"However he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm. But they were expecting that he was about to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had waited a long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god." Acts 28:5,6 (NASB)



My ministry partner stopped to speak to several people and so I walked down the sidewalk about fifty feet, my tracts and small new testament in hand. I usually brought my big Bible when we ministered on the streets, but for some reason I just a little New Testament.

There in Austin, on Guadalupe Street, the University of Texas students had established a non stop party zone. "The Drag", as they called it, was alive with people. A great place to share Jesus.

Suddenly I saw a gentleman, slumped over on the steps in front of one of the businesses.

"Are you okay," I asked?

"I'm okay," he said gruffly, as if to dismiss me.

"We're just out talking to people about God's love," I said.

He didn't respond and he didn't look well. I wasn't sure if he was getting ready to pass out and needed help or if he was just ignoring me, so I said it again.

"You know, we're here because God loves you. I want to make sure you're okay, but more than anything I want you to know deep down inside that God really cares for you."

He glared back at me. "I don't care about that," he said.

"I know there's probably a lot of stuff that's happened in your life,” I went on. “But I also know there is someone who cares. He really loves you and He cares about what you're going through."

"I don't want God to love me," he shot back with a look that was becoming stern.

"God loves everyone," I said. "That love is something He gives freely because that's who His IS."

He got more firm, interrupting me. "I do not want God to love me. I don't want to be loved by God."

I started to realize that this man was thinking he could control God, that he could turn His love off. He needed to know that he wasn't going to be able to do that.

"You can't make God not love you. He's a God of love and there's no place to run to get away from that love," I pressed.

He got a little louder and a little more persistent. He stood up and came down the steps. Then he got right up in my face. "I don't want God to love me. I DO NOT want GOD to LOVE ME!" he said. He kept saying it over and over and changing the inflections in his voice, getting more and more agitated.

I realized he was getting upset and so I thought I'd just tell him one more time. I wanted him to know that there was nothing he could do to make God NOT love him. God loves all people. So, I started to try to explain.

We were both down on the sidewalk by this time. He reached behind his back. When his arm came around he had a long knife in his hand and was holding it as if he were going to slash at me. Reflexively I raised the arm that held the little new testament as he slashed at my face, and the blade of the knife came across the bottom side of my forearm. He came back around again, but this time it was to stab me, bringing the knife straight down on my chest. I tried to get my hands up again to deflect his blow, but he hit my chest so hard with the knife that it knocked the wind out of me. I staggered back, in shock, and he hit me in the chest again and then again. Three times. After the first blow I don't remember trying to defend myself again, but still I didn't fall. I just kept stepping back as he hit me in the chest.

Then he was running down the sidewalk. I came to my senses and all of a sudden a feeling came over me that I needed to go and tell him that God was going to love him anyway. I tried to run him down and tell him, but then I thought that I was hurt and looked down at my chest. I was okay. There was no wound.

The other members of the team came running down the sidewalk toward me. Several had seen him stab me in the chest and they were terrified and shocked. Then they saw me there, unharmed, and were totally amazed.

There was a huge commotion and the guy got away without my being able to tell him again of God's undying love. So I went home. Although I was bruised and very sore from the heavy blows, there were no cuts. No broken skin. On my forearm was a welt, but that was all.

I determined to find that man again and tell him that God still loved him, so I went often back to that street to search through the constant crowds. I found him one day, during a very busy time of day, during a break between classes at the university. I ran and caught him, grabbed his shoulder and turned him around.

"Do you remember me," I asked? He shook his head no, and turned back to walk away, but I grabbed him again.

"I'm the one who told you that God's gonna love you and you can't make Him stop loving you."

I'll never forget his words. He started backing up and yelling in my face, "Later, man! I'm outta here, man! Later, man!”

"Yeah, but God's going to love you anyway," I called after him. The crowd parted as he backed away, screaming at me. "Later, Man! I'm outta, here man."

I never saw him again, but I know that God loves him. I hope he realizes it by now.

Jerry Fryer