Why Should I Talk With Your Neighbor?

We were helping William’s assistant move to a new place in the D.C. area. He was concerned about the salvation of the neighbors whom he had been trying to reach for Jesus.

There was one specific neighbor who lived right across from his place. William’s assistant looked at me rather seriously and said, “Claudia, my neighbor is down the hallway. I thought you might talk with him.” My thought was, “Why should I talk with him? You can continue to do that.” I did not answer him. But my thoughts stayed on the assistant’s words and the look in his eyes. Of course William’s assistant thought that maybe I could lead his neighbor to Christ. I was so exhausted and in such pain, however, that I did not have much energy to even go look for his neighbor.

Three more gentlemen who were also Christians came to help the assistant move. As we were taking things to the car, I noticed that one of the gentlemen was talking with the neighbor. My thought was that he was trying to reach him for Christ.

Early evening, after much work, I sat outside the assistant’s place. His neighbor saw me and walked toward me. He began a conversation about knowing William’s assistant. He said that William’s assistant was kind of a strange man. I figured he thought that because the  assistant had been talking to him about Christ.

I said, “Well, he’s an IT professional. That kind of profession does have its unique strangeness.

Their work is very tedious. What do you do?” He responded, “IT.”  Oops! I had just said the wrong thing! He smiled and explained that the focus of that kind of profession is very consuming.

We talked for a little while about IT and what it takes to do that kind of work. I didn’t know how to bring up the subject of salvation, as I listened to him.

Finally, I had the courage to say, “Have you thought about how it is that you are able to do that kind of work? Someone must have given you that skill. Do you know that it is God who has given you that?” He said, “Your friend has been talking to me about God.”

“And what is your heart about it?” I asked. He told me of his parents’ divorce when he was a child and that his father used to take him to a Baptist church. Then he went to a Catholic church for a better education.

He seemed confused about God. “So, you have heard about salvation at the Baptist church?” I asked him. He said, “Yes, I have.”  I said, “You know no other god, no statue, nor bead praying can get you to heaven. You must believe in Jesus.”

I began to explain about heaven and hell. I told him he had a decision to make, but it was not a complicated decision. It was one of the easiest he could make, because it was about what Jesus had done for him.

I asked him if he would like to learn and pray. He spoke softly and said he would like to pray. We prayed, and he believed in Jesus as the only way to heaven. He repented of his sins and asked Jesus to take his life and use it for His glory. Afterward, he said that he felt so much better. He spoke with relief and joy!

“Abba, Father, what will You do with the heart of a child who has heard about your Son and then confusion enters through another religion. You do not forget the heart of a child in a man who needs you.”

“Jesus, this man’s heart sought You as a child. But he got lost. But You pursued him as the shepherd would his lost sheep. No heart that seeks after You will You leave abandoned by the confusion of the belief in other gods.”

“Holy Spirit, only You could have used this man’s father to take him to church to hear about Jesus when he was a child. That seed about salvation in Christ was still alive in his heart because JESUS is ALIVE!”

But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. Acts 25:19

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. – Romans 6:11

Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. Acts 1:22

And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. Acts 4:33

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1 Peter 1:3

All scripture is KJV.