We need Prayer Warriors!
Commit to pray for our fairs this summer.
Commit to pray so the lost may know.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Show Me Your Expiration Date

Thursday when I took my turn at the fair a group of 3 college age people, a young woman and 2 young men, came to my table in the tent.   They were unchurched, 'sort of' knew about Jesus, but not much else.  The young woman thought she would 'probably' go to heaven because she was baptized when she was a baby.   I talked to them, beginning with original sin and the separation it created, how blood sacrifice was necessary before Jesus came, then how Jesus took our place, and John 14:6 - he is the ONLY way to heaven .  One of them laughed nervously a few times.  The young woman seemed sincerely interested, her eyes kept looking deep into mine.  I felt that the young woman wanted to accept Jesus in her heart.
      I asked if I could pray with them.  The young men shrugged.  She nodded her head. Out loud  I thanked God that they took the time to stop in.  Then I said if you want to accept Jesus, repeat after me...and I began the sinner's prayer.  I said, 'Dear Jesus,' None of them spoke. So I added, 'or say this in your heart,' and I finished the prayer.  We ask each person to fill out a prayer card with at least their first name and any prayer requests.  I also asked them to put a * by their name if they accepted Jesus.  The young woman did!!
    Then one of the young men asked me, 'Why can't I wait 20 years to accept Jesus? You know, do what I want to now and then ask him later.' He had a kind of smug grin and made eye contact with the other young man who laughed.  God gave me these words, "Show me the date."  'Huh?'  "Show me your expiration date - the date you know your're going to die."  'I don't know that,' he said.  Then I said 'let me tell you about my brother-in-law, Mike...'  
    In February Mike went out to the corner store to pick up a pizza.  He and his 10 yr old son were going to be home alone - his wife was working and his other son was at a friend's.  Mike came back home with the pizza, was stopped at the end of his driveway waiting for traffic to clear so he could make a left turn into it.  He was hit from behind and pushed in to oncoming traffic.  He was killed almost instantly. Had his 10 yr. old run up to the corner with him to get the pizza he would have been dead too.  I looked at the young man and said, 'Mike didn't know that that day was his last. He didn't know his expiration date.'
     The young men had gone silent, their smiles were gone.  The young girl spoke softly and said, "I am so sorry."   I thanked her and said, "it made me realize more deeply how urgent it is to share this message."
Please think more about it," I said to the young men. They left the tent .