Alexey Kalman.
Once I met a wonderfully talkative woman. I had no problem to start a talk with her. She was speaking non-stop as if we were good friends. Five minutes later I knew everything about her, first of all her problems.
The main "problem" was her husband. He did not like working, could not bring up children, even his mother was good for nothing. She was not happy with her life.
I was listening but interrupted her and said: "Your husband is not bad, your mother in law is not a witch either. You are not bad. It is sin that has turned everything. We all live wrong. Not according to God's will. That is why we have problems". I told her about peace with God, about Jesus, about forgiveness of sins. God's peace in our hearts changes the world around us. She was listening very carefully but answered that such life was not possible for her.
Yes, for her it was not possible, I agreed, but not for God. "Come to Him and you will see the difference! Life with God is exciting! You may have this life. Test God and trust Him!"
We parted. I hope the Holy Spirit will work in the woman's heart and I met her not in vain.
Alexey Konovalchik
There is a tennis table in our dormitory. On that day I had a partner, a young man. His cheek was swollen. I asked him what had happened. He had a fight with another boy. They both were drunk. It happens sometimes. I asked if he felt his life was safe. No, he said. I continued asking. And if tomorrow he died? Would he be prepared for death, for another life? The boy was not ready to answer the questions. He has never thought of this.
I told him of death and burial of a Christian lady. She lived her life with the Lord. Then I told him of death of my school-mate. We do not know when we die. I told him about my security in Christ. I hope our conversation was helpful to the boy.
Alexander Vyshnyak
At the railway station in Soligorsk I sat with a young man and asked him to answer some questions. During our conversation he said that he would serve all his life that person who could reveal him the sense of life. I replied that there is such a person because He created life. I told him how Jesus took part in creation of the world.
Later the man changed the theme. He said that his mother died and he could not grasp how God let this happen. I expressed him my condolence and explained that death is inevitable, even Christians taste death when they do not expect it. But who may blame God? Most people consider death the end of everything, but it is just a barrier which everybody has to pass through. But only for Christians death is a gain. We were talking long. You not often meet people who are willing to talk seriously about serious matters and are not afraid to express their thoughts.
Svyatoslav Gusovsky
We often do not see God's ways because we do not trust Him. One day I was planning to depart from Minsk for my place but could not catch my train and had to wait 24 hours . Next day I was not in a good mood.
I took my place on the train. A girl of about 19 was sitting next to me. During our conversation she told me about her dreams and plans. I told her about my past and how Jesus had changed my life. I told her that only those people who build upon Christian faith have an abundant and exciting life. Then I told her that we all are separated from God, that is why we often are not happy. All sinners have to believe in Jesus and to repent. I suggested the girl to repent and to prayÅ and she agreed! Praise the Lord! I was happy! She willingly agreed to attend my church. We continued to speak about God and about His love and grace.
Alexey Konovalchik
Water is not good in our dormitory, so I get water in a spring. One day I met a woman there. I asked her if she liked the water. She replied and we had a nice conversation. (I thought of Jesus and a Samaritan woman at the well.) I asked her how she liked what our TV and newspapers offer us to "drink". She agreed that what they show and write is horrible.
We spoke about problems in our society about what people think of God. We began to speak about the Bible and the Church. She confessed that she seldom read the Scripture. She did not understand much when she read it. But she did not feel comfortable because the Bible exposed her sins. It was a good opportunity to remind her that she needed faith and repentance to be reconciled with God. She assured me that she would do this and hurried away.
What a pity that people try to flee the voice of their conscience or try to suppress it when they feel guilty!
Alexander Vishnyak
Once at a railway station I met a boy of 13. He said that he believed in existence of the absolute truth. The Bible contains the truth. He constantly was reading the Bible.
It turned out his father was a Christian, he deeply believed in God, attended an Orthodox church and was a righteous man. He taught his son to live according to God's commandments too. I asked the boy if his father prayed. He read the Bible but seldom prayed.
