, analysts say.

The deployments add to the significant amount of combat power that the U.S. has already shifted to the region in recent months, including 11 warships, MQ-9 Reaper drones, F-35B jet fighters and P-8 Poseidon spy planes, among other weaponry. The arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford last month brought dozens of aircraft into the region that could also be used in airstrikes. Some of the latest aircraft movements were reported by the War Zone.

Trump has threatened to up the ante by attacking targets on land after months of bombing alleged drug-smuggling boats off the coast of Venezuela and beyond. The administration also seized an oil tanker full of Venezuelan crude earlier this week, opening a new front in the White House’s pressure campaign.

Trump has also said that he has authorized covert CIA operations in Venezuela.

“We’ve been watching the efforts to intimidate us,” Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino said in an address Friday, referring to American aircraft near Venezuelan territory. “We ask humbly, don’t be mistaken. We’re ready to defend this country. You’re not going to intimidate us.”

Military analysts say the recent movement of equipment further signals the administration’s intent to carry out combat operations. The buildup also means the U.S. has the resources in place to seize more oil tankers if Trump chooses to do so.

“I think what’s important about the forces and capabilities that are moving into the theater is that they are optimized to conduct precision, stealthy strikes that can minimize collateral damage,” said Heather Penney, a former fighter pilot and director of studies and research at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, an aerospace think tank. “All of them together work in concert to open up the battlespace and conduct precision strikes with minimum risk to U.S. forces. And of course, you have a search-and-rescue team there just in case.”

Regional analysts and former government officials have warned that U.S. military action in Venezuela could spiral into a wider crisis across Latin America. Cuba, which suffers from a fragile economy and severe energy shortages, relies on Venezuela for oil. Any conflict could also quickly spill across the porous borders with Colombia, where armed groups rule much of the frontier. READ MORE

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

nteb-free-king-james-bible-program-750-550

But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORTTO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

Continue Reading

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