PILGRIM BECOMES AN EVANGELIST
An Allegory of the 21st Century
    Having only had my eyes opened for a short time, I now realized that most of the people around me were rushing towards the City of Destruction. My heart burned within me as I struggled to persuade them that they must turn and go with me on the way to the Celestial City. Daily I stood on the way as they thronged around me and cried out to them to turn. Frequently they would berate me and tell me to take my preaching to the church. But often one of them would stop and speak with me giving me opportunity to shed some light into their hearts and plead with them for their soul.
    One day as I stood and cried aloud my fellow pilgrim, MR. COWARD approached me and asserted that I was doing it the wrong way and would surely keep some from ever joining us on our trip to the Celestial City. Being a new pilgrim, I was smitten in my heart that I might be a cause of them not heeding the words of truth. Eagerly I asked MR. COWARD for help in learning how best to touch these desperate souls. He did not seem to have any answer, but simply stated that he tried to befriend them and eventually HE HOPED they would ask him for the truth. Of course, I wanted to befriend them also, as I was much troubled over their plight, but as I pored over the Holy words of Truth, I saw that the Apostle Paul said in Acts 10:42 "And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead." This much encouraged my heart and I again went out to the broad way where the sinners were going on their way heedless of the danger that awaited them.
    Once again MR. COWARD saw me and came over along with MR. SANCTIMONIOUS. They stated that perhaps if I really felt that I needed to scream in public I could find someplace where I would not bother anyone. They seemed to be much concerned about the image that I was giving fellow pilgrims. I pointed out to them that John the Baptist, Paul, Peter and the other apostles and even our Lord preached outdoors frequently and I urged them to stay and help me but they seemed to take great offence and pointed out to me that EVANGELIST would be coming through the area soon. They said we could bring the sinners to hear him then and perhaps he could persuade them of their peril. Thinking that they were older pilgrims than I and undoubtedly had more wisdom I waited eagerly for EVANGELIST to arrive. Earnestly I invited and befriended all those I could, but I could not help but feel that it was SO FEW!
    Night after night of EVANGELIST'S meeting, I looked in vain for those lost souls to come. It seemed to me the building was filled with fellow pilgrims and yet EVANGELIST preached as if the building was full of unbelievers. Not understanding, I spoke with EVANGELIST and told him if he would accompany me on the morrow I would show him where he could preach to thousands of lost souls and perhaps we could rescue some of them. But it seemed that EVANGELIST's time was already planned and besides PASTOR APATHY had already told him that he did not want our place of worship to be considered so peculiar. Being much in turmoil over the lost souls on the OUTSIDE, and all the preaching going on INSIDE, I again turned to the Holy word and found that if I would be a true evangelist and indeed even a good Christian I must GO (Matthew 28: 19-20) and plead with the sinners where they were which was in the markets (Acts 17:17), local gathering places (Mars Hill-Acts 17:22), in prisons (Acts 16:31) and generally OUTSIDE the church. The spirit much strengthened me as I approached the road leading to the city of Destruction and stood in the midst of the sinners and cried out "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."
 

From the newsletter Banners Unfurled, article by Frieda Lansing

Banners Unfurled: Ken Lansing  Klansing@concentric.net
Check out the web page: http://Sojourner.ShadowCom.org/html1/banner.html