UPSTAGING THE ECLIPSE
August 21, 2017, Indiana University
A female listening to my preaching said, "F_ _ _ the solar eclipse; this is my favorite thing that has happened all day."
We had students around us all afternoon listening and arguing, even at the height of the solar eclipse. They made the right decision, better to listen to the preaching than to watch the eclipse.
Students were in a line a few blocks long to get the glasses to watch the sun; they all had to pass by the preachers. So multitudes heard the Word. Mikhail, Cindy and I each had small groups around us during the main preaching event.
Few if any saw what they were supposed to see as they looked heavenward during the eclipse.
Psalm 19 says,
"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun."
Alas, I heard no one give glory to God for the marvelous show he was making in the heavens.
Shortly after we started, a rowdy female, whom we remembered from last year, said, when we were speaking of the lack of female propriety, "F_ _ _ that, I am not a lady I am a country girl. I had sex for the first time with a girl in the bathroom at work."
When I was a freshman at IU in 1960, most girls came to college to get their MRS degree, ideally, to marry a pre-med or pre-law student or a business major. Alas, few of them are interested in an MRS degree today. These are party girls. Of course, they weren't exactly saints in my day but still most girls wanted to settle down after college and marry and have a family.
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WOUNDED WARRIOR
PREACHES FROM GURNEY
August 22, 2017, Illinois State University
Cindy started the day and drew a great crowd. Then she turned the meeting over to me.
Cindy writes,
"Today at Illinois State University my husband was preaching and a student became very aggressive and threatening. I walked close to the scene with my husband's phone to capture what was happening on Facebook Live, hoping to calm down the threatening individual. Another student, who had heckled us for years, rushed behind me and grabbed the phone. I held on to it as tight as I could and the next thing I knew, I flipped up and around and fell on the top of the foot dislocating it and breaking it in three places." (See video above.)
Brother Jed will pick up the story now. The attacker ran off and tossed the phone; a student recovered it and gave it to Cindy. I went over to her but she urged me to return to the preaching. A few students gathered around Cindy and attempted to minister to her. I returned momentarily to pray for her. After about 15 minutes, the police and ambulance arrived.
The ambulance picked her up in a gurney. As they wheeled her off, she preached, "Repent of your sins; believe in Jesus. Call upon the name of the Lord to be saved. Read your Bible. Jesus died for your sins and rose again. Believe in him."
About half of the crowd mockingly started singing,
"Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye." A few expressed sympathy and concern.
I counseled Mikhail to carry on. The Word must continue to go forth, despite our wounds.
I rode in the ambulance with Cindy to the emergency room. The doctor gave her pain medication. He set the ankle and put it in a splint. He recommended surgery; we decided to return to Terre Haute. She will try to see an orthopedist tomorrow.
Cindy concludes,
"I have to see an orthopedic surgeon soon. Thanks you all for your love, concern and prayers. It means a lot! Bro Jed rode in the ambulance with me while Bro. Mikhail Savenko and Sis. Myrna Bennett continued the fruitful meeting! Things calmed down and the Gospel prevailed!"
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CALM AFTER THE STORM
August 23, 2017, Illinois State University
"
You need to stop preaching hate and preach love," said a sinner.
After a few exchanges, the loving sinner said, "I hope the same things happens to you as happened to the lady yesterday," and he walked away with a swish.
I was informed by another student, "Your wife tried to steal someone's camera. No wonder she got knocked down."
The students were calmer today. The one who attacked Cindy was nowhere to be seen. There were several uniformed police monitoring the preaching all day. I assume the students were better behaved on account of their presence. Early in the afternoon, students sat on the grass which makes for better crowd control than when they are standing.
Students requested that I tell some of my better-known stories, which they remembered from previous years. Late in the afternoon, I had a stage 5 crowd with students listening and thinking; it seemed like some of the police were doing the same.
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MY OTHER SIDE
August 24, 2017, Eastern Illinois University
The pedestrian traffic was sparse at our usual preaching spot. Nevertheless, we had an audience of 10-20 throughout the afternoon. The students were civil and there was little cussing.
