In 1998, I came to People’s Baptist Church in Frederick, MD for the first time. Since that time the team has been back periodically. This year we were greatly encouraged with all the Lord did in the hearts of the students as well as the good attendance each night of the War of Special Forces. Pastor Ramler is traveled with the team back in the late 80s so it was good to see him again!
The attendance during the evening rallies went from 50 on Wednesday to 72 on Thursday to 94 on Friday! There were 114 teens who attended over the three nights. The Navy Seals took the lead on Thursday night and won big on Friday. It was their first win this fall!
On the first night one of our the young ladies on our team approached some girls who had not responded to the invitation, but had raised their hands indicating a concern about their eternal condition. Our team member was able to lead one of the girls to the Lord. The other young lady did not get saved. She was crying, but said that she was not ready. On the final night, she gave a testimony that she had gotten saved. The team member asked her afterwards, “When you did you make this decision?” She related that during the school day someone had talked to her about spiritual things and asked her a question. The question made her think about herself and her need of salvation. Afterwards she trusted the Lord to save her and later that evening testified with a glowing face of her salvation.
A public school student was invited by some of the Christian school students. He was a football player so normally he would not have been able to come on a Friday evening. However, because of rain for about three days the game was cancelled so he was able to come. The students who invited him figured the game might be cancelled so they invited him. When he heard the preaching of the Gospel, he was concerned about his soul, but was confused so didn’t respond to the invitation. The Navy Seals captain talked with him afterwards. The Navy Seals captain related this about the situation, “He was kind of confused and the Lord allowed me to bring up the illustration of how Jesus is like a lifeguard and He has to do all the saving in order for someone to be saved” Jack responded, “Hey I’m a lifeguard.” Because of that he completely understood the analogy. He was actually wondering if his good works would get him to Heaven. The analogy helped him sort out the difference between his doing some of the work and Jesus doing the rest. He realized that Jesus has to do all of the saving or else he would drown in his sins. Right there he was wondrously saved!
Three years ago a girl in the area had gotten saved at the War of Special Forces. She began to attend youth group at her grandmother’s church in the area. One of our team members had kept in contact with her and invited her back. She came back and brought two younger brothers.
One morning after chapel a high schooler responded to the invitation. One of the team captains began dealing with him, and could tell that there was some things in his life that really held him in bondage. The young man was weeping and it was evident that God was working in his heart. As the captain began to talk to him, he asked him what was going on in his life. He began to tell the team captain about some of the things that he was involved in. He wasn’t exactly sure that God could give him full victory. The team captain began to show him Bible verses about how God can give victory and that if he’ll but trust Jesus Christ, He can release him of the bondage of sin. The team captain noted that it was amazing to watch in his face as he began to really, really think that God could give him the victory. His whole persona changed. He began to stop weeping and he began to smile. The team captain asked him, “What are you smiling for?” He replied, “God can really do it.” And he began to tell the captain how he had to go back to his mom and dad and tell them about some of the things he was looking at online. He told his captain that he had to go his youth pastor and tell him about some of the music that he was listening to that wasn’t Christ honoring. He was encouraged when the captain reminded him he could “do all things through Christ”!
A Christian school student was convicted during chapel for being mean to another student. After being counselled from God’s Word, he went with the team captain to a classroom and they had the young man to whom he had been mean come into the hallway. There with tears he apologized to this classmate and gave him a hug.
The young people in the school were responsive during the week to the preaching of God’s Word. On Friday there were many good testimonies. Below are parts of a testimony or the whole testimony.
The past few weeks, I’ve really struggled with ungodly music. I just want to tell you guys, it’s never worth it to listen to the music. It’s just an awful thing. I got rid of everything. I gave it to my parents. And it just, I mean, it feels so much better!
I got saved last night.
This week God has been working in my heart about my relationship with my dad and…um…I was really bitter towards him and this week I was mad. Get right with your parents because it feels a lot better afterward. And I got that right today.
I just wanted to say that I’ve struggled with a lot of things in my life. I’ve struggled with drugs, profanity, music, internet and all that. I’m just saying how long you’ve been doing it, how big you are into it, Jesus will help you overcome everything.
We thank the Lord for all He did in hearts! It was a blessed week!
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