Even a home appliance can preach.

I know it is a crazy title but let me explain....

But before I do that I want to just say that this year I want to make a point of sharing more of my witnessing encounters. I want to share audio, video and just stories of sharing the gospel. I have prayed about because I did not want to loose my reward or sound a trumpet. At the same time I recognize in my own life that it was real life stories, encounters, audio and video that got me out of the pulpit and into the work. So as I share don't think I am trying to draw attention to me. Trust me, without the work of God and the power of the Holy Spirit as well as redemption in Christ I am nothing. In fact I just Carry the message, I did not make the message and I don't give the message any power. God does all of that. So these are not primary stories about me but about God. Gods work in my life, Gods work in the message, Gods work in the hearer. We all just sit back and watch Him.

So let me explain the title. We have a oil furnace. Kind of old but works great. The only problem is you have to watch it like a gas gauge and see how much you have left. Well once this year it broke down and I had a repair man come out. I shared the Gospel with him and it was such a wonderful conversation. He got a copy of Herman who, available at wreteched radio and we talked for nearly and hour as he described never hearing anything like what I shared and how we can know the Bible is true. Well soon after it was on E before I expected. This happened last Saturday. I just thought about checking it and was just shocked it went so quick. Either way I called Marathon Oil and asked them if they could come out today. They said that they are booked but would try and if they did not make it out today than they could not come out until Monday. Well I know that we would be out of oil by than. So we prayed God would do His will. If they did not come out well we praised God we have home heaters to plug in the wall. That day was a new year for us and I prayed that as God brought people around me that it would be divine intervention and I would pray for those situations more. So I prayed that if God could do it, He would send someone out today and it would be the person He wanted to hear the gospel.

Not even 30 minutes after praying that prayer my wife gets a call as we were walking out the door to go to the store and it was a driver looking for our address. She thanked him and told him he was an answered prayer and blessing than gave him our address and hung up.

She left for the store and he showed up. His name was Mark and he was a pretty tough looking dude. I walked out there and gave him the money he needed and because I am nice I gave him and extra million dollar bill. He said that he appreciated the tip and he asked me if we were Christians. I said yes and that we prayed God would lead the right person to us. He said that he has not been in church for a while and he could tell we were Christians by my wife's attitude on the phone. He said that the day before he prayed that God would help him be more committed to Him and the reading of the word.

Seeing and opportunity I asked Mark if he died today would he go to heaven? He said that he would and so I asked if he thought he was a good person. At that point he was confused but agreed that he was. So seeing a conflicting self diagnoses, mainly that Gods saves sinners and those that are not good, he was given the law and then the gospel. I must say that he knew many of the words before I could even say them. But what made the difference is the term legal transaction. I know we have heard that a lot lately but it made him silent. I told him that God can "legally" let him go now on judgment day based on the work of Jesus Christ. It all clicked. I saw the light go on and than my next words where to Mark that if he died today that he would go to hell if he trust in his goodness as the foundation for his admittance into heaven but that is not Gods will. He paid your fine in His life's blood and what you must do is repent and trust in Christ not just believe. He shook his head yes and said that made so much sense (Truth does).

I asked him how long has it been since he read his Bible. He said he did not even want to tell me. So than I asked him what if his wife wrote him a love letter on the way out the door and she said she poured her heart out in it and has everything she wants to say to him in it. Then she called you at lunch and you were eating with your friends at a restaurant and watching a game on TV and you told her that you did not have time. What would her reaction be? He agreed she would be very upset. So I asked him how God must feel about his lack of attention to Gods 66 love letters to him. He said, "I know what I am doing tonight". I asked what, he said going to church and reading my Bible. Needless to say that even when I was bummed that the heat went so quick. God gave us money to pay for it, sent someone the same day, and was glorified in the proclamation of the Gospel. Home Appliance's preach! I am breaking my fridge tonight!!!!!

Pray for Mark.

If you are struggling with reading your Bible than check out The New Testament Project Here.