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This
all started a number of years ago in a Baptist
church in Crystal Palace in South London. The
Sunday morning service was closing and a man
stood up at the back and raised his hand and
said: "Excuse me pastor can I share a short
testimony?" The pastor looked at his watch
and said "You have three minutes".
The man proceeded with his story: "I've
just moved into this area. I used to live in
Sydney Australia. Just a few months back I was
visiting some relatives and I was walking down
George Street. You know where George Street
is in Sydney going from the Business Area out
to the Rock - the colonial area. A strange little
white haired man stepped out from a shop doorway,
put a pamphlet in my hand and said: "Excuse
me sir, are you saved, if you die tonight are
you going to heaven?" "I was astounded
by these words. No one had ever asked me that.
I thanked him courteously and all the way home
to London this puzzled me. I called a friend
and thank God he was a Christian and he led
me to Christ." The Baptists love testimonies
like that. Everyone applauded and welcomed him
into their fellowship.
The
Baptist pastor flew to Adelaide, Australia the
next week and 10 days later in the middle of
a three day series in a Baptist church in Adelaide,
a woman came up to him for some counseling.
He wanted to establish where she stood with
Christ. He said "I used to live in Sydney
and just a couple of months back I was visiting
some friends in Sydney doing some last minute
shopping down George Street. A strange little
white haired man stepped out of a shop doorway
and offered me a pamphlet and said "Excuse
me madam, are you saved, if you die tonight
are you going to heaven?" "I was disturbed
by those words. When I got home to Adelaide,
I knew this Baptist church was on the next block
form me. I sought out the pastor and he led
me to Christ. So I am telling you that I am
a Christian."
The
London pastor was now very puzzled. Twice in
two weeks he had heard the same testimony. He
then flew to preach in the Mount Pleasant Church
in Perth. When his teaching series was over
the senior elder of that Church took him out
for a meal and he asked the elder how he got
saved. "I grew up in this church from the
age of 15. I never made a commitment to Jesus,
just hopped on the bandwagon like everyone else.
Because of my business ability grew up to a
place of influence. I was on a business trip
to Sydney just three years ago. An obnoxious
spiteful little man stepped out of a shop doorway,
offered me a religious pamphlet - cheap junk
- and accosted me with a question: "Excuse
me sir, are you saved, if you die tonight are
you going to heaven?" I tried to tell him
I was a Baptist elder. He wouldn't listen to
me. I was seething with anger all the way home
from Sydney to Perth. I told my pastor, thinking
that he would sympathize, but he agreed. He
had been disturbed for years knowing that I
didn't have a relationship with Jesus, and he
was right. My pastor led me to Jesus just three
years ago."
The
London preacher flew home and was soon speaking
at the Keswick conventions in the Lake District
and he threw in these three testimonies. At
the close of this teaching series, fours elderly
pastors came up and explained that they too
had been saved between 25 and 30 years earlier
through that same little man on George Street,
offering them a pamphlet and asking that same
question. The following week he flew to a similar
Keswick convention in the Caribbean to missionaries.
He shared the same testimonies. At the close
of his teaching three missionaries came forward
and said that they had also had been saved between
15 and 25 years earlier by that same little
man's testimony and asked us the same question
on George Street in Sydney. Next he stopped
in Atlanta, Georgia to speak at a Naval Chaplain
convention. Here for three days he spoke to
over 1000 Naval Chaplains. Afterwards the Chaplain
General took him out for a meal and he asked
the Chaplain how he became a Christian. "It
was miraculous. I was a rating on a Naval battleship
and I lived a reprobate life. We were doing
exercises in the South Pacific and we docked
at Sydney harbor for replenishments. We hit
Kings Cross with a vengeance. I was blind drunk,
got on the wrong bus and got off in George Street.
As I got off the bus, I though I saw a ghost
as this man jumped out in front of me, pushed
a pamphlet in my hand and said "Sailor,
are you saved, if you die tonight are you going
to heaven?" The fear of God hit me immediately.
I was shocked sober, ran back to the ship and
sought out the Chaplain. He led me to Christ.
I soon began to prepare for the ministry under
his guidance. I am now in charge of 1000 chaplains
who are bent on soul winning today."
Six
months later that London pastor flew to a conference
for 5,000 Indian missionaries in a remote part
of NE India. At the end the head missionary
took him to his humble little home for a simple
meal. He asked how he as a Hindu came to Christ.
"I grew up in a very privileged position,
I worked the Indian Diplomatic Mission and I
traveled the world. I am so glad for the forgiveness
of Christ and blood covering my sin. I would
be very embarrassed if people found out what
I got into. One period of diplomatic service
took me to Sydney. I was doing some last minute
shopping, laden with toys and clothes for my
children. I was walking down George Street when
a courteous white haired little man stepped
out in front of me and offered me a pamphlet
and said "Excuse me sir, are you saved,
if you die tonight are you going to heaven?"
I thanked him very much but this disturbed me.
I got back to my town, sought out our Hindu
priest. He couldn't help me, but he advised
me that to satisfy my curious mind, I should
go and talk to the missionary in the mission
home at the end of road. That was good advice
because that day the missionary led me to Christ.
I quit Hinduism immediately and began to prepare
for ministry. I left the Diplomatic Service
and here I am today, by God's grace in charge
of all these missionaries who have together
led 100.000 people to Christ.
Eight
months later that London Pastor was preaching
in Sydney. He asked the local Baptist Minister
if he knew of a little elderly white haired
man who handed out tracts on George Street.
He replied "Yes is do, his name is Mr.
Genor, although I don't think he does it any
more because he is so frail and elderly."
Two nights later they went to meet him in his
little apartment. They knocked on the door and
this tiny frail old man greeted them. He sat
them down and made them tea. He was so frail
that he was slopping the tea into the saucer
as his hands shook. The London preacher sat
there and told him of all these accounts from
the previous three years. This little man sat
with tears running down his cheeks. He told
them his story. "I was a rating on an Australian
warship. I was living a reprobate life. In a
crisis I really hit the wall. One of my collogues,
to whom I gave literal hell, was there to help
me. He led me to Jesus and the change in my
life was night to day in 24 hours. I was so
grateful to God; I promised God that I would
share Jesus in a simple witness with at least
10 people a day. As God me strength I did that.
Sometimes I was ill and couldn't do it, but
I made up for the days I missed it at other
times. I wasn't paranoid about it. I have done
this for over 40 years. In my retirement years,
the best place was on St. George Street where
I saw hundreds of people a day. I got lots of
rejections, but a lot of people courteously
took the tract. In 40 years of doing this, I
have never heard of one single person coming
to Jesus until today."
You
know, I would say that he has to be commitment.
To show gratitude and love for Jesus to do that
for 40 years and not hear of any results. That
simple little non-charismatic Baptist man witnessed
to perhaps 147,000 people. I think that God
was showing that Baptist pastor from London
was the tip of the tip of the tip of the iceberg.
Goodness knows how many more had been arrested
for Christ. Doing huge jobs out in the mission
fields. Mr. Genor died two weeks later. Can
you imagine the reward he went home to in Heaven?
I
doubt his face would ever have appeared on Charisma
Magazine. I doubt there would ever have been
a photograph and a write up in Billy Graham's
Decision magazine. No one except a little group
of Baptists in Sydney knew about Mr. Genor,
but I tell you his name was famous in Heaven.
Heaven knew Mr. Genor and you can imagine the
welcome and Red Carpet and the fanfare that
he received when he went home to Glory.
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