Luke 10: ¹⁸ And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

This past Sunday, March 17, 2013, the Milwaukee Seed Sowers handed out a special tract for St. Patrick Trivia at the Town of Erin St. Patrick’s Day Parade, one of the largest in the country.

As the group went down the parade route many hearty souls were reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In Luke chapter 10, Jesus appointed 70 labourers to go into the harvest field to announce that the Kingdom of God has come nigh unto you. Did you notice that the Lord said that it had come nigh unto the people not that it had come.

The kingdom is the labourers and they were to proclaim God’s kingdom and He gives very specific instructions.

• Pray for more laborours.
• Lambs amoung wolves.
• Make no provision for the flesh.
• Where you are invited in, do so with gladness and bless the house.
• Accept the Lord’s payment with graciousness.
• Be content with what you are given.
• Don’t get distracted by idle chatter (House to house)
• Where you are NOT invited in, announce that destruction will come upon that city and as a witness to them, shake the dust off your feet and depart.

When the seventy returned and gave their report, the Lord rejoiced. Not because the seventy gave out food, not because the seventy gave clean water, not because the seventy gave out clothes, not because the seventy fixed a roof or raked a lawn or clean up a river but because the seventy had announced the gospel of the kingdom.

Yet our rejoicing is not to be in the heralding of that gospel (v.28) but rather that our names our written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Amen. Shouldn’t that be our motivation to go out and witness and because the harvest is great (v. 2)?

Luke 10:1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. ² Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. ³ Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. ⁴ Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way. ⁵ And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. ⁶ And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again. ⁷ And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house. ⁸ And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: ⁹ And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. ¹⁰ But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, ¹¹ Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. ¹² But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city. ¹³ Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. ¹⁴ But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you. ¹⁵ And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell. ¹⁶ He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me. ¹⁷ And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. ¹⁸ And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. ¹⁹ Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. ²⁰ Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. ²¹ In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. ²² All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. ²³ And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: ²⁴ For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Testimonies from the Seed Sowers:

Well, I just have to praise the Lord for what He has done! As I look back, I was a newly saved Christian in 2009, &  I started going to this parade myself passing out a little tract I made about the truth about St Patrick, and the truth about saving faith in Jesus Christ. The next year I made it into a quiz but still was on my own. In 2011, God gave me one helper and we took O’ Sullivan (Sully) my Percheron to pass out the quiz and the Million $ tracts. The Lord has really blessed this in having the folks from the Milwaukee Seed sowers become involved in 2012 & 2013!!!

In the balmy 17 degree F temperature (versus the 70+F weather in 2011 & 2012) did not stop a huge crowd of parade-goers from attending. I believe there were 9 of us seed sowers. I teamed up with Ade and we made our way southbound after a brief prayer.

I gave out different tracts, mostly the newly revised St Patrick quiz bookmark and the St. Patrick million $ “Lucky Bucks”…gave out at least 100, as part of our group already had passed out tracts to this section of the parade route. This year I really wanted to focus on witnessing conversations, and much prayer was devoted to that…the Lord answered!

The first guy we talked with as a designated driver and initially did not consider himself to be a “good person,” as he stated that he came from a pretty corrupt past, but he reformed himself…he did it for his kids. He actually was relying upon his good works among which included reading the Bible and catholic catechism to his kids. He thought his heart was good, so it was great to quote scripture to redirect him to the truth. Ade gave him a tract about the Roman catholic church, also. He expressed appreciation about what we were doing, but still felt our differences in beliefs would not matter in the end. He really took the conversation into many rabbit trails, but what really seemed to get him thinking and back on track was the use of God’s law, seating him in the courtroom of the Almighty. We left him with encouragement to read the Gospel of John.

We kept passing out more tracts and, as we progressed closer to “Holy Hill Road,” it became more and more unholy! I thought we should have a banner that says: “What happens at the Erin St. Pat’s Parade STAYS in——the record books for Judgment Day!”

We came to talk to more people in a small group. My conversation was with one who thought he was basically good enough to be allowed into Heaven, even though he said he broke all the commandments. Again, getting him in the courtroom before an earthly judge saying that he broke these laws, but now he is being good, is not grounds for being let off the hook, so, in God’s courtroom, how could God let him into His Heaven? He said he believed in Jesus, but argued that he did not think God would send ‘good’ people to Hell, including the ‘pygmies that never heard about God or Jesus.’ So I briefly talked about creation and the conscience (con=with, science=knowledge).  (An afterthought was that I should have brought up that he just broke the 2nd commandment- you shall not make yourself a graven image-a god to suit yourself….). But this case showed me again how using the 10 Commandments in evangelism shows sinners the seriousness of their sin- it is a mirror showing them the truth of their complete hopelessness in being ‘good enough’ to save themselves. It goes around the place of argument, straight to their conscience. It shows the highness & holiness of God. Before we parted ways,  I said to him, ” If you are right, and God lets basically everyone in to Heaven, then neither of us have anything to worry about. But if I am right, and what God says in His Word is true, then you are in big trouble-you’ll be going to Hell. So, you gotta figure out if what I am saying is true. And it’s not my opinion that I am stating, here, it’s what the Bible says.” He actually said he appreciated what we were doing, and we parted ways after encouraging him to read John’s gospel.

