Believe in Greatness

October 10, 2011, Kansas State University

     Bro Cope, Sister Pat and I planned to preach at Kansas University today.  However, upon arrival we discovered that they were on fall break until Wednesday.  I decided to drive 90 minutes to Manhattan to preach at KSU.  I started preaching at 1:50 with just a few students passing by.  Soon I was approached by a Christian girl who was doing a survey with questions concerning God and the purpose of life.  I agreed to do the survey if I could do it verbally.  Others in her group, who were wearing t-shirts, which said, "Believe in Greatness," crowded around to listen to my answers.  I responded in my preaching voice.  And I made additional spiritual points related to the question.  It wasn't long before she got away from her prepared questions and started quizzing me concerning my preaching.  One fellow in the group acknowledged that I had prayed for him and his friend last year at KU concerning having a bolder witness.  He was positive concerning my ministry.  A girl in the group explained to her friends how my ministry could complement their evangelistic outreach.  They were a relatively mature group of Christians for their age. 

     I preached on their theme, the greatness of God and men doing great things for God.  Many students have a perverted notion of greatness.  They want to be great boozers and experience great sexual exploits.  I asked, "How can you believe in greatness when you merely consider yourselves descendents of apes.  However, if you think of yourself as the offspring of God you have the mindset to do grand things." 

     Students do not appreciate what one man can do to make a great difference.  They are brainwashed with socialism which teaches that the individual exists for the state, instead of the American way, where the state exists to protect the individual in his pursuit of happiness (greatness).  I say, big government makes for little men, little government results in big men.

     I taught, "We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us."  Regrettably, the Christians have been taught that they cannot overcome sin and evil in this life.  Moral strength empowers men.  Sin makes men weak and cowardly and dependent on the state.  Men depending on God can do great and mighty things.  Men depending on the state to be their provider will never be achievers.  

     At the 2:20 class break I gathered a crowd of fifty.  About 2:45 I turned the meeting over to Bro, who made holiness the issue which was a stumbling block to many there who named the name of Christ. 

    Stanley Hoerman and his wife Rosemary met us on campus along with Bonnie B.  Stanley and I go back over thirty years.  He invited me to speak for the Full Gospel Business Men in Manhattan twice back in the 80's.  He is a bold witness for the Lord who knows about healing the sick and casting out devils.  Bonnie is also big into the deliverance ministry.  Stanley spoke twice to the students.  He is a retired carpenter.  Mrs. Hoerman was a school teacher who spent many years in a convent until she was overwhelmed with the charm of Stanley.

Bro. Stanley, a local Christian and long time friend addresses the crowd at KSU. (striped shirt)

     There were a lot of productive conversations on the sidelines.  We preached until almost 5:30.  Sister Pat stayed in Manhattan with Bonnie.  Bro and I made the 50 minute drive to Topeka where one of the founders of the Pentecostal movement, Charles Parham, experienced the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues as his Bible College in 1900. 

     Our host Atty. Jeff C. lives in a grand Victorian home built in 1892.  He heard me as an undergraduate in the early 80's at KU.  He said he always enjoyed listening to me for the entertainment factor.  He was an atheist at the time but never mocked.  After college he got converted through the testimony of a lawyer friend.  Jeff contacted me months ago about preaching at Washburn University in Topeka and invited me to stay in his home.  He has been following me over the years on the internet.  However, he had not seen me since his college days. 

Rosemary and Sis. Pat at the end of a day of ministry.

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LAST DAYS SCOFFERS

October 13, 2011, Kansas State University

     Bro said as we were leaving campus, "This was the best day I have had on this tour ministering on the sidelines.  Group after group of mostly Christians came up to me for an explanation of our ministry.  I could see their countenance brightening as I explained what we were doing.  It was very satisfying to me." 

     I can confirm Bro's report because I heard a few students repeat some typical Bro quotes (without mentioning the source) to their questioning classmates and also students repeated some of them to me.

      Sister Pat also related a long conversation she had with a polite homosexual and an intelligent Christian girl.  Pat also reported that early in the day she stopped at a table which was promoting gay literature.  They had recently had coming out day on campus.  Sister Pat said to the person behind the table, "This is demonic.  What would you do if someone wanted out of homosexuality?"

      He answered, "It is their choice whether they want to be homosexual or not."

      Sister Pat replied, "Thank you!  That is what you need to understand."  And she walked away.

      "But, but, wait a minute," he appealed as Sister Pat continued walking. 

      This was one of those days in which the most effective ministry seemed to be taking place on the sidelines.   The crowd was rowdy and boisterous after the first 30 minutes.  And it was difficult to sustain reasonable discussion for long. There was the usual group with their handmade signs which have a tendency to bring out the worst in the rest of the students, which results in a mob mentality.

Crowd gathers and remains calm for about 30 minutes...then turns into a mob.

      It is noteworthy that Stanley Hoerman shared the following verse on the phone with me on the way to Manhattan, "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts."-2 Peter 3:3.      

     The scoffers, especially the ones with signs, are getting bolder all the time. The fallen women are getting more brazen with the passage of the years.  There was a pretty girl who could quote Bible passages who must have once been an active church girl who was extremely vile in her sexual comments without indicating any shame.  I often wonder how much longer the Lord will put up with their blasphemously blatant ways.  They are so depraved that today they were accusing us of being blasphemous since we were claiming to be living victorious lives over sin.

     The Dean of Students welcomed me to campus just after I started preaching.  Back in the 80's one Friday afternoon I was preaching at KSU when a policeman stopped me.  I decided I needed to get my rights straightened out with the administration since I was planning on returning on Monday.  I walked in the Dean of Students Office and the introduced myself to the secretary.  The Dean evidently overheard me and rushed out of his office and said, "Brother Jed, welcome to Kansas State.  I used to hear you as an undergraduate at Kansas University and a graduate student at the University of Nebraska and now you have visited the campus where I am now Dean of Students.  Brother Jed, what can I do for you?"

     I informed him how a policeman had stopped me from preaching.  He replied, "He should not have done that; we have free speech here.  Let me call the Chief of Police.  We will get this straightened out.  Better yet, let's go over to his office; I want to introduce you to the Chief."

      I was good to see the Dean again since I have not visited with him for several years.

      Later today, the Assistant Dean of Student Life introduced himself and welcomed me to campus.  He said, "Dialogue and discussion like this is good for our campus.  It is what the University is all about.  If you have any problems or if we can help you please let me know."  He gave me his card.

      The crowd was consistently well over a hundred all afternoon.  We left campus shortly after 5 PM with a small group of Christians questioning Bro and our approach as we walked back to the parking garage.

Bro. Jed taming the scoffers at KSU.

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