Recently I saw a slogan below someone’s email address that said something to the effect of: “For those of you that think it can’t be done, please stay out of my way while I’m doing it.” That reminded me of my late sister-in-law, Leslie Medlock of Daleville, Alabama. While I can always find a whole boatload of excuses to not witness to a guy just twelve miles across town, Leslie, at the drop of a hat, would travel 12,000 miles across the globe to tell someone about Jesus. Knowing me, I would have just sent an email. Let it suffice to say that if someday a little Chinaman comes up to you in heaven and offers you a delicious entree of Peking duck … you can thank my sister-in-law.
Why did she go to China to witness for Christ? That’s easy … she was looking for one of the “last ones.” And because of that, if God has favorites, I’m thinking Leslie is somewhere in the Top Five. In fact, after Mother Teresa, she might have even locked up the number two spot.
Here in Panama City, Florida, we have a swimming pool company by the name of Cox Pools. You may have heard of the celebrity sit-com star, Courtney Cox. She is the sister of Richard Cox, the owner. The unique thing about Cox Pools is that over the course of the last few years, many of their employees have come to know Christ. Can you imagine a bunch of roughneck contractors and laborers standing out in the chilly morning air before work singing and praising Jesus? Me neither, but it happens.
Now here’s the interesting thing… there is a guy at Cox Pools that everyone refers to as “the last one.” He is supposedly one of the last ones at the company that has yet to accept Christ. But guess what? If a couple of guys like Mike Seamon and George Stewart have anything to do with it, the “last one” is just a CWH (Christian Waiting to Happen). I mean c’mon, they won’t even let him pour himself a cup of coffee without witnessing to him: ”You want cream, sugar and Jesus with that?” Don’t believe me? Keep reading.
Mike and George are blue collar Christians and friends of mine. In case any of our readers are not familiar with the term; blue collar Christians don’t just talk about witnessing to others, they go out and “get ‘er done.” There are two types of people in our churches, those that talk about the lost and those that talk to the lost. Mike and George are talk “to the lost” kind of guys. And believe me, they don’t cut their “last one” any slack.
Oh, by the way, our Christian waiting to happen is Rick Medeiros. Rick said I could use his name in this article if I would take him to lunch without witnessing to him. Rick says he’s up to about 135 WPD (135 Witnesses Per Day) and it’s wearing him out. So naturally I agreed. I also lied, but that’s another story. Now, I’m not sure what all goes on at Cox Pools during a typical day, but it sure is fun to imagine. For instance, I’m sure Mike has spilled scalding hot coffee on Rick numerous times and just passed it off as “free little samples from hell.” Hmmm, now there’s an interesting concept. I wonder what a cup of boiling Folgers would do for my cousin?
And then there’s George. I must try to explain him to our readers. When George opens his mouth, even he stands back in amazement to hear what he is about to say. Seriously, the boy has no clue what is about to come out of his mouth. The story goes that he once invited Rick to visit his church to observe their 4th Annual Hog-tie a Hypocrite Day. And believe it or not, Rick was almost ready to accept until he found out they didn’t serve popcorn.
Hey! There’s a novel idea, why don’t churches offer popcorn? Since movie theaters, as we all know, charge about fifty cents per kernel, I’m thinking churches could take a chunk out of the moviegoer market share. And besides, tithing is a lot cheaper than giving up a kidney… isn’t that about what it costs to go to a movie these days? The point is that Mike and George will do anything and everything to convince Rick to give Christ a shot. And you know what, I think it’s about to happen. When it does, I’m pretty sure we will hear something like the following come out of George’s mouth: “Hey Moses, Saint Paul, and Saint Peter … you guys better stand back and take a photograph because heaven is about to throw one heck of a party!”
But let’s take this story to the next level. Let’s imagine that we have decided to take a mission trip to find our last one. We board a plane at the local airport, change planes in Atlanta (that was a no-brainer, huh?) and then we head to South America. We arrive and head immediately deep into the Amazon Rain Forest. Our vision started nine years ago when we first read of this tribe and the fact that it was located in one of the most remote regions of the world. We read that they were pagans and it was likely they had never been exposed to Christianity. Never in our wildest dreams did we think God would have us come here. But he laid it on our heart years ago and we had never been able to get the thought out of our mind. It was a mission trip ordained by God. And three thousand miles later, here we are witnessing to a young Permon Indian.
Our newfound friend, Keir, indicates that, yes, he is ready to accept Christ. We ask him and our translator to bow their heads as we began to pray. ”Father God, your word says that if we believe that Christ died for our sins, and if we repent, we will be saved. Today Keir would like to take you up on this incredible offer. Keir, please repeat after me … Dear God, I am a sinner. I know that Jesus Christ died for my sins. I now repent of my sins and ask Jesus come into my heart and become my Lord and my Savior. Father God, I ask this in the name of your precious son, Jesus Christ.”
What was that! What’s happening? Oh my God! It can’t be! That sound, that blaring sound… a distant trumpet sound, it’s getting louder, it’s almost deafening. The heavens … they can’t be opening! We’re scared! We’re amazed! We fall to our knees, this is it… it can’t be! It must be! “Oh my God, my precious God, you’ve come back!”
Then it occurs to us! We didn’t lead just anyone to the Lord. We, with the help of the Holy Spirit, led the last one … the very last one! We can’t imagine! We just stepped into history, an honor only one person in the entire world will receive… the ultimate reward for obedience! Talk about a party in heaven; right about now they are having one of “biblical proportions!”
Hallelujah!
Ok, back to reality. As all of us know, the above account was fictional… the product of my imagination. But here’s the bottom line and the flat truth about the “very last one.” Someday, someone will in fact, have the greatest privilege ever bestowed on mankind… the honor of having God use him or her to bring his last child home. And guess what, that person could be you! If you bought this book, God knows you’re trying to become more like Him and less like you… and I’m thinking that’s the kind of person that God will choose to help him wrap things up here on earth.