The first impression was; Wow, this place is really big.
Sunday morning I arrived in time to attend church service and a sermon on how much children need their fathers. Of course I say amen. But this is a Christian congregation and I’m thinking surely they know this or am I being too presumptuous? After that I went downtown for a while and then to evening service at Souls Harbor Baptist Church. Okay now that’s what I’m talking about, God’s word being preached and its application being exhorted. Here, I was welcomed in the love of Christ. This was home base for the week here in Milwaukee. Monday I set out to cover as much ground as possible and as of Wednesday, The banner of Christ had been flown in central downtown and out in every direction from there. But I was a bit disappointed, I had thoroughly spied out the land, but had not engaged one on one as many as I would have liked to. So that night I asked the Lord to renew my strength, increase my faith and to give me the boldness to finish strong.
Thursday afternoon I spent some time admiring the beauty of Lake Michigan and while doing so I thought this would make a great background for a video. So I got my camera and worked my way down the cliff a little and made a short video about the Gospel.
Afterwards I headed across town to attend evening service at Souls Harbor Baptist Church and something very special happened. I was driving thru downtown Milwaukee, it was about 6pm in what I call the bar district; I stopped at a traffic light and noticed a man running towards me and instantly I rolled the window up halfway. This was going down quick and I did not have any idea what! I thought ok Lord here we go. When the man got to the truck he reached inside, handed me a red rose and said, “From Christ brother” then he left. This guy who I have never seen just bolts out of the crowd, delivers this rose in the name of Christ and leaves. No comment about anything else? Before the light changed I was fighting back tears. Remembering what I had prayed the night before, I knew this rose was from the Lord! I mean I just stopped for the light, there was no flower stand here, the urgency of the approach, the three words, From Christ brother and he was gone. That’s crazy and I know the memory of this will not soon fade away. The Lord had come through again. During the course of the day I had been amazed by the beauty of God’s handiwork, and then I experienced the intimate Love of Christ and later was encouraged by believers in the most unlikely of places.
So as you may expect by now the rest of the week would not find me slow to go nor slow to speak anywhere!
Looking back I remember how Milwaukee was intimidating in its size and how it looked dangerous in some places. This really tested my faith and to an extent I fell short of my own expectations. Then Wednesday I went to the Lord and Wow how He blessed me. I think about this week’s challenges, those of past weeks and how virtue has gone out of me time and again. Then I see Gods’ faithfulness to answer my prayers that I may finish strong. I have wondered why it’s this way and shouldn’t I be able to stay fired up? After all, all I want is to go out in a blaze of glory! But now I believe that if I was amped up all the time, I might not give God the Glory that He deserves. This verse comes to mind; And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Co 12:9)
In closing, I want to thank Pastor Paul Hoover and the brethren at Souls Harbor Baptist Church for extending the Love of Christ to me this week. This stop in
Milwaukee marks the completion of the call to the State of Wisconsin. The
Journey 50 States One True Story Jesus!
To everyone I have met along the way I sincerely thank you for the encouragement, prayers and support. Keep praying as I’m realizing the benefits. God willing,
I’ll write to you again about this time next week. Agape, David Banton