Post by messengermicah on May 9, 2009 15:55:30 GMT -5
Tuesday April 21, 2009: I had been invited by the pastor whose church I preached in the previous week (4/14/09) to come back and preach again the following week. I preached for over an hour from Judges 2:6-13 on “A Gospel of Power”.
Wednesday April 22, 2009: We left the Anderson-Clemson area in the morning and spent a good part of the day driving to our next location. In the evening I preached for over one hour from Judges 2:6-13 on “A Gospel of Power”.
GETTING THE RUN AROUND AT UNIVERSITY OF ‘SLICK CORRUPTION’
Thursday April 23, 2009-University of South Carolina-Columbia, South Carolina: It had been exactly two years since the last time I preached at this university. The administration and police had done many things to hinder the preaching from going forth at that time. I had reserved the area for several days but then was told later after the first day of preaching that they had made a mistake and another group already had the area reserved. Instead of having the free speech platform at noon they said I would have to wait until 3:00 PM to use it but I was welcome to use the public sidewalk which was only about 50 yards from the platform.
I began preaching on the last day of the winter 2007 semester on the public sidewalk around noon and gathered a large lively crowd of around 200. The administration and campus police stood by looking on. Around 1:35 PM I was stopped by a city of Columbia police officer and told I needed a permit to preach on the public sidewalk. I knew this was bogus and politely but frankly told the officer. However, since it was the last day of the semester, already close to 2:00 PM, having the platform reserved at 3:00 PM, and already gained the attention of the students I complied with the officer’s unlawful request.
I returned to the platform around 3:00 PM with the students waiting for me. A barricade was set up around the platform to keep the students away from me and I preached until around 4:30 PM.
ANOTHER YEAR BUT SAME STORY
After all of these events occurred two years ago I had not made this school much of a priority to preach at. I had called the campus several times to try and reserve the platform but was told by a very feminine sounding male who was now in charge of platform reservations that the area was not available.
Since I was fairly close to Columbia after preaching at Clemson and the semester was almost over it seemed good to me and the Holy Ghost to once again give preaching on this campus a try. We tried to reserve the area in advance but we were told with no explanation that from Monday-Friday from 12:00 PM-5:00 PM the week of April 20-24 the platform area was not available.
I believed this was a lie and the school was just trying to prevent us from preaching because they did not like the Biblical message and the students and administrators complain.
BRINGING IN REINFORCEMENTS
Brother Ross J. from North Carolina whom we met in September of 2007 while preaching at East Carolina University and was powerfully influenced by our preaching there and has now developed into a very effective campus preacher drove down to support the preaching and help in any way possible.
THE SET UP
We arrived early on campus and asked what was scheduled for the day. The person we asked was not the same one we had tried to reserve the area the previous week. They informed us the only activity scheduled was at 4:00 PM.
I now had an email from the person in charge telling me the area was not available and an audio recording of a person with a schedule for the day telling me nothing was going on there until 4:00 PM.
I then went into the office of the person in charge of making reservations to try to talk with them. I was told that he and his supervisor were in a meeting for the rest of the day. I told the secretary I had a record of being told the area was not available but someone else telling me the area was available until 4:00 PM. I informed her this was not going to be good for the school. She told me there was nothing she could do.
After I left the office I saw the woman rushing over towards the room where the meeting was taking place.
We filmed the platform area with nothing going on and then downloaded the audio recording we had from the staff members telling us the area was available.
CALLING THEIR HAND
I then mounted the platform and began preaching while using my audio recorder, Sister Elizabeth video recording, and Brother Ross as an eyewitness.
It was South Carolina humid, hot and in the 80’s and the platform area was all brick and concrete with little shade and no breeze. I began preaching just before noon. A police officer was in the area and soon I saw him sitting down next to Sister Elizabeth. They were conversing and laughing so I knew I was in the clear and would not be arrested.
I continued preaching and slowly began to gather a crowd. About 25-30 yards away from the platform are plenty of places to sit down and some shade but from there to the platform it is all concrete, no shade, and no place to sit. The crowd began to gather around the shady area where they could sit down. The crowd built up to around 60-75 by 12:35 PM and the feminine sounding man in charge approached me with a clipboard and a form to fill out.
GREAT EXAMPLE OF TOLERANCE
He introduced himself and told me he needed me to fill the form out. I asked him why he told me the area was not available when it was available. He was slithery as a snake and talked with a forked tongue and told me “You requested the area from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM each day and it was not available at those times.” He told me I could use the platform area until 2:00 PM because the activity at 4:00 PM required two hours of set up time.
Even though I did not like his dishonesty and double talk I was there to preach and glad to be able to so I filled out the form and requested Friday (4-24) and Monday (4-27) also.
I continued preaching on the platform as the sun beat down upon me and the crowd continued to grow. Near 1:00 PM the crowd was over 150 and the feminine man in charge returned with my permit. He told me everything was taken for Friday but I could have the platform from 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM on Monday.
EXCELLENT DAY OF PREACHING IN SAUNA LIKE HEAT
The crowd continued to grow to around 200-230 but remained 25-30 yards away where there was shade and they could sit down. I had to work very hard to project my voice the entire time of preaching due to the crowd size and the distance between them and me.
Since the crowd was able to sit down and keep a good distance from me they remained fairly civil. They asked questions in an orderly manner and listened well to the preaching. It seemed to be a very profitable afternoon of preaching.
Around 1:45 PM about 25-30 students moved up to the front of the platform and began asking questions. I had already drunk 1 gallon of water in less than two hours. I answered their questions until 2:00 PM and then left the platform to get out of the sauna like heat.
