Day 43 - James Learned Jesus is "God" and "Father"

I saw a man sitting on some steps in the distance with a broom on one side and a dust pan on the other. He sat staring off into the distance as if not really looking at anything at all. I could've ignored him. Had other "more important" things to do. But I knew Jesus loved him enough to die for him to secure his eternal destiny, and Jesus commanded me to "go" and share the news with him in case he didn't know or in case he hadn't acted on it yet.

I walked over and started up a friendly conversation. I introduced myself and shook his hand. His name was James. I handed James a gospel tract and asked him if he'd ever received one.

James: No, I haven't.
Me: It's a gospel tract. If something unexpected happened to you today, James, do you know where you'd spend eternity?
James: No. I don't.
Me: Nothing's more important than your eternal destiny, James, and the bible says that God loves you so much that He did something incredible to prove His love for you and provide a way for you to have eternal life with Him. Would you like to know how you can know for sure what your eternal destiny will be?
James: Yes, I would.

I went through some of the 10 commandments with James. He honestly admitted that he had broken the commands. He had lied, stolen, used God's name in vain, and harbored lust and hatred in his heart. He admitted that when God judges him by His perfect moral standard, James would be found guilty. He conceded that if he were found guilty his eternal destiny would be hell. I asked if that concerned him, explaining what Jesus said about hell. He said it did concern him. I then asked if he knew what God did so he could go to heaven and not hell? He didn't know.

I explained how God, seeing there was nothing we could do to save ourselves from the consequences of our sins (Rom. 6:23), stepped down out of heaven and became a man, Jesus Christ. I explained that Jesus was fully God and fully man and that He lived a perfect life, totally fulfilling all of God's law in a way that we could never do.

James: How could Jesus be God if Jesus was the Son of God?
Me: What Church do you attend?
James: Kingdom Hall.
Me: How long?
James: All my life.
Me: Jesus is God, James. He's also the Son of God. It's a mystery, but the Bible makes clear that it's true. Sort of like water. Water can exist in three forms: liquid, solid (ice), and gas (steam). God is one but exists in three forms: Father, Son, and Spirit. If I show you from the Bible that Jesus is God and that he is also called the "Father" would you believe it and reject the false teaching of the Jehovah's Witnesses?

James: Yes, if that's what the Bible says.

Me: I pulled out my iPhone, pulled up my Bible app, and took James to Isaiah 9:6, which is the prophesy of the birth of the Savior, which states:

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and

the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

James had never seen this verse before. He saw for the first time that the Bible calls the Messiah the "Mighty God" and the "Everlasting Father." I then showed him Matthew 1, which says that Jesus' name is also Immanuel, which means "God with us." I then showed him John 1, which explains that Jesus was the Word made flesh who also is God. I asked him if he was now convinced that Jesus is God. He said, "yes, it's pretty clear."

I then shared the gospel with James, the good news that Jesus died in his place so he doesn't have to if he will only repent and trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. I asked him when he was going to do that because he didn't know how much time he has left. He said he was going to do that today. I then explained how Jesus said to follow him by continuing in the word daily (John 8:31-32) and learning to fish for men (Matt. 4:19). I gave him some extra gospel tracts and encouraged him to pass them out to his friends and family members who may not know what their eternal destiny will be. I encouraged him to find a good church to plug into that teaches God's word in truth and gave him a Tulsa Bible Church card. I shook his hand, told him it was great to meet him and talk to him, and told him "God bless you!"

That was a rich and rewarding witnessing encounter. Hosea laments that "my people perish for lack of knowledge." Hosea 4:6. James was perishing due to a lack of knowledge of the truth from God's word. I thank God He gave me the grace and courage to befriend James and share the truth with him. The results and the fruit are in the Lord's loving hands. Pray for James!