The Ethiopian Eunuch

As Eva and I sat talking we saw a man sitting on a bench at the other end of the lake.

We walked closer and saw he was reading. Eva extended her arm as we passed him and offered him a "book mark". He smiled and she asked him what he was reading. The book had a title something like, 'What Catholics Believe.'

The man said, "I'm trying to find out what to believe. I have so many questions."

Eva smiled and sat down. "Well, I might have the answers you're looking for!" she said.

They began a great conversation. Mark was his name and he had a notebook with him. Eva took him through the Law and he began a list of The Commandments. I noticed he was putting numbers next to them, either a 1 or a 10. I asked him what the numbers were for.

"If I do well, then I get a 10, but if I do poorly then I receive a 1", he laughed.

"There is no sliding scale for this Mark. Either you have committed the offense or you have not. You have a '10' by Thou shalt not murder, have you ever hated anyone?", I asked him.

"Yes, I have." He answered.

"Well, Jesus said if you hate your brother without cause you are guilty of murder! How will you erase that?"

He put his pen down on the paper and looked up at me with a big smile. "Well..."

"You can't. You can't erase it Mark." I said.

The smile dropped from his face and he put the notebook aside. I knew Eva was praying for him.

"You know, I've been reading Isaiah and The Acts of the Apostles and Romans, but I have so many questions. I don't understand it all."

Well you probably know what I was thinking right at that moment, and just then he reached up and touched my arm...

"You are just like Phillip!!" he said excitedly.

It was so amazing to hear him saying that right as I was thinking about the Ethiopian eunuch!! "And you are just like the Ethiopian eunuch!!" I almost yelled it.

"Yes, I am!!"

I had prayed that morning that God would go before us to prepare hearts and here he was!

I explained to Mark how he had violated God's Law. He stopped at times to make notes.

"What must I do??" he asked.

I explained that he must let go of his old life. Just as Jesus had called the disciples, he was now calling Mark.

"You must die to yourself! Repent, pick up your cross and follow Jesus! This is not an easy invitation, Mark. Your life may be difficult. It will cost you everything."

He grew quiet.


"How do I do this?" he asked.

"Pray. Talk to God...."

"What stops you Mark?"

"Rules, regulations..." He said.

"Push that aside!" I said.

Eva's head was bowed, I was sitting on the sidewalk in front of Mark. He bowed his head and said, "Please allow me a moment to compose myself."

"Of course." I said as I bowed my head.

After a moment, Mark prayed a beautiful, simple prayer. When he raised his head up he was smiling broadly.

"I need more of these!". He said as he raised up a gospel tract.

We took him to the truck and loaded him up with books and literature. He kept asking us where we came from. He told us that he was only in town for 2 weeks from Zimbabwe, visiting his son.

"I can't believe this! I just came down this morning to try to find out what to believe. I was asking God what to believe."

As he walked away he asked us to continue to pray for him.

"I can't wait to tell my son, I am a new man!"

Big Ben's Time

I saw a large man coming toward me and I only had a few seconds to make a move!

"Did you get one of these?" I handed him a Million Dollar Bill.

Surprised, he took it. "What is this?" At about 6'4" he loomed over me.

"Well, it's a Million Dollar Bill with a million dollar question on it. Will you go to heaven when you die?"

"Yes."

"Can you tell me how I can get there?" I asked him, hoping to see if he knew how to get there.

He hemmed and hawed a moment and then told me to 'believe'.

I introduced myself and asked his name.

"Ben."

"Ben, Satan knew Jesus and certainly believed He was legit. The demons believe in Jesus and tremble (James 2), they are not going to Heaven for a moment!"

He looked very surprised.

I took Ben thru the Law (www.NeedGod.com), and then explained that he must repent and put his faith in Jesus Christ alone. I was surprised, but Ben very patiently stood and listened to me, even though it was evident that he was on his way someplace when we met.

"You know Ben, I want to thank you for listening today. I know God had us talk for a reason, so I hope you'll think about all of this."

"I will, thank you."

"Remember how short my time is: For what futility have You created all the children of men?  What man can live and not see death?  Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave?"  Psalm 89:47-48

Please take the time to tell someone today.  Don't forget to carry your gospel tracts with you-then you'll be ready!

Pray for Linda

Please click and read Linda's story.

Distractions

Walking in the park I crossed paths with a man on his way to nowhere. The whites of his eyes were long ago turned yellow by alcohol and drugs.

"Hello Sir." I said, catching him off guard. I wondered who the last person was who addressed him with respect.

He stood a little taller as he answered me. "Hello."

As I looked at him, I thought of the absolute love that Jesus had for him. What a picture this man was of us all. While we look like this, Jesus died to redeem us!

"My name is Jennifer, may I know your first name?"

"I'm Danny." He said without teeth.

"Hi Danny." With a smile I handed him a gospel tract. I could not help but think of the physical toll sin had taken on him. I prayed that God would grab his heart. "Are you a good man, Danny?"

"Yes, I am."

"Good enough for Heaven?"

"I hope so!" he said.

"Have you lied?"

"Yes, I have." he said quietly.

"Stolen anything?"

"Yes."

"Used God's name as a cuss word...ever?" I asked.

Danny looked embarrassed but admitted he had. When we talked about God's judgment, Danny realized he was not going to be in Heaven. He looked scared.

"I'm trying to get myself together." he said pointedly.

"Danny, if you are sitting on the train tracks, a train is coming and I'm yelling at you to get off the tracks, would you tell me you are trying? Or would you get off the tracks? Danny you should not let anything stop you at all from getting right with God. Do you get that?"

"Yes ma'am."

Danny had told me that he was homeless until his girlfriend's aunt had taken them in.  I explained repentance to Danny. I also explained that Jesus was the only way to Heaven. He replied with an 'amen'.

"Danny you should get on your knees right here in this park and beg God's forgiveness!"

"You are right I should do that...but I've got some thinking to do."

"Yes, you do but don't wait too long, Danny."

"I'm going to pick up some clothes, but I'm coming back this way. Maybe you'll still be here."

In ever saw Danny again. It's amazing to me what little things we allow to keep us from God.

Proverbs 1:24-33 includes these words..."For the turning away of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; But whoever listens to Me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil."

Business is Picking up and Delivering...

Just a quick note to say you should give tracts any where and any place.  While waiting at a local store's loading dock for some items, I saw the UPS and FedEx guys doing their jobs.  So I gave them each a million $$. The FedEx guy read it, smiled and said "this is great!"  The UPS guy kept reading....
Pray the Lord's Word will not return void.