This is the first time the Minutemen Evangelistic Team has come to Arcadia, FL or to Heritage Baptist Church. Personally, I came to this church a few years back to be a part of a wedding. At that time, I talked some with Dr. Bedell, who at that time was the principal of their Christian school. Dr. Bedell, years ago, was a principal in Sarasota, FL. My father was elementary school friends with his pastor at that time, Dennis Wheeler.
Dr. Bedell is now the pastor at Heritage Baptist Church. He and his wife are sacrificial servants of the Lord. They have a burden for their community and particularly for the teens in their area. They did a great job rounding up teens themselves. Each night of the meeting Pastor Bedell had a van load of teens he had invited that he brought to the rallies. Several were saved that came to the War of Special Forces in that van.
Each night we saw a good number of teens saved. I believe we had well over 20 saved over the three nights. I was encouraged with the sobriety of many of them as they looked to the Lord to save them.
On Wednesday, Andrew, the Marine team captain, led a young man to the Lord. The next night he came to talk with another captain about some past moral failures in his life. He was very burdened about his past failure and did not want to cross the line in the future. Alex, another team member, told him, “You can’t in your own strength , but through Christ you can.” When Alex asked him when the finished, “Do you have a lift?” He responded, “Yes.”
Another young man came all three nights, but never played the games. On the last night the Navy Seals team captain approached him about his soul. That night he was saved with tears in his eyes.
Another young man came on the second night and responded to the invitation. He came not because he wanted to play in the games, but because he wanted to know if he was going to hell because of smoking pot. His team captain presented the Gospel and later said to me that it was the clearest salvation prayer he had ever heard. He told the captain he used pot to feel free. Now he knew he did not need pot to feel free. Jesus would do it!
It was a great week and we look forward to another visit to Arcadia in the future. God is working here.
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