Coming Home

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Coming Home is one man’s story, but more. It is representative of many stories distilled and synthesized.

I first recorded his in my journal while pastoring at the inner-city Mission.

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“Jerry” is not his real name, but an amalgam.

I agreed to meet Jerry in a local coffee house. He had stopped drinking. He called and asked if I could meet with him.

He habitually sat in the back of the chapel, where I held daily morning and evening bible classes five days a week. As a result, I could never tell if he was listening or sleeping during the study.

After a cordial greeting, I sat down at his table. We chatted informally as I waited to deliver my order.

We continued talking as I put my regular sugar and cream in, stirred, and sipped. I let Jerry continue talking as I ordered a second cup, forgetting I had recently started drinking black coffee.

As he talked, his face slowly changed to a nervous demeanor, eyes growing wider as he was about to come to the point of asking to meet.

He asked if I believed everything in the Bible was true. “Yes,” was my short answer.

He asked if God could talk to people in dreams. I said, “It depends.” I hedged my words, not knowing where he was going.

He pressed me, “But does it happen?” “Yes, as recorded to happen in the Bible,” I said, knowing I had experienced it on occasion.

He said, “I want to tell you a dream I’ve had three times in the past week.”

 

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Following is an outline of the dream he described to me.

He said in the dream, a man he knew but didn’t recognize physically walked boldly up to him in the same coffee shop and commanded his attention. The man had a book in his hand, a bible. Then, holding Jerry’s attention by looking intently into his eyes, he began reading to him from the book. Following is how Jerry related what the man read to him in each of the dreams:

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The Need for Salvation.

God’s Judgement of Mankind: [a]

I stand under judgment, for I am mankind fallen short of saving ourselves.

Judgment by the Law: (for the Jew) [b]

I stand under judgment for agreeing with God’s Law,

That it is good,

But I lie each time I break His Law.

Judgment by conscience: (for the Gentile) [b]

I stand under judgment by my conscience when it confirms,

then convicts my actions. Though I do not know the Law,

my conscience approves this Law exists, now ensuring, accusing.

Therefore, I silence this conscience so that I may not hear it.

Judgment in Christ: (believers in Christ) [c]

I don’t want to die. I need a mediator, a redeemer, between me, an awakened sinner,

And a perfectly righteous God who cannot look upon sin without

Destroying the sin-bearer. I want to do good and be accepted by the

Righteous Judge of all the Earth. But when I do good, the conscience.

It convicts me of not doing good enough. There must be an Advocate on

my behalf, Who will plead my case before the Almighty,

all-consuming, Righteous Judge of mankind. Surely there must be

an escape clause who can deliver me from this body of death,

for one who wants to do right!

I know my redeemer lives and will see Him standing on the earth!

I will see Him with my own eyes and not the eyes of another. [d]

Oh, Almighty God. Tell me His name, the One who can snatch

me from this inferno of my own weak devices.

Lead me to Him.

Show me where I may find Him!

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The Way of Salvation.

When the man finishes, he closes the book and walks away from the first two dreams.

In the third dream, the man turns to walk away, stops, turns back, and says, “His name is Jesus. He wants to meet with you.” He turns again and walks away.

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Jerry studied my face with big eyes, waiting. “What do you think?” He asked.

Now smiling, I said, “I think you better meet with Him.”

“Can you help me?” he asked.

I said, “I can take you to Him. But after that, you’re on your own with Him.” My meaning was his response to meeting Jesus was up to him. So, I wasn’t going to push him if he changed his mind.

We met privately in my chapel office many evenings as I showed him Jesus, from Genesis to Revelation.

After about six months, he stopped attending our chapel meetings, and I wondered how he was doing. But I heard of a new fiery street preacher moving around the tri-cities, going among the homeless from group to group, preaching the Salvation of Jesus and the judgment to come. “Repentance” became the new watchword on the street. I became busier answering many questions from new faces often being added to our morning Bible classes. I also added a voluntary prayer group to meet three times a week.

I hope to hear from him sometime again to confirm a street preacher I have been praying for.

God’s Grave, grace that is greater than all of sin. All praise to Almighty God through Christ Jesus, our Savior! Amen!

 

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Seeker: if this has spoken to you, please know Jesus is seeking you also and wants to meet with you. Go to that person who can help you. Even if it’s the person in the mirror you see praying and calling out to Him.

“Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:9, 13.

 

~G.W.

 

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[a]Romans Chapter 1

[b]Romans Chapter 2

[b]Romans Chapter 2

[c]Romans Chapter 3

[d] Job

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