I headed downtown for my weekly I Am Second Group at the 11th and Main Street food court. We have been reading through the book of Mark and discussing each chapter. I have been a bit discouraged about the group. It just wasn’t tracking like I thought it should. We had moved from Mike’s office to the food court to hopefully get more visibility, but that didn’t help.
As I waited for (one of the guys) to show up I sat down with my Bible on the table and started scanning emails. A 50+ year old out-of-work man sitting across from me named Mark asked, “Is that a Bible?” followed by, “What good word do you have for me today”? I thought, “I have 66 books, what do I tell this guy?”
I asked Mark if he had a Bible, and he said “no”. So, I went out to my car and got two I Am Second New Testaments and headed back to the food court. I knew Mark would be gone, but he wasn’t!
I asked him to open to the book of John with me, and we began to read and discuss what we were reading. What did we learn about Jesus? Why did the world not recognize him? I asked him what it took to become a child of God and he said to believe in Jesus. We turned to the front of the I Am Second Bible and, read the page entitled Life. It speaks to problems we have like addiction to drugs and alcohol. I asked Mark if he had struggled with any of these and he said “yes”. We continued to read the next pages entitled Desire, Satisfaction, Understand and Submit. When we got to the Submit page, I asked Mark if he was willing to read this prayer to God and submit his life to God. He said “yes” and he read the prayer! We then went back over every line in the prayer, and Mark again affirmed “yes”! As he read, I am sure the angels in heaven were rejoicing.
While talking to Mark, one of the building facility staff approached me and asked what we were reading. She looked at the Bible in my hand and asked if she could have one. I said “Sure, as soon as I finish with this man – you can have this one”. She said she would be back.
After I finished with Mark, she returned and told me a story about why she wanted this Bible. She had been to church with her Dad and the sermon was about the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ robe and was healed. She was amazed that although Jesus did not realize she had touched him, he sensed her need and healed her.
Reflecting on that story later, she said she was sitting on her porch, smoking a cigarette, thinking, “God, you are amazing”. It was then that God responded to her by saying two words, “I Am”. When she saw the I Am letters on my Bible, she had to have one. I encouraged her to begin reading from the book of John and meet the Jesus she heard about at church that day. She said she would see me next week.
Later, I learned from Mike Whitehead, attorney in our group, that he had arrived late, saw that I was reading with Mark, and instead of interrupting, went up to his 26th floor office and prayed for me. Little did I know that God was hearing prayers made on behalf of Mark and me as we read together His Word.
You never know when God might interrupt your schedule with two divine appointments! The I Am Second Bible is a great tool to allow you to simply share the gospel with someone.
Dave Wooddell