Metal Bible outreach report from Iron Maiden gig!

Joined : 07 Apr 2007 Posts : 40

What a rollercoaster ride this outreach was! It started out really bad but ended in victory.

My friend Göran was to pick me up outside my workplace at 3:00 in the afternoon. But when it was time to pick me up he called me and said that the radiator on his car has started to boil! This happened all of a sudden, without any warning!! He had bought his car just three days before and you don't expect things like this to happen with a newly bought car.

Then, he had to go a very far distance to get more water for the radiator, which took a long time, since there wasn't any petrol station nearby. At the meantime I just couldn't stand there and do nothing so I started to go home by train and bus, hoping that Göran would get the car fixed so he could pick me up during the way. I really had to get home since all the metal bibles were at my place. During the way home I tried to call my friend Rickard that also was to be a part of the outreach. I called him repeatedly times, both at the cellphone and at home but got no answer at all. When I got home I called Göran that said that he had managed to get the radiator water and replace the old water with the new. During this time I had prepared an emergency plan in case Göran's car was not to start. Some time after this Göran sent a SMS saying that the car was stonedead and that his cellphone battery was almost dead as well. Meanwhile time was ticking, we knew we had to be in place outside the Stadion of Stockholm very soon before all people had went into the gig.

So what to do?? The outreach seemed to be a real fiasco. We had no car to get the metal bibles into town and time was ticking fast! We had originally planned to be back in town with the metal bibles at 4:00 but now the time was over 5:00 and the bibles were still left at my home! I also live in the country outside town and is depending on bus and train so it do takes some time to get into town. The metal bibles are also heavy to carry. The 300 copies we were about to transfer to town weighted ca 70 kg, which is quite a lot if you carry them yourself. So this situation looked quite hopeless to say the least.

But I felt strongly that this outreach was something God really had planned and with all this resistance we faced I understood that Satan was angry at us and really wanted to stop God for doing something great. So I got even more determined to get all the metal bibles into town! I also thought, that even if I come to Stadion late and almost everyone had went in, I thought that if just one person would take a metal bible and through it be saved, it would be all worth it...

So, I took all the 300 metal bibles in their six cardboards on my cart and started to go to the bus station. While there I wondered how to lift the heavyloaded cart into the bus. Since I live in the country it is usually only I that take the bus from my station. But lo and behold, just that evening when I most needed it a very musculus dude that I had never seen before was about to take the same buse from my station. Amen! So he helped me to get all the metal bibles both on and off the bus.

Then I went on the train and there I got new hope that I wasn't too late when I saw several Iron Maiden fans entering the train. After arriving at Stockholm Central I then went by the Subway to Stockholm Stadion. Something cool was that allmost everyone that went off the train at the station was going to the gig. I then called and sent several sms to Göran but his phone has died completely so I wasn't able to reach him. While arriving at Stockholm Stadion Rickard finally called me up. He said that he had forgot his cellphone at home and had been walking around the area outside the Stadion for over one hour up until 5:00 searching for us. But since he couldn't found us he finally went home.

So, there I was, outside Stadion with the Metal Bibles with me. By now the clock has passed 7:00 so I had been delayed 3 hours because of all the trouble. But I put it all in God's hands and started the outreach. I put up signs with the text "Feel free to take a Metal Bible" and suddenly people started to take notice and came and started to pick up copies of it. Many were very thankful for the metal bibles and really wanted to have a copy of it. Some said that they don't care for the Bible overall but this is a Bible they will actually read. I also got to witness for some and had some great talks. It was really wonderful to be there and show people God's love by handing out the metal bibles to those that really wanted it. Interested people just came by and took a copy. Some also took several copies for their friends. After standing a while outside the station I went to a crossroad. During my way there, people stopped me to pick up metal bibles.

Finally I was standing just outside the entrance, just outside the Iron Maiden merchandise booth. Then Iron Maiden started to play. It was an interesting, kinda strange feeling to talk to people and hand out metal bibles while hearing The Number of The Beast in the background. :-) The girls at the Iron Maiden merchandise booth also got interested in the Metal Bibles and really wanted to have a copy of it as well. At the end of the outreach I also met a metalhead there that recognized my Bloodgood - Metal Missionaries shirt. He said that he had saw them live in Sweden during the 80s while they toured with Leviticus. We had a great talk and he was thankful to connect with someone who could help him to get Christian Metal. Another cool thing that happened was that several people that took the Metal Bibles said they were giving to take them to the band so they could sign it.

After standing outside the Stadion for three hours all the 300 metal bibles were gone and I went back home again, with a big smile in my face thankful to GOD for all the wonderful things he had done during the outreach, thankful also for having the privilege to be His servant.

So, what can I say other than thanks God for pulling this off! God truly showed during this outreach that He is the one that reigns and that satan can't stop the Kingdom of God!

I also really want to thank each one of you that kept this outreach in prayer, your prayers have meant more than words can say!

Also, please continue to pray that God will continue to work heavily through His Holy Spirit in all that took a copy of the Metal Bible and that many will find Christ as a result.

In His Service
Johannes Jonsson
Metal Sanctuary

PS
Last but not least I would also like to say that the outreach was made by a newly started ministry and network called Metal Sanctuary. One of the main goals of this ministry is to help and inspire outreach's like this all over Sweden. www.metalsanctuary.se

For more info about the Metal Bible visit www.metalbibel.nu/enginfo.htm
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www.metalbibel.nu/enginfo.htm (Metal Bible - Special Bible edition for Metalheads!)
www.metalforjesus.org (Metal For Jesus - Your Christian Metal Source)
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Age : 59 Joined : 11 Mar 2007 Posts : 310

Man, what an awesome story! Praise the Lord!!!! cheers

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Christian Metal Internet Radio

Age : 36 Joined : 07 Apr 2007 Posts : 80

Wow! That is a great testimony to how God provides!

Heaven's Metal Cowboy Joined : 08 Apr 2007 Posts : 1129

Is it available in English yet?
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YOU MUST RESIST!!!

Joined : 07 Apr 2007 Posts : 351

Wow! Thats awesome that you got to witness to Maiden fans! Praise God! cheers

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Joined : 12 Mar 2007 Posts : 1257

Thanks for the update.

Joined : 27 Apr 2008 Posts : 226

unfortunately no it dont have it in englidh. I do however have a nowegian version and need to learn the language. lol

Joined : 06 Apr 2007 Posts : 1064

Very cool!!
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_Wes
FretlessBassist
SL on CD Baby

Age : 16 Joined : 23 Jul 2008 Posts : 72

interesting