The Cream of the Crop!
©
Written by Danny Bunn,B.A. (Born-Again believer in the Lord
Jesus Christ)
Chapter 20
Life is a vapour
The next day, Joe gets up as usual, spends some time with
God, eats a little breakfast, kisses his wife goodbye and he is
off to work. He practices on some of the verses that he has been
memorizing, today he is going over II Tim 3:12, "Yea, and all
that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."
Joe hasn't experienced a lot of that as he was going over the
verse in his mind but he knew that it was true and the more that
he stands out as a Christian, the more the world hates him
because a Christian lives in the Light and darkness hates light
because their deeds are evil. Oh, they don't mind him taking them
to the store, cutting their yard, walking their dog, loaning them
money when they need it, doing all kinds of good deeds, that is
fine but don't be calling them sinners in need of a Saviour. They
know that they do bad things at times but they see so many people
that they are better than, nicer, better looking, richer,
healthier, etc. so why would Joe tell them that they need to be
saved from sin. That is going too far. All of these thoughts are
going through Joe's head as he is driving to work, he arrives and
now he has to concentrate on his job and do that as to the
Lord. He gets out and goes inside, the ones that are usually
early are not at their posts, Joe is wondering what is going on.
He walks through the plant and he doesn't see anyone, he hears
some people talking now as he is getting close to the office
area. Ah yes, now he sees some of them.
He walks up to where they are standing around talking and says,
"What's up?" Jerry says, "No Joe, it is not what's up, it's what's down?
We just got news that Clyde has been killed while in New York preaching
on his vacation time." Joe goes into a semi-trance and his mind went
back a few weeks ago. Clyde said, "Hey, Joe remember to keep me
in prayer while I am gone, I hope to be ministering to some
street gangs while I am in New York City." Joe told Clyde that he
would but he hasn't thought of that conversation until just now.
Joe comes back into reality as he hears a voice saying, "Joe, do
you hear me?" Joe says, "Yea, Jerry, I hear you! What is the
story behind it?" Joe's boss knew that they were fairly close, he
says, "Here Joe, here's the story straight out of the New York
City paper." Joe thanks him. The boss starts to tell them to get
back to work when Joe speaks up, May I say a prayer? His boss
turns to Joe and says, "Sure Joe!" Joe bows his head and starts
praying, "Lord God there are many things that I don't understand
but I do understand this much, Clyde loved you and I know that he
is with you right this minute, his life long dream has come true.
He desired to share your life with people everywhere he went but
he desired so strongly to be with you. He would quote the verse
to me at times, 'For to me to live is Christ, and to die is
gain.' and I have memorized that verse too since he has shared it
with me. God I will miss Clyde but I certainly wouldn't ask you
to bring him back, now he is in your very presence and that is
almost above comprehension. And what is super cool, he went as a
martyr, killed for the sake of the gospel. I praise you God for
allowing me to be his friend. In Jesus' name. Amen!"
Joe looks up and tears are running down his face. His boss tells him
to hang around the office for about 15 minutes and then go to his post.
He thanks him and sits down. He looks at the paper in his hand
and opens it up and starts reading. "A vistor to the great state
of New York was brutally slain by a gang of punk rockers. The
leader of the gang has been captured and is in jail, he was
questioned as to why did they do it. Metalhead, the only name he
would give us said that the guy came up to us and handed us some
pamphlets and started talking about how much God loved us. I
looked the man in the face and said, 'What do you mean God loves
us? Look at us man, we are street people, God never helped us, we
help ourselves.' This man had tears running down his cheeks, and
then I told him real men don't cry. He went on to say that the
greatest, strongest man in the world who was none other than God
himself who came in human flesh, actually became a man and died
for your sins as well as mine cried when he was here and you tell
me that grown men don't cry. No son, men have feeling as well as
anyone and crying is one sign of compassion. I love you, all of
ya'll but you must come to Jesus for life. Some of the gang
members started shouting, Let's kill him, he called us sinners,
telling us that we need help. Well, the shouting got to me and I
said, Let's do it. We ran upon the man with our knives, clubs and
had a party but it was the strangest party that I have ever been
at, he wasn't cursing us as most do, he wasn't even fighting
back, he was saying things such as Praise the Lord, thank you
Jesus that you made me worthy to suffer for your name's sake.
Thank you for what you are going to do through this witnessing
encounter." I couldn't believe what I was hearing, it was driving
me up the wall. One of my boys, grabs his gun and blew his brains
out. I looked down at his face and I have never seen so much
peace on a person that went through what he went through.
Something like a tear came out of one of my eyes and that got me
mad. I kicked him and I said where is your God now fella! and
then me and the gang took off." Cont. on A4.
Joe's mind is thinking, How did they catch the guy? How? I
heard it is super hard, almost impossible to catch street gang
members and their leaders in New York City. Joe quickly turns to
page A4. He finds the article and continues reading. "The Police
sargeant said, 'This was one of our easiest crimes to solve, the
guy came in on his own free will and turned himself in and he
told us how to find the others who did it. We are still on the
lookout for some of them though but at least we know who we are
looking for."
Joe stops reading for a few seconds as his mind starts
whirling again. Why did the guy turn himself in? He looks back
down at the paper and continues on. "Metalhead said that he read
the pamphlet and he prayed for the God that this man talked
about, the one who revealed himself in his Son to come into his
life, to help him see the right way to go, to help him overcome
this hatred, bitterness that has been eating at him for years.
Then he said the strangest thing. "I knew he heard me, I knew he
was coming within me. I just knew, there was some kind of
supernatural peace or whatever you want to call it that
surrounded me, consumed me. I KNEW that he had heard and then
there was this feeling in me to right the wrong that I did. I
couldn't understand it. I never remembered experiencing anything
like it before. I jumped up and went directly to the police
station to report a murder. They asked me where and who did I see
murder someone. I tell them that it was me and my gang and it was
some man witnessing Jesus to us.
"The case is still under investigation. We hope to give you
more news as we receive it." Joe is thinking, "One of my closest
friends is dead but there is a new member in the Body of Christ.
Praise God! Joe gets up from the chair and goes to work at his
post. He is whistling and his boss notices it. He walks up to Joe
and asks him, "Why are you whistling? One of your closest friends
and one of my best employees is dead and you are whistling. I
don't understand it!" Joe looks his boss straight in the eye and
says, "Tom, Clyde was a very good friend and I had lots of
questions in my mind when I first heard what happened until I sat
in your office and read this paper. Not only is Clyde with Jesus,
a gang leader was saved and where this will lead, we will only
know in eternity. Tom, a kernel of wheat has been buried and now
we need to see the crop that will come forth. How many lives are
going to come to Jesus through this, only God knows!" Tom nods
his head and walks off thinking about all of this.
