In a moment's time. I'm going to reveal to you just
who this preacher is. But before I do that, I need to
let you know, some kind of bad news for some crazy reason.
Right at the end of the interview, Skype decide to chop
the preachers head in half and I try to fix it, but there's no
way around it. You'll see what I mean, but I'm
sure it's not going to ruin the interview for you.
One bit. You're going to really enjoy
this a sit back, relax because we're about to take you out of
your comfort zone, real well. And well, thank you very much
for joining me today. A ray went up.
When I got the, the message from Jen.
I was nearly as excited as when my wife said.
Yes. So, this is question number one.
And are you a good person? Yes, I'm incredibly are morally,
perfect. Yeah.
So, do you think the church is who don't actively do open air
evangelism. Do you think that they possibly
might miss out a little bit? Well, if they want to reach the
last, you know, open-air Avenger.
A just like 121 evangelism, but there's 100 people and if you're
in a urine, our Lifeboat and you're trying to say people and
you figured out a way to pull antennas time rather than one
with just one hand, you could get an orange pulling 10 at
once, take advantage of it. Paul said, If by all means, I
might save some so open-air preaching as a wonderful way to
reach the lost when I open air preach items down on a street
corner and holler it passes by with a One of those flowerhorns.
What we do is we gather a crowd who willingly stand and listen
to the gospel. And the way we do it is through
giving away money, which is kind of strange, but it's like water
running uphill. It's very unusual natural and so
people come to see what's going on.
So yeah, churches would grow with their grab hold of the
Great Commission and actually see what it says.
It says, go into all the world and preach the gospel.
To, Every Creature d.l. Moody said, Other set of
thousand to work than do the work of a thousand and you can
set a thousand to work by training them up on how to
conquer their fears and how to open air preach in a way.
That's not obnoxious. And that's the way I believe, we
can reach the world. The same way, the apostles
didn't book of Acts and d.l. Moody also said, let's love them
into the Kingdom. So exactly what you say.
We need to be Winsome when we do that.
So that was one of my other questions and so I don't want to
fly to you in any way, but really, you've been a A big
inspiration in my life. There's a Street Preacher.
When me and my wife first got married, we didn't have a
computer and we didn't have the internet.
So I'd work in a school. As a classroom assistant,
helping a young lad with autism. And then in my lunch break, I
would go out to the school computers, and I'd literally
just watch video after video of you doing.
You your open-air stuff. I found live streams and all
these these different kinds of things.
But see you, well, know, for doing the giving away money sort
of things to draw a crowd. But you also had some other
sorts of ways of getting a crowd.
Would you like to share some of them over the years?
Oh, look, I've tried every means me, Apostle.
Paul said, by all means save some it probably didn't think
that people do what I did. But every needs, you know, we
give away teddy bears at Christmas little stuff, be as to
people who answer trivia and a friend of mine called from a
place called Costco that sell wholesale stuff and he said
there's a six-foot teddy bear here.
Do you want us to buy? Buy it.
Bring it back was so big. I couldn't fit into my car.
But we dragged it along to Huntington Beach and it didn't
get a crowd. And I've used many things to try
and get a crowd. I've had guys dress up as
pallbearers where the corpse would put a corpse on the
ground. Not a real corpse, a living
person with a sheet over them or sometimes we get a dummy and
light down and because there's nothing that attracts people,
like a terrible accident. There's a next time.
People go. What's going on over there.
Don't look, it's horrible. Where Wilbur tractors and
nothing attracts like a funeral. So if you've got a corpse lying
on the ground with a sheet over, it was six pallbearers, wearing
sunglasses and that people come around and it's very easy to
preach the gospel. When you start with death.
So do you think there's an afterlife?
So you have used the funeral many times and many different
ways to reach the crowd, the getting the way money is just an
answer to trivia in Alaska crowd.
How many of you know The capital of France rhymes with Aris and
begins with P. That's a clue.
And people say parents. See that's that you must be
University student here. What's your name?
Fred, Fred? That's right.
Here's a dollar and you and it's fun.
It makes people laugh and and then you say, Hey, sir, you've
got it answering questions. Do you think you're a good
person? This is.
Yeah, really good. You want to go for five dollars?
If you're a good person. I'll give you $5.
If not, I'll give you $5. Anyway, pin it with sport, jump
up on the box up again. Crab listens, he's thrilled to
be there. It's created Goodwill giving
away money and and they hear the gospel and without compromise.
