Joseph and Unnamed

Walking Stella this afternoon, along the greenbelt trail, I overheard laughter down off the trail, behind a huge screen of branches.  I decided to go back and get some Gospel tracts, to try to give to whoever it was that I had heard.

When I returned, I noticed my target audience was still sitting where I had left them, so I approached them and gave them each tracts. They asked what they were and I explained they were Gospel tracts and I asked if they knew what that meant. They had no idea, so I explained how the tracts gave the message of  how to go to heaven when you die. I ask what they thought someone needed to do to get to heaven. One young man said "don't break any sins". I asked if he had lived up to that. He said no. So I asked specifics; had he ever lied, stolen, used God's name in vain, or looked with lust (after confirming their ages, which I learned was 15).

They started to get a little squirmy at this point, but I continued to explain the solution to our sin was Jesus Christ and the consequences of our sin was death. I explained that I no longer feared death. At this point I got Joseph's name, and his unnamed friend began to chuckle.  Joseph said he was afraid to die, and I said that's good, thats your will to live and I would call that into account. I asked if what I was talking about was funny, unnamed said we just wanted to chill. I said this is my neighborhood and I have just as much right as you to be here. He tossed down the tract and started walking away.

I told the unnamed one He was free to leave, if he didnt care about his own soul, but maybe Joseph was concerned about his soul. I quoted, what does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his own soul.

The I told Joseph, here's the point; get a Bible, obey what you read and God will never let you down and you'll never be ashamed.

With the unnamed one still standing there, I said see, I wasn't going to take up that much of your time.  And I left.

God bless...