God’s beautiful Spring flowers!
“Thank you for telling me the Truth”
By Bernhard Johnson (Missionary to Brazil), 15th March 2024
The crusade took place several years ago in Santarem, Brazil, 500 miles up the Amazon. On the first night 30 % of the city crammed into a small soccer stadium for the opening service. On the last night half the city came — 25,000 people. We saw 5000 individuals receive the Lord in those eight days, including the mayor and the chief of police. Then the thrilling crusade was over.
As I left the platform to return to my hotel for clean clothes, a man suddenly grabbed the front of my wet shirt. For a moment I thought he was going to hit me, but instead he said, “Reverend, I’m holding you because I need to tell you something. Please don’t leave until I finish talking to you.” I was in a hurry to escape the heat and humidity. But the man insisted, “What I’m going to tell you will just take about half a minute.” So I agreed.
He was a black man about 4 feet 10 inches tall, and couldn’t have weighed more than 110 pounds. He looked into my eyes and told his story:
“Reverend, I am 103 years old, and I was born in Africa. When I was a little child, my parents and I came from Africa to Brazil as slaves. When I was 16 years old, in 1888, slavery was abolished and I became a free man.” He paused. “But really, I haven’t been free for 103 years. I’ve been a slave of tobacco, of alcohol, of gambling. It wasn’t until 45 minutes ago, when I joined the other sinners who went forward and we repeated the sinner’s prayer with you, that I truly became free.”
He began to jump and down on the ramp leading off the platform, screaming, “I’m free, I’m free!” At this point I thought I could slip past him and get to my car, but he reached out again and grabbed my tie. “Reverend, there’s one more thing. You’re leaving tomorrow in the big airplane and, because of my age, I probably will never see you again. Before you leave, I want you to know one more thing: you are the first man who has ever told me the truth.
“In 103 years everybody has sought to deceive me and lie to me. The politicians made promises they never kept; the bosses I worked for made promises they never kept; my own family lied to me; but you are the first man who ever levelled with me and told me who I am.”
I felt such a love for that little man that I picked him up in my arms and held him against my chest. Then I whispered in his ear, “Do you know why I am the first man who ever told you the truth?” “No,” he answered”. “Because I do not speak my own words; I speak the words of Him who sent me. I gave you the Word of God.” He began hugging me and screaming in my ear. “Thank you Reverend, thank you for telling me the truth!”
About a year later I went to another city in the Amazon to conduct a crusade. When I arrived at the airport, the pastor from Santarem greeted me. As we shook hands, I inquired about the old man.
“He is doing fine,” my friend answered. “He’s never missed a service in the last year. He joined the choir and has never missed a rehearsal. He has won all 73 members of his family to the Lord – every one of his children, grandchildren, great- grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. We have started five new churches as a result of his testimony. He shook the whole city and the whole area.”
Many more have been saved since that time. But this old man’s testimony impressed upon me the power of the Gospel of Christ. It is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone who believes.
(Taken from The Pentecostal Evangel, 1985)
Helen’s note: How wonderful is this testimony! One little 103 year old man won all 73 of his family members to the Lord, and 5 new churches opened because of his testimony! May the Lord help us all, may he help me, to be a better witness to those around us! Thank you that someone told US the Truth! Lord, make our life to count for Eternity, we pray, in the Name of Jesus!
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