Mr. Todd was a great soul-winner in the last century. He was saved when he was sixteen and this is what then happened: On a certain holiday he went to a village where he was entertained by a couple in the church. This couple was wise in soul-winning, and they brought Todd to the Lord. Todd had formerly been a carefree youth, but on that day he knelt down to pray and was saved. Afterwards he had tea with the couple. During their conversation, he was told that the gospel could not become strong in that locality until a certain battalion commander was converted - Commander Deeds. Young Todd asked who this Commanded Deeds was. He was told that the man was a retired commander of over sixty years of age who looked on all Christians as hypocrites and who would curse or beat any Christians who dared to preach the gospel to him or even to pass by his house. He kept a pistol at home and threatened to open fire on any who preached to him. Having heard this, Todd immediately prayed: “O Lord, You have shown grace to me. This is the first day of my salvation. I will go and witness to him.?Before tea was finished, he was on his way to the commander. It was less than two hours after he was saved. The elderly couple tried to advise Todd not to go. It would be futile since many had already witnessed to the commander without success. Some of these he had beaten with the end of his pistol or with a rod; some he had threatened to shoot. Nobody would sue him for being beaten for the sake of the gospel since that would be against our Lord’s teaching. As a result, the commander became fiercer and fiercer. But Todd still felt he should go. He arrived at the house and knocked on the door. The commander answered the door with a rod in his hand and said, “Young man, what do you want??Todd requested to have a few words with him. So they both entered into the room. “I hope you will accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior,?said Todd. The commander lifted up his rod, saying, “I suppose you are new here so I pardon you; I will not beat you. Have you not heard that this is one place where the name of Jesus is tabooed? Now, go quickly!?#060;/FONT> “I beg you to believe on the Lord Jesus,?continued Todd. The commander was furious. He went upstairs and came down with his pistol. “Go, or I will shoot,?he threatened. Todd answered, “I have come to ask you to believe in the Lord Jesus. If you want to shoot, you may. But before you shoot, let me pray.?He immediately knelt before the commander and prayed: “O God, here is a man who does not know You. Please save him.?He prayed the second time: “O God, here is a man who does not know You. Have mercy on him, have mercy on the commander.?He kept on kneeling and praying, “O God, have mercy on the commander.?After he had prayed five or six times, he heard a sigh and then heard the pistol being laid aside. After a while, the commander also knelt down by the side of Todd and then he too prayed, saying, “O God, have mercy on Commander Deeds.?Within five minutes the commander was saved. As they rose he took the hand of the young man and said, “I have heard the gospel all my life, but today I have seen the gospel for the first time.?Young Todd later told people that when he saw those fierce-looking lines on the sin-stained face of the commander, it seemed as if light shone through every one of them pleading for the mercy of God. On the following Lord’s day, Commander Deeds went to the church to worship. And before he died he led several dozen people to the Lord. |
