Monday, September 20, 2010

Jimmy was collecting cans to supplement his and his wife's income. We talked for awhile and I was able to get some of his story.

Jimmy is 67 years old. He was born in rural Kansas in 1944 and had 2 sisters and 1 brother. He has always worked outdoors in the harvest fields and retired after 30 years working as a cemetary caretaker.

He has 2 sons and 2 daughters. 1 son was put up for adoption when he was a baby, 1 daughter is estranged from him, and 1 son and grandson are close to him.

He grew up in the Methodist church and at some point in his past he accepted Jesus as his Lord and the One who saves him from God's judgement.

His thinking is that he will hopefully be allowed into heaven. He says he won't know until he gets there, but that generally he's been a good person.

I explained to him that as one who has received Jesus as the One who rescues him from judgement, that he doesn't have to hope for the best. Since Jesus is his Savior, his sins have been paid for and God is keeping no record of wrongs on him.

For whatever reason, he wasn't able to grasp this, although I explained it several times.

We prayed together. We prayed that God would heal his relationship with his daughter, reconcile him to his son, and that God would give him clarity of mind to understand that heaven has been given to him as a free gift because he asked Jesus to save him from judgement.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

In the summer of 2010 I met a man from India who was Hindu. He had come into the park I was at to meet someone and we started up a conversation.

Part way through the conversation, I asked Robert what he thought about Jesus.

Robert's belief was that everyone has a myriad of gods to choose from and it doesn't really matter which one, as long as you like him, or her. "Live and let live," he said.

I told him that the Scripture teaches that God had at one time overlooked such ignorance, or lack of knowledge, but now that He has revealed Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ, He no longer does so.

We had quite a discussion, but He was unwilling to accept that there could only be one God, and only one way.

He got a little agitated with me and finally left the park.

I wonder what happened to his friend?
In June of 2010 I was sitting in a park in Colorado hoping for someone to talk to about the Lord. I was talking to one gentleman about this and that, when a man built like a tank, and a little under the influence of something, stopped by to ask for a dollar. I told him I didn't have one.

He asked me what I liked to do. I told him I liked to talk to people about Jesus.

He threw his duffle bag down and sat down next to me, shoulder to shoulder, and told me that I was going to tell him about Jesus.

The man I was talking to previously decided to get up and leave.

I wished I could.

The aggression was thick, and I prayed that God would deliver me from being pummeled into the ground and being sent to the hospital.

The man next to me asked me who I thought was the strongest man in the Bible. Was it Samson, David, or who.

I told him that it was Jesus.

He asked why.

I said that Jesus took the burden of sin and guilt for the whole world and carried it to the cross. No other person could do that.

We sat there for a few moments, and then I told him that Jesus loved him and cared about what he was going through.

He looked at me and the aggression was gone. He asked me if everthing was okay, and I said yes.

He then got up and walked away.

My prayer is that the Lord will reach this man and give him hope.