Kimmswick is a VERY small town who’s only money comes from tourism, profiting from the history of the town Kimmswick’s streets are lined with small shops perfect for a Sunday getaway. Oddly the town has the appeal to draw more than 150,000 people every spring and fall during their annual festivals. We had participated in the fall festival this year, and while the first day was amazing, the second day they shut the preaching of the word down, and told us we were breaking the rules if we left our 10×10 space. With only a few hours left we stayed until the rain started, and headed home. That weekend we passed out literally thousands of tracts, and had hundreds of conversations. One of the chief complaints the city hall had when we spoke to them was the crosses. One man carried his around town, and I held mine near a busy street, they weren’t happy. 

 Tomorrow I am going to take it and stand along the parade route, in hopes of starting conversations about Christ. I am nervous, and a little hesitant. But it must be done. Lately I’ve been really convicted about all the pictures people take, and posting them, it could easily be seen as pride… a “look what I did” type thing. So if we take any pics, I’ll post them, but don’t expect a lot. I would actually like to get pics of my wife evangelizing, she is more than happy to take pics of me, but no one can ever return the favor. She does more than I do typically, especially in planning, photos, the “behind the scenes” stuff. She’s a blessing. 

old and new cross.

 I really would appreciate your prayers; Lord willing we should be heading out around 9:00 or 9:30 am. If anyone is in the St. Louis area and would like to join me please let me know. I honestly don’t expect a big crowd, but… ya never know. 

*and sorry if I stole the name of this article from someone… it is familiar, but seemed to fit.

Imagine you’re sitting at home, eating dinner. Now you’ve had a headache all day, but it didn’t really concern you. Without warning a vessel breaks in your brain causing a massive stroke.. You’re unable to communicate and wouldn’t know what to say if you could. As life goes on around you your family notices something is wrong and takes action. In your mind your screaming out how much you care because you know you’re dying, as all goes black, you see your spouse embrace you, look into your eyes, and whisper “I love you”

without hesitation, nor a moment passing in time your suddenly in front of God Almighty, tears flood from your eyes as you realize you’ll never see your family again… though you can’t help but think that crazy Christian at the mall was right, there is a God. A great booming voice greets you by name.. but your awestruck, you see angels singing to Him, worshiping to Him, in unapproachable light…around you is a room, seemingly walled by clouds leaving a fuzzy visibility into the adjoining rooms, occasionally a form appears, followed by a tremendous light… occasionally the forms slip into blackness. It’s then that you realize they’re all having the same conversation.. again God the Father booms “HELLO” directly to you, greeting you personally by name. Then a faint whisper says “Let it begin” suddenly a mighty book is opened and God searches intently for your name… a thick deep sadness fills the room, so as to cause you to weep uncontrollably then out of no where a question explodes from God “WHY!?” you’re shocked, stunned you dont answer, you’ve no clue what to say or how to answer and again the voice thunders “WHY SHOULD I LET YOU INTO MY REST!!!???” you hear the same voice in the other room, ask the same question, and the Light appears, and you hear rejoicing… but no light comes to you. 10,000 questions fill your head and God knows and hears everyone… “where am I?” you scream in your mind “THE JUDGEMENT SEAT OF GOD” He replies sternly. Another question forms instantly “why am I here?” “BECAUSE YOU DIED, MY APOSTLE TOLD YOU IT IS APPOINTED UNTO MAN ONCE TO DIE, AND THEN THE JUDGEMENT” thoughts of your family and friends tear through your mind, you’re filled with fear, worry, and wonder. A bright light appears in the room next to yours, then rejoicing is heard. Your thoughts betray you “what is that?!” God answers “NOT WHAT, BUT WHO.. THAT IS MY SON, THE DEFENDER OF THOSE HE KNOWS, HE TOLD YOU THAT HE DID NOT COME TO JUDGE THE WORLD BUT SAVE IT” “who is your son?” your think… silence.. in all around not a sound is made… you feel as if all eyes are on you, the only sound is a sobbing, a sorrow fills the air greater than before… and then “I TOLD YOU ABOUT HIM ON JUNE 1ST 1972, ON APRIL 30TH 1973, ON …..” As God names dates images flash across the walls in your room of people telling you about Christ, you remember each event, and how you felt.. how you hated to hear it. Excuses flood your mind…”there was no proof of you” your thoughts rebut God’s anger flares “PROOF!!!???? ” “WHAT PROOF DO YOU NEED? THAT YOU WERE ALIVE? DID YOU SEE THE SUNSET, THE MOON AND STARS THE SUN?! DID YOU SEE THEM WITH THE EYES I MADE FOR YOU? DID YOU BREATHE WITH THE LUNGS I FORMED FOR YOU?!” you speak your first audible words…”b..bu…but evolution…” and before you can finish a sickening, wheezing, laugh permeates the room a putrid whisper fills your ear.. “another one” You see a sickly shadow, always just out of the light as if hidden by a great cloud.. always nearing the light, but never entering it. The sickly form slinks towards you.. vomiting your offenses to the Lord… “He’s a liar Lord, look at his life” the spectre hisses.. as he speaks images again fill the walls of every time you’ve lied… from leaving work without permission, to flattery, to a lie for personal gain… the monsters evil laugh rings loud as you bark out excuses for each situation…

