“….to be testified in due time.”  (1 Tim. 2:6)

A former colleague of mine passed away less than two years ago.  I didn´t know that till a few days ago and immediately I made a sympathizing phone call to his widow.  We worked together many years ago, and despite the fact that he was a Mormon he was the only one in our company I could share spiritual truths with.  In fact he started bringing his Bible along from which he read a piece in his lunch break.  We were both travelling men, so there was ample of room for that.

His wife asked me if I would permit a couple of their Mormon missionaries to pay me a visit.  I said to her that anybody coming to my door is welcome to  have me share my testimony with them.  That goes for anybody whether they are Jehovah´s Witnesses, Mormons, Seven Days Adventists or whatever.  The Lord saved me in my early youth to be His simple witness, nothing more, nothing less.  “The testimony, my son, - the testimony is the strongest proof of the truth of Christianity”, John Wesley´s father said before he died.

But doesn´t the apostle John warns us against receiving anybody that doesn´t “abide in the doctrine of Christ”?  Indeed, he does.  So is that my problem?  Well, I don´t receive any heretic in the sense of embracing him or acting as if I approve of his heresy.  Jehovah´s Witnesses usually quietly listens to my testimony, and then they just as quietly walk away without any further arguments.  The Mormons once invited me to give my testimony before an audience of their own people.  I don´t care to whom I´m witnessing as long as that is possible.  That was once possible in even a Jewish synagogue in Williamsport, PA.

Where did I learn that from?  From my fellow Christians in general?  Not so, generally speaking. But thank God there are exceptions, and they keep inspiring me.  Some have passed away, but their witnessing example is their noble memorial today.  I think I see them on the shores of Heaven waving at me with smiles  as if they´re saying, “Press on, brother, with that “faithful saying”  (1 Tim. 1:15) – all other “sayings” will soon vanish.

Or what do you think?

October 27, 2012 – jn