September 2001 Newsletter
If a trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble? If a
calamity occurs in a city has not the LORD done it? Amos 3:6
If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace!
But now they have been hidden from your eyes. Jesus speaking over
Jerusalem [NYC too?] Luke 19:42
God’s Judgment on America
I walked into my Dad’s bedroom where I overheard some serious discussion
on TV. There I witnessed the second plane crash into the other World
Trade Center tower, and later saw them both come tumbling down. Like the
tower of babel, those towers, representing America’s pride, wealth,
power, and greed, were brought to an end. That night, when I saw the glow
of the city burning, I was reminded of David Wilkerson and others, who
have prophesied that they had seen New York City burning. This city is
the home of Planned Parenthood’s Headquarters, the crown jewel of the
abortion industry. That is where I had participated in my first rescue
back in January of 1989. After 40 million murdered babies, rampant
adultery and divorce, homos parading in the streets, individuals,
churches and civil government in rebellion to God’s commands and Laws, is
it any wonder that we should receive His judgment? Our response should
be repentance, but the eyes of this nation have been blinded. I believe
that we have not begun to see God’s anger upon us. Still, I pray for
repentance and I pray for as many as possible to be saved from the wrath
to come.
Preaching God’s Law and Gospel in Appleton
Over the course of the summer, I’ve only been in Appleton, 4 days in
June, and 2 weeks in both July and August. Still, by God’s grace, He has
enabled me to do open air, street preaching, once a month, and twice so
far this month. I have been going out to preach, distribute gospel
tracts, and interact with the young people that hang out along College
Avenue throughout downtown Appleton. The Lord has given a heart for
evangelism to two other brothers who join me regularly, Scott and Dave.
We normally go out on Friday nights. I often use a small hand held
megaphone to speak to groups of people gathered across the street, or a
half block away. Eventually one person comes over, bringing two or three
more with, and sometimes the whole crowd. Then I turn the megaphone off
and listen to their arguments and complaints. Then we respond, seeking
to use God’s Word as our sole source of authority. My goal is to get
them to see their sin, and their desperate need for Savior Jesus. I want
them to see how serious their sin is to God, and that they need to be
born again to get to heaven. I want them to live holy, to please God
now! It is thrilling to me, to engage these young people in these
discussions. Some listen, contemplate, or ask questions. Others like to
scoff or mock, but this can attract others to come listen. The last two
times that I’ve been out, I’ve met two people (separate occasions) who
said they were wiccans (earth worshipers) and one white girl who said she
was Hindu. Some say they don’t believe in God, and think the Bible is
mostly fiction. Most have some sort of Christian background and “faith,”
but think they can live a life full of sin and still go to heaven. I tell
them, “Faith without works is dead.” We’ve also had Christians join us on
the street. One held a banner with us, two others (separate occasions)
joined us to talk to people. One young man (Matt) said he had come
downtown for the wrong reasons, but when he saw us, he put his Bible
knowledge to work to back up the things we said, and defend his faith.
Please pray for us.
Campus Preaching and Upcoming Campus Tour
From September 4-7, I joined campus preacher, Chuck Spangola and others
(about 10-20 of us), to minister on college campuses in Wisconsin. We
were in Stevens Point, Oshkosh, and Madison. Much of what we experience,
street preaching in Appleton, goes on when we go to the campuses, only on
a larger scale. Some of the same people we met last year, in Oshkosh, we
met this year. I drove around the first two campuses speaking over the
loudspeaker in my new ministry vehicle (see below)! I showed them the
difference between parents who loved their child and parents who hated
their child. Please pray for the upcoming campus tour. About 40
Christians plan to make the trip. Pray for Drew Heis, who will be
leading this tour. All kinds of crazy things have happened on these
tours, from groups beating on drums, to fights breaking out, so please
pray for victory over these demonic strongholds, and wisdom for what we
speak.
Missionaries to the Preborn, Campus Days Tour
Monday, 9/24 - Bowling Green State University (Ohio)
Tuesday, 9/25 - University of Toledo
Wednesday, 9/26 - Eastern Michigan University (Ypsilanti, Michigan)
Thursday, 9/27 - Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, Michigan)
New Vehicle for Ministry
A Brother in Christ who lives near Allegan, Michigan, gave me an old
ambulance! It has prolife scriptures and a photo of a precious baby, on
one side, and messages on our Constitution and need to restore civil
government, on the other. While I was in Michigan, August 25-31, I
stayed with the Bartleson family, with the Zastrows in Saginaw, and
stopped in Kalamazoo, to minister with Ann Norton, outside Planned
Parenthood’s killing center. With the Bartlesons, we went to minister
outside a Grand Rapids abortion mill. It was housed inside an old
church, opposite the community college. In Saginaw and Kalamazoo, I
parked the ambulance across the street from the abortion mills. We taped
the big posters of a live and aborted baby to the back of the ambulance.
