God Bless the Man

For two and a half years my son-in-law (EZ) and I preached open air almost every day outside the local courts. It was a wonderful opportunity to respectfully reach out to the lost. The area in which we spoke was public domain, and so free speech was our First Amendment right (that’s what America is all about--the land of liberty, home of the brave). However, one local judge didn't like what we were doing, and so he changed the law and made the area court property, and so we couldn’t even step foot on the property. Our proficient lawyers couldn’t fight that, so we thanked God for the times we had had there, and began open air preaching at Huntington Beach each Saturday instead. Yet, when I pass there each day, I can’t help but grieve when I see lines of people waiting to enter the courts. But God is always in control. When Paul was imprisoned, he told the Philippians that what seemed negative was actually working our for the furtherance of the gospel. Christians were hearing about his arrest, and so they were stirred to open air preach and to witness, all over the place: “But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear” (Philippians 1:12-14). That’s exactly what has happened in our case. Since the judge put our fire out, other fires have sprung up all over the country. Many people that are lined up outside of courthouses and DMV’s are now having the gospel of everlasting life preached to them, all because of this one anti-Christian judge. God bless him.