Back to Preaching

It's not like I really stopped preaching, because I have been talking rather loudly to many of the people, but I have not stood at the front of the train and raised my voice in a long time. But today was the day!

When I got on the train to leave work this evening, I approached four Cubs' fans who were standing on the platform and I asked them if they thought the Cubs would win tonight. They hoped so. I asked them if the Cubs were doing well this early in the season. One of the girls laughed and said, "Are we ever?" I asked why they still rooted for the Cubs. They gave various answers. The one I liked was the boy who said, "This way when they get really good, like they did a few years back [when they were only outs from the World Series], we can say that we were there all along."

Then I asked them about the Good Person Test. I waited till we boarded the train, because it was coming at that moment, to give it to them. It turns out they were going to Union Station, so I had longer to talk to them than I thought. Which was good, because we got to talk about the necessity of reading Scripture, the necessity of repentance, etc. They really didn't agree with me, but I knew that I had planted a seed.

Then I talked to a lady who was just getting off work. She seemed to be a post-modern. I never did get to the Gospel with the lady, because she never did see her dilemma. But I didn't stop talking. The Lord moved me to go the front of the car, where I found out that Ben Carson has written two more autobiographical books. I'm going to check them out when I get a chance. (Gifted Hands is his first one, and I loved it.)

Then the guy who was reading that book (the third book) got off the train before I could give the Good Person Test, but, no matter, I gave it to the rest of the people. The two young ladies closest to me wanted to argue about the contents of the Bible and whether or not insulting someone is as bad as murder (read Matthew 5:21-22) and whether Jesus really died for our sins or that was someone else. But once they got off the train, I was able to impress on the remaining passengers in that part of the train the importance of repenting today.

Then, when I got off, instead of going home, I started talking to another guy who was on the platform. We ended up boarding the train in the opposite direction and riding back the other way. He didn't like the GPT, but I started talking to two guys who had just gotten off work.

One guy said that he didn't want to repent, because he knew that sex outside marriage was a sin and he didn't want to give it up. If hell is what awaits him for that, he was all right with that. I pleaded with him to reconsider. "The worm doesn't die and the fire is not quenched! Sex is not worth going to hell for!"

"Maybe not to you," he replied.

I reminded him of Jesus' words in Mark 9:43-48: cut off your hand, pluck out your eye, remove your foot--it is far better to go to Heaven without these than to enter Hell! I don't know if he was listening, but I do know that there was plenty of Cardinal fans aboard (even though I was uncomfortable with the fact that there was a 13-year-old girl with her mom sitting right in our section of the train; oh well, I think they could understand the folly of sin very well by the time I got off the train).

When he and his coworker got off the train, I turned back to the guy with whom I had boarded the train, but he was no longer interested. So I got up and went to the front of the car again. That section of the car was full of Cardinals fans!

I asked them about the game, then I asked them about the Good Person Test. Many were very angry when I asked what the punishment was for liars, thieves, and murderers at heart. But they didn't get loud at me, they just started talking amongst themselves. I gave the Gospel and a couple of heads nodded and a couple of smiles appeared, but not much. But it was great to be preaching again. It was just great.