I have never seen so many cars drive in and out of a Planned Parenthood,
as I did in Kalamazoo. Western Michigan University, with over 30,000
students, is located just down the street. Most of their customers
looked to be young college students. Ann Norton, the lone consistent
sidewalk counselor, has come under fierce attack by the enemy of our
souls, through the US Justice Department, no thank you, John Ashcroft.
They have threatened her with a FACE lawsuit, if she continues to
sidewalk counsel. She has gotten Christian attorneys to challenge this
in court. Pray for Ann! I sidewalk counseled there for about two hours
and Ann was amazed that the police never showed up! From there I drove
to Wisconsin, through Chicago rush hour traffic, with the posters still
taped to the back. I plan to have replaceable signs made up for the
ambulance, including more photos to show the horror of abortion and why
it must stop. I also would like to use it for counseling outside the
abortion mills. Videos could be shown inside too. It will cost more
money to use and maintain this vehicle. It will cost money to purchase
and mount the signs. Please join with me to pray for the Lord’s
provision. May this vehicle be used for His glory, to accomplish His
purposes.
Amazing Supernatural Incident Follows Prolife Event in Wichita
Todd Bubolz and I made it out to Wichita for the national prolife event
last July 15-19, sponsored by Operation Save America. Over 1000 of us
were in the prolife parade through downtown Wichita, and in subsequent
days we did parades past George Tiller’s abortuary. Three babies were
confirmed saved during the week, and one of the abortion mills closed for
the week. During the solemn assembly, the first night, a local pastor
prayed and repented on behalf of our nation, saying we were like the
prodigal son. We squandered our inheritance as a Godly nation that we had
received from our founding fathers. Although we have an abundance of
many things like: tolerance, information, and love for ourselves, we have
a mighty famine of things like: truth, discernment, and love for others.
Because of the famine, we only have husks for food that are meant for
swine. We taste the “husks” through humanism, government, judicial
system, education, media, arts, entertainment, etc., and even in our
homes, and churches. He finished, “We beg your forgiveness. Please look
upon us...even though we are a “great way off.” Help us to make our way
back to You...to Your house...and our Godly heritage. What happened
after we left town is truly amazing. The local paper had three articles
on corn husks falling from the sky! I quote from the Wichita Eagle:
“People in homes near 13th and Woodlawn reported seeing what looked like
extraordinarily large, dried cornhusks spiraling down from the sky about
6 pm.” One eye witness was quoted, “They just kept coming down. There
had to be, I don’t know, a thousand of those things.” They interviewed a
meteorologist, who said that there was no chance they were stirred up by
a tornado, since there were none in the entire country. Then they added
an interesting, humanistic quote from him, “Whatever it was, it was
probably caused by man.” When the local prolife leader in Wichita wrote
the paper with the explanation that God was confirming the Pastor’s
prayer, they ignored her and refused to print her letter or his prayer!
Wisconsin Unmasking Planned Parenthood Tour
From July 23 - August 3, I was on the Missionaries to the Preborn annual
tour to expose the atrocities of Planned Parenthood in our State. We
stood along busy streets with the large photos of murdered preborn
children. We got out thousands of pieces of literature and gospel tracts.
We talked and interacted with hundreds of people. At the Experimental
Aircraft Association in Oshkosh, we witnessed for two days to the
crawling traffic going in and out. License plates were seen from nearly
every state in the union, and many foreigners were present. We were at
the tourist towns of Wisconsin Dells, near the middle of the state, Lake
Geneva, in the south, and Hayward, up north. We held banners on highway
overpasses around Milwaukee. A pizza business owner provided lunch for
our group of about 70, after our stop in Brookfield, a Milwaukee suburb.
Our last stop was outside the State Fair, where thousands saw our signs
or received literature. Next year, in addition to our annual Wisconsin
Tour, we plan to do one in New England. Like the Pennsylvania Tour, last
year, this one will include side trips to historical sites that will
remind us of our rich Christian heritage. I also hope to help my brother,
Cal Zastrow, do an Unmasking PP Tour in Michigan. Cal wants families to
come and take some time out to swim in each of the Great Lakes
surrounding Michigan.
Your Brother in Christ,
Mark Gabriel
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