The events noted in parts one and two ... And now part three are reflections of activities that took place in the fall of 1967. I was a freshman in High School. That's the 9th grade folks. A very long time ago. The Lord is bringing back to my mind these events now, some 55 years later. Some of these things I have not thought about for years and years and more years (even decades).
Just as soon as the Holy Spirit was working in my heart to grow in my new faith, I sensed His moving in my heart to be an "active" follower of Jesus. I sensed it was my duty to live for Him. It was my duty to proclaim His Good News to others. It was my duty to be active for Him.
I was becoming a deeply devoted Christian. It was more and more of a Holy Spirit burning in my heart to do things His way. No longer was my life my own but His. My disciplers, my daily teacher of the Scriptures on the radio program, my studies in Sunday Bible classes, youth group and worship services all pointed to a deeper walk with Christ. My knowledge and understanding of the Christian life was increasing. I started writing devotional ideas down and forming mini-sermons in my heart. It was not long that the gentle loving voice of God's Spirit began to speak to my heart. With all the teaching I was getting from Ray, Mrs. O, Songtime Radio, Sunday sermons and youth group studies; none matched the clear prompting of the Spirit. By the way, I do not fault any of these dear ones entrusted by God to instill Spiritual truths in my heart (which remain today), but I do excitedly believe that the promptings of the Holy Spirit was entrusted to me for a reason. You see, I firmly believe if what I sensed from the Spirit were pressed on me by my mentors it may not have had the same affect.
When the stirrings of the Holy Spirit came to me just a few months after my finding new life in Jesus Christ, it made me bold and fearless for Him. So what were these promptings from the third person of the Trinity? Simply this, "you need to tell others about me and what I can do for them."
I will come back to that event in just a moment, but I must tell you something that will make much more sense in this story. Unless you think I was living like a monk in a monastery, always studying the Bible and nothing else except a few meals when I wasn't fasting ... that is not at all what my life was. I was still a HS student. I played in the HS band. I was involved in a few clubs after class. I was in a rock band (my second... The first played at a dance which revealed how not-ready-to-be-playing-live we were). And this new band was following the trends of the times of psychedelic youth. Also, I had a little job to give me pocket money. I delivered the local town newspaper to homes in a nearby community. The drummer of our band lived in that community where I had my paper route. We often practiced our music as a band in his basement. The drummer's girl friend often hung with us during practice. I sort of had eyes for the drummer's sister but she was a few grades ahead of me. I told you all that because I must tie together all that happened then.
When the Spirit prompted me to proclaim Jesus to others, for me it wasn't a choice of Yes I will or no I won't, it just happened. Apparently I must have been very verbal proclaiming Christ to classmates, band members, neighbor families, etc. As I said, this was now my life and living for Jesus and talking about Him just happened. Then one day the price was about to be paid. Being an outspoken Christ-Follower wasn't being well received by some, and I was about to find that out. While joyfully delivering my papers and probably humming choruses about Jesus, thugs emerged from around the neighborhood of the drummer's house and I was physically attacked. The thugs grabbed my paper bag and began assaulting me with it. The yelled, "we've had enough with your Jesus! Now shut up!" This shocked me. Did God abandon me? Was I wrong in being vocal about my life with Jesus? Then they stopped striking me and walked away leaving my paper bag on the ground with some of the papers laying around. Phew! I was devastated. And as I got up I saw the thugs clearly. I was shocked to learn it was my band members. They were my classmates. They were my friends. But I could see that my preaching at them was an offense.
This was hard to take. The God who loved me enough to die for me, was now far away from me, it seemed. He didn't protect me, He didn't keep this situation from happening and He didn't really comfort me especially when I saw who came after me physically. This was a hard pill to swallow. I was at a crossroad with God. I had some deep thinking to do. I had decisions to make. Even though I felt rejected by the Lord, I still sensed His love. I remember the attack very vividly and the decisions that came from it but what is very unclear, even unknown, did I share this with my mentors or parents?
To this day, I cannot say I really know the answer. I do, however, recall what I said to God either directly or indirectly. That will be the next offering in the Third Part of Listen to this! See you then.
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