FAKOMO was a poor African boy who had been taken away from his home to become the servant of a Copt in Egypt. His master called himself a Christian, but alas, he did not know the Lord as his Saviour, nor did he instruct Fakomo, so as a result the boy grew up in darkness.
One day a Mohammedan woman told Fakomo he should follow the teachings of Mohammed, and soon the boy became very strict in observing all that Mohammed had told his followers they should do.
But as time passed on, Fakomo grew restless, he ran away from his master and found work in another house. One day there came to his new master’s home a minstrel who went from house to house singing Arabic songs in praise of Christianity. So it was that Fakomo heard the name of Jesus. There was a charm to him in that name, for it was a sweet and beautiful sound to his ear. The minstrel sang that Jesus was God’s Son, and although that was all the boy heard of Jesus, God had by these words created an earnest longing in his dark soul to know Him who bears that sweet name. The religion of Mohammed had no Saviour and only left the soul of poor Fakomo empty and restless. But all this time God had been teaching him his need of the One who could say, “Come unto Me, and I will give you rest.” Matt. 11:2828Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28).
Fakomo begged his new master to tell him about the Christian faith. But he did nothing to help the poor boy. Fakomo heard about a great man called a bishop whom he felt sure would tell him the way to the longed for knowledge. But neither did the bishop tell him anything about the Lord Jesus and His love to sinners. Poor Fakomo, bitterly disappointed, went back to his master with a sadder heart than ever.
But brighter days were coming. One day a native evangelist came to town preaching the glad tidings of forgiveness of sins through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The first who received the message of God was Fakomo. God said, “Let there be light: and there was light.” How his dear dark face shone with joy as he heard Jesus say: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24).
Fakomo had heard the words of Jesus, the words of the Saviour, he believed that God had sent Him, and from that day he has had the divine certainty of three things: that he has eternal life; that he shall never come into judgment, for Jesus has borne his judgment on the cross; thirdly, that he has passed from death unto life.
Now he delights to proclaim the glad tidings of eternal salvation through the death and resurrection of that Saviour so precious to his own soul.
ML-12/23/1973