Stops #19 & #20 are in the record books. My time in the wilderness continues. Two more weeks of wind dust and few trees. I did find out last week that what I was feeling had more to do with my health and not so much the environment. What I mean is that my zeal became less and less, then the left side of my body started to go numb and I started to feel depressed. Well all these are signs of multiple sclerosis of which I thought was gone. I had no symptoms for years. I want to jump, dance, shout and sing about JESUS. But for now I hope to continue the journey, knowing that this to shall pass as the Lord knows the desires of my heart. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Pictures from Minot:

I was here.

Pictures from Bismarck:

ND State Capitol Bismarck.

Sunflowers at sunset.

Contact Email: david@hiscall888.com

For Ministry Information, Call Kris @ (502) 594-0451

  Now again the publics response to the, “JESUS” Truck took honors at the local Wal-mart. Each night as the skies darkened the camera flashes would begin. I mean this, “JESUS” Truck caused traffic jams and all I had to do was respond. This caused me to smile every night that I was here. So being in the wilderness is not quite as bad as it sounds. In fact it might be my fault. How is that? Well I’m glad you asked. I guess that maybe I had started going into town looking for the excitement to come to me. Well it’s just like walking into a new church and practically no one says hello. I would leave feeling somewhat down. But then wait a minute: I’m traveling around the country to encourage the brethren and to share the gospel of JESUS Christ. So I’m the one that should exude the joy of the LORD! Well now that’s a new perspective!  So when I went to church today I made out like I was the greeter and in town much the same.   Guess what? Lo and behold it’s been a great day and I’m still in North Dakota. Praise GOD!!!

Taken after the video, go ahead watch it.

Pretty cool yeah?

   Okay now I want to share with you what is maybe the most beautiful site that I’ve seen along the journey.

Wow yes, Wow!

Wow again!

  Of this past week I don’t have exciting stories nor any great works of God working through me that I know to tell. Yet the banner of the LORD JESUS Christ has been flown in Grand Forks, North Dakota and what a honor it has been. Now a new week on the journey has dawned in Minot, North Dakota. The LORD is with me and I am well. I am in much gratitude for the kindness you’ve expressed in words and deeds but most of all I’m grateful for your continued prayers.

   And here is a prayer request; Ask the LORD to send enthusiastic believers to encourage me and that I would make the most of each and every day no matter the place or circumstances.

   Note: Beginning next week I hope to post my schedule several weeks in advance so that if you know Christians there, then maybe I could meet them. Thanks.

  As I continue along the Journey it is with hope that GOD willing, I will update you again about this time next week.

Agape, David

Contact Email: david@hiscall888.com

For Ministry Information, Call Kris @ (502) 594-0451

  Well now, Stop #17 is done. Fargo, North Dakota took me by surprise in that I now know how much I’ve been blessed to live in the State of Virginia. I mean the Blue Ridge Mountains and Virginia Beach as bookends. Now I’m sure GOD blessed North Dakota with beauty that even I may be able to see, it’s just that I have not seen it yet. In fact I didn’t even have one picture that I took so on the way out on Saturday evening I stopped to take two pictures. These should be put in the tourist information brochures.

Visitor Center, I'm the only one there and it's not much bigger than my truck!

  Okay the real highlight the week was when I parked outside the Wal-Mart and watched dozens of people stop to look at The JESUS Truck and take pictures. It was so cool that I went there most every evening. Coming in at a close second was the first two days that I spent at the shopping Mall delivering invitations by personal delivery to peoples shopping bags. (Invitations to accept the gift of GOD!) Along the way I would strategically place a few invitations throughout the stores and some in places like inside appliances, jacket pockets and even in manikins hands. On the second day I received a call from brother Kris in Louisville, Kentucky. He asked, “where are you right know?” I said, “I’m at the mall” then he told me that he had just gotten a phone call from the authorities at the mall getting on him about leaving the invitations around the mall. After Kris was able to convince them that it wasn‘t him they put 2 & 2 together and figured that it must be the person driving the yellow truck with the Cross in it.

  So when I returned to my truck I was greeted by the mall security and two police cars! Talk about a stress test! After I was told not to do that anymore, that I had to leave the property for the day and after the nice police officer checked with the police in Richmond, Virginia they let me go. Oh they had to be sure that the M class on my drivers license allowed me to drive the truck as well as a motorcycle and if not that they would have to confiscate me and the truck. Well the Bible says to be anxious for nothing and that patience is a virtue, both of which were hard that day. So finally they said I could and so I did.

  Just to let you know, I did not go back to that mall anymore. Why? Well although they told me that I could come back as long as I didn’t leave anymore invitations around, I know that they will still be finding invitations during the Christmas shopping season and I think it would be a stretch for me to believe they would believe that I didn’t do it after I was told not to. This I call wisdom.

These are about 300 yards behind the truck and I bet they can hold alot of Cool- Aid!

  So back to the boring stuff. By Wednesday I was ready to leave town. Fargo is the biggest town in the state. There are no hills, trees and a lot of dust. If the rest of the state is much like this than I wanna go home. I mean Heaven or Virginia! Well I can’t do what I want to do as GOD called me to go to the 50 States with One True Story JESUS! I even tried to reason that I made up the part about 4 towns in each State, when that didn’t work I asked how about 4 weeks in the Dakotas combined? GOD didn’t buy that one either. So I’m in Grand Forks, North Dakota my second of 8 stops in the Dakotas. At least someone planted a few trees around town here, Praise GOD!!!

  This week has begun and I’m hoping for more than last. I am confident that this one will be unique as has proved to be the case with all the past. I do know that the Lord is with me and in that I find rest for my soul.

  In closing this short and dusty story; hundreds of people this week in Fargo have had the gospel of Jesus Christ brought before and or to them by invitation. Please pray that the seeds planted this week will help bring many to Christ.

