Anita and I decided we wanted our honeymoon to be a trip to Canada. Her car was newer than mine, so we took hers and drove off. She let me determine the route, so off we went toward Detroit, Michigan. As we neared Detroit, it was already later than we planned, so we decided to spend our honeymoon night in a motel. We stopped at a convenient one and were told there was no room in the Inn. We stopped at several more and were told there was a special flower celebration on and we probably would have to drive another 100 miles to find a motel room.
It was midnight by then and we decided to head back the other direction and keep looking (worst case scenario was we had a bed waiting for us back in Indiana). We stopped every now and then and got the same closed door. Finally, about 2:00 AM, in Angola, we found a vacancy sign and spent the night.
I learned a valuable lesson about calling ahead for a reservation. That is somewhat similar to gaining admission into heaven. You may have a plan in your head that you’re going there, but no reservation. No one gets into heaven without a reservation. Jesus came to this earth to help us call for a reservation. Better make that call before its too late.
Tags: heaven, honeymoon, salvation
The other day I was contacted by Hospice and asked to visit a lady who was dying. She was from out-of-state and was living her last days with her adult daughter. I found her barely responsive, heavily medicated for pain, and disoriented in a strange room in a strange place in a strange state.
The adult daughter who owned the home greeted me warmly but then had to attend to business on the telephone while I visited her mother. Not sure if the elderly lady could comprehend what I was saying, I told her a bit about myself, and then reminded her of the simple gospel: how we all are sinners, how Jesus died on the cross for our salvation, and on the third day rose again, and how He is today waiting for us to arrive. Then I laid hands on her and prayed. First for God’s strength, then for Him to forgive her sins and place His Spirit in her life.
There was a peace in the room. I really don’t know for sure if she was coherent enough to understand my message, but I spoke it out. Now its up to her and a loving God. Thank God for grace.
Tags: death, hospice, salvation
‘Rock of Ages’, verse 2: “Not the labors of my hands Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know, Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone; Thou must save and Thou alone.”
This hymn was written in a time when the protestant Church of England had broken away, or split off, from the Roman Catholic Church. Roman-ism taught that deeds of repentance were necessary for sin to be forgiven. Toplady correctly noted that none of the works of my hands can satisfy the law’s demands. No matter how much zeal I can muster or how many tears of remorse I may shed, they have no effect on my sin that holds me in bondage. God and His grace are the only hope we have. “You must save, and You alone!”
Tags: grace, hymns, salvation
I was too young to remember, but my mother tells a story on me as a toddler. We were living on Main Street (US 6) in Butler. She was caring for my baby sister when she heard a semi blasting its horn. She looked out the front window to see what was up, and to her horror she saw me, just a toddler, running down the highway in front of the truck. She quickly came to my rescue and I was saved!
Sometimes, as we explore our way through life, even as adults, we find ourselves in more trouble than we can handle. I’m sure Mom had to change my diaper after that semi incident. Life is full of those scarey experiences, though.
As children we must rely on Mom and Dad to keep us safe and rescue us. But, as adults, we’re on our own unless we’ve come to the place of trusting Jesus to rescue us. I’ve come to that place; how about you?
Tags: deliverance, rescue, salvation
I just met with a young girl who had been raised with no father and who lost her mother when she was in High School. Today she is 20, has no one to guide her, no job, a bad car on its last leg, and no hope for her future. She was referred to me by an agent at a ministry that didn’t know how to get through to her.
After we small-talked for awhile, I opened the subject of her relationship with God. The more we talked, the softer her heart became. She was ripe fruit. Every time I asked her if she wanted to accept Jesus Christ, she said she was scared. Finally, I told her that the only way to deal with that fear was to do it. So, I led her in a sinner’s prayer and she grinned from ear to ear. She had done it! She had overcame her fear and found peace in Christ.
I told her about the importance of being in church and invited her to come this weekend. Pray for Shawna. Satan will not want to let go. But she is my first convert of the new year, so she’s my special project!
Tags: salvation
In his book Fishing on the Asphalt, Herb Miller shares that the average church member has listened to 6,000 sermons, heard 8,000 prayers, sung 20,000 hymns over and over, and asked ZERO persons to accept Christ as personal Lord and Saviour. Wow!
Last week I met with a man who does not attend any church and whose marriage was ending in divorce. He was a broken man and was obviously open to spiritual things now more than ever. So I listened to his sad story, made some common sense suggestions, and then asked, “How do you think you stand with God right now?” He teared up and then replied, “I don’t know. I honestly don’t know.”
What an open door. He is sensitive to spiritual things, is talking to a pastor, and admits he doesn’t know where he stands with God. So I reminded him of the sin gap between him and God, and also that Christ paid for that sin when He died on the cross. “Would you like to accept Christ as your personal Savior,” I asked. “Yes.” That was all it took. A quick prayer, a few tears, and it was done. Another soul in the Kingdom.
Remember that simple question: “How do you think you stand with God right now?” Gets them thinking every time.
Tags: evangelism, salvation, sinner's prayer
Al Mazerolle was fighting for the Allies in Normandy in France on D-day, the historic turning point in World War II that led to the defeat of the Nazis. A little girl, Edith Bodin, had been shot by the fleeing Nazis and dropped in a ditch for dead. The bullet, perilously close to her heart, likely would have killed her had it not been for Mazerolle. He made a daring dash through bullets and exploding shells to rescue Edith. Doctors operated on her. She survived.
Decades later, when a D-day anniversary was being observed in Normandy, Mazerolle went to France from his home in British Columbia. Edith Bodin, now middle-aged and having never seen him since she was a girl, had tears streaming down her cheeks when she saw Mazerolle. Throwing her arms around the old man, she exclaimed, “Savior!”
Who was teh person instrumental in telling you about Jesus? They were a part of your salvation. Perhaps today would be a good day to send them a thank you.
Tags: courage, risk, salvation, World War II