Text Box: “Therefore, being sent on their own way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren.” -Acts 15:3 I love that word ‘conversion.’ Its literal meaning involves the turning of a soul from sin to God. Conversion implies action on two levels. First, God is at work pouring out His grace which enables a person to see both the need for change and the realization that change is possible. More often than not, God uses men and women as agents of His grace as they witness to the power of the Gospel in their own lives. Case in point: Paul and Barnabas. Those Gentiles would likely not have been converted without these two men proclaiming the Good News. As they preached, the Holy Spirit worked; God’s grace was poured out, and Gentiles were converted. The great missionary to India, E. Stanley Jones, was a strong believer that God could use him Text Box: anytime, or anyplace, as an agent of His grace. On one occasion, he had just finished a luncheon address to the bankers of Wall Street, when he was approached by a multi-millionaire who insisted on driving him to his next appointment. They had traveled about half a block when the man said, “How do you get the thing you are talking about?” Somewhat surprised, Dr. Jones replied, “Can we talk about it going through the traffic of New York City?” The millionaire didn’t hesitate. “There is no other place to talk about it.” In his own words, E. Stanley Jones describes what took place next. I told him to watch the traffic, and I Text Box: would talk. I told him he would have to surrender to Christ the one thing he owned - himself. I felt he was responding, so I asked if we could pray going along through the traffic. I wanted him to get direct relations with God, independent of me. He replied: “Yes, I’d like you to pray, but I’ll have to watch the traffic.” I’m not sure but that I kept my own eyes open! He found! The love of God like the hound of heaven had followed him down the years and found him in the midst of that traffic. When I jumped out to give my address on arrival, he grabbed my hand in both of his and said as simply as a child: “I’m in.” And he was. His face showed it and his life since has corroborated it. Secondly, ‘conversion’ means any person can experience genuine change if that person will give in when the Hound of Heaven finds him out! David Shibley, an international missions expert, once held a crusade in a church in India. Ten years later, he was invited back to preach again. After the service, a woman approached him with a huge smile and tears running down her face. “I’ve been hoping for ten years that you would come back to this city. I’ve always wanted to thank you Text Box: A Word From The Pastor

Old River Terrace UMC

Volume 2, Issue 4

April 2008

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