On the non-Christian radio talk shows, the news of this little church had caught the imagination of a whole state, 24 hours a day, for 4 days. Even now, three weeks later, they are still talking about it on the radio. Pastors are calling in to explain why Jesus had to die. People are calling in asking, “Why, if God is love, why would He want to kill?" People are asking, “Why would a loving God want to kill His own son?" People are asking, “Why would God be so unkind as to have a need to kill animals before Jesus? Why would killing anything make God feel better?" Ministers, theologians, philosophers, historians and teachers all called to express their views. Some quoted the Bible, and some quoted history. All expressed their thoughts. Some said, “God would not do it the same today." Some said they could not believe in a God Who had a need for death. Some said, “It would terrorize children." Some said if that was Christianity, they would never believe.
What we had for about three weeks was a miracle. A whole state wrestled with Soteriology. A whole state wrestled with the subject of salvation. The news media talked about a Saviour. The TV news media talked about the price of sin. The radio talked about a need for a Saviour. They talked in restaurants. They talked in stores. They talked in schools. They talked about it everywhere.
Back in the church, the TV camera crews were set-up in the balcony. The newspaper reporters and photographers were everywhere. The congregation had been there early, so they could get seats. Now, it was time to see what the Lord would do. Then it happened. Jerry Gaffney walked in with a small, black lamb, named Alfalfa. He brought Alfalfa up on the platform. Then Jerry knelt down to pet the lamb. Not a sound was made in the building. This little lamb had caught the hearts and the attention of a whole state. Camera flashes went off, TV camera lights came on, reporters sat on the edge of their seats.
People were trying to save the lamb. Over 180 people per hour had called in to save the lamb. Bomb threats were called in to save the lamb. Many death threats on Jerry's life were called in to save the lamb. I know it makes no sense. They wanted to kill a man to save a lamb. Because Jerry is Jewish, many anti-Semitic threats were called in. “We don't need this Jewish Jesus. We don't need this Old Testament, Jewish stuff." They called in and said they were ashamed of this kind of Jesus. By the way, most of the calls were from Christian believers. They would say, “I am a Christian but....." They were so angry that they wanted to crucify. It reminded us of a crowd 2000 years ago that turned on another man. It reminded us of a people who were so upset they cried, “Crucify!" Hundreds and hundreds called to express their views.
It was so wonderful, we almost wanted to cry. Never before in the history of Washington had so many people thought about Jesus, and wrestled over salvation in such a short period of time. Jesus had provoked them to think about their souls.
What could have stirred up so much commotion? Being Jewish, I had spoken many times about Passover. Many times, at many churches, I had explained that we were to take a lamb into our homes for five days. Many times, I spoke about how we were supposed to fall in love with the lamb. Now a whole state had fallen in love with this lamb. Many times, I spoke about how we would have to kill the lamb for Passover, as a sacrifice to God, in obedience to His Word. I also said in many other churches I would not kill the lamb. I also had said two weeks earlier at this church I would not kill the Lamb. I also said I would only demonstrate the price of sin. I also had said two week earlier I would put up a drop cloth to hide the lamb, and then squirt blood on it to re-enact the death of a lamb.
NOW HERE IS THE MIRACLE.
All of this is on tape, but few outside the church have asked. Somehow, the word got out that I really was going to kill the lamb. A Pastor put out a press release at 4:00 pm Friday saying the lamb would live. Channel 4 put it on their web-site that the lamb would live. Here is the miracle again. Even though they knew we were not going to kill the lamb, the TV and newspaper people stayed and reported the story.
We picked little Alfalfa up and put him on the altar. As we did this, people screamed, “Don't kill the lamb!" The lights went dark, and the lamb was gone. Only a single spotlight shone on the empty table where Alfalfa had been. The only thing that was left was a blood-stained tablecloth. There was a gasp in the congregation. They whispered, “Did he really kill the lamb?" I walked over to another curtain and said, “Why is there so much stress about something I am going to barbecue? Why aren't we concerned about this Lamb Who died?" We then opened a curtain that revealed a man on a cross. He really looked as if he had just been crucified.
The sight of him horrified many in the crowd. Their breath was almost taken away to see something so real. His hands and feet looked as if they were bleeding. His brow had scars from the thorns. His face looked as if he had been beaten.
I fell at his feet and prayed, as if he was the real Jesus. I prayed as if He had done this for my sins. I spoke about the eight places Jesus bled and died.
1: I spoke about the blood on His brow - how He died to His will.
2: I spoke about the blood on His head - how satan mocked His authority.
3: I spoke about the blood on His face - how satan mocked His reputation.
4: I spoke about the blood on His cheeks when they plucked out His beard - how satan shamed His traditions.
5: I spoke about the blood on His back - how satan mocked His strength - how Jesus said, when you are weak then you are strong
6: I spoke about the blood on His hands - how satan mocked the hands that made the world
7: I spoke about the blood on His feet - how satan mocked His freedom to go where He wanted to go.
8: I spoke about the blood on His side - how satan mocked the desires of His heart.
I asked some men to help me take Jesus off the cross. They carried him to a tomb in the back. Again, when we took him down, the congregation saw the marks on his back and almost started to cry. The Lord had made everything so real.
I then said, “I have some good news. I know the end of the story. My Jesus is alive!" As I said the words, Jesus came walking out. He came walking out with Alfalfa, the little black lamb. When the congregation saw Jesus and the little lamb, they jumped to their feet and cheered. I said, “We have the good news. Jesus did all this for you."
When I gave the altar call, over 200 ran to the altar to get right with God. A little 7-year old girl looked at her daddy and said, “Daddy, did Jesus really do that for us?" He said, “Yes, Honey." She then said, “We must go down and get saved." One of the men who worked for the press fell on his knees and gave his heart to Jesus. One of the ministers spoke with him for 45 minutes. He said, “I have been to many church services. I have been to Jewish services, Buddhist services and other Christian services, but this is the clearest presentation of the gospel of Jesus I have ever seen. I have a lot of thinking to do." Another man from the press fell to his knees and could only say, “Oh my, oh my, oh my."
The evening news blasted across the air-ways, “Alfalfa lives, but sin is very expensive." It was the lead story for two days. They showed Jesus in a good way, not a bad one. They talked about our Jesus. They talked about the price of sin. They talked about the need for a Saviour. It was in the newspapers, “The lamb lives, but sin is very expensive." The News Media was broadcasting the good news about Jesus. Over 2 million heard the good news of the Gospel of Jesus. I could think of no better way to give the Glory to Jesus than this. Have I been persecuted and falsely accused. The word says rejoice and I am.
What was the fruit? We baptized in water over 40 people Easter Sunday night. Only 27 were scheduled, but 13 more wanted to be baptized , even though they had no change of clothes. Last Sunday night, we baptized another 20. What was the fruit? Over 220 people have signed a 24-hour prayer, praise and intercession clock. That is 10 people per hour 24 hours a day, either praying, worshiping or interceding for revival in WA. We are going to pray till we see the Pacific Northwest saved. The meetings are going into their 9th week. We are meeting Tuesday - Friday 10:30 am and 7:00pm. People are running to the Lord every night. Thirty people made decisions for Jesus just last night alone.
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