A little after 4am yesterday morning, I was approached by a gentleman inquiring whether or not he would be allowed to sit outside one of our businesses and play his harmonica for passerby’s donations. I told him that it was, “against our policy to allow solicitors”. He responded by telling me that “technically” he was not a solicitor rather he was an entertainer. I told him that if he wanted to “entertain” on this property, he would have to contact the property management company and get their permission. He appeared to be okay with that disappointing news; you know people HATE to be told, “No”. Anyway, I thought that would be the end of our conversation, but he wanted to continue talking. I discovered that this fellow’s name was Dan. He was semi-homeless, 39 years old about to turn 40 this weekend. Dan it seems had experienced some, “bad luck” over the last year. He lost several jobs over the last several months; the place where he was staying suffered some physical damage which the landlord refused to fix, so he ended up leaving. He currently bunks with a so-called friend who steals his food and cigarettes. He lives on unemployment benefits, about $76.00 dollars a week. The car he owns is in need of repair and updated registration. He also told me that His mom went crazy and his step father hates him. Like the song writer wrote, “If it weren’t for bad luck, he’d have no luck at all”. After having listened to his story, the Spirit of God directed me to turn the conversation in a spiritual direction. I said to Dan, “Dan, can I ask you one of the most important questions of your life?” He responds, “sure”. I asked, “If you were to die today, where would you go?” He then proceeds to tell me about an out of the body experience he had several years ago after having downed several pills and a pint of scotch. His conclusion after that experience was that because his spirit was going up, he thought that he would probably go to Heaven. I then asked him, “Dan, do you believe that there exists a divine being greater than man”? He quickly responded, “oh, absolutely, there must be some designer or designers behind all that we see’. I agreed and said, “Yes, this creation is too intricate to have simply come into existence by mere chance”. I then asked, “Dan as you consider this creation, how would you describe this designer?” “Wouldn’t you agree that this designer is powerful? ‘Yes’, he said. “Dan wouldn’t you agree that this designer is intelligent?” ‘Yes’, he replied. Finally I stated, ‘Dan wouldn’t you also agree that this designer is moral? On this point he hesitated, ‘Ah, I’m not sure about moral’. I decided to pursue this point further. I said, “Dan, the reason I stated that the designer is moral is because of what’s in man”. “Dan, you would agree that mankind is also a product of this designer, correct?” He agreed. Therefore, I said, "you would have to agree that the designer, designed man with what we call, ‘conscience’. Conscience is our moral compass, our innate discerner of what’s right and wrong. So if the designer designed us with a moral compass, He therefore must be moral himself, right? He hesitantly conceded, “O.k. and your point is”? “Dan, my point is this, because the designer is as we agreed, powerful, intelligent and moral, this means that we are ultimately responsible and accountable to Him”. I then asked Dan the second most important question of his life, “Dan if you were to die today and you stood before this powerful, intelligent, moral designer would he find you a good person or a rebel”? He quickly responded, “Oh, he would find me a good person”. I asked, “would you mind taking the good person test to see if in fact you are a good person?” He said, “sure”. I told him that this test was based on the 10 commandments. “Dan”, I asked, “have you ever stolen anything ever in your life”? He said, “yes”. Again I asked, “Dan, have you ever told a lie?” “Sure I have, came his swift reply. Thirdly, I asked, “Dan have you ever wanted anything that belonged to another person?” “Yes”, he replied. “Dan by your own admission, you’re a lying, thieving, coveter”. He said, “Whoa! Wait a minute! That means that everyone on the planet is guilty”. I said, “Dan, you got it!” I continued, “Because every person on the planet is guilty this also means that every person on the planet including yourself will suffer the consequences of his/her guilt namely death and judgment”. I said, “Dan, that’s the bad news. The good news is that the designer whom the Bible calls God has provided a solution for man’s horribly corrupt condition. That solution is none other than His son, The Lord Jesus Christ”. I then proceeded to communicate to Dan the work of Christ through His life, death and subsequent resurrection. I concluded my discussion with Dan by telling him that the only way Christ’s work would benefit him was for him to personally appropriate what Christ did. The only way that he could do this was through what the Bible calls, “Repentance” and “Faith”. This simply means, turning from your rebellion against God with your total self and then placing your total trust in what Christ accomplished on the cross. We then parted ways and he said that he may come and see me tomorrow.
Please pray for Dan as he considers his only option for redemption and the hope of glory. Pray that the Lord of Glory would call Dan to Himself.
For His Glory,
Rev. Todd
