"You may not have TWENTY minutes"

"I believe everything that you are saying and on twenty years I'll probably be doing the same thing," said the young man as I shared the Gospel with him on Bourbon Street during our Sugar Bowl Outreach. He had stopped with this "I am going to be belligerent" look on his face, but I beat him to the punch and quickly took the conversation to Jesus' desire to change and transform lives.
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As I drove home the need for all to "repent and believe the Gospel", he quickly retreated into the above statement; almost in an attempt to agree and acquiesce so that he could escape and excuse himself from the conversation. Seeing that his thought process was all to typical of the "I will live forever" generation - I drew him close with my right arm so that I could speak clearly into his ear.
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"Six years ago this past Friday I met another young man that shared your mentality. His name was Levon Jones. When I attempted to talk with him about Jesus he pulled away from me and said, "I don't have time for that", and he was right - because twenty minutes later Levon was DEAD just 20 yards from where you and I are now standing. Levon didn't have twenty years to get things right - and you may not have twenty minutes!"
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Those words, the reality of the frailty of life and the presence of the Spirit of God immediately brought a soberness to this young man's face. His shoulders dropped and his eyes focused on me and he said, "You are right." He turned and slowly walked away and into the crowd without saying another word of even looking back at me.
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I do not know where he went or what he did following our brief, yet direct conversation - but what I do know is that the Lord Jesus pierced through the darkness and [if for even just a brief moment] the grace of God provided an awe flash of His presence and gave this young man a glimpse of what it was to be in His presence.
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Please pray for him - and for all of those in this generation that continue to foolishly believe that they are invincible to satan's devices that are designed to "steal, kill and destroy."