IT HAPPENED ON INTERSTATE 70

I WAS ON MY WAY TO SPEAK AT A CHURCH IN OHIO WHEN I SUDDENLY HAD THIS FEELING THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG.

My foot went to the brake to slow down, just as the minivan I was driving began to shudder and jerk and steer out of control.

“Jesus, help me!” I cried out, and struggled to guide the van past speeding vehicles to get to the side of the road.

When I was able to stop in a safe spot I sighed with relief and said, “Thank you, Lord!”

WHAT WAS WRONG? WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

I got out and saw a long rod protruding out of the rear wheel area and a wheel spinning around on the end of it. Not being mechanically inclined I had no idea what it was.

FOR THE MOMENT I WAS GLAD I WAS SAFE, AND THANKFUL TO THE LORD THAT JUST THE NIGHT BEFORE SOMEONE GAVE ME MY FIRST CELL PHONE, SO I WAS ABLE TO CALL FOR HELP.

It would be about an hour before my help could arrive at my location. There I stood on the side of the road on busy interstate seventy in Pennsylvania, all dressed up for church. There was no place to sit as the hillside rose straight up and I didn’t want to sit in the van with all the traffic passing so fast. So I stood there watching and waiting when the Lord spoke to my heart.

LOOK AT ALL THESE VEHICLES FILLED WITH PEOPLE… 

FLYING BY… 

MOST OF THEM SPEEDING ON THEIR WAY TO HELL.

“Lord,” I said, “I have a whole hour to wait. Send some people that I can witness to while I wait.”

 I reached into the van and grabbed a handful of Gospel tracts, stuck them in my pocket, and situated myself in a visible spot, “looking as helpless” as I could look.

Well, it didn’t take long.

First a white van stopped. It was filled with ladies and they were concerned about my situation. I thanked them and told them help was on the way and gave Gospel tracts.

Next came a guy on a motorcycle who said he was a Marine. He said my axle had dropped and it looked bad. I thanked him for stopping and said, “I thank the Lord I am safe, and that He watched out for me, getting me my first cell phone just last night, so I could call for help.  Do you know anything about a God like that?  He mumbled something and I offered him the Gospel Tract that would tell him all about that God, and how He could give him Salvation and eternal life in heaven. He received it and went on his way.

Then a farm truck stopped and the kind farmer was worried about me waiting on such a dangerous highway. I assured him that help was coming and started to talk to him about the Lord. He was very receptive and also took the tract as he left.

GOD WAS ANSWERING MY PRAYER! PEOPLE WERE STOPPING! BUT THIS NEXT ONE WAS THE REAL REASON WHY THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED.

I will always believe that God planned it just for this person. He was travelling in the opposite direction and saw me standing there across the highway, drove down to the exit and came back on my side offering his help.

As he examined this fallen axle I began to tell him how the Lord was so good, that He had taken care of me, protected me, got me this cell phone just last night so I could call for help…”Do you know anything about this kind of God?” I asked.

He was a young man about 25 years old. He stood up and said, “Yes, I know about Him.” 

“Really? What do you know about Him?” I asked.

“Well I used to go to church all the time.”

I COULD ALREADY SENSE THAT GOD WAS ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING GREAT.

“Where did you go?” I inquired.

“My father is the pastor. It’s a Pentecostal church.

“Well, I’m Pentecostal too. Don’t you go to church now?”

“No, I haven’t gone for a long time now.”

“You mean you are a backslider, drifted away from the Lord?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” he admitted. I was praying and could feel the Spirit of God stirring inside of me to reach this young man.

“OH, MY FRIEND, YOU ARE THE REASON THIS HAPPENED TO ME!

God allowed this so you would stop here and I could talk with you. He loves you so much that He has sent me to tell you it is time to repent and get back to God. You don’t need to continue down this road that leads to destruction.  Right now you can come to the Lord and find forgiveness and a brand new start.  Isn’t it time you made things right with God?”

By this time things had become very serious.
Tears were already whelming up in his eyes.
He responded with his head bowed,
acknowledging his need for God.

