Post by messengermicah on Jan 19, 2009 17:46:47 GMT -5
A BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Monday January 6, 2009: We had originally planned to open up this semester at Florida Atlantic University down in South Florida. We sent in our request for a permit so the school could notify police, etc.
We left early Monday morning from the Tampa area and arrived at Florida Atlantic University around 1:30 PM only to find out someone else reserved the area before us for the whole week.
Tuesday January 7, 2009: We spent the night (Monday) in Miami and drove back to the Tampa area the next day. On the way up we met and fellowshipped with Brother Martin who was converted during our preaching at Florida Atlantic University in January 2007 and is serving God faithfully by preaching weekly on the streets by himself and teaching a Bible study in his area.
AUTO LAGGED
Wednesday January 8, 2009: After two nights of little sleep and much driving we were very tired this day. It rained some also and I was scheduled to preach at a church this evening almost two hours away.
Since I had not preached outdoors for some time I was concerned about my voice giving out on campus and then trying to preach in church with my voice gone.
In the light of all this we decided not to preach at the University of South Florida this day.
That evening I preached in a church for one hour and 15 minutes on “Advancing the Kingdom of God” from Matthew 6:10.
GREAT DAY ON CAMPUS
Thursday January 9, 2009-University of South Florida-Tampa, Florida: It was a clear, sunny day with mild temperatures.
I began preaching around 12:05 PM and almost immediately began to gather a small crowd that continued to grow.
By around 1:40 PM the crowd was from 250-275. The large crowd closed in on me some and I always had a handful of students standing behind me simulating sexual acts, gyrating, and heckling.
CONFRONTATION WITH A BAPTIST PASTOR
Gradually the crowd thinned out and by 2:30 PM was around 40-50. At this point I noticed a local Baptist pastor who I had a confrontation with once before on this campus. He opposed my preaching the last time I was there and began screaming at the top of his lungs to the crowd saying, “I AM A SINNER! I CAN’T STOP SINNING! I SIN EVERY DAY!”
With that testimony it is no wonder this pastor did not like hell fire, repentance, holiness preaching. He showed up and began calling me a heretic, etc. We went back and forth and debated the scriptures in front of the growing crowd concerning the subject of “Can someone live in sin and be a Christian?” Of course he continually contradicted himself and avoided answering any questions with a straight answer. He also refused to admit that students who were living in continual, known sin were headed towards hell.
At one point he walked over to the other side of the free speech area and about two thirds of the remaining crowd of 30-35 followed him and the rest remained with me. I continued reasoning, teaching, and answering their questions until around 4:00 PM.
After his crowd left, he came around me and listened to me teach a small group and answer questions. He agreed with a lot of my answers. By 4:30 PM most of the crowd was gone and he and I began to have a civil discussion on theology.
As we sat down two atheists who have listened carefully to my preaching there over the past three years sat down with us. Both of the atheists agreed with my theology on every point and did not agree with any of his. He called himself a 4-point Calvinist (he did not agree with limited atonement).
As we continued our discussion it seemed the pastor and I gained a better understanding and respect for one another and we seemed to be on our way to developing a friendship even though we disagreed on theology. We continued our discussion along with the two atheists until around 5:30 PM.
OUR BEST FRIDAY EVER ON THIS CAMPUS
Friday January 9, 2009-University of South Florida-Tampa, Florida: In the previous few years we have been preaching on this campus I have usually only been able to gather a crowd of 30-40 on a Friday because there are fewer classes.
It seems now they have added classes on Friday and this makes it possible to gather larger crowds. I began preaching around noon and soon gathered a small crowd. To my surprise the crowd gradually grew until it reached 120-150.
Not only was the crowd size larger than previous Fridays on this campus but they seemed to be more civil and receptive. Gradually the crowd thinned out to around 30-50.
From around 2:00 PM to 2:40 PM I preached hard and straightforward to an attentive group gathered around the sidewalk of 30-40. They opposed the message I was preaching but listened well.
CONFRONTATION WITH A HYPOCRITE
As I attempted to stop the preaching around 2:40 PM a large African American male wanted to “ask me a question”. He had been listening attentively and I discerned he did not really want to “ask me a question” but wanted to let me know my method was wrong.
He made several unbiblical assertions and challenged me to where what I said was in the Bible. I gave him exact chapter and verse quotes and to the delight of the crowd he haughtily pulled out his Bible. He read them all and it was obvious to him and the crowd I had quoted them accurately.
However, instead of acknowledging he was wrong and did not know the Bible he continued to try to play the “hero” to the crowd and tell me what I needed to be telling the crowd. Although, I repeatedly answered all his objections with exact chapter and verse quotes clearly explaining their meaning and context to him and the crowd he refused to admit he was wrong.
ITCHING EARS AND TEACHERS AFTER THEIR OWN LUSTS
By now the crowd was much convicted and desperately looking for a loophole to find a way to justify their rebellious lifestyles against a Holy God and not enduring “sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears and they shall turn away their ears from the truth”. This young man was willing to sell himself out to God to be their teacher and satisfy their itching ears with fables. Is it any wonder Obama was elected president?
After, I hammered them with scripture after scripture I left them under conviction as they flocked around the crowd pleasing hypocrite to have their own lusts and itching ears satisfied with fables.
Sister Elizabeth and I left the campus around 3:00 PM.
ONE HOT HEADED, ARROGANT MENTOR
During the preaching on campus a polite, sincere African American female had been in the crowd and asked several good questions. After Sister Elizabeth and I left campus we stopped to get a beverage and ran into this same student along with a white female friend of hers. She invited us to sit down and politely asked me about 1 John 1:8. I carefully explained 1 John 1:5-10 in context.
After I finished the white girl exploded with venom and began to loudly tell me off, make a scene while making all sorts of unbiblical, self contradicting statements. I tried to be patient and answer her questions rationally but she would not allow me to say anything and stormed off. Unfortunately the polite black girl was riding with her and had to “submit” to her “discipleship” and leave with her.