I visited Johann last Thursday.
He sits, propped up, in the cardiac unit.
His body is weak.
His spirit is strong.
I said, “I came here to pray for you. But could you speak to me before I pray for you? God has given you an eventful life. You have known his faithfulness through many years in several countries and callings. Talk to me.”
He did.
Hans told me the story about wrestling with the armed Russian soldier in the war.
He recalled the first time he heard about Jesus being fully God and fully man. It didn’t make sense… until the gospel truths clustered together in his mind. It began to dawn on him that God could not die and that salvation at the cross meant God had to die in our place. Only if Jesus is God yet fully human could this be. He embraced this by faith and lived to teach it to others many times over.
I asked him for advice. His advice couldn’t have been better.
“Too many pastors change what they say with the opinion of the day. We need a minister who will stand on the truth of God’s Word and never back down. Preach the truth. If they ever want you to quit preaching the Word – you never give in. You preach the Word.”
I prayed for him like I said I would.
He said that he appreciated it.
I’m sure he did.
But I got a lot more out of the visit than he did.