by Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001)
ONE SHOUTED, ANOTHER FROWNED
A number of years ago I went out one night to attempt to win some people to Christ. My partner that night was unable to go, and I was tempted not to go, but I went out alone. I went to a certain house, knocked on the door, and a fellow came to the door. He had several children, and as I recall, he had one little boy who had a birthmark near his eye. I told him about Christ and we knelt to pray. While he was praying he really got happy! He began to shout and praise the Lord and jump up and down. "Glory to God," he said. He ran out on the porch and clapped his hands. He picked his wife up and hugged her. He hugged and kissed the children and cried and praised the Lord.
It looked like an old-fashioned Methodist camp meeting. What a wonderful time we had! "Boy," l said, "that fellow really has a dose of old-fashioned Christianity."
I drove across town to another address. I looked at the prospect card and decided to make the visit. I walked in and the fellow did not ask me to have a seat. I stood up and leaned against the door. I asked him if he wanted to be saved. He was very stern and abrupt in his answer, but he said, "Yes."
I asked him if I could tell him how to be saved.
He said, "Yes."
Finally I sat down, but he never did. He continued to stand, leaning against the door. Not a kind word did he say. He continued to be very abrupt in his answers. I talked to him a while longer and finally I said, "Can I pray?"
He said, "Yeah, you can," but still he was very cool.
So I prayed and then I said, "Now you pray." You never heard a colder prayer in your life. (If I had been God, I wouldn't have listened to it!) Then I said, "Listen, did you mean that prayer?"
He looked at me and said, "Yeah, I did." He had not a tear, not an emotion, not even a kindness, a smile, or a grin-no courtesy at all. I kept prodding and trying to fund out if he really meant it. I said, "Were you saved?" Without emotion he told me he was.
I left saying, "Well, at least I got one tonight. That first fellow surely got saved. He was really happy. I'm glad I got to win him, but that last fellow-I wouldn't give a nickel for his salvation."
The first fellow came to church and got baptized. In less than two weeks he got mad, quit, and never came back. He took his children out, and as far as I know, never went to church anymore.
The fellow who was abrupt was baptized soon and started winning souls to Christ. He became a deacon, and the last report I heard he was Chairman of the deacons in that church. I do not know how many people that man won to Christ. He and his partner would go out every week and win many to Jesus Christ.
I remember one time he was out soul winning. He won a soul to Christ, and afterwards asked the person, "Do you have any questions about it?"
"Yes, I have one question."
"Well, what is it? Just ask me anything."
"Can I ask anything?"
"Yes, you can."
"Why is it you have one brown shoe and one black shoe on?" The soul winner had dressed in the dark and had put on one brown shoe and one black shoe! What a soul winner! What a Christian!
Recently while I was preaching in Texas, he came to hear me. He was still on the battlefield for God, still busy for Christ. You see, it pays just to keep going, for you never know which one will be the one that is going to be saved.
