While waiting at a street corner for a car, an old man with bent form and wrinkled face, approached me, and asked me to buy a pencil of him.
I did so, and, at the same time, felt that the door was opened for me to speak a word to him about the Lord Jesus. Having finished our little business with the pencils, I inquired of him,
“Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ?” He assented by a nod of the head that he did.
“But,” I said, “how do you know Him?”
“I used to learn about Him in the schools,” he replied, “He was born in Bethlehem and died on the cross.”
“Yes, but do you know Him?” I again asked. The same question put to him the second time brought a puzzled look upon the old man’s face. I do not think he understood me. Then I went on to say,
“You see, for instance, I might have heard about you and a great many things you have done and said; still I might not be acquainted with you at all.”
Do you readers of this paper see the difference between knowing about Jesus and knowing Him personally as a Savior and Friend? Almost everybody nowadays knows about Him, but how very few are really acquainted with Him.
This old man then told me that he thought we needed religion, and I endeavored to show him that religion could not save one, by telling him of a very religious Pharisee who went up into the temple to pray. God could not hear his prayer for he was a sinner and would not own it. There was also another man, a poor publican, who was likewise a sinner and knew it and prayed that God would be merciful to him a sinner. (Luke 18:10-1410Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. (Luke 18:10‑14).)
“If you take the place of a sinner,” I said, “God can bless you, for He sent His Son unto this world to die for such and to bear the sins of those who believe. But if not, you must be in hell forever.”
With these words I left him, feeling what an inestimable privilege it was “to bear His name” before all men.
If the reader, whether old or young, be a saved one, let him not be ashamed nor afraid to speak of Jesus. You shall certainly reap a rich reward, if you serve Him in this way.