Walking out the door of the grocery store, i noticed a man standing alone, smoking a cigarette.

I guessed he was waiting for someone, probably his wife.

Reaching into my pocket, I offered him a little Gospel tract...it had a smiley face on the cover surrounded by the words, "Jesus Loves You."

He took it, half smiled, and repeated the words on the cover softly.

"You know that, don't you?" I asked.

He sort of shrugged and looked me in the eye.

I introduced myself, and he told me his name was MIKE. he was not real tall, but was built solidly...had short blondish hair...he looked like a working man, maybe old enough to be someone's grandfather.

I went on, "God crossed our paths tonight because He wants me to tell you something...i don't know what is going on in your life, but The Lord knows all about it and He wants you to know He loves you."

Mike was still holding my eye contact with serious interest.

Then I asked him where he would go if he died suddenly tonight.

"I HOPE i'd go to heaven."

"I can tell you how you can know for sure," I said.



Have YOU ever had someone tell you that you are a sinner, that someone has to pay for your sin, that Jesus Christ took your place by dying on the cross for your sins, and that you can have the gift of eternal life if you give up your sin, give your life to Jesus Christ, and simply believe in Him? do you believe that He gave His Life on the cross, that He arose from the dead?

I told all that to Mike from New York, there in front of Food City in Pigeon Forge, Tennesee at about 8 p.m. tonight.

And he heard and understood it.

'said he was a Catholic...sort of said it in a way to tell me that was his safety net.

I have several friends who are Catholics, and i told him so.

I also told him that he and i both know that the church will never get us a foot off the ground, much less to Heaven...that we must trust Jesus Christ alone to do that.

He agreed.

God's Presence was so awesome at that moment.

...out of the corner of my eye i saw my preacher father watching us, and i knew he was praying.

"Mike, if i could lead you in a prayer that would draw you closer to God, would you want to pray a prayer like that, right here, with all these people walking around us watching?"

There were those eyes again.

The Holy Spirit worked in his heart.

He said, "yes."

"Well, then, put that cigarette out and take my hand."

He did.

"Pray this prayer after me, but only if you mean it:"


"Dear God, this is me."

He repeated those words...and all the rest of this prayer as i recited it in short phrases.

"I know i've done alot of things wrong, but i'm sorry.

Please forgive me.

I turn away from my sin.

Jesus, I believe You are God's Son, that you died on the cross for the things i've done wrong, and that You arose from the dead.

NOW JESUS...come into my life and take control.
I give my whole life to You, and will follow You for the rest of my life.

Thank you for saving me, amen."


Immediately i looked into his eyes, which were now running over with tears.

I asked, "Can God lie?"

He said, "No."

"If God made you a promise, you could count on Him to keep it, couldn't you?"

"Yes!"

"Well, He said that "whosoever calls upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved."

"Mike, did you call on The Lord Jesus to save you just now?"

He smiled at me...it was dawning on him..."Yes, i did."

"Then He says that you are saved (safe)!"

I talked more with him about being assured that God had taken the control of his life...that He was born again because he believed Jesus and put his trust in Him alone.

Briefly i told him a few things to do to help him grow in Christ.

After giving him my address, we took leave of each other.

I suppose Mike will go back to New York, and I suppose that there's a good chance he and I will never see each other again here on this earth.

But i KNOW we'll see each other again in heaven.
and I told him so as we said goodbye.

As my father and i drove out of the parking lot, Daddy pointed Mike out again...

He was walking with a lady we assumed to be his wife, talking excitedly...

I believe that Mike, the new believer, was doing what new believers naturally do...sharing Christ with others.