JTC Posted June 21, 2016 Group: Royal Member Followers: 18 Topic Count: 200 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 2,795 Content Per Day: 0.64 Reputation: 1,502 Days Won: 1 Joined: 06/25/2012 Status: Offline Birthday: 07/26/1952 Share Posted June 21, 2016 Yesterday I had a 62 yr old plumber here. When he arrived I didn't know he'd be here 5 hrs nor that was talkative. He told me early that there's nothing after death. I think this is his problem believing in God. I asked why? His answer was because he had a heart attack at 43 and he died. He said they paddled him 4 times and were just about to call the time of death when his heart started to beat again. I asked if he saw anything? He said no nothing, no light at all, no people he knew, it was just darkness. He had no awareness of anything. I think he was disappointed. He concluded this life is all there is. I really didn't know what to say. All I thought of is there are a lot of possibilities for why that happened. Over the next 5 hrs I found out this man is a good man. Not a typical person of the world at all. He spent most of his life caring for his mother because his siblings deserted her. He often gets the short end of the stick because he doesn't lie and when he has a job he does it right, no matter how long it takes him. I then found out he's married to a woman from India who was brought here as a sex slave. I guess he helped free her. But now our dear country (sarcasm) won't let her back in. He looks forward to moving there when he can. I never actually told him I'm a Christian or that God is real and I know he needs to pray to God even if he doesn't believe in him. No sooner did he leave and I felt convicted. I still do which is why I'm writing this. Why didn't I? Well, I didn't want to put him off even more from God. I was also being selfish and I wanted him to finish the job. I did tell him next time he's in this building to feel free to come in for lunch. IMO this man has the love of God in him. Oh, I think he was raised a nominal Catholic (like me) and that heart attack where nothing happened made him doubt everything. How else may I have handled this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmuffet Posted June 21, 2016 Group: Royal Member Followers: 34 Topic Count: 1,993 Topics Per Day: 0.48 Content Count: 48,691 Content Per Day: 11.76 Reputation: 30,343 Days Won: 226 Joined: 01/11/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted June 21, 2016 The man didn't die. He was right there talking to you. He may have had a cardiac arrest but he did not die. Perhaps he wanted proof that there was a God. But that is not the way Christianity works. The man's good deeds will not get him to heaven. I would have told the man that I was a Christian. I would have shared with him the truth about Jesus Christ. Then it is up to God to change the man's heart. We are not to be ashamed about our status as a Chrisitan. As Christians we are suppose to be the salt and light of this world Matthew 5: 14-16. I always share with a person the fact of where do they want to spend their eternity in heaven or hell? An eternity is a very long time. Never ending. That usually gets a person's attention. Did this job really require 5 hours? I would have taken a few minutes to share with him who Jesus Christ is and then I would have backed off and told him that if I was paying him by the hour I would let him get his work done so I would not have a huge plumbing bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTC Posted June 21, 2016 Group: Royal Member Followers: 18 Topic Count: 200 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 2,795 Content Per Day: 0.64 Reputation: 1,502 Days Won: 1 Joined: 06/25/2012 Status: Offline Birthday: 07/26/1952 Author Share Posted June 21, 2016 I am not ashamed of being a Christian. Usually I never shut up about it. In his mind he died. Had it been 100 yrs ago he would have been stayed dead. That was 1 of the possibilities I hinted at. Today there are many definitions of death. Yes it took 5 hours and the landlord was paying for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezra Posted June 21, 2016 Group: Royal Member Followers: 16 Topic Count: 134 Topics Per Day: 0.04 Content Count: 8,142 Content Per Day: 2.34 Reputation: 6,612 Days Won: 20 Joined: 11/02/2014 Status: Offline Share Posted June 21, 2016 1 hour ago, JTC said: How else may I have handled this? Now that you realize you need to share Christ with this man, what you could do is phone him right away and thank him for the good job he did for you. Then tell him you would like to invite him for coffee or lunch or whatever, and get to know him better. When you can sit down and talk, you can say what's on your mind, as well as share some Scriptures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willa Posted June 21, 2016 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 68 Topic Count: 186 Topics Per Day: 0.04 Content Count: 14,253 Content Per Day: 3.32 Reputation: 16,669 Days Won: 30 Joined: 08/14/2012 Status: Offline Share Posted June 21, 2016 God speaks a lot about light and darkness. 1Jn 1:5 This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. Joh 3:17 For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him. 3:18 He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. 3:19 This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the light, and doesn’t come to the light, lest his works would be exposed. :21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God.” 2Pe 2:15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16 but he was rebuked for his iniquity: --17 These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. Being a good person is not enough for God's kingdom. We must be perfect. Everyone needs to call out for God's help, because only Jesus Christ is perfect enough to go to heaven. And it is only when we surrender to Him as Lord of our lives that we allow Him to live and reign in us by His holy Spirit. It is by faith in His resurrection that we are declared righteous by God. Rom 4:5 But to him who doesn’t work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness. Rom 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. So it is true, you will find yourself in utter darkness unless you come to God, confess your sin of unbelief, and receive Christ into your life asking for His help and His righteousness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTC Posted June 21, 2016 Group: Royal Member Followers: 18 Topic Count: 200 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 2,795 Content Per Day: 0.64 Reputation: 1,502 Days Won: 1 Joined: 06/25/2012 Status: Offline Birthday: 07/26/1952 Author Share Posted June 21, 2016 25 minutes ago, Willa said: So it is true, you will find yourself in utter darkness unless you come to God, confess your sin of unbelief, and receive Christ into your life asking for His help and His righteousness. This is 1 of the things that occurred to me after he left. On the other hand, not everyone who almost dies sees the light. We're really in unknown territory here. Again, that's why