  Please know that I miss many from home and those that I have met along the way. I am in much gratitude for the kindness you’ve expressed in words and deeds but most of all I’m grateful for your continued prayers.

  GOD willing I will update you again about this time next week.

                                                                                               Agape, David

Contact Email: david@hiscall888.com

For Ministry Information, Call Kris @ (502) 594-0451

Wow, how time flies as stop #16 of 200 is now in the history books with just 184 to go.

Each stop to date has shown itself to be distinct and St. Cloud the 4th and final stop in Minnesota is without exception.  Minnesota  has been somewhat of a surprise to me as it shows signs of being in what I call the Bible belt.  What a relief after the last state I was in. Keep in mind that I only met a fraction of the people in Iowa. (oops)  None the less Minnesota has lived up to the tag it wears of Minnesota nice.

  Now back to St. Cloud.  GOD blessed me to arrive on Monday without incident.  By Tuesday I was made welcome at Calvary Community Church.  Ron is the one that insisted that I stay in the annex building just because he said it didn’t seem right to him for me to stay in my truck.   Now Ron must not have a clue how nice my Dodge Ram Truck is. Well I slept under the palm trees for six days and I didn’t get wet once.  Check out the picture and if you talk to my parents tell them that I made my bed.

Okay so I halfway made my bed.

  Tuesday Tyler Wentzel arrived from Bemidji so we could take to the streets for 2 days together and we did.  On Wednesday Tyler and I went to downtown Minneapolis where we reached out to many all day and late into the night.  GOD provided a prime corner parking space where we set the HD TV on the cab of the truck.

Nice spot to set the stage yes?

  The video was at times a show stopper as it called for all to repent and for Christians to examine themselves to see if they were indeed in the faith. 

I think thats cool!

This did not go well with many and some expressed such in a variety of ways.  Oh but the show was just getting started when Tyler climbed into the back of the truck and preached.  Hecklers came and went but Tyler remained steadfast to His calling.  This Tyler is 20 years old and what an encouragement to me as not long after He finished I stood up and began to preach.  This was not planned and I believe it goes much better that way.  So we stayed until the police came and told Tyler to cut the TV off as they had received numerous complaints that evening.  Then a officer walked up to me while I was preaching and said he thought I had some kind of amplification device on.  Then he said I see that you don’t and I’m amazed at how well your voice carries.  The officer was very polite in asking me to consider not speaking so loudly.  Well I know it never pays to argue with an officer so I said okay. Not long after midnight we packed it in and headed back to St. Cloud.  On Thursday after a good night of sleep we drove to Granite City Baptist church this just in time to get right back in the thick of things.  I mean there were protesters in front of the church because a rally was being held in support of same sex marriages only!  What a novel idea.  The sign waving street marching protesters were about to meet a Virginia gentleman touched by JESUS!  That’s me.  I know the gentleman part probably through you off.   Well they had signs and numbers but then I remembered that I had GOD and the JESUS Truck.  So after I got permission from the preacher I moved my sign on the lawn right up to the sidewalk and parked.  I quickly learned that you can’t reason with unreasonable people no matter how nice one tries to be.  So then I resolved to share the gospel no matter what was said.  Well guess what?  They started to dismantle.  So just a short while later they were gone.  Praise GOD!!!

One of many I had the pleasure of meeting.

Soon it was time to see my brother Tyler off to Bemidji.    I was a little sad to say the least but am quit grateful to have shared this part of the journey with him.  And who knows Tyler just may show up on the mission field somewhere down the line.

Meet my brother Tyler Wentzel.

Now I fast forward to Monday morning 6:00 a.m.  With rays of the sunrise sparkling on lake Warner I was so honored to baptize two into the church of JESUS Christ.  Praise GOD!!!  Who would have thought?  What an exclamation  point this was as I leave the State of Minnesota on my way to North Dakota. (That last line sounds like a song doesn’t it?)

The week here draws to an end and as like the others past;  The banner has been flown and the, “Gospel of JESUS Christ” has been shared with many.

  Now I make ready to travel to Fargo, North Dakota.   The game plan is the same but with the experiences of this past week included I am hopeful that I may be better prepared to answer, “HIS Call”.  It is your prayers that I am very thankful for and continue to be in need of.  God willing I will update you about this time next week.

I close this letter with these words Tyler and I penned last week.

On Fire or Luke Warm?

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Commentary

  the Greek word for “seek” in Hebrews 11:6 is different than the other(s) in the New Testament.  It’s intensified and means, “to seek out for one’s self, beg, crave; to demand back, require”–a huge sense of urgency and immediacy.  And without THAT kind of faith, GOD CANNOT BE PLEASED!  How opposite that sounds from the “chuchianity” that prevades America: casual, lax, feel-good, eat-drink-and-be-merry Christianity!   

Now, what church will encourage its members to seek like that?   

The people that favor “peace and comfort” over “taking the Kingdom violently, by force” wind up being those who lose their first love and have to remind themselves that they’re Christians.  The fire never has to tire!  But pew-sitting and a whole host of other activities related to what the average person thinks the “Christian life” is, do well to squelch the Holy Spirit of God it appears.  I look at King David when I want to be refreshed (in the Psalms).  Though utterly sinful, he trusted the Lord and walked with Him in such a way that I think a scarce few today could even come close.  And what was he called?  The “Man After God’s Own Heart.”

Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Jn 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.  

The choice is Yours and I hope you seek GOD believing GOD to set you on Fire and resist the thief who has many content in being Luke Warm!

Grace!!!
David

Contact Email: david@hiscall888.com

For Ministry Information, Call Kris @ (502) 594-0451

P.S.  I have a Face Book account entitled:  Where is David Banton (For the lastest information.)