Emmit was sitting in a patio chair outside his rig. I approached him with my tract to say here you go Im giving these gospel tracts away. Emmit hesitated (great start) after looking at the tract when I asked him if he went to church anywhere. Not as much as he would like was his answer. After a few more questions leading into the gospel, I asked what he knew about God. He says something like, do you know God has 99 attibutes...
Emmit took off like a missle as though he knew what he was talking about, he didn't. After surrounding my argument with "trying to be righteous is like taking a gun without a scope and hitting an aspirin 1000 yards away". I asked Emmit if he could accomplish that. No he nodded.
Emmit understood after 20 minutes what a sinner he was and that if God were to come today he would be going to hell. He also understood the importance of repentence, trust in Christ alone for his sins to be expiated. Emmit thanked me, so off to another truck I went.
I helped a guy park his rig by hand signals. Drivers can do a good job on their own but parking can be easier if someone spots the driver's trailer end for him to make sure he parks between the trucks without hitting them. After 5 minutes of parking I felt like I "earned the right" (Joke, ha ha) to talk to Tim. I don't earn anything, Christ earned everything by creating everything, things seen and not seen He created all things. Christ gave me the right to talk to whomever I want about the gospel. Tim was a heavy set man, big, large man, oh very big man. I held up my tract for him to take so he took it. I found out he used to attend church but not anymore. In short Tim said he was a "backslider" *&&*(^, sorry that was me choking up a huge one after I spelled backslider.
- What do say now
- Can't let it get away
- He's a friendly fellow
- I can't hurt his feelings can I?
- I need to stay relevant
- ENOUGH
Nevertheless, the gospel has teeth and Tim must not hear only squishy mushy things. He must hear the full counsel of the gospel. I told him there was no such thing as backsliding out of being a Christian. Christ saves to the uttermost. All that the Father has given His Son, He loses none of them. Christ doesn't redeem then unredeem, save then unsave, make just then make unjust. If He did that He would have to collect all His blood He lost on the cross. No way. Backsliding is nothing but false conversion or no conversion.
Tim was nice enough he said not to kick me off his truck. So in the end I left Tim in an uncomfortable state of agitation. He still shook my hand and said thank you. Tim knows the gospel now.
Let me skip over Gary the dog walker and a false baptist convert and Ernesta (cool name) a true false convert. Her conscience bothered her enough that she thought her paperwork was more important all of a sudden. Skip too, John and Misty. Although they claimed to be christians I asked if they were married, "not yet" was the answer to the adultery question. They sleep in the same truck spend all day together, eat together, not a good wholesome situation.
I came to the truck of Charlie and Marissa Ybarra a real married couple that didn't claim christianity. After holding up my tract to Charlie he rolled down his window to take it with a little snarl in his attitude. Praise God for Snarly people. He took the tract, I started asking if he went to church, and did he know what was on the other side after he died. After about 5 minutes of talking he asked if I would like to come in. Sure, I said. Picture this, the cab full of cigarettes, stink, rosary beads on the mirror, a strip club ad on his shirt, he was tatooed from head to whatever, a red light for a calming mood. I found out his wife, Marissa was listening to me while I was outside. So there I sit in the drivers seat, Charlie in the passenger seat, and Marissa in the back bed type of seat. Did I say it stunk? Cigarette smoke. I must say though, they never lit one up while I was in there.
I arrived at the truckstop about 7:30 pm, talked to Gary and Ernesta for about 30 minutes total. So about 8 pm I arrived at the truck of Charlie and Marissa. It was almost 11pm before I saw the clock after getting into my truck to go home. Folks, that's about 3 hours inside the cab of a truck talking to Charlie and Marissa about the gospel. Charlie had questions about his rosary beads, his tatoos, his uncle who lived like satan through the week and like an angel on Sunday. Both Charlie and Marissa were listening to everything I said about the commandments, the cross, repentance, turning from their way to Christ's way, a changed heart from a heart of stone, living for Christ alone. I told them that no priest had the power to forgive sins only Christ alone.
Before leaving, Charlie said he thought he was ready to "recieve Christ". I told him I really appreciated the attitude he had about the things I told him. But getting saved is up to Christ alone. I told him I could not tell him that he was saved or that he was not saved. I told him to get a bible (I usually have an extra one but didn't this time) and read 1 John. In there are the birth marks of a Christian, to read this several times. It's a short book. If Christ is speaking to your heart right now then the words of Christ will make sense. I told Charlie, Christ would open his eyes, ears, mind to understand His words. I said please beg him for mercy so that He would show himself to you and Marissa. He would save you if you plead with Him.
Praise God, Charlie was not even going to open his window to me at first. He cussed at me telling his wife, who the bleep is this? I didn't hear it, he told me as I was leaving he had said it. I'm just an ambassador of Jesus Christ who used to be dung. Now am useful for His kingdom.
1Cr 2:4
and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
No comments:
Post a Comment