unities were there as they are for each of us everyday.
So halfway through, let me share with you Day 15 out of 30.
The last game was here. The end had come. The Montgomery Biscuits, one of our favorite fishing spots to witness was coming to a pause till next year. Not wanting to miss the opportunity and also distribute the last few remaining baseball tracts we had, Jeromy Mashburn and I made a last effort to share the Gospel during
We arrived at the ball game and completed our task as we planned. The opportunity gave us some one two one conversations as well as the opportunity to preach. Later on that evening, we made our way to Troy Montgomery, a local university with night classes.
This would not be a new spot for any of us. Both Jeromy and I had been here before, passing out tracts and I preaching. Never had we had any altercations or situation with the law enforcement. As I said in a previous post though, every day brings something new.
While at
Afterward, I set my stool in place and prepared the word I would begin with when, I could not speak. I tried, but nothing would come out. I just couldn't preach. Taking that as a cue, that God wanted me to sit down, I did just that, next to the guy I gave the tract to sitting on the fountain.
It turned out that his name was Frank. A young man with a funny dialect to the way he spoke. After speaking more with him, about the tract I gave him, he was a Buddhist. I found it very hard to understand much of what he said due to his accent. But still carried on as if I new what he was saying, expressing the tract and God's standard of righteousness.
When out of nowhere, an older lady who apparently knew Frank appeared. She came up and began to speak to each of us, inquiring about the tract I had. Explaining it to her, she became loud, telling me that she too was a Buddhist.
I questioned her on what happens when she dies and she said her body goes to the ground and her spirit or entity goes to the sky and floats around until it is reincarnated. Interesting I thought. The interesting part was just about to come with my next few questions. I asked her relating to her answers about life after death, how she knows that will happen, what proof she has. Her next few words threw me for a loop. Come to find out she was Buddha. Yes, she said she was Buddha.
A little confused, I told her that I thought Buddha was the little fat bald guy. Her temper began to flair. She told me not to think that I knew everything. "Ma'am, I don't pretend to. I know I don't know half the things I want to," I said.
At this point, she was ranting about Karma and other things. Looking at me, she told me that she wasn't going to argue with me. Politely, I responded by telling her that I wasn't arguing with her either. That she can walk away anytime. Fumy though, she chose to continue.
She carried on about god and that there were many gods. When she said that, I told her she was speaking blasphemy. That there is one God. One Creator. One mediator between God and man and His name is Jesus. She just got louder. I looked at her calming repeating scripture and recalled saying in Jesus name she needed to leave. She blurted out a few more words and off she was.
As she walked away, I felt that fire in my bones to rise. I positioned my stool and began to preach. I was able to preach for about a good 4 minutes when the local police arrived. Keeping my stance on my stool, I stopped preaching and greeted the officer.
Very politely, he informed me that I could not preach here. Asking why, he said because it was disorderly conduct. Really? I asked. How so? The officer replied, "Well you’re drawing a crowd." When he said that, I almost placed my hand on his shoulder and said, "You see them too?"
But trying not to play, I kept it serious.
I told him that he could easily see that there was no crowd. Just people going to and from classes. Maybe a few people standing on the sidewalk across the street. He persisted that I just couldn't preach.
Not really accepting his argument, I told him that I just left the Biscuits game where there were more people that this there and that right down the streets, I use an amp and preach and have no problems with the police. He seemed to be shocked at that.
He asked me nicely, if I would give him two minutes to check with his commander. I had no problem with that. After a few phone calls, he said it would be OK, but with one condition. As long as I did not draw a crowd.
I knew that even if there was a crowd, I still had the freedom to preach. I used the opportunity to witness to him and the other officers that arrived on the scene. Jeromy discussed with them why we were out here and the urgency as Christians to share the gospel. The police were nice and although they were kind of restricting our freedom, it was just an opportunity that night to witness to them by remaining calm and orderly and respecting them as officers and letting them hear the gospel as I continued to preach.
As I write this journal, I recall the spot where I was standing. Behind me stood the Rosa Parks Museum. Inside tells of a lady and an era where people's liberty and freedoms were denied. Ms. Parks refused to give up her seat, her right you might say to be equal and sit where she chose. That night, I was practicing my freedom, that we all have. I'm sure there will come another night or day where I will be told to stop or go to jail. Maybe that day will come for many of us who go and stand on the corner to proclaim His word. It's not a day to look forward to, not a day to plan. Until though, we all should go and proclaim the good news.
I hope you enjoyed and have been encouraged by this journal and seek to do the same. To seek out opportunities in you own area to preach and share the good news. I will not be posting any entries this weekend. I have been invited to tag along and do some witnessing at Atlanta Motor Speedway during the Nascar race. Please keep myself and others in your prayers.
Light the darkness
David
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