BY JACK WARD
Acts 4:10: “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.”
This is the story of a man named Jim who was at the top of the world. He had made some wise investments and had gotten very rich in the meantime. He had wine, women and song, as they would say. Life was moving on greased grooves. Everybody loved him. He had friends everywhere and everyone wanted his time. He seemed to have everything.
Then one day the stock market crashed and his massive fortune was gone in a day. He saw, day by day, his friends desert him, his possessions go out the door, and his home and his business jerked from him. He went from somebody to nobody in a day. In two weeks he was out on the street with nowhere to go. He went from everything to nothing!
He wound up at soup kitchens and shelters. Finally he was out on the street. Every one of his friends was gone except a man named Bill. Jim ran into Bill unexpectedly one day and Bill didn’t even recognize Jim.
“Jim, Jim, what has happened to you?” Bill asked.
“Bill, I’ve lost everything, I have nothing and I have no hope.”
Bill invited Jim to his home, a small apartment. Bill had five children and a wife all crammed into the apartment. He had lost his job, his home and all of his investments also.
But Bill had a church and he had a Savior. The family invited Jim to stay with them for a while. Jim asked Bill, “Bill you have lost everything but I’ve never seen such a happy family. Why are you so happy?”
Bill quickly responded, “I’ve haven’t lost a thing. Christ said He would never leave me nor forsake me, so if I have Jesus I have everything.”
Jim was amazed at that statement and pondered it day after day. Jim stayed on with Bill for a few weeks until he found employment.
Things were tough for Bill, his wife and his children. There were days when they had no money, but they always had food and a warm apartment; the Lord always provided. Bill always kept this saying, “If I have Jesus I have everything.”
Jim was happy to be Bill’s friend but he thought Bill was kind of a kook! You have to make your own way was what he had always been taught. People make their own breaks in life was his philosophy. But he couldn’t get Bill’s trust in Christ out of his mind.
Jim eventually began working at a horse race track taking bets. He kept begging Bill to come and work with him but Bill didn’t think a Christian should be involved with gambling. Bill always said, ”I’ll be fine. I have everything in Christ. He will take care of me and my family as He always has. We may not have a lot but He always provides.”
Bill, the man who had shown such kindness to Jim died suddenly in a car crash going to a job interview one day. When Jim heard about it he was heartbroken for Bill’s wife and children. What would they do, where would they go? How could God do this to this man who trusted in Him so much? Jim was angry at God now.
A short time later amazingly Bill’s family was contacted by an insurance company. Bill had a $2 million life insurance policy given to him as a bonus while working for his former company that no one knew about. His family would be taken care of.
Jim broke down at Bill’s funeral. “I always wanted everything that life could give me but I know I was always looking in the wrong places and to the wrong people. I know if I have Jesus I will have everything I need!”
Jim became a Christian, of course, and later met a fine Christian girl and they were married. He eventually was called to preach and eventually pastor a church, all because of the testimony of the life of Bill, the man who had everything!
Listen to Pastor Jack’s sermons every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. on 98.9 WSIP FM. Check out the Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church Facebook page and our website at tomahawkmbc.com.