Page 10 - Good News December 2008 paper

By dr. Ed Becker, Alan later became seriously ill been telling the truth, and I My prin-
edited by Kevin Miller and was admitted to hospital. accepted His claims. ciples for
[Dr. Ed Becker is co-founder of After his heart stopped beating, I A month later, I asked Christ to decision-
Econotech Ltd. a company that stood outside the emergency take charge of my life, to be my m a k i n g
provides technical support for room struggling with pain, ang- Lord and Saviour. I knew God have also
pulpa and paper companies.] uish and helplessness. It was wanted me to have a more c h a n g e d
In 1977, I thought I was success- here that I realized I could not do meaningful life. Alan was thrilled complete-
ful. I owned 50 per cent of a everything myself. There was when I told him about my ly.
successful business, had a Ph.D. nothing I could do as my son decision! He had prayed for a long I ask God
and was married with three hovered on the brink of death. I time that his father would know for help in Dr. Ed Becker
children. didn't even know how to pray. Jesus Christ and thereby receive m a k i n g
I believed I had accomplished this Alan survived the cardiac arrest, eternal life. daily business decisions, and no
all through my own capability and but he was in the hospital for a Three weeks after my decision, longer rely solely on my own
wisdom. I thought I could accom- long time suffering from a serious Alan went into a coma. For three knowledge.
plish anything if I just tried hard head infection. He told me, 'God is days I hardly left his bedside, until I have found that God's infinite
enough. My knowledge, strength in charge. If God's purpose in my finally he slipped away from life wisdom is vastly superior to my
of will, college degrees and busi- suffering is to bring you to Christ, on earth to be with his Lord and own. Best of all, there is joy in my
ness success were important to then everything I'm going through Saviour. life no matter what happens to me.
me, and I put them ahead of every- is worth it.' I was astonished! I had looked forward to sharing I know that I have eternal life to
thing else. I read Alan's Bible to him every my new Christian life with my son, look forward to.
My 20-year-old son Alan had day at his bedside. For the first but I knew that he would now How do you define success? Why
different priorities. He tried to tell time, I began to learn what the spend eternity in heaven and that I not ask Jesus for his definition? If
me what Jesus Christ meant to Bible was really about. And I would see him again someday. you don't know Jesus, I encou-
him, but I was convinced I didn't began to learn about Jesus. Though grief-stricken, God gave rage you to pray the following:
need Him. I told Alan that I could Alan's strong belief in Jesus, my wife and me a peace and hope
do everything myself. combined with what I read in the that surpassed all human under- Lord Jesus, I want to know You
I was so firm about rejecting the Bible, made me realize that Jesus standing. personally. Thank You for dying
Christian faith that Alan told his was real. He had to be who He The Bible says in 2 Corinthians on the cross for my sins. I open
pastor, 'My dad will never become claimed to be. 5:17 that if anyone is in Christ, he the door of my life and receive You
a Christian!' Although I tried to believe that He is a 'new creation.' The old self as my Saviour and Lord. Thank
As a chemical engineer, I had tried was nothing more than a great has gone and the new has come. You for forgiving my sins and
to prove or disprove the existence teacher or prophet, this argument This certainly was true in my life. giving me eternal life!
of God as one does chemical didn't stand up to the test. He God now has first priority, fol-
reactions in a lab. The tests came claimed to be the true Son of God. lowed by my wife and family, and http://www.thoughts-about-
up empty, so I ignored God. I decided that Jesus must have then my business. god.com/stories/e_becker.htm

YOUNG ENGLISH WOMAN He was utterly at a loss to account for He looked and looked, until it
married a man in the Govern- this, and said to her: "I don't know how seemed to him as if it were
Ament service. Her husband was this happened but to make up for it, you Christ Himself hanging on
a light-hearted young man, who may ask what you like, and I will give it that Cross, and saying: "I
smoked, drank and gambled like the to you." died for you."
other young men of his set. She quietly and earnestly said: "Come "For me, Lord?" and there, in
As the years went on, he was promoted with me to the Church service tonight. soul agony, he called on the
in service, had large responsibilities, That will be my present." Saviour to save him and to
but he became a hardened gambler and "Oh, no," he said, "I cannot do that; put away from him forever the
the leader of a circle who boasted that come on, ask for some present." But desire for all sin.
they could individually drink a bottle of she stood firm, and reminded him that Like the "chief of sinners he
whiskey and be nothing the worse for it. he had promised. When the time came fell to the earth" (Acts 9:4)
As the husband went deeper into sin, for his wife to go to the service, he and upon his knees in his
his wife, through anxiety on his overheard the children say to her: "Do own house, with no one near
account, became deeply worried about you think father will go with us?" but God, he acknowledged
her soul, and as a lost, guilty sinner "Yes," she said, "your father has never his "manifold transgres-
(Rom. 3:9-19), cast herself and all her broken a promise to me." sions" (Amos 5:12), and
burdens on the Saviour, and became a He had no choice! Later that evening, accepted the Lord Jesus
new creature in Christ, with one bur- after they had returned from the Christ as his own and only
ning desire, to bring her husband to service, one of the pictures in the Saviour. He believed on Him
Christ as well. For thirteen years she hallway caught his eye. It was a picture "Who was delivered for our
prayed with never-failing faith that the of Christ on the Cross of Calvary. He offences, and was raised
Lord would convert her husband. never liked the picture, but tonight it again for our justification"
Every Sunday she would ask him to smote him to the heart. (Rom. 4:25), and rose from
accompany her to church and he as Words he had long forgotten came to his knees, a free man, with
often refused. He would say: "If you will mind: "He was despised and rejected of Christ as his Saviour and almighty Deliverer!
go with me and my friends once, I will men; a Man of Sorrows, and acquainted That very night he went to his old companions
go forty times to church with you." She with grief... He was wounded for our and told them what the Lord Jesus had done for
refused. transgressions, He was bruised for our him. At first they thought he was joking, and
One Christmas Eve the husband went iniquities... the chastisement of our laughed at him, but eventually they had to admit
to dinner with his friends before going peace was upon Him; and with His that if God can save a drinking, gambling,
home to his wife and children with his stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:3-5). swearing sinner of the deepest dye, and make
usual Christmas presents. He was in His wasted past and the prospect of an him a new creature in Christ, He can save
good spirits and laughingly distributed awful Eternity rolled in like billows over anyone!
the gifts. To his horror he found that he his soul. He realised that his only hope HE IS ALSO BOTH ABLE AND WILLING TO
had for the first time since he was for peace was in this One, Who was SAVE YOU!
married, forgotten to buy his wife a despised, rejected, wounded and [From: The Railway Messenger, December
present. bruised. 1996].