The equation of salvation
Get into the habit of inviting guests home for dinner (Romans 12:13, NLT).
The town skeptic had come for dinner.
He was a grandfatherly old man, good to the children and liked by the townspeople, but all his life he had looked down his nose at religion. But the couple at whose table he now sat loved the Lord, and had recently seen their teenage son, Mark, give his heart to the Savior.
After dinner Mark and the old man had been alone in the parlor for just a few minutes when the boy slipped a small booklet from his wallet and handed it to the skeptic. "See what you think of this," he said.
The older man squinted at the print and slowly worked his way through the few tiny pages. As he reached the prayer at the end, he looked up with tears brimming in his eyes. "Is this what you and the other Christians have been trying to tell me all these years?" Mark nodded. "Well, why didn't you say so?" And the skeptic gave his heart to God.
In a similar case, a missionary friend in Japan shared a heartwarming experience. There was a man who was greatly admired in his hometown, and he was known as the town atheist.
He had been witnessed to many times before, but he would never respond. My missionary friend, whose parents had been befriended by this man, felt indebted to him and was also concerned for his soul. After obtaining a Four Spiritual Laws booklet, the missionary decided to call on his friend and read it to him.
As he finished reading, he asked, "Does this make sense?" The atheist replied in the affirmative.
"Is there anything that would keep you from receiving Christ?"
"No," was the reply.
The two men knelt together and prayed, and the (now former) atheist invited Jesus into his life. When they arose, the man then stunned him with this question, "Chuck, is this what you and all the other Christian leaders have been trying to tell me for years?" When my missionary friend nodded affirmatively, the man continued, "Well, why didn't you tell me? Any man would be a fool not to receive Christ if he really understood what is involved."
We have found that the average person does not need to be convinced that he should become a Christian; he needs, rather, to be told how to become a Christian.
Praying that we take ourselves out of the equation,
Pastor Mike
The town skeptic had come for dinner.
He was a grandfatherly old man, good to the children and liked by the townspeople, but all his life he had looked down his nose at religion. But the couple at whose table he now sat loved the Lord, and had recently seen their teenage son, Mark, give his heart to the Savior.
After dinner Mark and the old man had been alone in the parlor for just a few minutes when the boy slipped a small booklet from his wallet and handed it to the skeptic. "See what you think of this," he said.
The older man squinted at the print and slowly worked his way through the few tiny pages. As he reached the prayer at the end, he looked up with tears brimming in his eyes. "Is this what you and the other Christians have been trying to tell me all these years?" Mark nodded. "Well, why didn't you say so?" And the skeptic gave his heart to God.
In a similar case, a missionary friend in Japan shared a heartwarming experience. There was a man who was greatly admired in his hometown, and he was known as the town atheist.
He had been witnessed to many times before, but he would never respond. My missionary friend, whose parents had been befriended by this man, felt indebted to him and was also concerned for his soul. After obtaining a Four Spiritual Laws booklet, the missionary decided to call on his friend and read it to him.
As he finished reading, he asked, "Does this make sense?" The atheist replied in the affirmative.
"Is there anything that would keep you from receiving Christ?"
"No," was the reply.
The two men knelt together and prayed, and the (now former) atheist invited Jesus into his life. When they arose, the man then stunned him with this question, "Chuck, is this what you and all the other Christian leaders have been trying to tell me for years?" When my missionary friend nodded affirmatively, the man continued, "Well, why didn't you tell me? Any man would be a fool not to receive Christ if he really understood what is involved."
We have found that the average person does not need to be convinced that he should become a Christian; he needs, rather, to be told how to become a Christian.
Praying that we take ourselves out of the equation,
Pastor Mike
posted by Mike Sanderson @ 9:36 AM
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