From the Desk of Jeff King

Soul searching

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Street evangelist Ray Comfort has a heated exchange with a non-Christian over the merits of the Ten Commandments.

Snapshots from our exodus (vacation, actually) to Southern California during Passover week:

• Street evangelists were witnessing at Huntington Beach with great urgency. Two pastors stood on a street corner sharing the gospel with teenagers, who looked distracted and disinterested. Alisa and I sensed a spiritual battle raging in front of us. We introduced ourselves to the pastors when they were finished and offered encouragement. We told them we felt the LORD was very pleased with their labor. Pastor Mario said they've been spit upon, punched and cursed, yet a few have been saved and discipled.

We returned three days later and saw Ray Comfort ministering at the Huntington Beach Pier. He stood on a box with a microphone positioned a few feet away, pointed toward the crowd. He invited individuals to come forward and challenge him on issues of faith. Some railed against God. Comfort rebuked one man for blaspheming. At least some hearts were ready to receive God's mercy; Comfort baptized new converts in the surf that afternoon.

• Attended a Passover seder in Anaheim, hosted by Ben David Messianic Congregation. More than 200 attended. The speaker, Doug Friedman, reminded us that just as the Israelites were delivered from the bondage of slavery in Egypt, we are delivered from another form of slavery – sin – through the shed blood of Messiah Yeshua.

• The previous night we had "church" in the middle of Downtown Disney, an outdoor shopping, dining and entertainment complex next to Disneyland Resort. We had paused to listen to world-class violinist Drew Tretick when a member of his support team, a woman in her 40s, approached and asked if I was a pastor. I said I had no ministry title or credentials, but the woman, who said she was a Christian, felt safe enough to open her heart to us. She confided that she and her mother were struggling with depression, and two brothers were yet unsaved. We prayed with her and told her we'd keep her family on our prayer list once we got home. The LORD quickened Jeremiah 32:27 and I shared with her His words – "Is there anything too hard for Me?"

After fellowshipping for a half hour she excused herself to assist Tretick, who also is a believer. We moved a few feet to our left and stood in the crowd as Tretick began playing again (he includes the movie theme from Schindler's List in his music set, which I appreciate). Suddenly we felt someone brush against us from behind. Our new friend had nudged herself between us. We responded by leaning into her. Yeshua used us as His arms to remind this precious one that her future was secure in Him.

The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few in Huntington Beach, Calif.