Right there on I-70 I laid my hand on his head and prayed earnestly for him, as cars and trucks sped by.

He called on the Lord for forgiveness and made an altar right there, surrendering once again to Jesus.

With tears and thankfulness he finally went on his way to a new beginning with the Lord.

WOW! WHO COULD HAVE FORESEEN HOW THIS VEHICLE FAILURE WOULD TURN INTO A CAMP MEETING IN HEAVEN WITH ANGELS REJOICING! FOR THE BELIEVER, ALL THINGS DO WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD!

How great are the tender mercies of the Lord, ever reaching out for one more soul. I have no doubt that his Pentecostal father and mother had been praying, “Lord save our boy.” 

It is amazing to see what great lengths God will go to in order to answer those earnest  prayers, even letting an axle drop to make one more soul drop to their knees.

If you are praying for a lost loved one, don’t quit.

Keep on interceding. God will move.

IT IS HIS WILL!

He moves Red Seas, fish, and axles

to meet the needs of His children.

THIS ACCOUNT IS TAKEN FROM THE BOOK

REACH THEM ONE BY ONE

By

CLAIRE H. GOODWIN

Purchase the book today and let the Lord awaken a new burden to reach the lost within your heart. The harvest is great and the laborers are few.  

Will you answer his call to be a soul winner?

A DOG’S TEETH AROUND MY ANKLE

IF YOU EVER WONDER WHERE YOU CAN FIND SOMEONE TO WITNESS TO—just go out of your door and down the street…knocking on each door and greeting the people.  

I recall a Christian man who had just retired after thirty years at his job. He said that his only regret was that no one knew that he was a Christian!

30 YEARS!!

HOW WILL HE ANSWER TO GOD FOR THAT FAILURE
TO BE A WITNESS?

Could it be that some of your own neighbors would someday
stand up and witness against you?

 “YOU WORKED WITH ME ALL THOSE YEARS,
 BUT NEVER TOLD ME ABOUT JESUS.”

SOME PEOPLE ARE INTIMIDATED by the Great Commission where Jesus commanded, “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)

“How can I go into all the world? I can hardly go out of my town.” “I don’t have the ability or money to travel to all the world.” 

I wonder what the Lord thinks about such responses to His call to every Christian! How about bringing it down to your level? “Go ye into one square mile around your house and preach the Gospel.” 

HAVE YOU DONE THAT?

WHERE THERE IS A WILLINGNESS TO OBEY
 THERE IS A WAY TO DO IT!

Some experiences can be unforgettable like this one.

Sometimes I would knock on doors in the daytime, but sometimes it was in the dark of the night. That was how it was the time no one answered the front door of a 31st street house. I had always taught others not to give up, but to try another door. Maybe they don’t use that first door. So I bravely headed around toward the back of this house.

IN THE MOONLIGHT I SAW SOMETHING
 THAT STARTLED ME. 

A distance away was a large dog. He growled...and then suddenly leaped at me. My heart almost stopped until I saw that he was chained and jerked to a full stop after a few feet.

Feeling safe I stepped up on the porch. Next came an unwanted revelation. That chain was merely caught on a rock, and now that dog came flying at me, leaping past the rock and setting his teeth around my ankle. 

I could not move. There I stood looking down as my prayers started going up.

“Nice doggy, in Jesus’ name let me loose. Nice doggy, let go in Jesus name” I quietly and prayerfully intoned to his perked up ears.

WHEN HE FINALLY DID LET GO, IT ONLY TOOK A SPLIT SECOND FOR ME TO PUSH THROUGH THAT DOOR AND INTO THE KITCHEN OF A VERY SHOCKED STRANGER. 

“I am so sorry, “I explained to the lady, catching my breath. “Your dog had his teeth around my ankle, and this was my only escape. Please forgive me!”

We both laughed with relief. I was safe, and this was not a home invasion, and I was not a thief breaking into her house.

As crazy as it all seemed, as the situation unfolded, somehow the Lord turned even this around into a great opportunity to witness to this lady.

THIS ACCOUNT IS TAKEN FROM THE BOOK

REACH THEM ONE BY ONE by

CLAIRE H. GOODWIN