without hesitation the beast continues “Your Son stated that whoever lusts has committed adultery in his heart, look at this ones past” again images flash across the room’s walls, private scenes of glances, lust, pornography are displayed for everyone to see.. Your excuses are deafening!! without second thought the devil hurls offenses against God and backs them up with scenes from your life. “He’s a murderer Lord!!” the king of demons wheezes… “you’re wrong you stated boldly and defiantly” his glare puts you in your place.. then scenes of times when you hated fill the room.. and the creature whispers…”Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”

You say “how could I have known through all the religions what was right?” the devil wheezes laughter and hell shouts victory “another one!!” he belches in delight, you stare at him bewildered, he states “My apostles are at work day and night, Throwing confusion in with the truth, Joseph Smith, Mary Baker Eddy, Charles Taze Russell, Brigham Young, L.Ron Hubbard, and Charles Darwin!! Masters of my twisted truth – With new apostles on the rise soon Christianity will be outlawed by my apostles, just like prayer was taken out of schools.. and the gates of hell will flood because of my disciples of death ” the cackling is deafening…

Tears fall from your eyes as you realize you’ve lost the case… with great heaving sobs… you cry out “BUT LORD!!! HAVE MERCY, LOOK AT THE TIMES I HAVE DONE GOOD!!!” the devil whispers, almost giggling.. “no one is good, no not one – you’ve sinned against the Lord, His word shows your condemnation “..The wages of sin is death” there is no escape for you” ………..Then you remember, it all comes back like a flood… “JESUS!!! I NEED YOU JESUS!!!” the creature hurls backward as light illuminates the room, you squint your eyes to see the form of a man, the creature is in the corner cowering in fear, hissing like a caged beast at the Son of God! “Yes, you called on me?” you beg “Jesus, sweet savior, I am wrongly accused here, the devil has brought accusations against me, and I need you” and Jesus looks at you, with more love and compassion then ever and says “I tried to call you.. I had such plans for you, I watched you from afar, loved you from afar, I ensured you had the best job, friends and family, I showered you with the gift of life, and blessed you with times of happiness, and caused you to grow through times of pain, and turmoil, I have watched you grow into a strong man” then the Lord’s eye change, his temperament changes, and the beast is back at your side, his cold dead hands firmly around your arm… as he drags you away to eternal suffering you hear Jesus say “You denied me on earth, you believed I never existed though all the proof was there it wasn’t what you wanted, you wanted more, you wanted proof.. I tried to give you that proof with a personal relationship with me, I sent my servants to you several times, to beg you to come to know me… I smiled when I created you, I cried when you cried, I laughed when you laughed, but, in all that you used my name in vain, and I never hated you, you cursed me when things went wrong, and I never hated you, you through your actions drove the nails through my hands and heart hundreds of times, and I never hated you, as much as I love you….. I never knew you”

You see tears fall from His eyes as you sink into inky blackness.. just before your skin erupts into flames.. you realize that this morning was like any other day….. and now your spouse is a widow (or widower), your kids are without one parent, you’ve left problems behind on earth, you’re eternally in hell… and worse of all.. you’ve taught your kids and wife that there is no God.. You cry out knowing that they could follow you into hell..

Are you ready to die? Jesus is the only way to eternal life.. this story can be replayed hundreds of times with Buddha as the religion, Christian Science, or Mormonism as the religion.. but only the Jesus of the Bible can save you… It’s more than saying a prayer, it’s calling on His name, it’s building a relationship with Him, and learning His word.. Loving Him, giving it to Him, realizing that He alone can save you. Repent of your sins, confess them to God, and ask Jesus to forgive you, read the Bible, find a GOOD Bible believing church.. and have the Pastor pray with you, and for you..

Please please please don’t let this be you, Jesus isn’t a crutch, it takes more strength to stand for Jesus these days than it does to deny him…