J M had an intriguing past.
As a five year-old he, along with eight siblings, felt the impact The
Great Depression. Six years later, he
witnessed his dad’s suicide. At
eighteen, he left for WWII.
While serving in North Africa
and Italy ,
he had a machine gun and a grenade wound.
He was left for dead in a foxhole, taken prisoner, eventually escaping,
and missing in action for a short time. J
M’s mom received word that he had been killed in action. She responded, “No, he is not because I am
praying for him.” Yes, J M had a praying
mother. Her last plea before her death
was that all her children be saved.
Somewhere in J M’s past, he learned his sins were so bad
that he could not be saved. He attended
church on Christmas, Easter, and funerals without any persuasion, but had to be
begged on other occasions. He wanted his
children to be Christians, but he knew there was no hope for him. J M always made sure that someone offered the
blessing before a meal. J M acknowledged
that God was in control, but could not accept the fact that God could forgive
him.
His eldest son could not bear the thought of eternal separation
from his dad. He would say, “Dad, if you
ask God to forgive you, Psalm 103:12 says, ‘As far as the east is from the
west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.’”
J M was confident that his sin was too great. He understood Romans 3:23, for all have
sinned, and come short of the glory of God, but did not understand Ephesians
3:20, now unto him (Jesus) that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all
that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. The Holy Spirit was working in J M.
Finally, J M could not resist the prayers and pleas of those
who loved him. At fifty-eight, J M asked
Jesus to forgive him. Dying two years
later, J M had lived an abundant life as promised in John 10:10b, I am come
that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
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