go tell 'em!
Another Fall, Another College Campus Preaching Tour
Greetings, precious brethren, in the eternally glorious name of the Lord Jesus Christ. All the great kings, princes, billionaires, prime ministers, and presidents of man will bow before His feet! There is a dear family from Kodiak, Alaska that regularly supports this ministry. Each time we receive a support check from them, I find these words inscribed in the memo space: "Go Tell 'Em!" That convicting exhortation came to my mind this morning as I pondered our upcoming college campus preaching tour. The strategy is simple, the game plan is sound: Go Tell 'Em!
Thus, we covet your prayers. Early Monday morning, Ricky Springer, Pastor James Roy from Bangladesh, and I will begin a long journey that, Lord willing, will comb 8,000 highway miles and 25 university campuses over the next month for the Word of God and the Testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. The map posted above is our proposed route. We are packing a tent, a couple of cooking stoves, and some sleeping bags. Our biggest expense will be fuel, NOT hotels. If you live on the route, we may stop by to request a shower, a place to crash for the night, and some Christian fellowship. Please pray for my precious wife who remains behind, busy with the amazing ministry of homeschooling our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. The new school-year has gotten off to a great start. Even at this moment, I can hear my five-year-old daughter reading aloud in the adjacent schoolroom.
James Roy & Bethany Boyd at Congressman McHenry's Office
It will be a great privilege to partner with some solid brethren along our route and in the work of needful public proclamation. Brother James, who just arrived in a North Carolina a few days ago, will also have the unique opportunity of being a true missionary to my country while giving testimony to the American Church of what it is to live boldly for Christ in a poor corner of the world where Christian persecution is REAL. How awesome it is to have James in my country, preaching to my countrymen on my streets and in my public forums. I can barely contain myself. It has been a long process seeing this trip for him come to fruition. Yesterday at his request, I drove him up to Congressman Patrick McHenry's office in Hickory. He wanted to thank the Congressman and his staff for the role they played in helping him to secure a visa from the American Embassy in Dhaka. There yet remain a handful of politicians who do strive to aid and represent their constituents. Mr. McHenry, US Congress NC 10th District, is one of them. I asked him for help; he gave it. Praise God for His hand in all of this. Now, with James finally here, it's time to Go Tell 'Em!
Witnessing with a "Dangerous Weapon" at a Morganton Festival
Since my last post, more than a month ago and immediately following our return from a summer of labor in South America, Full Proof Gospel Ministries has had opportunity to target some local festivals and a few college campuses with the glorious Gospel of the Blessed Saviour. Things got stirred up in Morganton, NC at the Historic Morganton Festival when police forced us to remove our "Are You Ready?" cross, deeming it a dangerous weapon. Some egregiously unconstitutional "free speech rules" drawn up by the festival organizers were used to try and shut us down completely, but by God's grace, we stood firm on our commission from the Lord and legal protections we yet retain under our government. We put the cross away upon threat of arrest buut continued to preach and distribute Gospel tracts from a public street corner. Many heard the Word, and God snatched the victory. Shame on the Morganton Police Department for singling out the Cross. Ironically, the quaint town of Morganton was settled many years ago by Waldensian peoples who came seeking religious freedom. The Waldensians boast a long history of being persecuted for simple New Testament faith in Jesus Christ, oftentimes at the bloody hand of the Roman Catholic Church. The Christian News Network did a story on our episode. You might find it interesting, along with the accompanying YouTube video:
NC Police Claim Christian Carrying Cross Violates ‘Dangerous Weapons’ Law
It's where we are heading, folks. America is broken. More than ever, we must Go Tell 'Em!
Aside from Morganton, FPGM has recently embraced opportunity to declare Christ Jesus and His salvation at the debauched Belle Cher Festival in Asheville; the Clemson/Georgia Football game, a top-10 matchup; Appalachian State University; and North Carolina A&T in Greensboro. In a way, this has been a warm-up for what is to come over the next few weeks. We need strength from above and for the saints to hold the ropes taut in intercessory prayer.