I took "Four Spiritual Laws" and the boy agreed that Jesus was on the throne of his heart but he would like to have more personal relationships with Him. I explained that he had to pray more and God would answer through the Bible. He thanked me for the booklet and we parted.
Alexander Savchuk
I had an interesting talk with two boys recently. When I met them they asked me where I studied. They asked me to tell them about my faith. One of them told that it does not matter what church one attends, what denomination we belong to - Christianity or Buddhism. He called Christians narrow-minded because they say there is only one way which leads to salvation. I told them much about our living God, the Creator of all, about Jesus Who died for our sins. I told them also how God helps in my life. I hope my arguments helped them to understand truth and shook their views.
Vitaly Batyuk
Everything was so good in the trolley-bus - a comfortable seat, nice thoughts, peaceÅ But suddenly a woman standing next to me screamed. She was furious at a small young woman who stepped on her foot. She was so sorry, she did not want to hurt the woman, she asked to forgive her. I could not watch both women.
"Please, take my seat but do not be angry", I said. She refused but we continued to talk.
She did not want to calm down. She continued to grumble. She did not want to take into consideration that the other woman did not want to do her any harm and she even apologized herself. The woman was sure that the evil had to be punished.
I tried to attract her attention and asked her if she attended any church, if she read the Bible. I reminded her that God wants us to be patient with other people. I said that the Bible is not only a collection of wisdom but God's Word. Many people were listening to us. Finally she calmed down and felt she was not right, she was sorry that she screamed at the other woman.
Just attending any church is not sufficient.
Alexander Vishnyak
One day after classes I was sitting at a bus stop. There was also a very open elderly lady there. She began the talk saying that she was heading to the hospital. I said that there is no peace and happiness on this earth. I was going to tell her that one can be happy only with God. The woman said she was a Christian, she attended an Orthodox church. Recently she spoke much with her priest. She read the Bible.
The bus was not coming and we continued. I took "Four Spiritual Laws" and we read them together. The woman liked the booklet very much, she said that the booklet is very helpful and one can easily read and understand it. She took the booklet and thanked me. May God bless her with full understanding of His truth.
Sergey Silivonets
I met two girls at the church "Golgotha". I asked them if they knew the church and if they were there. They lived close to the church that is why they went to the church once. I gave them "Four Spiritual Laws" and asked them why Jesus had to come on earth. They did not know what to say. I asked them in a different way. "What Jesus saved us from?" - "From sins",- was the answer. They told me about God's commandments and that God shows His wrath if we break His commandments. I added that people go to hell if they do not do God's will. The girls said that they also would go to hell after their death. "But Jesus came to save you",- I said. "You just must repent and ask Him for forgiveness. He would give you an exciting life".
At the end I invited them to come to the church, maybe I will have an opportunity to speak with them again.
Alexandra Andreeva
On Thursday after classes I went to "Golgotha" church to invite people to watch the "Jesus" movie. Very few people were interested to come but I had a good talk with a woman. I said that the film was very exciting and she would like it. When she learned that the film was going to be shown in a church she asked me how to pray - with her own words or with memorized phrases. I said: "Prayer is your talk with your Heavenly Father. Your heart must speak with Him. How do you speak with your father? You do not recite before him the same words each day." Afterwards I told her about four spiritual laws and she promised to come and to watch the movie. I prayed for her but she did not come.
Alexey Kalman
My wife and I rent a flat. The owner of the flat is not a bad person but did not want to hear and to speak about God. We were waiting patiently for the convenient time to speak with him.
He began to speak first. He said he could not believe in anybody or anything what or whom he could not see. Then he grumbled and complained about his life. I asked him what he would do with a disobedient child. Would he buy him a gift or punish him? God also rewards obedient and punishes disobedient. The man looked at me very attentively and said he would think, maybe it was true. We pray for this man that God opens his eyes and ears.
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