MALL WITNESSERS BEWARE!  2/92
--By Maria       Maria #163 DO 2789

         1. We've recently learned that many of our Family members worldwide have been taking their teens and JETTs witnessing in malls, the large indoor shopping centers that are very common now in a lot of countries. After thinking and praying about this, I feel we need to warn the Family that witnessing in such places can be pretty dangerous. Of course, any territory outside our own Homes is Enemy territory, and is therefore dangerous.
         2. But these huge shopping malls are particularly dangerous. They are territory that is absolutely dedicated to the worship of Mammon. Most of the people who go to the malls are concentrating on and are interested in only one thing: to buy and acquire more material goods and possessions, most of which they don't even need. Of course, there are some who go there just to hang around, like a lot of the teens and kids who just use the malls as a place to go to get in from the cold.--Which is what makes the malls such an attraction to our witnessers, since they're one of the few places where they can find teens to witness to in cold wintry climates.
         3. But the store owners and merchants who are so money-minded and materialistic are not going to look too kindly on or be too patient with people who are distracting others from their shops and displays, who are taking business away from them. Most of them are probably quite anti-Christ and devoted only to money and materialism, and couldn't care less about the Lord. In fact, many of them hate Him. So our people who are going out witnessing in those malls are really invading Enemy territory, it's not just a fun little jaunt of some kind. You're venturing out into real dangerous territory.
         4. So you'd better have a serious attitude, an attitude of war, realizing just what you're up against when you go marching into those kinds of places to witness. It could be a real life-and-death situation; it could mean your life or your freedom. So you'd better really be very prayerful.
         5. And if you're taking your kids and teens in there to witness, another big factor is that there's a big tendency for them to get distracted by all of that materialism, or to look on it just as some sort of fun excursion. Witnessing in places like that is hot, heavy stuff, and they'd better realize that and be prepared for battle! They'd better be in a very sober, serious, prayerful attitude when making forays into those malls, where you're trying to snatch the Devil's prey away from him!
         6. There may be some sheep there, but there will be a lot more goats and wolves! When Dad read about this mall witnessing he got a warning verse, "Cast not your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under foot and turn again and rend you!" (Mat.7:6). So when you go into those places you need to be very careful that you don't cast your pearls before swine. That doesn't mean that you can't ever go witnessing in malls. It just means that our kids are going to have to definitely be prepared and be armed with the Word and with obedience and yieldedness to their overseers.

How to Handle Arguers!

         7. And it's very important that they commit themselves to not argue, not push their point. If you approach someone who doesn't want to hear, stop! Don't talk to them any further! Just stop and go somewhere else. Go to another person where you're more appreciated and you're better received. And if people start arguing with you, don't argue back. It's better to just stop and say, "Well, I'm sorry, if you don't want to hear what I've got to say, I'll just move along, no problem. I don't want to upset you. So sorry."
         8. However, in such cases you've got to be very Spirit-led, because sometimes people argue because they really want to know the answers. If you're prayerful and looking to the Lord, I think that most of the time you should be able to discern whether someone is arguing for the sake of finding out the answers, or if they're just out to antagonize, annoy or tease you. You can't always tell right away, so you need to really pray and ask the Lord when you should pursue your witness and when you shouldn't. But if you're in a mall and you have any question at all, it's safer and better to say, "Well, I'm sorry, I don't want to upset you or just get into an argument, so please excuse me. Thank you for listening." And then just go off and find someone else to talk to.

Crime Dangers!

         9. Dad also mentioned that there is a lot of crime in shopping malls nowadays. He saw a documentary not long ago where they said that much of the crime in U.S. cities has moved to those big commercial centers, but that most of the public is not aware of this. People usually think that indoor shopping centers are pretty safe, when in fact they have a lot of crime now.
         10. Not only do our people need to be on guard when witnessing in the main parts of the malls, but they also need to be vigilant and careful and make sure they go two-by-two down the peripheral hallways or into the public restrooms, etc. Even though we don't have much money that people can rob us of, there are still all kinds of dangers and difficulties that you can encounter in those sorts of places. You definitely need to be careful and very prayerful.

Trouble with Authorities: Be Prepared!

         11. Also, because of all the crime, the security guards and the administration of the shopping malls are much more on guard than ever before, and the slightest untoward incident or the slightest activity that is different from the norm can arouse their suspicion. So that's another reason why you've got to be very careful, because they're touchy and they're sensitive. All some guy who you're trying to witness to has to do is just yell, "Guard! Security! This person is annoying me!--Harassing me!" And then your whole team is likely to get in trouble.
         12. You'd better know beforehand what you're going to do if one of your team members gets arrested or detained or whatever. Are you all going to run over there to his aid and rescue, and all of you wind up getting detained? Or if he's an underage teen, then there's got to be at least one adult who can go with him and stick with him and help answer questions and be his parent or guardian and take responsibility for him. So you've got to have all that prepared before you go, your contingencies of what you're going to do and what you're going to say, and know what the rest of you are going to do if one or two of you get in trouble.
         13. Of course, you should always "be ready to give an answer to every man that asketh you" (1Pet.3:15), and have vital personal information such as your phone number and address ready, in case the authorities ever require such information from you. And by all means, always have some kind of ID on you, in case you're ever asked for it.
         14. Remember, troubles with the System are just as apt to happen now as they did 20 years ago; in fact, much more so! In those very anti-Christ, anti-God commercial malls, they're not just running the place so you can go there and preach to people! They don't have that in mind at all! That's not on their agenda for their customers, and they don't usually like it. They're certainly not going to like it at all if they see you distracting their customers, and if they see a lot of tracts or posters scattered all over the place.
         15. So above all, pray and obey the Lord and His leadings and His checks! "All that will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2Tim.3:12), but try to "avoid the devoid" as much as possible. But we've got to witness and reach the sheep where they're at; just try to steer clear of the wolves! And if you can find good witnessing opportunities elsewhere, please do! Amen? GBAKY! ILY!



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