JESUS THE HEALER
I was having a conversation with several of the students who had been listening to the preaching. One student kept trying to blame God for giving his grandfather cancer. I told him God does not give people sickness and quoted him Acts 10:38 and explained Jesus went about doing good and healing those oppressed by the devil. I then mentioned that someone may get cancer from living in rebellion against God.
WOULD BE ASSAULTER
At this point the student reared back and was ready to punch me even though the police officer was standing right there. As the student was restrained, the officer ordered us to begin leaving the campus. Brother Ross, Sister Elizabeth and I began heading towards our vehicle.
FAVOR WITH POLICE
Soon the police officer caught up to us to escort us to our vehicle. He seemed to apologize for ordering us to leave like that but I told him I understood his position and he has to appear neutral. We had a good conversation and based on our conversation he seemed to be a Christian and to really like us. He walked us to our vehicle and we said goodbye.
We thank God for helping us to resume preaching on this campus without being arrested.
Friday April 24, 2009-University of South Carolina-Columbia, South Carolina: As Sister Elizabeth and I were driving to the university I noticed a bank sign that said the temperature was 86 degrees and there was not a cloud in the sky.
TAKING BACK THE SIDEWALK
As we arrived on campus there was nothing happening on the free speech platform. I told Sister Elizabeth to get a video recording of that but I wanted to preach on the sidewalk spot instead. I had a great crowd here two years ago, there was more shade for the preacher, more shade for the crowd and grass for them to sit down on, and they could sit down closer to where I was preaching thus not have to project my voice as much.
FAVOR WITH POLICE AGAIN
I began preaching around 12:30 PM and it took a little time but slowly a crowd began to gather. They mostly just listened at first and did not ask any questions. While I only had a few listeners three police officers showed up. The crowd continued to grow to around 80-110. As the crowd continued to grow they became very rowdy at times but other times would listen well. The police officers did not interfere but they did make sure the crowd kept some distance from me.
The crowd was much more diverse than the Clemson crowd as there was a mixture of atheists, general heathens, homosexuals, professing Christians who sin all the time, and revelers.
Although I had a little shade from the trees behind me the sun still beat down on me and the concrete from the sidewalk made it even hotter. No breeze today either. I continued preaching until around 2:45 PM. By this time the crowd was very rowdy and moving in closer and closer. I stopped when the size was about 50-60. I tried to have some conversation with several of the students but as I patiently reasoned with them from the scriptures most of them dispersed as they had no interest in seeking the truth but to justify their rebellion against God.
MEN CAN HAVE BABIES!
Soon I was just talking to a handful of students but I decided to call it a day when one homosexual tried to tell me men could have babies. The other few students sided with the homosexual so I decided not to waste any time on such foolishness (Romans 1:28).
Sister Elizabeth and I left the campus around 3:10 PM.
JAILHOUSE HECKLER
Sunday April 26, 2009: We attended local church services where we were staying. I had the privilege of attending a jail service with the church and preached to the inmates for 30-40 minutes on “No Excuses for Sinning” from Job 21:34. I had one inmate who tried to heckle me some as I began preaching but he settled down and sobered up as the straight preaching of the Word of God went forth and he realized he could not rattle my cage.
In the evening service where we attended the pastor asked my wife and I to give our testimonies and talk about our preaching ministry on campus.
My dear wife also had the opportunity to teach the women’s Sunday school class and preach to the female inmates. It is an honor for her to serve the Lord.
Monday April 27, 2009-University of South Carolina-Columbia, South Carolina: It was another hot, humid, sunny day with the weather in the mid 80’s but thankfully there was some breeze. I had a permit for the platform area from 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM.
LOVE OFFERINGS
I began preaching on the platform around 12:15 PM. There were already some students waiting for me as I began preaching and a crowd began to form immediately. Shortly after I began preaching several objects were thrown at me. A cup with orange drink soiled my pants. This was more like the University of South Carolina I remembered from two years ago!
LARGE CROWD GATHERS QUICKLY
Within 30 minutes the crowd was in the 300-325 range and somewhat rowdy. Like Thursday the crowd stayed about 25-30 yards from where the platform was so they could stand or sit in the shade.
MEAL OFFERINGS
Around 1:15-1:30 PM, 75-100 students from the crowd of 300-325 came forward and closed in around the platform. I had a plate of food thrown at me and was hit in the head with my own empty water bottle while the police stood around and watched.
At this point I asked Sister Elizabeth to take out the video camera and begin filming. When the police heard this they came alive and began to do their job by keeping the crowd back and making sure I was not assaulted.
CAGE PREACHER
Later barricades were brought out and set up around the platform to keep the students away from me and off the platform.
It was a real day of slug out hand to hand combat type preaching with all kinds of hecklers, hypocrites, and perverts trying to preach over me, ask questions at the same time and not allow me to answer them, make threats, accusations, etc.
Around 2:40 PM I tried to sit down and have some civil discussion with the crowd and this worked for a short time but soon they became rowdy and unreasonable once again.
I had one young man who seemed to be listening intently for some time and then began asking questions. After I answered each question of his thoroughly from the Bible he kept accusing me of “preaching for my own ‘glorification?’”
After I answered every objection he had he began to repeat over and over again as loudly as he could “Jesus died on the cross for our sins!” Yes and no one had a problem with that idea as even the devil believes that.
A REASONABLE CALVINIST
I stopped preaching around 3:30 PM with a crowd of 40-50 around the platform. On the walk back to the car I had a very good conversation with a young man who is a staunch 5 point Calvinist but who seemed very reasonable and willing to discuss the scriptures. I commended him as he was on campus witnessing and handing out tracts. He told me he desired to begin open air preaching and agreed with most of what I preached.