Saved At The Hereford House

As a Southern Baptist girl attending a Southern Baptist church I have sat through many public invitations for decisions of the heart. I know all the words to all the verses of "Just As I Am". Of course at my church a public call or invitation is given at the conclusion of every church service and this past Sunday was no exception. Several people walked down the aisle to publicly share decisions they had made. As the associate pastor introduced those making decisions my heart was touched by one of the stories told. Along with a couple acknowledging their desire to join the church, a man was introduced that had accepted Christ as his Savior the previous Wednesday.

This man had visited the church the Sunday prior and had filled out a visitor's card. A member of our Faith Evangelism team got his visitor card and invited him to lunch at a popular steak restaurant called the Hereford House. For a short time I was on the Faith Evangelism team and most of the visits we made were to Christians looking for a church home, but we were always ready to share the Gospel message. This time the man wasn't just looking for a church home, but was searching for something that only Jesus could provide. While sitting in a busy restaurant during the lunch rush hour the Faith team member shared the Good News of Jesus. Right then and there, somewhere between the salads and dessert, this man prayed that Jesus would be the Lord of his life. The senior pastor of the church was coincidentally having lunch that day at the very same restaurant. After this man had prayed, he went and shook the pastor's hand and told him he was now a part of God's family! I think if I had been there I would have been inclined to jump up on one of the tables and say "excuse me, um hum, can I have every one's attention please, today, here at the Hereford House, a sinner has just been saved!" How amazing is God grace!

Salvation is free to anyone who asks and is available anytime and anywhere even at the Hereford House! My heart was challenged with a question upon hearing this story. How many times do I find myself having lunch with an unbeliever? Am I looking for opportunities to share my faith every moment of the day? Are you?