Here is an unusual testimony we heard in our home Friday night.  Sandy,
Vicki, and Lelia were there and heard it, too.  Tell me who you think the
man was in the story.

     Troy is an X convict who has been out of prison for 11 years.
For most of his life, he has been an alcoholic and a drug addict.
Three months ago, one of the men in our Friday night prayer group
meetings led Troy to Christ in one of his men's Bible studies.
Troy is a house builder by trade and a good one, too.  He has been
coming on Friday nights to our prayer meeting since he was born
again.

     Troy has been able to enter a drug rehab residential
Christian home within walking distance of our home.  This home is
not required by law but his common law wife of many years, gets
him so mad at times, he leaves the house and goes on a three day
drunk or drug binge.  So, he moved into this Christian drug home
to try and stay sober.  He has been since he was born again, too.

     The other night, he and his roommate at the rehab home got
into an argument.  Troy left the house to go for a walk to try and
calm down.  He walked so far away, he decided to take a bus home.
It was after midnight and the only place open in that part of town
that he could see was a liquor store.  He went in and asked for
change for a five dollar bill so he could use change to ride the
bus home.  As the man made change for him, Troy looked around at
all the bottles and said, "Yeah, I used to be an alcoholic but I
became a Christian so I don't drink any more."  The guy said,
"Well, how long have you been dry?"  Troy told him three months.
The man said, "Well, then I would say it is time for you to have a
drink."  He talked Troy into buying a pint.

     Walking home, Troy kept thinking and praying.  As he walked,
he tossed the unopened bottle into the air and caught it over and
over again.  As he walked, an Indian, who had just moved to
Denver, stopped him on the street.  Troy told him his testimony
but he was having trouble deciding what to do about the bottle.
The Indian said, "Just keep praying, man, just keep on praying,"
and they parted ways.

     As he prayed, he knew, if he removed the cap, he would be a
drunk again and his whole life would probably be ruined.

     Just then, he cross the opening of a dark alley.  A voice out
of the darkness said, "Hey, what are you doing?"  Troy said, "Oh,
I'm just walking home.  "What's that you have in your hand?"
Troy said, "I just bought a pint and was going to drink it but I
became a Christian three months ago and if I drink this, I'll
probably just go back to my old lousy way of living."  the man
came closer and said, "I'm a Christian, too.  You don't need that
bottle.  Did you open it?"  Troy admitted he had not opened the
bottle and wasn't going to.  The man said, "Come on with me.  I'll
give you a ride home.  The last thing you need is that bottle."
Troy argued with the man about just taking the bus but the man
insisted.  Troy is no little man and he isn't afraid of much so
he walked down the alley to the man's car.  It was a brand new Ta
ho.  He took Troy home and kept the bottle that Troy gave him.

     So who was this man with the new S U V in the middle of the
night who claimed to be a Christian.  Another drunk, possibly?
If so, he didn't need to bum a pint of whisky off of Troy if he
was driving a brand new 40,000 dollar sport utility vehicle.  So
who was he?

Phil.