My Honors Class, Bro. Journal, Weeks 17, Spring 2013

**Reach the college students: reach the world! Bro Cope is seated on the free speech stage waiting for Bro. Jed to get the permit.**

THE INTERLOPER

April 30, 2013, Missouri  State,

     I  hoisted my banner which lists sins that bring damnation.  It did not take long to gather a crowd  of over 100.  I preached for an hour  covering some of the sins listed on the sign especially the ones dealing with  lasciviousness.   The pastor's  daughter from yesterday could not get beyond defending the lusts of the flesh  today.  After an hour I called upon  Bro.  Sister Suzanne asked if she  could say something first.  I gladly  turned the audience over to her.

A fundamentalist who had issues with our message and approach interrupted and tried to take the platform that we had reserved.  The man was yelling loudly until a policeman forced the guy to stay off stage so Bro could preach. The interloper continued his tirade on the grass below.

     During Bro's stint the one I called the Interloper from last August's  visit to campus interrupted Bro and began preaching to the crowd.  He is a hard core fundamentalist who  despises our holiness doctrine.  He  jumped up on the stage which we have reserved.  Bro said, "Get off my stage."  Bro's command prompted several students  to jump on the platform; however, campus security ordered them off.  Several other times the Interloper  jumped up on the stage.  Finally, an  angry policeman got into his face and let him know in no uncertain terms that he  better stay off.  This Interloper  went one and on prancing below the stage from one end to the other.  He never interacted with the crowd.  His presentation was overly dramatic and  ineffective except for being a distraction. 
      Albert (Suzanne's husband) confronted the Interloper, "You are preaching  the same Christ that Bro and Brother Jed are preaching.  Why don't you play by the rules, sign in  and get you own location on campus?"   The fundamentalist probably realized he could not get the attention of an  audience on his own.              

Sister Suzanne and her husband Albert, joined in the minstry at MSU. Here Sis. Suzanne is addressing the students.

     Meanwhile, I stationed myself at one end of the stage and talked with  several students on a personal level.  I spent a lot of time with a liberal political science major dealing with  God and Government issues.
     Bro  did a yeoman's job carrying on despite the Interloper.  Eventually, Bro regained the attention  of most of the students and the Interloper continued but he was slowly running  out of gas.  I took over shortly  after the Interloper stopped.  I had  a very good session with an          

It was a warm day so some of the MSU students listened from the shade of the bushes.

audience of 25-30 for over an hour.  I spent much time teaching how a free  market does not discriminate against male or female, black or white.  It treats everyone according to their  abilities to produce goods and services at a price people are willing to  pay.  I spoke of the great  opportunities the free market provided for everyone.  That is everyone willing to work.  I actually had several students with me  on this issue and a few made effective defenses of free markets. I returned to the subject of Jesus and  his sacrifice periodically throughout the final  hour.

Bro. Albert rebukes the interloper and suggests he get his own permit instead of just causing disruption and confusion. 

    During  the time the Interloper was interfering, a number of students wanted their  picture taken with me.  At the  beginning of the day, Prof Michael B. meant us in the parking lot and presented  me with a card and a generous offering.  The card read, "We [he and his wife who is also a professor] pray for you  every week. . .  We cannot imagine  our colleges and universities without a campus ministries  USA."                                                                Oh, if I  had just one professor on each campus that would pray and give the support  Michael does, I would have it made.  Pray with me that God will do this very thing.  Actually, there should be several profs  on these large universities who would give this kind of prayer and financial  support.  They do not have the  freedom to speak so boldly in the classroom.  So they should be supporting those that  do.  Michael goes to yard sales and  buys used Bibles.  He had a boxful  for me to pass out today.  They  started going like hot cakes at the end of the day when I offered to sign and  inscribe each Bible.  To most of the  students these Bibles will become a keepsake of their college days and 20 years  down the line they may even read it.  Who knows?

Sis. Pat shared truth to small groups throughout the afternoon. Pray for a homosexual that she ministered to several days.

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