So I suppose then out of all the people that you've interviewed
and all the people that stepped upon the Box.
Are there any that really sort of you've never been able to
forget about and they've really sort of glued into your mind?
Well, I forget about everybody sometimes I see someone of
interview and I've never seen that person before my life.
It's probably because I do to us read day and just gets a blur
after a while. Yeah.
When I'm on anyone's got a
humble heart, it just endears me to them and you know what?
I say to someone. What do you think happens after
someone dies? And they say, oh, I don't know.
I said, you think about it and they say, yeah, all the time.
Are you afraid of dying? Yes.
And immediately I'm indeed that person because their honesty and
they are the ones that I remember the ones that are the
drink and the Spool like a drought and like a man of desert
who's been giving him water. That's really thrilling.
That's great. And I looked at the faces that
you have on all of your thumbnails because we're
interested by faces and you want to know more about it.
And yeah, the very yeah. Hey pretty girl does wonders at
10. Yeah.
There's only one pretty girl. Is my wife.
She's behind the camera. Yes.
I agree with you and my wife. Hey, sweetheart, I will choke.
I've been all of my Smokey in. Englishness now, so let's go
back to open it for each. Anyway before we both get in
trouble, and she's called Emma. Hi Ray, he is not.
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah, she's coming, Richard. Yeah, and anyway, so let's talk
about. So we've got George Whitefield.
We've got and we've got Charles Spurgeon.
We've got John Wesley. These guys, they preach to tens
of thousands of people in the opener.
In fact, George Whitefield, I believe it's in one of his
biographies. It says he spoke to 80,000
people wonder, I mean, these are massive numbers.
And we read that we think wow open-air preaching back then was
really blessed but people might perhaps see the open air for
each were talking about before the megaphone and and he's not
really engaging anyone. There's no winsomeness about him
and they say does it still work today?
What would your sort of response be to that Ray?
Oh, yes, the average good open-air preaching to reach and
it got open-air situation and reach more than the average
Church thousand twelve months, you know, sometimes I've been
open it preaching, a get a good English.
Nicola and people pack around I preached open air and UCLA
University number of years ago to about 200.
Young people stayed for two hours World fully.
There was no need a rope around them and times like that.
It just absolutely highlights in my life to reach so many people.
We're not proselytizing in that sense.
We just want to tell people how they can find everlasting life.
So there's no, there's no task more noble than an open-air
preaching. Reaching somebody.
People. And I think if there are pastors
and people watching this, I think open-air preaching is the
best tool ever to improve your preaching, because somebody's
going to stick around. If you're dull.
You've got it, you've got to win them Avenue, and you've got to
keep them engaged. That's why that's, why you've
got to be a little bit on the edge with open-air preaching.
If you listen to me, do one-to-one.
I say hello. How are you?
And just sweet? Nice open-air preaching.
There's something different. There's a different Dynamic.
Now if you don't do that. One of the great opening
approaches that may be Tozer said, you're liable to be hit by
an apple. If you try and be nice and you
have been here, don't do it. He says just get on the edge and
Jesus was on the edge every time you spoke.
There was a division in the crowd.
People yelled thing that they wanted to kill him.
The first sermon, he preached and lot of the wonderful truths
we have in scripture as because someone in the open are called
out something to him and he answered them, but we missed the
passion when you read scriptures that must have been taking
place. Jesus preached in the open here
and tells himself was saved by an open-air preacher.
A German man who couldn't speak English.
Well, so, and you never know someone watching.
It's now. Yeah, you could say could be the
next toes are listening. It's wonderful.
Yeah, so can I just say something about pastors?
If I can get past us together? That's what I'd say to them.
I said, I can, I was in a prayer meeting many years ago and into
church prayer meeting and I could guess.
What person went to watch a church by how they prayed?
If someone said father? I knew they went to John steals
church because that's how John Steele prayed.
Father. And so we imitate our pastors
because we hear them so much and if a pastor just preaches on
Prophecy and sanctification and glorification and all the
allocations and doesn't preach evangelism.
He'll reproduce of his own kind. Mmm, without a concern for the
loss. And so, if you want your people
to be on, I forgot and see your church.
Grow. Join a Racquetball Club.
Join a tennis club join something when you rub
shoulders, with the ungodly and witness to people regularly and
testify as a pastor, what happened from your pulpit and
say, you know, I was playing golf last week and I met this
atheist and he said such as I said to him and I share the
cross 1, this is a thanks for sharing.
