Mark 16:15 “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.’”
This world is changing very rapidly for the worse. The other day I was in a no-name liquor store type gas station waiting in line.
I noticed a man in front of me who had a severe narcotics dependency. I had seen the look many times in my career in law enforcement. This man was going through a rough time and was clearly under the influence. He stepped up to the cashier and asked for a specific type of cigarette. When the cashier accidentally gave him the wrong cigarettes, the man began cussing and verbally punishing the cashier. It was so severe that many men in the store began to look at each other for someone to do something.
I have seen this look before and actually been in these types of situations many times where I did do something. Sometimes I was in an LE capacity and sometimes I was not. I will give you a short story of one time on a plane, in a LE capacity at the end of this short story. In the past I interceded with physical muscle or a firearm, and there isn’t anything wrong with that, but this time our living GOD was talking to me, like he does a lot now a days. GOD specifically told me to go to my truck and get one of the Webster Parish Men of Courage bibles that I give out for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the public.
I exited the gas station, walked to my truck, got one of our bibles, and while reentering the building a man walked out of the door and for some crazy reason looked at me and said, “you should do something about that man in there.” I smiled at him and said I was going to, but I don’t think he knew what I had in mind nor do I know why he singled me out.
The man was still severely and boldly cussing the cashier. He had truly worked himself up and the poor cashier’s head was down and he had no fight in him. The cashier was scared. I walked directly up to this man and got just a little in his personal space in front of the counter.
The man looked at me and it got pin drop silent. I told him my name, that I lead a JESUS movement in Webster Parish called Webster Parish Men of Courage and I gave him one of our bibles. The man looked at the bible, took it in his hand, told me thanks, and immediately walked past me and exited the business. I don’t think he paid for what he had nor do I believe the cashier cared because this very explosive situation had been defused by our JESUS!
I’m not saying that man will ever receive Christ. I am not saying all explosive situations like that can be solved by handing bibles out. I am not saying that sometimes violence does have to be met with violence, GOD didn’t tell David to stop and pray for Goliath, after all.
I am saying that in that situation, I did exactly what our living GOD told me to and by doing that I went into the world and preached the gospel. That is what I am going to do every time GOD tells me to until the day GOD sends the angels to bring me home.
A little extra story, if y’all know me then you know I’ve got plenty of them, and I promised you one.
Early in my career as a Special Agent in the FBI, I had a late night death flight from a major city trying to get home. As an agent, of course, you fly armed. Usually that means the pilot and flight attendants know that you are on board armed and know where you are sitting on the plane in case of problems. I will admit I was about half asleep when the stewardess put her hand on my shoulder and told me she was having a problem in first class. I was sitting in the rear of the plane in coach, of course, and it was a packed flight.
The stewardess stated a woman who was relaxing with her seat back in first class trying to sleep was awakened by a man’s hand going up her leg. She did not know this man nor ask for the man’s hand to be on her leg. I walked to the front of the plane to find a very beautiful, small young woman visibly shaken about what she said happened. I also noticed the man sitting in his chair not saying a word. This was not a situation that had been taught at new agent training in Quantico, Virginia. I believe GOD did give me a very quick solution.
I simply asked the woman if she minded sitting in my seat in the back of the plane even though it wasn’t first class. She immediately agreed with much gratitude and got her purse and headed that way quickly. I sat by the man, who still had said nothing and was looking very embarrassed. I don’t think he expected to meet an LE Agent on the plane, armed or not. I simply told him that I was going to sit in that seat by him, he better not leave his seat even to go to the bathroom, and I was going to sleep some and I better not wake up with his hand on my leg or there would be severe consequences. See I told you I wasn’t handing out bibles at that time in my life!. Anyway, the rest of the flight was extremely quite and the man and I spoke a lot more at a police station after the flight. Although it did make me miss my next flight and my being home on time, it was worth it.
Hope y’all enjoyed the extra story as well if my big brilliant courageous literature genius Christian Brother Josh Beavers keeps it!
May our living GOD bless y’all with his righteous right hand!
(Chris Plants is a founding member of Webster Parish Men of Courage. Their mission is to encourage, equip, and empower the Men of God to become spiritual leaders in their home, local church, community, and workplace. Webster Parish is now home to a Women of Courage chapter as well as Families of Courage.)
(Josh Beavers is an award-winning journalist who has five times been recognized for excellence in opinion writing by the Louisiana Press Association. At one time, he was editor of The Good News, a weekly publication that shared information about local churches and men and women of God.)
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