Friends:

Saturday nights have been wonderful this winter on Beale Street. I have had what I consider to be meaningful dialogue with hundreds. I say "I" because unfortunately most of the time I go alone. I´ve dealt with people on issues of trusting Jesus for salvation, faith in God´s word, quitting those things that they know are wrong, and treasures in heaven. I´ve dealt with attacks on the King James Bible and assurance of salvation and whatever people´s issues are.

Hundreds of conversations with people in all stages of belief and unbelief come to Beale Street each week and I am there to engage some of them. We´re in the Bible belt so many have made a profession of some kind in the Lord Jesus. Many just did something because their friends did or it was the religious thing to do, but I believe some truly got saved and then have never gotten into a church or grown. They are what our Sunday school teacher called "cast sheep". When a sheep loses its balance and falls over it needs a shepherd to help it get back up. I think that many of these people approach me to talk because they have a spark of life that attracts them to me. Once I have talked to them and see that they seem to have had a genuine salvation experience, I deal with them as cast sheep. I could yell at them that they could not possibly be saved if they are on Beale Street, but they insist that they are saved, so what is the point. I dealt with one of these in December. The man professed salvation & could not be convinced to doubt it. I laid on the consequences for sin and after talking to him several times about quitting what he knew was wrong, he poured his beer out (although I had not mentioned his beer). Joy lit up his wife´s face and after a little more conversation encouraging them, they left rejoicing together.

On January 7th Daniel came by to talk and prolifically thanked me for being there because he got saved a few months ago and knew he should not be there. He said he was under so much conviction for drinking some wine and when he saw me with my banner he knew that God sent me there for him. We prayed together and he went on his way with a new determination to follow Jesus.

Do you have a place like this to get out and talk to gainsayers? Is there a spot in your town where you can get out and talk to people? Many of you no longer have the responsibility of children in the home and have more time that could be used profitably. What takes up your extra time?

Maybe there is a watering hole somewhere close to you. People are not as intimidated at night, they are out with time to kill and they will talk to you.

I get to talk to people over and over. Kevin has talked to me over the last ten years. He told me the last time that he was having real problems with depression. Maybe he´ll get saved soon.

Two weeks ago a Christian woman came up and berated me for "doing it all wrong". I was preaching more that night, which is hard for people to take in this soft age. An hour later after watching me talk to a young man for 30 minutes or so, she came and apologized and instead thanked me for being there.

Just this last Saturday night a young man named Brandon that I talked to a few weeks ago asked for my card. He says he wants to take me to lunch and find out about what I believe.

Would you like to come and get fired up? Come for the BEALE STREET BLITZ. If you can't make it during May 3-5, then come any weekend and go with me. We have an empty room for you.

Thanks
The Lansings
Ken & Freida
3060 Woodhills Dr.
Memphis, TN 38128
Phone: (901) 386-2035
Email:
Ken Lansing: ken@bannersunfurled.org
Freida Lansing: freida@bannersunfurled.org