Bert Barker had gone regularly to Sunday school as a boy and had learned many gospel verses, but he had never taken Jesus as his own Saviour, and so the time came when. Bert was “too big” to go to Sunday school any more. He spent his Sundays in pleasure, and soon found himself in the company of those who mock at God and his Precious Word. Bert took to gambling and soon joined one of the worst clubs in town, and turned his back on all the good news that he had heard as a boy.
But God had his eye on Bert, and God loved him still. And God loves the reader of this paper, too. No matter how long you may have gone on with your hack against Him, He loves you still and longs to save you.
One night, on his way to the club, Bert passed by the old Sunday school, and saw a new sign out in front— “Special Gospel Address Tonight.” He looked at his watch and muttered, “I must, see the old place again, just for a joke.” He slipped into a back seat just as the speaker stood up and gave out the hymn. He was a young man, just about Bert’s own age, but oh how, happy he looked! The hymn was a familiar one, and Bert joined in lustily, although he began to feel a bit uneasy, and rather wished that he hadn’t stepped inside at all. When the speaker then prayed and asked God to speak to the soul of any lost one m the company, Bert felt it was just for him. Then came a most solemn warning from God’s Word, the Bible, that God sees all our deeds, and must punish our sins. This made Bert tremble, for he knew his sins were many; but there followed the glorious good news, which Bert had often heard before, that God had punished sin in the person of His dear Son, the Lord Jesus. Bert was made to feel that Jesus loved him and died for his very own sins, and right as he sat on that back row in the Sunday school hail, Bert Barker bowed his head and owned himself a guilty sinner before God. The peace of God flooded his soul as he put his trust in Jesus, and he thanked God forever turning his steps into the hall that night.
When the meeting was over, and he was again on the dark streets, he remembered that lie had started out to go to his evil club. What should he do? Looking up to the Lord for strength, he went directly to the place and walked in.
“Hello, Bert. You’re late tonight. Come and join us in a game and a drink.”
Bert’s lips trembled. He held up both hands and said quietly and reverently, “No thanks, boys. These hands have handled the cards a thousand times, but they have a new master now, and by the grace of God will in be used the service of the Lord Jesus Christ,”
There was a stunned pause, followed by shouts of mockery and calls for “a sermon.”
“I didn’t come here to give you a sermon, but as I have helped some of you on the road to hell, I thought it only right that my first testimony to the saving power of the gospel of Christ should be given in the place, where I have so long served the devil, I want you all to know that ‘God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever bieveth in. Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’”
ML 12/09/1951