I always love coming to First Baptist Church of Land O’ Lakes. They have a passion for the clarity of the Gospel. I appreciate the pastoral staff. They are a great group with which to work. DJ Willis is a former team member (he was captain of the Navy Seals in 2011) and he is now the youth pastor here. I have known Dave Nichols, the principal of the school, for quite a few years and appreciate him and his wife. Pastor Peterson is a gracious pastor and always a blessing.
On Wednesday night one of the seventh graders in the Christian school came to the evening rally. One of our team captains noticed he brought friends. In fact, the seventh grader and all three of the friends raised their hands during the invitation that they needed to be saved. The seventh grader went to the back and with tears he was saved. A friend of his responded as well and after the Gospel had been given, he began to pray, “I am sinner. I know I deserve to go to hell.” He stopped and the team captain asked him, “Is everything okay?” He responded, “I am afraid if I keep praying I am going to cry?” “That’s alright. You can cry,” the team captain said. It took him three efforts, but he finally prayed and trusted Christ looking up and wiping his eyes! Another friend of the seventh grader also responded on Wednesday, but he did not get saved. Friday when he returned, he responded to the invitation. He claimed he had given up on believing on God. He went to church when he was little, but stopped, because God never answered his prayers. The team captain asked “Do you believe Jesus is willing to save you from sin, death and hell?” “Yes,” was his immediate response. “When do you think you should ask him?” the captain followed. “Right now,” he quickly responded! Another friend of this seventh grader came only on Friday night. Afterwards, they were waiting for one of their group and I began talking with this new comer about his soul. It was evident to himself that he was not saved. I urged him that someone would be glad to open a Bible and show him the way of salvation. He hesitated. I finally went somewhere to do something else and when I came back his saved friends said that he had gone in the counselling room to get saved. When he returned he was beaming!
Another young man in the school got saved on Friday evening. The youth pastor asked him about what the Lord had done for him. He responded, “Man, I am free!”
One of the Christian school students brought a friend, who claimed to be an atheist. The young man came all three nights. On the second night the Marine Recon captain talked to him and he said to the team captain, “I believed Christ once and stuff happened and I don’t believe in God anymore.” The team captain walked him to the car and asked him if he would stay and talk. He responded with a “no.” On Friday during a prayer meeting at the Christian school, many students prayed for him. He came the final night and as I stood up to preach, he was seated. After about five minutes, he stood up and went to the back. One of the team captains saw him and said he was fidgety and was fooling with his phone. Team members were praying. During invitation he did not respond. The Navy Seals captain asked him, “Are you ready to make this decision?” He replied, “No.” “Are you sure? This could be your last chance,” countered the team captain. As the captains turned to go in to counsel, they noticed he was following them. The Navy Seals captain dealt with him. The acclaimed atheist teen looked straight ahead. The captain asked along the way, “Is there something in the past that happened that caused you to be bitter and caused you to turn away from God?” He acknowledged that there was. The team captain continued to present the Gospel and finally the young man prayed, “I’ve done a lot of sin. I don’t want to go to hell. I am going to trust you to take me to heaven.” A lot of people were thrilled when they heard of his salvation!
God used two brothers in an encouraging way on Friday night, but the story actually started a few days earlier when one of them dealt with bitterness. He thought that God might be calling him to ministry. His brother responded to the invitation on Thursday. He was convicted about the fear of man. Guys in the locker room would sometime make fun of the teachers and he would not say anything. His team captain counselled him, “Don’t just walk away, but stand up and say this is wrong.” Well, these brothers brought a friend to the War. He did not get saved the first night he came. On Friday, we had a prayer meeting with the students who that week had made decisions for Christ. In that prayer meeting some of the students began to pray for this young man. I found out later that this friend claimed to be an atheist. The teenage atheist came on Friday, but he did not respond to the invitation. On way home, the brothers led him to the Lord. They came back and were so excited. The Recon captain said to one of the brothers, “This is how God can use you when you deal with sin God’s way.” It was great to see the Lord work and use surrendered teens to reach their generation!
Several of the Christian school students responded to the Lord’s working in their lives. Some dealt with bitterness. One young man went to his mother to confess some viewing issues. On Friday, we not only had a wonderful prayer meeting with these students, but many gave powerful testimonies at the campfire on Friday evening. I believe God used them in the hearts of those that were not saved. There were several who got saved after the invitation. What a blessing to watch the Lord work and to use young people who were surrendered to and dependent on the Lord!
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