We went to the mall again last night and the fishing was great. A great thing about the mall is that IT IS WARM in there!  Witnessing in the outdoors when it is cold is no fun when you get old like me :).    A couple of guys we talked to were soon going to be deployed to Iraq and they were very interested in the gospel.  During our discussion with these guys,however, mall security was hanging around watching us.  Now, they have always been around but never stopped us from witnessing.  They were a little more aggressive tonight, and they were pretty confrontational.  The security officer we talked to said we could not “solicit”, which we agreed to and told them we were not doing.  He also said that if someone did not like us there, that we would be “asked to leave”.  We thanked him for what he did and continued to talk to a group of people about the gospel.  Although we know that we have the freedom to talk to whoever we want, mall security is becoming more difficult to deal with.  If security continues to hinder us, then we will have to talk to mall management.

 A recent podcast from the Ambassador Alliance Radio addressed this issue.  From our experience, the law in California is certainly different from those here in Colorado.  But there was some good points.
 

1. Security at the mall is concerned with those who are engaged in “expressive activity”. 
2. Do not purposely upset mall security.
3. Handing out gospel tracts is NOT solicitation.  But security uses this to stop distribution of tracts.  So if security orders you to stop, then ask to see the mall rules concerning this.  Most of the time, this will stop them from persuing this.
4. They cannot stop us from talking to people. 
5. The difference between a police officer and a security officer.  No one can be arrested for handing out tracts.  Security officers enforce company policy, not civil law.  Security officers do not arrest anyone.  They can ask you to leave, but cannot arrest you.  If asked to leave by mall security, then leave, but follow up with the mall to find out what you can and cannot do.

Another great night of witnessing at the mall.  Four of us (Shon, Rick, Robert and I) shared with tons of folks.  The place was busy and the “fishing” was great.  Most of the time, we got started with the offer to give them $20 if they could list us 10 things.  The “name 10 get 20″ was a great ice breaker.  Even though it is tough to hand stuff out at the mall, we still handed out a bunch of tracts and a bunch of bibles too. 

One guy that I talked to said that he had “Jesus loves” tattooed on his toes.  He also had Mary tattooed on his stomach.  I asked him why and he was not sure.  We talked for a while and I encouraged him to find out the truth and the reason for those tattoos. I shared the gospel with him and gave him a bible and encouraged him to read the gospel of John.  He was very interested and convicted and said that he would go home a read it.    

We also met some other seed sowers there.  They were from a church in the South part of town.  Maybe we can join them when they go out sometime.

We went to the mall last night.  Wow.  Just like a stocked pond.  The fishing was crazy!!!  We talked to hundreds of folks.  One group of girls just finished with confirmation at their Catholic church.  They had no idea what it takes to get to heaven, but were “hoping” to get there some day.  One girl said that they don’t do bad things like murder someone.  We discussed God’s standards of perfection and how Jesus said that “if you are angry with someone without cause, it is the same as murder”.  How you must be born again and a new creation.  How on the day of judgment, you must be seen as perfect in the eyes of “Him who we must give account”.  And how confessing your sins is not good enough.  They were very interested in what we had to say, and thanked us for sharing.  In fact, EVERYONE was thankful for us sharing the gospel with them.  What a great time to share the “reason for the season”.  God bless.

Me sharing with the folks

Connie with a group of kids