Caught a Jew at the Mall

Now I don't mean to use the term Jew lightly. I have so much respect for the Jewish people. Walking miracles is what they are. Last Tuesday, we snagged one.

Chad S. the youth minister and good friend at Texas Avenue Baptist Church in League City, TX, went with me on a fishing expedition. We both had limited time, but knew we needed to spend it wisely. The only fishing hole at 2:30 pm that I knew of was at the mall. CC high school gets out @ 2:30, so we thought maybe they would migrate to the mall.

There was constant activity there, and Chad and I decided to stay outside to talk to smokers and passer-byers. To get things started, I was using the 10 commandment survey approach. I approach (or snag) someone, and with notebook in my hand w/ $5.00 hanging underneath, I say, "Hi, I'm from a church in the area, and we are giving away $5 if you can name the 10 commandments." If they hear the whole hook, and see that I'm not asking for money, 80% of them will talk to me. I put my eyes on my paper, my pen poised, and wait for them to start. I usually give them a couple of hints:
1. The first 4 are specifically against God, though they are all ultimately against God, and the last 6 are against other people.
2. Think of things that your conscience tells you in wrong, and that will usually help since they are written on your heart.

At some point in the conversation, I ask, "So how many of these have you kept, or broken?" While there trying to calulate, I jump in to "help."
"What about lying?" I ask. then I go down the list of the ones they've listed.
"If God judged you by these that you've named, would you be innocent or guilty?" I ask. Upon the confession, or reasoning of their guilt, I ask, "Therefore, do you thing a just judge would send you to heaven or to hell?"
That's the progression I go through to prepare the heart to hear the Gospel.

So a guy and a girl that were Jewish were taking a smoke break, talking and texting. I've learned that with ages 35 and under, it's not that big a deal to interupt their phone time since they're ALWAYS using their phone for some thing.

When I approached them about the 10 commandment question, they were confused. Their English was very broken, but they could communicate. The guy said, "Oh, you mean the ones my uncle wrote!"
I asked, "So are you a cultural Jew, or do you practice Judaism?"
"It's just our culture," they replied.
"Then name the 10 your Uncle Moe wrote, and I'll give you $5," I said, cuz I'm a funny guy.

Now usually when people get started, they name 2 or 3, then freeze, realizing that there are 10 of these things. That usually gives me a chance to process what I've learned, and begin to pray. He was just being silly with the uncle thing, but I thought it was profound. This guy was a walking miracle. The bloodline from Abraham and Moses! In his blood! Wow!

Oh how I wanted him to hear. I wanted him to see! "PUT THE PUZZLE TOGETHER!" "JESUS, MESSIAH!"

They named about 5. The girl tried to cheat by Googling them on her phone, so I told her she couldn't have manna anymore.

The guy was humble when it came to the law. He admitted to breaking them, and he agreed that if God was just, and this was His standard, that He should be punished, then he choked on the camel.

"However," he said, "I don't believe that there is a God."

whiplash!!!!!

I went from trying to remember where the Levitical "Day of Atonement" was, to pulling out atheist stuff! We reasoned for a while, but he was conviced that there was no proof of God. After about 10 min. of that, we went back to his conscience, and I knew that his intellect was just getting in the way of his heart. He had feasted on too many "justify my own sin" sessions, that he forgot about the accusations his conscience made.

That gentleness came back, as well as downcast eyes. I told him the Good News.
I said, " I know you've been taught to dismiss this, but listen to reason. You need a Savior!"
I shared my testimony with him, I pleaded with him. I warned him about outer darkness, eternal flames, and the wrath of God. I choked up as I shared with him the kindness of the Savior. How that He was beaten and brusied for YOUR transgressions in order to demonstrate His amazing love and kindness.

He shook my hand, and agreed to think about it. He even said he would try to read the Bible. The Gospel is powerful.....even unto SALVATION! I'll see him again.