I held Cindy's
"ANUS AWARENESS DAY" sign, which did not stir up the Eastern students as it did the Illinois State students the other day. They were curious instead of mocking.
I had a long discussion with a polite graduate student in bio ecology. One Black Hebrew Israelite talked with Mikhail but he was also civil unlike most who are a part of this cult. This cult claims that Jesus was black. Mikhail said that Jesus' skin color was not important.
A few coeds showed up late, disappointed that they had just found out that we were on campus. They are regular fans, who annually have their picture taken with me.
A female live-wire was glad to see me because her brother, who attends Indiana University, had told her all about me. She is notable because she is from Columbus, IN, and attended the same church as Mike Pence. She claims to be a Christian but admitted that she was in fornication. She had a pleasant spirit, despite being molested by older half-brothers growing up.
She was not particularly argumentative and heard me out. She said, "I am glad to have met you and see the other side of your fire and brimstone persona." Like Donald Trump and unlike Democrats, I can adjust my mode to different audiences. I have been accused of being undiplomatic; actually, I can be very diplomatic. However, my diplomatic manner is rarely reported.
All in all, it was a good day; our audience was small but this is a smaller campus than most we preach on. The enrollment is about 8000.
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"I WANT TO MEET THE MAN WHO CALLED MY MOTHER A WHORE"
August 25, 2017, Indiana State University
The following notice was sent out this morning from ISU Communications, which circulated throughout the campus as well as off campus:
Subject:
ADVISORY: PREACHERS ON CAMPUS
A message from Indiana State University Public Safety:
"Campus Ministries USA founder Brother Jed Smock and his associates will be on campus 11:45 a.m.-5 p.m. today (Friday, Aug. 25).
Smock's messages are often controversial and offensive to many people.
His presence on campus is not endorsed or sponsored by Indiana State University. It is an example of free speech in a public area. Simply, our country's laws allow his protected speech.
Please understand these actions are intended to make listeners think and react. At times, people will hear the shocking messages and be offended.
For new students, this might be the first time they witness this kind of public display. Everyone has the option to listen, to exchange ideas peacefully, or to ignore the spectacle altogether.
This is not unique to Indiana State. Campus Ministries USA and similar groups appear at colleges and universities around the country."
One cannot beat this kind of free advertising. Mikhail opened the preaching and he had no problem gathering a crowd. One student told me, "My mother heard you at Ball State, when she was in college. You called her a whore. I wanted to come out and hear the man that called my mother a whore."
He actually liked what we were doing, as did a few others who complimented us for our ministry. In fact, I probably did not call his mother a whore directly. She may have been in the crowd, when I was said, "Promiscuous women are called whores in the Bible." Or I may have said, "A lot of the girls are prancing around campus dressed like whores." Or perhaps it was one of my other provocative lines that are delivered to a general audience, not meaning it to apply to everyone in my audience, only most.
I only preached one session, since I had a hospital visit with a brother in my Men's Bible Study, who is recovering from Triple Bypass surgery. I also had to drive Cindy to get her cat scan.
Cindy and I intend to continue to go full blast in the ministry, despite her wound; however, there will have to be some adjustments as we deal with her injury. So, pray that God will guide us as we trust that Cindy is on the road to recovery and she will get back out on campus running, jumping and dancing as she preaches. Up until Tuesday afternoon Cindy was moving around like a spring chicken, even though she is a 59-year-old grandmother. Cindy is in good health, except for the ankle. She also takes her Plexus supplements.
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Thank You Saints
We truly appreciate all our friends and faithful supporters who make it possible for us to share the Gospel daily with the college students of America. We can not say thank you enough. We are praying for you!
Sincerely in Christ,
Bro. Jed and Sis. Cindy
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Brother Jed Smock
CMUSA
PO BOX 3845
Terre Haute
FaceBook: Jed Smock
YouTube: Brother Jed Channel
brojed@aol.com cindysmock@aol.com
573-999-0347 573-999-0346
The Campus Ministry USA is a nonprofit 501(3)c.
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Five Stages of A Crowd:
An Explanation of our Approach
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