Plano Prayer Vigil. (week #9)

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A brief summary of how God moved outside of the Plano Planned Parenthood on Sept. 12th, 2015.

Transcript of Plano Prayer Vigil. (week #9)

Page 1: Plano Prayer Vigil. (week #9)

Week #9 was the story of Jesus Christ and his faithful servants. The day started with the arrival of pro lifer Jim

Wilkins. I was sure I would be the first one to arrive – but as I approached I could see Jim holding his sign and

facing the building.

He would be the first of nearly 40 pro lifers to sacrifice a part of their Saturday to serve God.

If you’ve ever meet Jim he’s very memorable because of his Rollie Fingers moustache. I would find out later

that Jim was facing the building because he wanted to communicate with the world.

Later in the day I noticed a young man start to walk toward Jim and then walk back to the sidewalk in front of

the businesses near Planned Parenthood. He kept walking toward Jim and then back to the sidewalk.

Eventually this young man gathered the courage to walk all the way down to the pro lifers.

It turns out that Jim had been waving to him from the grass. =-)

The young man introduced himself as Michael. He asked us why we were standing outside and when he

learned the reason he said with surprise, “Is abortion legal in the United States?”

When he was told that over a million babies are aborted in the United States each year he put his hand on his

son’s head and said, “This is my second child. He would not have been in born in China.”

Michael informed us that he was originally from Beijing, China (which enforced a one child policy) and that he

was there to see the dentist a few doors down from Planned Parenthood. Michael had moved to Plano, TX

several years ago.

A pro lifer then asked him, “Do you believe in God?”

Michael thought about it and then responded, “I don’t know? I might believe in God. Maybe?”

Michael was then told about Jesus and what he did on the cross for sinners. Michael said he’d heard of God in

China and that his wife knew about God. He also shared stories of house churches in China. In China it’s illegal

for Chinese citizens to attend church.

He said that he preferred to see people living out their faith in the real world.

He was told that the message of Jesus was one of action, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel.” And

then he was told what the word “gospel” meant: the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

These scripture verses capture it, “Now I make known to you brethren, the gospel which I preached to you,

which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I

preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received,

that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the

third day according to the Scriptures . “ – 1 Cor. 15:1-4

That’s the bread of life… the source of spiritual nourishment. The antidote to the sin that separates us from the

love of God.

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Michael said when he lived in China he was afraid of the Communist Party who could take everything away

from someone and throw them into jail, but then he said, “Even some members of the Communist Party are

Christians.”

There is a spiritual revival occurring in China… and hopefully it will be spreading to Plano, TX!

It’s easy to forget how fortunate we are to openly serve God in the streets. Michael is a reminder of the

sacrifice of so many patriots who died so that we can freely express our devotion to God. And most

importantly it is a reminder of Christ’s death on the cross so that we can be set free from the chains of sin that

held us captive.

Michael gave us his email address and asked for more information. And then he waved and drove off with his

son and wife who had been waiting for him in the car.

Later, a man pulled up on his bicycle and introduced himself as Brad. It was obvious from his apparel that he

took bicycling very seriously. He told us that he rides about 30 miles and that he had come from Murphy.

He said he felt there was a change of hearts occurring in America and that he was surprised it has taken

America this long to recognize the evil of abortion.

He told us that he was filmmaker and then he was challenged to consider whether God was calling him to use

his talents to start a revival. He was told about the revival that occurred at Collin College when a young man

saw pro lifers praying in McKinney and approached them with his own desire to do something radical for God.

Many of you know the person I am talking about because he has been playing the guitar and singing with us

ever since (Shaun Burgess). Here is the video of the student revival in case you’ve never watched it:

https://youtu.be/vOHQsYqyPx4

Brad also provided his email address and asked for more information.

During the conversation with Brad it became apparent that several people holding signs and praying had

joined the pro live movement when they drove by the 40 Days for Life in McKinney. I was telling this story to

two pro lifers who smiled and said that’s how they joined too!

Our presence on the sidewalk is the turning point for many people in their cars. Some of them become

inspired to do revivals, begin preaching, and embark on a lifelong journey with God on the spiritual battlefield.

And that is why your participation is such a blessing to others. People get to see the love of God expressed

through your sacrifice. They get to see the real thing after experiencing second hand imitations.

It’s like the song, “There’s NOTHING like the real thing.”

In our society we use the word “love” as if it’s a nebulous concept – but love is an action. Nobody has ever had

their thirst quenched by reading about water and similarly the fallen world will not have their spiritual wounds

healed reading about love but never experiencing it – God’s love is real and it’s personal.

Page 3: Plano Prayer Vigil. (week #9)

And it took the form of a human body and died on a cross. And the relationship that God forms with Christians

through Jesus Christ is sealed by the Holy Spirit … the same Holy Spirit that is moving on the grass outside of

the Plano Planned Parenthood.

Brad and Michael looked out over that grass and smiled in agreement when they were told that is what God’s

love looks like in the real world. If God didn’t love the world he would not have sent you out into it with the

good news!

We were also blessed by a second traffic jam. ;-) For about thirty minutes traffic started to back up and people

in the cars were told, “You should join us! These are the friends you haven’t met yet!”

There is a song that goes, “What a friend we have in Jesus. All our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to

carry, everything to God in prayer. Oh, what peace we often forfeit, oh, what needless pain we bear, all

because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer!”

Not only do sinners have a friend in Jesus – they have a friend in Christ’s faithful followers. Even as they

consider the taking of human life or getting contraceptives to participate in sexual immortality – God sends

them special envoys – all of you! He sends his chosen on a rescue mission.

I have to wonder if Michael would ever have walked down to talk to us if Jim was not smiling and waving at

him… or if Brad would have pulled over on his bicycle if he hadn’t seen so many friendly faces on the grass.

And those are the ones we know about… the majority of the men and women who are reached by this ministry

never pull over. And sometimes it’s years or decades before they share the story of how their lives were

changed when they saw God loves in action.

And that’s why Peter wrote, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as

faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” – 1 Peter 4:10

I hope you will continue pouring out your gifts on the grass in front of the nation’s largest purveyor of human

sacrifice. The darkness and the light demand a sacrifice – the darkness demands the lives of our unborn

children and separation from God, and God’s justice demands a perfect sacrifice so that humanity can be

spared and experience the mercy of God and be reconciled with Him.

And once reconciled … we’re called to be a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God. And thankfully for

many of us that includes praying and praising God on the grass in Plano, TX.

I’ll see ya on the grass!

-Steve

P.S. There also appeared to be a grandfather and grandmother with a young girl that we assume was their

granddaughter that visited Planned Parenthood. They had Oklahoma license plates… please remember them in

your prayers.