Dear John,
I am sending you a story
that occurred many years ago, but which has stayed with me through the years.
I think this should be a great blessing to God’s people,
and perhaps an incentive to the lost to seek Christ for their salvation
NOW.
Pastor F. M. Riley
__
Thanks, Pastor Riley.
John
He Just Barely Made It In…..
Nearly
fifty years ago [1956] I attended a service where Bro. Clarence Day, an
old time Missionary Baptist preacher, was speaking. At that time
Bro. Day had been preaching God’s Word for more than fifty years.
While speaking that day, he shared the following true story with
the congregation. The story made such an impression on me that I have never
forgotten it. Today I want to share that story with our readers, believing
that it may provoke God’s people to a greater effort in their witnessing,
and it may be used of the Lord to touch the hearts of lost people.
Bro. Clarence Day pastured
a church in Dallas, Texas or that area
[I can be forgiven for not remembering the name of the church after all
these years] for many years. Soon after he became pastor of that church,
he had the blessing of leading a young woman to a saving knowledge of the
Lord Jesus Christ. In the years that followed, Bro. Day watched her grow
in the Lord and become a sweet, happy, dedicated Christian lady.
Bro. Day told us that
only one thing marred the happiness of that lady. Her husband was not
saved. Her husband was good to her, and never objected to or interfered
with her attending church. But in spite of her many pleas he would not
attend church services with her except on very rare occasions. But she
faithfully attended church, seldom missing a service, and never failed
to request prayer for the salvation of her husband. This situation
continued for many years, the lady earnestly praying for her husband’s
salvation, and always requesting that others pray for him.
Then Bro. Day shared
with us the sequel to this story. One Sunday evening the lady prepared
herself and her children as usual, to attend the Sunday evening services.
They were just ready to leave for church when suddenly her husband asked
her to wait. He told her that he wanted to go to church with her. She
was surprised but also glad, and patiently waited while he got himself ready.
On the very rare occasions
when he had previously attended church, he had always insisted on sitting
in the very back of the auditorium. So when they entered the building that
night, the lady started to sit down in the back row of pews as usual. But
that night her husband stopped her, stating that he would like to sit closer
to the front. He then led his family to the front, seating them in the
third row of pews.
Bro. Day told us that
he preached a simple salvation message that night; nothing special. But
he did notice that the lady’s husband was listening intently. After
his message on Sunday evenings, the church usually sang one verse of some
good invitation hymn and then dismissed. But Bro. Day told us that on that
night he was impressed to continue the invitation. The church sang the
whole hymn, and then completely contrary to usual custom, Bro. Day asked
the song leader to select another invitation hymn. The church sang that
hymn too, with Bro. Day urging people to yield their lives to the Lord all
the time they were singing. Then it happened…..
On the last verse
of that hymn, as they were singing the very last words of the chorus,
the lady’s husband suddenly stepped out into the aisle and walked
forward to take Bro. Day by the hand. With tears in his eyes, he said,
“Preacher, I want to be saved. I should have settled it years ago. I
have put it off too long. Will you help me?” And right
there that night Bro. Day had the joy and blessing of leading that man to
Christ. But that is not all of the story…..
The man then publicly
confessed Christ as his Savior before the whole church, and thanked his
wife and all others who had so faithfully prayed for his salvation. His
wife was absolutely ecstatic with joy, and the whole church was rejoicing.
Bro. Day then called for another hymn to be sung, and as they sang the entire
church came forward to hug the man, to praise and thank the Lord, and to
extend to the man the hand of Christian and church fellowship. What a blessed
service and a time of rejoicing.
After all of the hugging
and handshaking was over, Bro. Day told the man that he could be seated.
The man then walked back to the pew where his family was at, and sat down.
Bro. Day made a few comments and then called on someone to close the service
in prayer. But right at that moment Bro. Day told us that an expression
of pain suddenly came over the man’s face. He instantly gripped his
chest, slumped over in the pew, and then fell headlong out into the aisle…..STONE
DEAD.
He
just barely made it in…..
“How
shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first
began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard
Him,” Hebrews 2:3.
“And of some have compassion, making a difference:
And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even
the garment spotted by the flesh,” Jude 22-23.
“But of the times and seasons, brethren, ye have
no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the
day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when
they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh
upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape,”
1 Thessalonians 5:1-3.
Folks, if you are not
saved, then seek the Lord today. We are living in the very end of
this age, and the Lord Jesus Christ is coming very soon. If you
are saved, then now is the time to be fervently witnessing to your lost
friends and loved ones. It is now or never! Will you be ready to meet the
Lord when He comes, or will you be eternally lost? Folks, it is
far better to just barely make it in, than not to make it in at all.
Acts
16:31. I am praying for you.
Pastor F. M. Riley