I told him there are many possibilities for his experience. I didn't say he is good man to imply you get to heaven like that. I meant that a man that behaves like him and says what he was telling me usually has the calling of God upon him. I don't have his #, I wish I did. But the chances are high he'll be working in this building again. If God wants me to see him he'll be in the hall some time when I am too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Running Gator Posted June 21, 2016 Group: Royal Member * Followers: 8 Topic Count: 91 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 10,596 Content Per Day: 3.67 Reputation: 2,743 Days Won: 25 Joined: 06/16/2016 Status: Offline Share Posted June 21, 2016 4 hours ago, JTC said: Yesterday I had a 62 yr old plumber here. When he arrived I didn't know he'd be here 5 hrs nor that was talkative. He told me early that there's nothing after death. I think this is his problem believing in God. I asked why? His answer was because he had a heart attack at 43 and he died. He said they paddled him 4 times and were just about to call the time of death when his heart started to beat again. I asked if he saw anything? He said no nothing, no light at all, no people he knew, it was just darkness. He had no awareness of anything. I think he was disappointed. He concluded this life is all there is. I really didn't know what to say. All I thought of is there are a lot of possibilities for why that happened. Over the next 5 hrs I found out this man is a good man. Not a typical person of the world at all. He spent most of his life caring for his mother because his siblings deserted her. He often gets the short end of the stick because he doesn't lie and when he has a job he does it right, no matter how long it takes him. I then found out he's married to a woman from India who was brought here as a sex slave. I guess he helped free her. But now our dear country (sarcasm) won't let her back in. He looks forward to moving there when he can. I never actually told him I'm a Christian or that God is real and I know he needs to pray to God even if he doesn't believe in him. No sooner did he leave and I felt convicted. I still do which is why I'm writing this. Why didn't I? Well, I didn't want to put him off even more from God. I was also being selfish and I wanted him to finish the job. I did tell him next time he's in this building to feel free to come in for lunch. IMO this man has the love of God in him. Oh, I think he was raised a nominal Catholic (like me) and that heart attack where nothing happened made him doubt everything. How else may I have handled this? I think you might have made the right choice, it is not always the right time. If someone is not ready you will drive them further from God instead of close. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmuffet Posted June 22, 2016 Group: Royal Member Followers: 34 Topic Count: 1,993 Topics Per Day: 0.48 Content Count: 48,691 Content Per Day: 11.76 Reputation: 30,343 Days Won: 226 Joined: 01/11/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted June 22, 2016 6 hours ago, Out of the Shadows said: I think you might have made the right choice, it is not always the right time. If someone is not ready you will drive them further from God instead of close. The man had a cardiac arrest. That is the best time to bring up what could have happened if he is not a believer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1x1is1 Posted June 22, 2016 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 8 Topic Count: 2 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 1,146 Content Per Day: 0.27 Reputation: 732 Days Won: 1 Joined: 10/30/2012 Status: Offline Birthday: 04/10/1950 Share Posted June 22, 2016 JTC , thanks for being honest with us and admitting your quilt. I have also failed in a one on one chance meeting. And just like you, I regretted it immediately. One thing I can tell you is that even if you do not have the opportunity to see that particular fellow again, you will not let the next similar meeting end the same way. This was a learning event for me, and I am sure you will see yours the same way. Consider this also . . . . . . The Lord knows his sheep and future sheep. Perhaps that fellow will never become born again and Jesus knows that. It could be that you were allowed to experience this event to prepare you for the next one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIC Posted June 22, 2016 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 13 Topic Count: 34 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 2,444 Content Per Day: 0.83 Reputation: 2,644 Days Won: 3 Joined: 05/02/2016 Status: Offline Birthday: 08/11/1989 Share Posted June 22, 2016 14 hours ago, JTC said: Yesterday I had a 62 yr old plumber here. When he arrived I didn't know he'd be here 5 hrs nor that was talkative. He told me early that there's nothing after death. I think this is his problem believing in God. I asked why? His answer was because he had a heart attack at 43 and he died. He said they paddled him 4 times and were just about to call the time of death when his heart started to beat again. I asked if he saw anything? He said no nothing, no light at all, no people he knew, it was just darkness. He had no awareness of anything. I think he was disappointed. He concluded this life is all there is. I really didn't know what to say. All I thought of is there are a lot of possibilities for why that happened. Over the next 5 hrs I found out this man is a good man. Not a typical person of the world at all. He spent most of his life caring for his mother because his siblings deserted her. He often gets the short end of the stick because he doesn't lie and when he has a job he does it right, no matter how long it takes him. I then found out he's married to a woman from India who was brought here as a sex slave. I guess he helped free her. But now our dear country (sarcasm) won't let her back in. He looks forward to moving there when he can. I never actually told him I'm a Christian or that God is real and I know he needs to pray to God even if he doesn't believe in him. No sooner did he leave and I felt convicted. I still do which is why I'm writing this. Why didn't I? Well, I didn't want to put him off even more from God. I was also being selfish and I wanted him to finish the job. I did tell him next time he's in this building to feel free to come in for lunch. IMO this man has the love of God in him. Oh, I think he was raised a nominal Catholic (like me) and that heart attack where nothing happened made him doubt everything. How else may I have handled this? Well to be very honest you handled it pretty well... You didnt know what to say. And starting an argument is not the best idea. So in my opinion you handled the situation pretty well. If you feel convicted I think you need to pray for the man. Maybe God will bring him to the saving knowledge of Christ. And He may choose to use you in the process.. God Bless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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