JOY IN HEAVEN!

“...I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Luke 15:10

As I drive from our house here in Florida, to where we are renovating our boat, my habit has been to spend the 15 or 18 minutes listening to preaching or my audio-Bible. One particular morning, a couple weeks back, I felt a prompting to spend the time in prayer. As I drove, I began to plead with my Lord for strength to live in holiness, to run from all sin, for Him to use me in reaching the lost with the message of salvation through the Blood of Jesus Christ & to send more labourers. I was asking my Lord specifically to send believers to me here in Fort Myers who are passionate about sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the streets.

I was shocked (sorry to say) when 90 minutes later, handing a tract to a ‘sandwich artist’ in a Subway store, a waiting customer interrupted. The waiting customer was a student at a local Christian school and asked me if I knew “Mr. Gallagher”. It turns out that Mr. Gallagher is a passionate evangelist who’s been teaching pupils how to share the Gospel as well as an evangelism class at his home church. I was able to meet with him a few days later; a warm Christian brother on fire for the Gospel. We are planning to go to the streets together. What an amazing, fast answer to prayer

Later in the day, I was heading to The Home Depot, but ended up stopping in at Lowe’s instead. I was looking for countertop for my boat; the young man in the kitchen department was very helpful in referring me to the supplier who could better help me with such a small installation. I thanked him, handed him a tract and asked him where he would go when he died. This started an extended conversation on the Gospel. His co-worker turns around, and says something like, ‘see, this is what I’ve been trying to tell you’; he’d been witnessing to him for months. We talked for a long-time; he seemed to be convicted of his sin & see impending judgment. I left, hoping he would be brought to repentance.

Today, I was back in Lowe’s & stopped into the department and visited with his co-worker (a Godly Christian man); he told me that our visit had a major impact. The weekend following the young-man went to the beach, struck up a conversation with a young woman, who shared the Gospel with him. She ended up praying with him, amid the jeers of a friend who was accompanying him. The following weekend he attended church with his co-worker and came forward at an alter call to pray in repentance to God, putting his faith in Jesus Christ. We know that simply a prayer doesn’t save anyone, but repentance before God and Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The scripture basically tells us to be fruit inspectors, good fruit is evidence of salvation. I’m hearing that this young-man is changed in his demeanour, cleaned up his language & walking away from drinking and partying. It seems that there is joy in Heaven, over this soul coming to repentance. Please pray for him.

Glenn.