Our Preaching Team at NC A&T
Earlier this week, we organized a team with Brother James and visited NC A&T, a historically black college in Greensboro, North Carolina. Initially, security personnel approached and hassled us about whether or not we had permission to be there. Ironically, when it was discovered that we weren't selling anything and that we had come to freely preach the Word, we were given the green light and expressions of gratitude for coming with such a purpose. We went on to have a great day as many stopped to listen and at least a thousand Gospel tracts were distributed. I was amazed by the level of respect shown toward the preachers, particularly toward Brother James. One specific encounter is worthy of note: A student named James approached around the time Bangladeshi James was preaching. He informed us that his mother went to have him aborted at local abortuary back in 1995. Some Christians were preaching outside and approached his mother. She decided her to keep her baby. This lady later came to the Lord and the little baby is now a believer and a freshman at A&T. James was so excited that we were on his campus preaching the Gospel. Some of our team later connected him with a local brother in Christ who goes to the baby-killing place in Greensboro to witness every week. James is new in town and expressed a desire for solid fellowship and opportunities to share Christ. For those know-it-all armchair QB Christians who deem open-air preaching and abortion-mill ministry ineffective: Give glory to God and place your hand over your mouth! Please pray for NC A&T James.
Personally speaking, I love preaching at historically black educational institutions. As at A&T, there is typically an air of respect for the preacher and much more openness to the Gospel. Also, it's an opportunity love and interact with a different culture while symbolically thumbing my nose at prejudiced rednecks who call themselves "Christians" yet disdain a man for the color of his skin (commonplace in my neck of the woods). Shame on segregated believers and segregated churches! The Gospel is amazingly demonstrated via the racial and ethnic diversity of a local church body. All manmade religion is racist by default; the Gospel, however, transcends race and serves to reunite in Jesus Christ what was divided at the Tower of Babel. At A&T, Bangladeshi James preached for the first time in American open air. It was great, convicting, and bore a powerful testimony to the simplicity of the Gospel. I am excited about seeing more of this in the coming weeks. How precious it is to unite with others to Go Tell 'Em!
Last night, James gave a powerful testimony about serving Christ in the midst of real persecution at Word of Grace Fellowship in Matthews, NC. He will be preaching in local churches twice more this week and a few more times as we travel the country. Please pray that American Christians are shaken out of slumber unto the filling of the Spirit described in Acts 4:31:
And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together: and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
Ricky shares Messiah in a Sukkot at App. State
On another note, I rejoice to announce that following last weekend's Full Proof Gospel Ministries Board of Director's meeting, we unanimously agreed to make Jewish evangelism a priority for FPGM alongside public proclamation, mass distribution, and discipleship training (Praise God for FPGM's Trustees, men of God who hold me accountable in this ministry and provide sound direction). Ricky Springer, one of our missionaries, will now take the lead in this arm of our work. His primary roll, going forward, will be sharing Christ with the lost sheep of the house of Israel. By years end, we would like to send him to South Africa for such a work, a place we have labored before and one that boasts a Jewish population exceeding 75,000. For this to happen, there are many needs that the all-wise God must meet. But, He never guides where He does not provide. Pray for Brother Ricky as he puts together a specific plan of action for South Africa in the coming months. As for his new role, he has hit the ground running. Yesterday was the last day of the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles (i.e. Sukkot), so Ricky bolted up to Appalachian State University where some Jewish students had erected a sukkot tent on the green where we normally preach. Ricky spent the afternoon sharing inside the sukkot concerning the Messiah of Israel. It seemed there were open ears, and some tracts went out. Friends, Jewish evangelism is very difficult, and often, few results are observed. But alas, ministry is to be fueled by obedience and not results. Moreover, the promises of Genesis 12:2-3 and Romans 11 are steadfast and sure. Pray for Full Proof Gospel Ministries as we seek the Lord in this new area of labor.
Well, it's time to wrap things up. I have a lot of packing and vehicle preparation to do before I hit the road with Ricky and James early Monday morning. Please pray for God's provision along this journey. I anticipate spending more than $1500 in fuel costs alone. If you have not yet done so and you sense that Full Proof is a ministry you can support financially for the cause of Christ, we have definite needs and could surely use your help. Not all Christians can go to the highways and byways . . . for those who can't go, they should be fellowhelpers to the Truth and GIVE so that others can. For more information concerning how you can help financially with this upcoming missionary journey and/or the other arms of our ministry as entrusted to us from the Lord, CLICK HERE. You can give directly to the work online. It's easy.
As for your prayers, we covet them. Here is a look at next week's proposed itinerary so you can know how to pray:
Monday (9/30): All-day drive from Vale, NC to Lake Orion, MI
Tuesday (10/1): Drive from Lake Orion, MI to Grand Marais on Michigan's Upper Peninsula
Wednesday: Preaching at Northern Michigan University in Marquette
Thursday: Preaching at Michigan Tech in Houghton
Friday: Preaching at the University of Minnesota in Duluth and the University of Wisconsin in Superior
Stay tuned for praises and prayer requests from the road. And, as for you: Go Tell 'Em!
For the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus,
Jesse Boyd and the Full Proof Gospel Ministries Team