Standing Up for the Truth

Eli Brayley speaks to junior high and high school students at the Foursquare Church in Missoula, Montana about his experiences as a young Christian in public school. No matter where we are, or how young, we have a call to shine the light of Christ to a lost and dying world. We must never compromise the truth, even when it costs.

Campus Ministry '07

1. University of Nevada, Las Vegas
2. San Diego State University
3. California State University, Bakersfield
4. California State University, Fresno
5. Fresno City College
6. Sonoma State University
7. Santa Rosa Junior College
8. Cal. Berkeley
9. San Francisco State University
10. University of California, Santa Cruz
11. San Jose State University
12. University of New Mexico
13. Texas Tech University
14. Oklahoma University
15. University of Missouri, Kansas City
16. Mizzou, Columbia
17. Purdue University
18. Indiana University, Bloomington
19. Ball State University
20. Michigan State University
21. University of Montana
22. University of Cincinnati
23. Kutztown University
24. East Stroudsburg University
25. Ramapo College
26. Montclair State University
27. SUNY Oswego

SUNY Oswego 2

After traveling from New York State to California and back, the team revisited SUNY Oswego, the very first campus we had preached on back in September. Students remembered us and came out to hear what we had to say. SUNY Oswego is a difficult campus to preach on, but there is a lot of great opportunities to share Christ with people one on one. We gathered crowds for three days. Day one Miles preached, day two Evan preached, and day three I preached.



Remember this guy from the videos of our first time at SUNY Oswego? That's him above.

It's amazing how much we have seen traveling the entire span of the country. I'm truly thankful to God that He allowed me this privilege of proclaiming His name in the campus setting. May the Church awake to her great responsibility of bearing the light of Christ to a lost world. Jesus Christ be magnified!

"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9)

Montclair State University

While we were in the New Jersey area, we drove to Montclair State University to minister for a day. It was an interesting time; we drew a relatively large crowd which at first became very unruly and unreasonable, but later they calmed down and the meeting was civil and constructive.

Early in the day, students brought out large banners and even wall dividers to try and block out the Word of God from their campus.


Brother Jonathan from Ramapo joined us in Montclair.

Bless the Lord that the Word of God went forth on this campus. May God give the increase and may many souls be saved from this wicked and adulterous generation.

"Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins." (Isaiah 58:1)

Ramapo College

Two days of meetings were held at Ramapo College in New Jersey, though we stayed in Ramapo for about a week, and our whole time there was a tremendous blessing. The fellowship with the Christians on campus was so very wonderful, and we were ministered to as much as we ministered to the college due to the precious saints who were there. Praise God!

Before we came to Ramapo, many of the believers on campus had already acquired a new zeal for evangelism and for open air preaching, so it was as if the Lord led us there at just the perfect time. We spent several evenings sharing with one another, and Miles, Evan and myself did a small seminar on Christian apologetics one night. We visited Montclair State University, which was nearby, during the week, and also traveled to New York City one day to spread the gospel and visit Time Square Church, the church of brother David Wilkerson. That was awesome.

We drew a small crowd both days which were civil and inquisitive. It was a refreshment from the two wild campuses we had previously experienced in Pennsylvania. Here is a taste of what it was like at Ramapo, taken from day two:


God truly blessed our time spent in the New Jersey area. I very much hope to travel down to Ramapo once again some day.

"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:14-19)

East Stroudsburg University

Our time spent in Pennsylvania was close to outrageous. After Kutztown we traveled the Repent America team to East Stroudsburg University and a similar riot took place once again. Hundreds of students rallied in protest and the police had a difficult time keeping traffic clear. Here are some pictures from the riot:



They were actually going to have us stand inside a hastily made barricade to preach, but later decided to relocate us once again to the farthest side of the field. The police ordered us to stop everything for an hour before we were allowed to start again. There was so much bedlam it took some time for things to quiet down, but when Miles began to preach there was still a large crowd who gathered about him. Special police forces stood guard the entire rest of the day.

Needless to say, we were not too upset about leaving Pennsylvania.

Kutztown University

While we were in Pennsylvania, we met up with several other preachers who were in the area, joining them as they toured the State for a couple of days. However, a riot exploded at Kutztown University; hundreds of angry students literally ran us off campus screaming curses, chanting anti-Christian statements, and even threatening us with violence. The entire police force was called out to maintain order! Two of our guys were arrested and the rest of our team was threatened with arrest if we didn't leave campus. Watch the video for yourself... definitely not what we were used to. (Warning: Strong Language)

University of Cincinnati

UC was a very liberal campus, and students were not receiving the gospel message very easily, but we came back for three days and stood as a witness for Jesus in their midst. We pray the Lord would use whatever effort we could do.

