While preparing for a trip to Sarnia, and getting reaady to leave for an appointment at 5 p.m.,I had just turned my cell phone on at 4:45 in the afternoon.
As I start walking away, I heard a beep from my phone. It turned out to be a voicemail that had been recorded earlier in the day at 12:45.
Normally I would have ignored it for the time being, for I had been getting a lot of false messages, but this time I pushed the button that said call.
I received a message from a brother in the Lord, Tyler, who was really concerned about the eternal destiny of a friend of ours who at this time was admitted to the hospital with cancer throughout his body. He had been fighting it for some time now with drugs. Tyler who was going out of town for the week had a heavy burden on his heart for John, for he did not think John would be around by the time he returned home.
I felt saddened, for we were to be on our way out of town. I lifted John up in prayer as my wife and I headed for the father in laws house. As I drove over toward the house, it seemed I was in a daze as I drove and explained the situation to my wife. When I come out of the apparent daze, I was headed in the wrong direction. Turning to correct my coarse, I passed near a house of a brother in the Lord, Ross. My spirit jumped with excitement as I seen his van home.
I believe God had guided me in this direction for such a time as this. God was preparing a plan.
Ross was in the shower, but I stressed the urgency and ended up speaking to him in the bathroom as he stood behind the curtain. I shared what I knew and asked if he would have a chance to make a visit.
Ross and I both knew John, for several years ago, after a midnight shift, John and myself went over to Ross’s house in search of some answers. After a few hours of biblical conversation, we left, myself born again, a brand new man, and John not.
After coming home around 9 p.m., I received a call from Ross who shared how he had asked for God to provide a window of opportunity to share Jesus and His saving power to John, and remove all barriers that would hinder the truth from going forward and being received.
When Ross entered the room, John was sort of in and out of it. John’s mother was also in the room.
After a brief time of conversation, John’s mother left the room for a glass of water leaving Ross and John alone. Ross without a moment to spare, asked John if he knew who he was, and John looked at him with alertness in his eyes and said yes.
Getting right to the point, Ross confronted John with the question "If you died, John, where would you go?". John replied "i don't know", and with that Ross asked him if he would like to go to Heaven. John replied yes, so Ross told John he would need to confess he is a sinner before God and ask Jesus into his heart. John said he wanted to do that, did so and asked Jesus into his heart. Praise God!
Previous, John would shut the conversation down when it got directed toward God, but not this time.
Because of Tyler’s commitment and phone call, my concern and action, and Ross’s obedience to the opportunity, John finally became a brand new man, born again in Christ.
What an awesome end to the day, being obedient to the Holy Spirit and knowing that you had a part in saving a soul from eternal damnation.
top Glory be to God!