Lay Monk Bob: Street Preacher of God

Lay MONK bOb: StREEt pREAcHER Of GOd

(Photos): Lay Monk Bob shares Jesus on the streets of Portland, Oregon. Bob In one of our Monastery gardens. His Memorial Bell in our Chapel.

^“My lips shall proclaim Your righteousness and Your Salvation all day long:

I cannot count how many times.I will go in the strength of the LORD God:

I will declare Your righteousness, and only Yours.

O God, You have taught me from my youth, and I have declared Your wondrous works.

Now that I am old and my hair is gray, O God, do not forsake me:

allow me to proclaim Your strength to this generation,

and Your power to everyone who is to come.”

-Psalm 71:15-18

A "Burning Heart" for God

“Buinidh urram do’n aois.”

“Honour belongs to old age.”

-Old Gaelic Saying

Lay Monk Bob: Street Preacher of God

“BURNING HEART”

This Article & Photo Re-printed by Permission from: Hearts for the Harvest—Street Stories #1

Here is a precious picture of a man in his seventies who is working on a daily basis in the harvest in downtown Portland, Oregon.

He sits on the bus transit mall on a folding stool holding this sign. As people walk by or wait for a bus, Bob reads or quotes scripture to them and offers them tracts.

He often faces opposition. Since downtown Portland is a marketplace, businesses do not want him sitting on his stool anywhere near their business, even if he is far from their door.

Sometimes they call the police, who then have to inform the business owners of Bob’s Constitutional rights to be on a public sidewalk.

Some of the young people have given him a hard time because he is older. He has even been hit and pushed. He gets called all kinds of names, but he keeps on because Jesus has given him a “burning heart” for the lost that walk the streets.

bob becomes A Christian

“There is nothing more beautiful than an “on-fire” Christian. There are no people more beautiful.”

-Lay Monk Bob

Bob served for many years on the Board of an Evangelical Church in Portland, Oregon. He also was a member of the Board of Directors of The Prayer Foundation.

Bob was born in 1926 into an Irish family living in Santa Monica, California.

He could play many musical instruments, and was the Quarterback of his High School Football Team.

As soon as he turned 18, Bob volunteered and served in the Pacific during WWII, on the Aircraft Carrier “Saidor.”

In 1946 he was born-again into God’s family when he repented of his sins and asked Jesus into his heart, accepting him as his Lord and Savior.

This happened when Bob was 19 yrs. old.

Bob had noticed a fellow sailor reading the Bible. He asked his friend where he could get one to read, too. After reading a few of the Gospels, Bob became a Christian.

Ironically, a few years later Bob met the same friend and asked him how long he had been a Christian. Unfortunately, Bob’s friend had never given his life to Christ.

He had been reading the Bible, but didn’t know Jesus as his personal Savior.

At age 20, with only $1.20 in his pocket, Bob went on a faith preaching outreach across the country to New York City and back.

Later, playing trumpet and evangelizing, Bob toured California up to San Francisco with a blind Christian brother who played the accordion.

cALLEd tO A MiNiStRy Of EVANGELiSM

Sharing Jesus Daily in Portland, Oregon

Nearly Fifty Missionary Trips to Mexico

_______________________________

All Christians are called to be witnesses for Christ; not all are called to the ministry of an Evangelist.

Yet this very special ministry is exactly what Bob was called to, and he served God in this capacity for nearly 70 years.

Three times a day, Monday through Friday, twice on Saturdays; and for about an hour each time; Bob proclaimed the Good News of Jesus Christ to the lost in downtown Portland, Oregon.

Over many, many years, he missed only four days when he was very sick.

Fluent in Spanish, Bob traveled many times a year, every year, to Mexico to preach the Gospel. His missionary journeys to that country totaled nearly fifty. He paid for these trips himself, taking the Bus to keep the cost down.

He “prayed in” all of the money he used for living on, without ever asking for any, or even letting anyone know of his needs (including his fellow Lay Monks); and gave away all of his meager Social Security income to: “those who needed it more.”

“If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you…” -John 15:20

He was often threatened. He has had boiling coffee thrown on him several times. Verbal abuse and shouted obscenities were a daily occurrence.

One man that threw coffee on Bob returned a few days later to do it again. Several days later he sat beside Bob and apologized. The man continued coming and sitting beside Bob, now attentive to and thankful for God’s Word.

This event took place in 1999.

Update: The man, who’s name is Bryce, became a Christian through Lay Monk Bob’s ministry. Bryce joined a Christian Church, and two years later, met and married his Christian wife. In 2002 Bryce visited Bob to show off his new four-month-old baby.

One day when Bob was preaching in Downtown Portland, a man listening to him began crying profusely.

He told Bob that he had been on his way to commit suicide, when he heard Bob talking about Jesus’ love for him, and he no longer could do it.

“The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: they shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

Those that are planted in the House of the LORD shall flourish in the courtyards of our God.

They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be healthy and flourishing;”

-Psalm 92:12-14

Lay MONK bOb'S MESSAGE: "JESuS LOVES yOu!"

Often someone would walk up to Bob and tell him how, several days earlier, he’d “made their day.”

The greatest joy, Bob would say, was to be used by God. He would pray afterward, “Lord, you used your servant and I feel so grateful. Thank you, Jesus.”

Bob would also say, “There is the joy of meeting someone you’d led to the Lord years before, who is still strong for Christ.”

There are also the unexpected joys, as when a man ran across the street towards Bob, dropped his bag, fell on his knees, and asked to be prayed with to receive Christ’s salvation.

One woman came up to Bob and said, “You preach with such love to the people.” Bob says, “That’s what you want to hear.”

He pauses: “There’s been fourteen or fifteen times when I’ve felt God’s love for the lost so strongly that I had to stop preaching before I started crying.”

^“With the aged is wisdom;

and in length of days, understanding.”

-Job 12:12

"pREciOuS iN tHE SiGHt Of tHE LORd, iS tHE dEAtH Of HiS SAiNtS." -pSALM 116:15

As a WWII Navy Veteran, Lay Monk Bob was buried in a National Military Cemetery with Full Military Honors, including the U.S. Flag Ceremony and a 21-Gun Salute. Lay Monk Preston gave the Eulogy.