The Fortune Teller

The incident I am about to tell occurred some ten years ago when traveling

with my friend on a train between Oxford and Reading, England. A group of us

men were seated in a compartment. Five of these men were plainly "card

sharpers" and were trying to induce a sixth man to join them in a game of

poker, without success. Finally, after several refusals, turning to my friend,

their spokesman said flatteringly: "We can see by your sharp eye that you know

the game. Come take a hand."

"No," my friend answered, "it is so long since i have touched a card that I

have forgotten how."

"Nonsense!" they retorted, "you could win all our money if you only tried."

"Gentlemen, I tell you I cannot play, but there is one thing I can do." "What

is that?" they asked.

"I can tell fortunes."

"Capital! Will you tell ours?"

"Yes, if you wish it, and I can assure you that my predictions will prove true

for each of you."

"What card will you want'!"

"The five of spades, if you please," and the card was handed to him with

expectation.

"As my prediction is to be true, it must be founded upon the truth," my friend

said. "I shall have to have another thing from you."

"What is that?" they asked impatiently.

"A Bible." "We have none." they said.

"I suspected that, but there was a time when you did, and if you had followed

its precepts, you would not be what you are now; however, I have one." To

their dismay he produced a Bible. Holding up the five of spades, he began:

"Gentlemen, you see these two spots at the top of the cards? I wish them to

represent the two eyes of each of you, the spot in the center to represent

your mouth and the two lower spots your knees. Opening the Word of God at

Revelation 1:7, read these words: "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every

eye shall see him," The speaker is the Lord Jesus Christ, Who was once red

with blood shed for sinners like you and me, even so, I foretell that your

eyes shall one day see HIM face to face, Whom you now reject and despise. That

is the future of your eyes."

"Now," he continued, "listen to the future of your knees and your mouth, which

is likewise found in the Word of Truth, Philippians 2:10,11 "...at the name of

Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and

things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ

is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." From this I foretell that you will

have to stand before Jesus, as He is seated on His Father's throne, and be

judged. When you stand there and behold Jesus Christ, in all His glory, His

absolute purity and holiness, your knees will become so weak that you will

fall before Him. At the same time your mouth will confess that Jesus Christ is

Lord of Lords to the glory of the Father. This is the future of your mouth and

your knees."

Consternation was written on the faces of all five men as they asked, "ls that

all?"

"No, gentlemen," continued the fortune teller, "that was only the first

reading of this card. Now for the second reading, if you please. These five

spades you see on this card represent five actual spades, one for each of you,

that are already made, and will ere long, dig the graves of each of you five

sinners. Then your souls will be in hell, and in torment, as you bewail the

lost opportunities you have had to escape this doom.

"However gentlemen," continued the fortune teller, "you may escape this

terrible future, and the fortune I have foretold for you will not come true if

you will do what I did, and I was as bad a sinner as any of you. I asked God

to reveal Himself to me and save me. Jesus saved me, as He will everyone who

calls on Him with a contrite heart. I saw Jesus hanging upon a cross for me,

bearing my sins. My tongue confessed Him as my Lord and my knees bowed to Him

in lowly submission. If you will do this I can foretell the very opposite of

what I have told you. Now gentlemen, I have told your fortunes as I promised,

and, as the custom is, you ought to cross my palm with a shilling a piece;

however I do not wish your five shillings. I shall feel well repaid if one of

you will promise to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, Whose blood

cleanses from all sin."

At this point the train pulled into Reading and the five card sharpers tumbled

off the coach, almost falling over each other in their haste, leaving the five

spades with my friend.

Years rolled by and the incident of this trip was long forgotten until my

friend told me the sequel of the story. He was leaving home one evening, when

a stranger accosted him, saying, "Good evening, sir."

"It is a good evening, sir, if you know your sins are forgiven," was the

rejoinder.

"Yes, I am glad to say I know they are, and I am also glad you are still at

it," replied the stranger. "Still at what?" he asked.

"Telling fortunes." "That is not my line."

"Well, you told mine over ten years ago."

"I think you are mistaken," said my friend.

"No, anyone who has once seen your face can never mistake you," and he

recalled the ride from Oxford to Reading.

"Ah, I remember now, and that you left without paying the fortune-teller."

"I am your payment. Your predictions have come true to four of us so far.

Three spades have dug their three graves. I am saved by the grace of God,

while the fifth is seeking God."

"Tell me about yourself."