They going to say one Pastor condescends to the lowly tasks
of evangelism. And you'll eventually reproduce
of your own kind, your sheep will begin to have a Lambs
because you're a Shepherd, strange metaphor.
You're a shepherd and you're an example to the flock and what
you do and so pastors, do that, get a, get a Zeal for the last
that consumes you and your reproduce your own kind and your
own flock. Now, I could really get us in
trouble. Now quoting Spurgeon, but he
said, how can a man how can a pastor or a preacher say is
called to preach indoors, but then refused to go Outdoors.
We see, I mean, we look at Leonard Ravenhill, Paul Washer,
many of the best preachers. We get indoors started out on
the streets and still kept going out in the streets.
I met Steve Lawson two years ago.
I got to chat to him a little bit.
And again, he said he started out open-air preaching and but
I've got tremendous respect for you Ray because you've kept
doing it all the way through which is wonderful really.
Well. I can't stop because I care
about the Lost. Yeah, never.
I got some weight open-air preaching.
I'm going somewhere. I don't want.
Go to say something. I don't want to say to people
who don't want to hear it, but I can sit and watch an old black
and white movie on Sunday afternoons, while people to go
to hell. How could I do that?
And so the love of Christ, constrains me and helps me
overcome my fears. So, yeah, I counted a privilege.
I mean, I've spoken in the most glorious churches with a padded
pews and great sound systems, and great.
Honorariums are nice people and out to dinner afterwards, but
give me an open-air day any day far.
Rather open-air preach to unsaved people and go.
Mashed potatoes, just down-to-earth and wonderful, and
I'm going to stay with it and I hope I die.
Open your fridge. Yeah.
Sorry, tell me then Suppose there is a young man who's
watching this and he's thinking, you know, Ray Comforts really
inspired me a lot. I would love to be an open-air
preacher, but I'm kind of nervous.
How do I get started? What advice would you give to
that person? Well, I'm nervous, every time,
every every zaccheaus becomes a Goliath, whenever I get a
witness one-to-one or open-air preach, but But I think Satan is
the father of lies and his greatest light is to tell you,
you can't do it to paralyze you with fear while you've got to do
is do what David did. He ran at Goliath?
He didn't stand there and go. Here are them and you got to do
the same thing with your fears run at it.
Don't wait. Don't think too?
Deeply overcome your fears in the way to do it.
Is this an analogy I use is, could I have to get you to jump
into a pond? That's filled with big chunks of
ice. So cold that you die within
three minutes. They know what side of your
four-year-old, boy, four-year-old boy, found that
pain is only three feet tall and it's four feet deep and he's
drowning. What would you do?
You should jump in and say You would forget about the coldness,
it forget about your flesh, should just jump in and save
them because love does that the Bible says perfect love casts
out all fear granted the Waters of personal evangelism,
especially open-air preaching, icy, icy cold, but the way to
overcome them as let love do its thing in your life.
So if you've got a problem with fear, Don't Pray For Less fear.
Pray for more love because that's the problem.
It's love that motivates me. It always Is love, that helps me
to conquer my fears. Love for God, and love other
people. And so love is incredibly
powerful. Get a firefighter running in to
save some person on a Butte burning building.
What? Because he cares about them.
That's why he's a firefighter. And so, he ignores his fears
because he's not thinking about himself, but the other person
and that's the key to reaching the lost.
But, yeah, so, just going back to the young person again, those
suppose, the they don't have any friends who do open-air
preaching. The church doesn't do it.
How did they get? Started like what would be a?
I'm going to tell you a little secret.
I would father grow. Our father, go open-air
preaching by myself, are rather go open it, preaching by myself
and with someone else, why? Because I'm making an idiot of
myself. Nobody knows me.
I can just walk off. But if I laugh at dry up or
whatever with friends that have brought with me, that makes me
feel like a fool. So, when I go up and I
preaching, I did it for 12 years almost every day by myself, so,
I'm kind of used to it, but I wouldn't wouldn't worry.
If you have to go by yourself, and all you do is get a little
soap box and stand on it and then just begin asking the
trivia. And the second time you do,
it'll be harder than the first. And Surrey, just tell me then
rumor has it that you are never call anywhere in public without
having a few tracks on you. And you said, if anyone ever
catches you out in public with you'll give them a thousand
dollars. Is that true?
Absolutely said it again and again and again and it can never
happen. No one ever.