University of Montana

Precious saints of God,

My apologies for the delayed update. Since we have been to Montana the internet access has been severely limited, but I am thankful to now write to you of our wonderful time spend up north. We flew out of Detroit to Billings, Montana the 1st of April then drove to a little place called Missoula where we resided for over a week, ministering on campus and also in the church which invited us. The entire week was a huge success and I feel it has been the highlight of this second semester for me.

University of Montana is an extremely liberal campus with a large homosexual community. Unknown to us, we arrived during Gay Pride Week; rainbow flags lined the pathways around the center of campus as we walked around Sunday night praying and examining the grounds. It would be an intense five days of spiritual warfare and gospel preaching. But praise God that He won for us the victory!

A video from the first day of preaching:



Each day we gathered around us crowds of over a hundred that were generally civil and inquisitive, however, there were a few days that the crowds got very rowdy and confrontational.


Miles climbed a great mountain to take that picture! A large group of homosexuals came out to our meetings with banners, flags and signs to oppose the preaching that challenged their sinful lifestyle. Many of them would scream at us in fits of rage as they came under conviction."The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil." (John 7:7)

Jesse Morrell of Open Air Outreach joined up with us in Montana for the week.

We also had a great little book table set up on this campus, with evangelistic literature and resources for Christians available for free. Students took many books and CDs. I especially liked this idea.

Above is Alan Taylor, a brother from Logan, Utah, who drove, along with another dear family from that area, all the way to meet us in Montana and to minister with us. This was Alan's first time open air preaching and he did a terrific job. What a joy and privilege to stand before men and proclaim the precious name of Jesus Christ! It is the Church's great honor to bear the light of the Gospel in this dark world.

As the days went on we were able to minister to many people's needs and speak to hundreds about the hope that we have in Jesus. Multitudes of students opened up, sharing their lives with us and hearing what we had to say. One student admitted that he was a drug addict and wanted help. Fortunately the church that was hosting us dealt specifically with needs like these and we were able to direct him towards them. Another young man, a geology student, attended our meetings all week and soaked up what we were saying like a sponge. Miles was able to talk to him the last day and minister the gospel to him. We had so many wonderful one-on-ones like these throughout our stay in Montana. It was truly a blessed time with lots of fruit. May many souls be saved!

Topics of discussion ranged everywhere from ethics to evolution. Two big strongholds on this campus were homosexuality and politics. On Thursday, a group of homosexual men marched defiantly into the middle of our meeting fully dressed as women, with make-up and dresses, etc. It was awful, but we continued to preach. I believe that many people there that day saw the utter depravity of this sinful behavior. "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient." (Romans 1:26-28) I was able to speak to the students extensively on the subject of the Kingdom of God, and the government which is on the shoulders of Christ, and contrast it with the corrupt and failing systems of the world of men. The only government that works and has the right to reign is the government of Jesus Christ (Isaiah 9:6-7). Here is a video entitled, "Natural Government", dealing with this issue:



Our team made the campus newspaper everyday that week and I was also interviewed by the local radio station about the Gospel that we are preaching. With that publicity, we not only ruined Gay Pride Week, but the entire student body knew who we were and what are message was, and so the Good News was preached to the University of Montana. Praise be to God, who works all things for His glory! When it's all been said and done, it's all about the glory and honor of His Holy Name.

God bless you dear saints. Thank you to all those who continue to pray and support this ministry that has taken me all across this huge country; state to state, city to city... Your love is truly a blessing to my heart which refreshes me each day. Only a short while left and I shall be home once again. Until then, let us keep our eyes upon dear Lord Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. None one of His promises shall ever fail us. I miss you all dearly,

Your brother and servant in Christ,
-Eli

Michigan State University

Two days were spent at Michigan State, although we only preached the last day due to the student's busy schedules. We handed hundreds of tracts on day one. Miles preached briefly the next day at Well's Hall, a popular preaching spot at MSU. An Asian Christian group was also ministering while we were there, singing songs and offering prayers for people.

"My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest." (John 4:34-35)

Ball State University

We had an awesome time at Ball State University in Indiana. A crowd drew and stayed for hours, even after it began to torrentially rain. There was a good mix of both Christians and non-Christians, so many were ministered to and encouraged. Some professing believers showed deep conviction over their hypocritical lifestyles.


One Christian lady was so encouraged by what we were doing that she went and bought the three of us lunch. A group of atheists also tagged along afterwards, carrying on the discussion. It was a fruitful day spent preaching.

"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18-24)