While going to the doors in a middle class area a woman greeted me on her front porch with a question, “Who do you want me to vote for?” (Local elections were that evening.) I replied, “I do want you to cast a vote for someone, but He is not on today’s ballot, His name is the Lord Jesus Christ.”
The lady (named Peggy) replied, “Come on inside.” Peggy knew the Lord and we had a nice time fellowshipping in the Word and prayer. She was interested in New Testament principles of gathering and came to the evening gospel meetings. She came out to three of the last four meetings and brought Jesse (a nine-year-old boy), Momocho (an international student, a Buddhist) and also Bea (a live-in at her home who also did not know the Lord).
Peggy has had several visits with the Hellers since the outreach week. We praise God that she was faithful to bring unsaved souls to hear the gospel message.
Another day in the early afternoon, our group of four had worked door-to-door in an area hardened to the gospel. It was a bit discouraging, to talk with so many religious people who said they were going to heaven, but were counting on church affiliation or living a good life to get there. However, we had no idea how the Lord was going to encourage us with an area of “good soil” for seed sowing.
At about 4:00 pm, (95 degree heat) our group hit a lower middle class apartment complex with the Good News of Jesus Christ. I had a string of 18 doors to knock on. As I came to the first door, a little kitty started circling my feet and meowing constantly. This kitty was becoming very annoying, in that, every time someone would open their door, the kitty would dart inside. The occupants would throw the cat out repeatedly until we were done talking. Something had to be done with this kitty as to not hinder the door-to-door discussions.
I had tried placing the kitty in some bushes, but that only worked for about 20 seconds. As I saw it, I had two options: pick up the cat and hold it, or try to clear the next building with the cat (a distance of about 25 yards). Although my dislike for cats voted for the second choice (I was confident I could clear the roof with the cat), I decided it might detract from my testimony if someone saw me hurl this creature over the next building. Now here is the grace of God in action. With an open Bible in one hand and a cat in the other, the Lord’s servant went seed sowing.
Before reaching apartment #18 about one-and-a-half hours later, I had seen devastating consequences of sin: drug addicts, physical abuse in a marriage, the results of fornication, and several “party animals.” But praise God, during this period of time, two souls had come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as Saviour. It was quite an awesome thing to watch uninterested persons–annoyed at your intrusion into their lives–stirred by the Holy Spirit and transformed into broken-down sinners crying out for the Saviour. I realized that I was a mere spectator watching the Lord of the universe creating before my eyes. The other three brothers working with me had also seen the same display of God’s handiwork in lives of others. We were undone! It was hard to talk, eat, or drink after seeing such evidence of God’s power.
I had follow-up meetings with five individuals the next day. The sister of a young man who understood the Good News of Christ the previous day answered my knock at the door. Although my reason for coming had been discipleship, God had provided for this young woman (with a four-week-old baby) to hear the good news of Jesus Christ and come to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
At the next door, I was grieved that the husband of a woman professing Christ the day before prevented an extended follow-up discussion with his wife. I went back to the hotel to get ready for the evening meetings disappointed. However, the Lord is sovereign over such things and it just happened that, out of all the restaurants in Little Rock that we could eat at that evening, the Lord directed us to the one in which this new convert to Christ was working as the hostess! Is God awesome or what?
A parting comment. While working the poorest part of Little Rock in door-to-door work, our group came across several souls that seemingly had never heard of sin or knew of Jesus Christ. I talked to a seven-year-old girl for about 20 minutes who had never heard the name of Jesus Christ before. She didn’t know what sin was, and it took quite some time to convince her from Scripture that she had sinned. But what a smile she had, after hearing about the Lord Jesus and receiving her very own frameable John 3:16 text to hang in her bedroom!
We can no longer afford to neglect the gospel of Jesus Christ in the USA! The country is slipping into despair before our eyes. Polling booths, Christian schools, para-church movements, etc., will not win back America; it will only happen by the spiritual rebirth of lost souls through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Evangelists alone cannot reach the masses; this is a work for every true believer in Jesus Christ. What a joy there is in seeing souls won for Christ!