Although every Saturday is a great day for Lighting the Way to the Smoky Mountains, I am almost at a loss for words in writing about the blessings of today. Besides the beautiful sunny day and the slightest turning of leaves, everyone at the table was eager to listen and be led by God’s sweet Holy Spirit. There were many people at the Sugarland’s Visitor Center due to an antique car celebration in Pigeon Forge and the wonderful weather. The first visitors were at the table before I had anything on it. Their enthusiasm was mirrored in all of the people who stopped by for the rest of the day. They enjoyed showing their daughter the materials related to 'science confirming the Bible', the informative tracts and books relating to the New Age Movement, and the booklets of quotes from our nation’s founding fathers. We encouraged each other in the faith as I continued setting up the table.
The highlight of the day was God bringing over a couple from India. They listened as I explained what LTW is about. As they looked over the materials, I told them how everything on the table was about Jesus. I told them about the Jesus film on DVD, about the life of Jesus, and the plan of salvation. (The Film Jesus /The Greatest Gift is the most widely distributed film in history and has been translated into over 1,000 languages.) The man had been educated in a Christian school in India but had only thought the stories about Jesus were interesting. He and his wife had recently been to Israel, and we had a sweet conversation about how special that country is. They spoke of how different they felt about Jesus after being at the same places He had been. I told them how I wept over and over while I was there, because I love Him and felt Him very near. The Spirit of God was at work in their lives, and besides the Jesus film, they took a sermon by my pastor at Sevier Heights Baptist and the booklets, After Death What Then? by Charles Halff and Where Do We Go From Here? published by the Radio Bible Class in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They also took the tracts, Steps to Peace With God and Understanding the Cross. After we prayed together, they insisted on giving a small donation for this ministry. We hugged, and I told them I loved them in Jesus as they left.
One young woman asked for prayer after taking a sample of almost everything on the table. She had been through a drug rehabilitation program and had recently been saved. She assured me she was no longer dependant on drugs and was a baby Christian, hungry for God’s Word. She needs a job and is a trained nurse. She explained that she took ome of the materials for her mother and her fiancé. As we prayed together, I could tell she felt very anxious about living abundantly in Jesus. We had a lengthy conversation about God’s faithfulness to help us in time of need. Her last words to me were, “Please don’t forget to pray for me.”
Two young girls needed a Bible and were very appreciative for receiving them. They took the booklets Which Way to God by Peter Jeffery and Is Anybody Out There? by John Blanchard. They said they were Christians but did not go to church anymore and promised to read the Bible each day and pray.
The books by Warren Smith, Deceived On Purpose and The Light That Was Dark, continue to be very much appreciated by Christians and non-Christians. Sid Roth’s book, They Thought for Themselves was also very popular today. The tracts, “Science Confirms the Bible” and “7 Reasons Why We Should Not Accept Millions of Years” were taken by all of the older children and teenagers. Some Christians took materials to put on tables in the lounges where they work. Many people had unsaved family members, and they took materials to give to them, saying the materials would be read and appreciated more than their conversations. The smaller children loved to take the Keys for Kids booklets, and some parents expressed interest in ordering them to be sent to their home.
There is a little chorus I grew up singing as a child, and its words summarize today’s experiences better than any I know. It simply states: “Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before. Every day with Jesus, I love Him more and more. Jesus saves and keeps me, and He’s the One I’m living for. Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before.”