"The day we first met on the train, I was just returning from my Mother's

funeral. On her deathbed she pleaded in vain for me to forsake my sinful life.

Finally she said, "George, I leave you this scripture, 'Behold, he cometh with

clouds; and every eye shall see him,...' (Rev. 1:7). From that day those words

haunted me wherever I went. They kept ringing in my ears. Drink would not

drown them. In desperation I went to America. The first words I heard in San

Francisco were those same words, spoken by a street preacher. That was too much

for me. I saw I was fighting the God of my Mother. I surrendered my will and

my heart to Jesus and took Him as my personal Savior."

"Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy

presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in

hell, behold, thou art there." (Psalms 139:7,8).

Dear Reader: Jesus loves you and every sinner, but He hates the sin in you

(the unbelief which, among many other things, causes you to reject Jesus).

Confessing your sin to Jesus breaks the power of sin (setting you free from

its power and bondage); repenting (abandoning your sins) brings the blood of

Jesus into operation and cleanses you from the defilement of sin; taking Jesus

as your personal Saviour and confessing Him before men brings salvation to

your soul and peace with God.

 

---------------

Reprint permission was granted to Computers for Christ #22 for the expressed

purpose of posting this tract in electronic form. Please DO NOT modify this

file nor distribute hard copies of this file.

Printed copies for distribution are available from the Gospel Tract Society

for a donation.

The Gospel Tract Society is supported by our contributions. Please help them

continue their work by sending them a contribution today.

The Gospel Tract Society, Inc.

P.O. Box 1118

Independence, MO 64061


Index of Articles of Interest    Home

  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 100 | 101 | 102 | 103 | 104 | 105 | 106 | 107 | 108 | 109 | 110 | 111 | 112 | 113 | 114 | 115 | 116 | 117 | 118 | 119 | 120 | 121 | 122 | 123 | 124 | 125 | 126 | 127 | 128 | 129 | 130 | 131 | 132 | 133 | 134 | 135 | 136 | 137 | 138 | 139 | 140 | 141 | 142 | 143 | 144 | 145 | 146 | 147 | 148 | 149 | 150 | 151 | 152 | 153 | 154 | 155 | 156 | 157 | 158 | 159 | 160 | 161 | 162 | 163 | 164 | 165 | 166 | 167 | 168 | 169 | 170 | 171 | 172 | 173 | 174 | 175 | 176 | 177 | 178 | 179 | 180 | 181 | 182 | 183 | 184 | 185 | 186 | 187 | 188 | 189 | 190 | 191 | 192 | 193 | 194 | 195 | 196 | 197 | 198 | 199 | 200 | 201 | 202 | 203 | 204 | 205 | 206 | 207 | 208 | 209 | 210 | 211 | 212 | 213 | 214 | 215 |216 | 217 | 218 | 219 | 220 | 221 | 222 | 223 | 224 | 225 | 226 | 227 | 228 | 229 | 230 | 231 | 232 | 233 | 234 | 235 | 236 | 237 | 238 | 239 | 240 | 241 | 242 | 243 | 244 | 245 | 246 | 247 | 248 | 249 | 250 | 251 | 252 | 253 | 254 | 255 | 256 | 257 | 258 | 259 | 260 | 261 | 262 | 263 | 264 | 265 | 266 | 267 | 268 | 269 | 270 | 271 | 272 | 273 | 274 | 275 | 276 | 277 | 278 | 279 | 280 | 281 | 282 | 283 | 284 | 285 | 286 | 287 | 288 | 289 | 290 | 291 | 292 | 293 | 294 | 295 | 296 | 297 | 298 | 299 | 300 | 301 | 302 | 303 | 304 | 305 | 306 | 307 | 308 | 309 | 310 | 311 | 312 | 313 | 314 | 315 |316 | 317 | 318 | 319 | 320 | 321 | 322 | 323 | 324 | 325 | 326 | 327 | 328 | 329 | 330 | 331 | 332 | 333

These articles are free from BelieversCafe.com, the complete christian resource site with more than 5000 webpages.  Redistribute freely with this link intact. NB:follow the respective authors copyright instructions!

Home | Bible versions | Bible Dictionary | Christian Classics | Christian Articles | Daily Devotions

Sister Projects: Wikichristian | WikiMD

BelieversCafe is a large collection of christian articles with over 40,000 pages


Our sponsors:   W8MD sleep and weight loss center