I find me in public without a gospel tract because I've got
John 3:16 and a sinner's prayer tattooed on my chest.
Now. I'm just kidding.
I really do always carry tracks with me and that's because I can
give them to strangers. And I've learned something very
important about myself and that is I'm a coward and I will make
provision for the flesh. Let's say, I got a, what's
called a Home Depot store, where they sell in California and
throughout the US men's stuff, like Hammers and stuff.
Like that, I'll walk through that place with tracks and my
pocket and this is what I'll say to myself.
Oh, that guy looked at me. Oh, he's gone.
Never mind. I got out of it.
So I had to realize that's what I'm like, so I actually take the
tracks and have them in my hand when I go into that store.
So when that guy looks at me and goes me or not, I scuse me, sir.
You get a million dollar bill and he takes it like that good.
No excuses. No provision for the flesh.
What have you got any tracks? Sonya.
Now, do I dare test you? Yes, it has to be in public, but
hang on let's say well technically.
Yeah. Yeah.
Has to be in public. But oh, yeah.
Do you like a cowboy? You've got use a million-dollar
bill? Well, it's actually glued to the
inside of my phone. Yeah, that's cool.
I didn't know if you'd have it on you, but I just remember,
hearing you tell a story about one day.
Someone came to you and you're in the swimming bass and there's
someone approaching said, give me a Thousand dollars and un and
then pull them out. He sent shots, which yeah, they
can parts of that Joe and that is that if I have a million
dollars on me or gospel tract, the person who asked the
question, I was MIA thousand dollars.
I forgot to tell that part. Right?
Okay. Well, typical evangelist always
trying to get money. So we're talking about the for
about House of. If you like the Lord's blessed,
Living Waters hundred million views.
Yeah. That's right. 100 million or A
hundred billion views, a hundred million views on the channel,
your prophesied. Yeah.
Yeah, not very good at math.
Yeah. I'll just think for the
evangelism. Yeah, and but yeah, so you've
got this this vast Ministry. Many people expect her asking
for your time. You get in preaching
engagements, all these different things.
But the same time. You're a family, man.
You've got a wife, you've got children, grandchildren, and how
do you get that balance? And you've got Sam?
Yes, you've got the gorgeous dog.
But how do you how do you get that balance, right, you know
because I've just got a newborn son and I just find myself seen
the needs vast that the Titanic is going down.
Those people who are lost and I want to give as much as I can
sir Ministry, but at the same time, I don't want to neglect my
family responsibilities. Right?
Well the key was made was to marry my kids off real quick and
they're doing fine. Yeah.
You saying, I hear what you're saying?
And so it's very important that you do not neglect, your
responsibilities to wife and your child, you know, you can be
a successful preacher, but you failed if you fail to take care
of your family, so there has to be that balance and God will
give you wisdom. You know, you say honey.
I've spent the day with you. Would you mind if I go out for
an hour and just give out tracks at a local mall or something
like that? I want to go out and preach and
and if she's a Godly wife, she'll sail.
Thanks for the time, you spent helping.
And out and I'll be praying for you while you're out there.
And I'm sure that what your wife will do that because she's
gorgeous and she's a great camera woman.
You know, I'm glad you're on the other side of the camera right
now, Rea your to you too. Charlie for your own good.
Suppose. One final thing.
If I ever did, I'd love to do this.
But if I ever flew over to California to Huntington Beach,
would I be able to preach alongside you in the open air?
Would you? I would be absolutely.
Honored. I got to tell you something.
I checked out your YouTube channel before I did this and I
was very impressed with your thumbnails with the titles for
the views you're getting. And I think it's wonderful and
you've got a great personality and I think I'd be honored.
I'd sit at your feet, listen to you preach.
And let them know they are white.
So come over and have a meal with us at the ministry, will
give you a tour and then we'll go up and preaching together.
I would love that. Really, there's a man called
Vinny Commons. Train me is an opener for each.
He started young and then really it s to U.
Re I really wouldn't be here if it wasn't the Lord's really used
here in my life. And I'm sure many lives.
So remote. After we might have to get that
sorted out at some point. I'd really love to do that.
And if you're watching this now at, leave it in the comment box
if you'd like to see that Ray comfort and and Joker be
preaching that be awesome. Yeah, if you'd like to see the
full 45-minute interview I had with Ray Comfort, click this
link now and if If you like to see what race face looks like,
not just half but the full thing then do check out his YouTube
channel here.