We had a plan to hold a large event at our Haven of Hope community garden, which was previously a vacant lot in a dangerous part of town in Baltimore. We had a church driving 5 hours from New Castle, PA and prepared to work at the garden, serve food to the community, activities for children, pray with people, evangelize and street preach but the rain was not stopping. The group from Pennsylvania were with us and now what? Since we had to cancel the event, we thought about going to Washington DC but then decided to go to the Baltimore Harbor. While there we were on a second level and looked down and saw some guys and we thought hey maybe they are street preaching. We noticed they had some African attire under their shirts, which is usually the fashion of the Black Hebrew Israelite's, which is a cult. Shawn walked down to give them a gospel track, and they refused to shake his hand because they "they did want their hand dirty" or the track because they do not accept anything from "false teachers".
After some discussion which was going nowhere one from the group confronted them about their false teachings, misinterpretation of the Bible, hatred, denial of the deity of Christ and the Trinity and marked them as False Prophets.
After this altercation, God sovereignty gave us an opportunity to share the Gospel with a man who listened intently. We had our own plans but God is always working all things according to His plans for His glory and our good.
Soli Deo Glory (Glory To God Alone)
Romans 16:17-18: Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
2 Timothy 4:3-4: A time will come when people will not listen to accurate teachings. Instead, they will follow their own desires and surround themselves with teachers who tell them what they want to hear. People will refuse to listen to the truth and turn to myths.
Isaiah 8:20: Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark.
Matthew 7:15-17:“Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.
1 John 2:22: And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ.
1 Timothy 1:3-4: When I left for Macedonia, I urged you to stay there in Ephesus and stop those whose teaching is contrary to the truth. Don’t let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don’t help people live a life of faith in God.
Ephesians 5:11: Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
Galatians 1:7-8:not that there really is another gospel, but there are some who are disturbing you and wanting to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we (or an angel from heaven) should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be condemned to hell!
2 John 1:10-11: If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house and do not give him any greeting, because the person who gives him a greeting shares in his evil deeds.
Colossians 2:8: See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
Revelation 22:18-19: And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the words of prophecy written in this book: If anyone adds anything to what is written here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book. And if anyone removes any of the words from this book of prophecy, God will remove that person’s share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this book.
Ephesians 4:14-15: Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.