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MISSION TRIP: VIRGINIA BEACH
I am always honored when I am asked to speak at the SOAPA Conferences.
I attended my first Soapa in 2005, which was the second year they had the conference. It was originally called the Southeastern Open Air Preachers Association Conference, based in Atlanta Georgia. Since then it has become the Street & Open Air Preachers of America and have conferences all over the United States.
I flew to Virginia Beach from our mission base in Alaska and was asked to deliver a message on Hell. It was a long flight but well worth it!
Hell is a revelation of the Character of God. God is love. Hell is the angered love of God. Hell is an expression of His angered love. He punishes sinners because of His love for His creation, His love for righteousness, His love for His law, and His love for Himself. Love is the motive for all that God does.
My message on hell was about the reasons hell was necessary. Hell is necessary to express God’s love for His law, to show His hatred for sin, to be a public example to deter all the moral agents under His rule from sinning.
“Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” (Jude 1:7)
And the twist of the sermon was that the Atonement of Christ fulfilled all of these purposes for hell. The atonement shows God’s love for His law, His hatred for sin, and is a public example to deter all the moral agents under His rule from sinning.
That is why the penalty of hell can be remitted by God’s grace through the atonement of Christ: “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Matthew 26:28
God can remit the penalty for our sins without God being unjust or compromising the governmental purposes He has for hell.
“Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” Romans 3:26
The atonement of Christ is a public display that accomplishes the governmental purposes that our damnation in hell would have accomplished. The public display that our damnation needed to fulfill was instead fulfilled by the atonement as a vicarious sacrifice.
The atonement of Christ didn’t make God merciful. A merciful God made the atonement of Christ. The atonement is not an angry God pacifying His anger but a merciful God finding a just way to offer His mercy.
The atonement of Christ is the greatest display and revelation of the character of God that we have ever had. But it’s not enough to talk about the sacrifice of Christ in the church and at conferences, we need to take this message to the streets! So we would hit the streets with the Gospel both day and night, after we had our conference sessions.
One of our outreaches was to a local football game at a nearby university. Thousands of people attend these events so the streets before, during, and after are flooded with people who need the Gospel. We found the busiest crosswalk that we could and lifted up our voices like a trumpet, like the Bible says. As you can see, some wild and unruly people who need Jesus gathered around, sat and interacted with us.
This was an ideal crosswalk to preach not only because it was the busiest as far as foot traffic goes but also because the sidewalk area was very large and could accommodate a crowd gathering around. We preached Jesus Christ – His death, burial, and resurrection as we called sinners to repentance.
Since this was a street preachers conference, we had lots of different street preachers with signs everywhere. The area was saturated with the gospel message. Signs said, “Jesus Christ died for your sins, rose again on the Third Day, believe, repent and be saved.” ” You Need Jesus,” “Let the Wicked Forsake His Way” and many other good things! Since we had so many street preachers we were able to cover multiple corners and crosswalks at once.
We took turns preaching every twenty minutes or so. It’s great to be able to preach with other brothers to help save your voice. Its common to lose the attention of the crowd when you transition from one preacher to another but on this day each preacher was able to gather a nice audience.
We also hit up the streets of Virginia Beach each night of the conference! The nightlife is full of bars, clubs, and all sorts of carnality and wickedness. Drunks and drug addicts roam the streets, along with prostitutes and the men who seek them. Many of the street people we encounter have lives that have been ruined by sin and we are able to minister the message of repentance to them. My sign read, “Ask Me Why You Deserve Hell” which went along with the theme of the conference – Eternal Hell.
One of the brothers on the team said he goes out to these streets regularly every weekend. He had a great set up with a speaker and a sound system. A woman began to heckle him but she eventually calmed down as he ministered the Gospel to her.
Signs, signs, everywhere a sign! Signs on the left. Signs on the right! Signs on this side of the street. Signs on the other side of the streets. Signs, signs, signs! Anyone coming out tonight to party and revel couldn’t help but to become face to face with the reality of God and His call on their life! “Jesus Saves from Hell,” “You Must Be Born Again,” “Cry to God!” I love it!
As expected someone wanted to sin in peace called the Police on us. The Police came out but we stood our ground and defended our rights and were able to continue preaching. Not every outcome with a Police encounter as a street preacher is good, but this one turned out fine. Nobody was arrested for street preaching this night so that’s always nice.
Usually Street Preacher Conferences have about 30 people in attendance. But those 30 people can literally reach 30 Million. One faithful laborer can reach the masses with the Gospel of Christ. Over my 23 years of ministry, I have seen countless sinners come to repentance and put their faith in Christ. Keep reading and you’ll see some new and recent testimonies!
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TESTIMONIES OF EFFECTIVE OPEN-AIR PREACHING
A GOSPEL SEED CHANGED A MOCKER’S LIFE
ANOTHER MOCKER COMES TO CHRIST!
INSPIRING BELIEVERS
EDIFYING THE SAINTS!
Every month I get testimonies like these – sinners repenting, believers inspired, saints equipped! It is your prayers and support that help make this ministry possible! Pray and consider about Partnering with us!
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LOOKING FOR AN END OF THE YEAR TAX BREAK?
2023 is almost over and tax season is quickly upon us.
If you are looking for a ministry to support, which is on the front lines and is making a difference saving souls, did you know that your support can be tax deductible?
If you write your checks out to “Crossroads Community Church,” which receives offerings for us to support our missionary work, those donations are tax deductible as “Charitable Donations”!
Just send the checks made out to “Crossroads Community Church” to us at:
P.O. Box 1527
Lindale TX, 75771
All the donations that are given this way are given directly to us 100%.
Just be sure to get your check in the mail before the New Year to get a 2023 tax break!
THE MORRELL FAMILY
MISSIONARIES TO AMERICA
The Morrell Family is a Missionary Family living by faith as God puts it on believers hearts to give.
Your support is making a difference and changing lives!
If God puts it on your heart to give, here are some ways you can do that:
PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=UUQ82S6A3V4V4
Venmo: @Jesse-Morrell-3
Cash App: “$JesseMorrell”
Zelle: “203-444-1912”
Physical Mail:
Jesse & Krista Morrell
P.O. Box 1527
Lindale TX, 75771
Make Checks out to “Jesse Morrell” to be personal gifts or out to “Crossroads Community Church” if you want a tax break.
Your support is bearing fruit and reaping rewards into eternity!
“Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7
Open Air Outreach Newsletters - Open Air Preaching Since 2002 