How long will they accept my presence

By God's Grace I have been able to work on the streets here in Knoxville since November of 2003. My how I have seen some changes! I can remember the acceptance of the preaching of the Word of God not to long ago. How that many times after I would preach, many would be broken and come to Christ for help! I have noticed a change in people in the last year, or two. Mostly in the last year. I am not talking about a change for the better, but a change in their hearts for the worse. As I work the streets handing out tracts and witnessing, I wonder how much of this will they take? After all, my very prescence seems to be offensive to some of them. You may not understand what I mean but let me explain. If you are drunk or high or shooting up or enjoying some other illicit sin, the last person you want to see or talk to is a Gospel preacher! The presence of righteousness offends sinners. I am not saying that I am without sin, but that I am a preacher and I am a representative of righteousness! Not my righteousness, but Christ's righteousness! To the sinner that refuses to forsake his sin, and enjoys it, he does not want the message of repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ! He cannot enjoy his sin with thoughts of a righteous God in his mind let alone His message in his ears. But, to the sin sick soul, the sinner in need of a Saviour, that is who I am searching for, one who will listen, one who will hear, one who is longing for help from their sin. These are far and few between in the day we live. I have noticed recently that some have become "agitated" in my prescence. I do not intentionaly want to offend anyone but I know that the message of the Gospel that I preach is offensive. Would you please pray that God will work in their hearts to receive His word with all readiness. And that I present the Gospel in the most effective way that Christ would have me to. I wonder sometimes how long will they accept me. But really, it is not me that they are rejecting, but who I represent. The Lord Jesus Christ. Reader, how about you? Are you offended at the Gospel message? Do you resort to the popular saying, "don't judge me" when someone points out your sin? If so, who are you really rejecting? The messenger, or the one who sends the message? If the message they preach to you is offensive because of your sin, how long do you think you will accept their prescence?