Divine Appointments

These kids were moving across the street slowly and Larry Debois offered them the tract, “A Prayer from Hell” by Holmes Moore. You can see that boys are holding the literature listening attentively to the evangelist. Although this does not happen to often in Portland, it is a good reminder that we are there for those chosen from the foundation of the world, brothers and sisters yet to be born spiritually. Larry asked them if they had ever heard that Jesus was the Messiah. “I have heard of that term…”, one of the boys responded. Larry then shared with them the main points of the Gospel, emphasizing that one must turn from their sins and follow Christ in righteousness.  Before they went on their way, the boys each received pocket Gospels of John. 

Brother Carlin preached last. He came a little late and we passed off the baton to him. Carlin has a gentle but fervent manner in preaching the gospel. People stopped to ask questions! You can see in the picture three guys standing there listening to the preaching and asking questions. A couple approached Carlin and asked the question, “What is the difference between Catholics and Presbyterians?” I could see he hesitated to answer so I offered to field the question. Lord opened the door to share a brief but thorough presentation of the gospel. I explained the difference between the imputed justification of God through Christ and a justification for which you must work towards by doing the sacraments.  

 To illustrate the point I told them the story of a Catholic man named Mitch.  "Mitch was a ‘hard’ living logger who drank and smoked throughout his life. Mitch lay dying of emphysema in the hospital.  When I came to the hospital early on a Thursday morning, Mitch was barely hanging on, struggling for every breath. I knelt down and spoke into his ear, 'Mitch there is only one man who has the power to forgive sins and that is Jesus Christ. He died for your sins and arose from the dead.' After praying for Mitch I encouraged him to call out to the living Savior for the forgiveness of sins…I waited. After a while I asked, 'Mitch, If you are trusting Christ for the forgiveness of your sins…squeeze my hand…' He nearly broke my hand off! As I left the room that morning he kept repeating something over and over again, and as I bent down, I could hear him whispering, 'Thank you! Thank you!'  Mitch died that evening! A Priest had come in earlier to give Mitch the last rites....but there was no peace or confidence of sins forgiven. But not until he called on the name of the living high priest, Jesus Christ, did Mitch have confidence that heaven was a reality!" 

I explained to the couple that this is the justification of Christ, imparted to the sinner by grace through faith.

   

Rom 10:8-9

8 But what does it say?  "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.