Other similar conversations took place. I would say over 95 percent of the people were receptive to receiving the St Pat quiz bookmark and the million $ “Lucky Buck.” The only negative was the older couple in their truck who, after they heard Ade say the name “Jesus,” angrily handed back the bookmark saying “We go to church!”…interesting.

After parting with my seed sower brothers and sisters with a prayer, I warmed up in my truck for about 15 minutes (it took that long to thaw my fingers and toes). I saw the parade go by in my rear-view mirror and decided I would go back out to try to get out a few more tracts. I went up to a bus driver waiting for her intoxicated passengers to come back-it turned out to be one of my former patients  from 2 years ago who I was able to share spiritual things with-gave her a couple tracts. I also found a limo driver and gave him the quiz (hey- they are just waiting for their passengers, so they have something to read whilst they wait!). …passed out about 15 more tracts and went back to the truck to call my husband and drive to church service…what a morning – Praise the Lord!

It was so wonderful to hand out the Gospel Truth & the truth of St. Patrick with these fellow Christians! How God has blessed this-it became so simple to say to people, “did you get one of these?” or “Did you take the St Patrick Quiz yet? It tells you what St Patrick did…did you know what that was?” Then “what do you think happens to someone after they die?” When you ask that question, people really look at you as someone who cares….and of course, WE DO care about the most important thing ever: their eternity & what God did to save sinners!  The Gospel!!!

Who do you know who isn’t saved? What are YOU going to do about it? Until next time,  GO SERVE YOUR KING! – Andrea

I handed out approx. 550 millions. 90% response was positive. Some people staying warm in their vehicles saw me hold up the million and they rolled down their windows to get one. I made sure to give them enough for those in the back row of the car too and told them to read the million $ question on the back.

If someone gave an unusual reply I responded with, “It’s actually a gosel tract”. Then went through the commandments with perhaps 5 people.

A couple of others responded negatively about Jesus or Heaven; tried to leave them with a couple of verses.

Others said they got the tract last year. I asked them if they answered the question correctly. They gave me their answer and it was an opportunity to share.

Met one believer who said he wasn’t ashamed to mention Jesus. I asked him if he witnessed, he said no; due to not being equipped. I gave him some extra $$$ and encouraged him to step out in faith.

Jon from our Monday night class did a good job handing out the questionnaires. – Bob

My overall sense of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Erin was that that is where I used to be and what I used to be interested in doing.  I was seeing life through a set of lenses that was other-worldly.  I wondered how many of the people out there had set aside time for God that Lord’s Day.  I didn’t like missing church, but reconciled that concern with my new understanding that church is about worship and fellowship, instead of my self-righteous duty to God.  I was, in fact, worshipping and fellowshipping with like-minded Christians and at the same time following Jesus’ Great Commission.

I was disappointed in the sense that I wasn’t bold enough to stand up to my former crowd type.  Sure, I handed them an ice breaker, but I took no further steps to personally break the ice.  I believe that WOTM has the only biblical method that I have been able to find, to speak to the conscience of every human being.  We just need to faithfully implement these methods and then take comfort in the fact that we have done our duty by following the important commandment to share the gift that we have been given.  My desire to serve God needs to completely bury any thought of conforming to worldly thoughts or standards.  I pray for God’s Spirit to wipe out my cowardice and explode my boldness for honoring the LORD with my life in the future. – Jon

The day went well beginning with many conversations.  I think going out early is the way to go at this type of outreach.  As the day went on and people got more intoxicated the crowd got a little more rowdy than we had expected for so early on a Sunday.  Some of the stuff going on fit a Saturday around midnight on Water Street, but not a Sunday morning in the country.  The best conversation Angie and I had was with a lady who answered all of the questions correctly because she had received a quiz the year before, and when asked what St. Patrick’s purpose was for returning to Ireland she got serious and said he was preaching Christ.  She then looked around and commented how sad it was that something like that had turned into something like this.  She got the law and the gospel anyway, because as she was very somber and realized the sin she was partaking in she was taking jello shots as we were walking up.  Overall great time with the fishers of men, and am praying the conversations and tracts hit home as they all sobered up on Monday. – John