Invite Jesus into your heart

“I talked to Jesus over the fence, but I never invited him inside.”

That’s how Major Richard Russo, a traffic-control manager at Travis Air Force Base, described his earlier relationship to Christ. But now it was different.

I met the major rather unexpectedly in the conference room of Integrated Services Inc., in Manor, Pa., many years ago. The outcome of this chance meeting still excites me.

My appointment was with his brother-in-law and partner at Integrated, Tom Rodgers, but God’s appointment schedule read differently.

Major Russo had seen action in three wars, including Vietnam. He greeted me cordially in his deep bass voice. We easily moved into conversation about spiritual things.

The major was a religious man. All his life the church had been important to him. Awards for perfect attendance at Sunday school were just a part of his collection of religious trophies.

Prayer also had been a valued practice.

It was when I asked him if he had ever considered becoming a Christian, however, that the Holy Spirit began to move in with apparent conviction.

Our conversation became more intense.

The major’s response was deliberate. “I’ve always considered myself a Christian.”

Now the Holy Spirit compelled me to speak directly to the point.

“Richard, Jesus Christ is standing at your heart’s door. He wants to come in. Will you let him in?”

He relaxed as he consented, but the battle for his soul was not over.

When I finished my prayer, he offered a beautiful prayer in his own words. It was the expression of an intelligent, thoughtful man, one who had traveled this road before. And just there I nearly failed.

The faithful Holy Spirit whispered to my heart that while Major Russo had offered a beautiful prayer, as yet he had not positively invited Christ to come into his heart as his personal Savior. Quietly, I pressed this need upon him.

Soon in his own words Major Russo was saying, “Jesus, come into my heart. I want you to be my personal Savior.” It was a thrilling moment.

Later that evening, we met for dinner. The major was excited and joyful. “When I asked Jesus to come into my heart,” he testified, “something wonderful went all through me.” Then with a tinge of regret he added, “All these years, I thought I was a Christian. But I never had invited Jesus Christ into my heart.”

He mentioned a story of an old neighbor who accompanied him to several functions of an organization to which the major belonged. One couldn’t apply for membership in it; you had to be invited. The major talked with the neighbor about it many times over the back-yard fence and always came just short of inviting him to join.

One day, the neighbor questioned the major about why he didn’t offer an invitation.

The major made this point, “Pastor, I’ve been talking to Jesus over the fence since I was a child — all these years. But not until this afternoon did I ever invite him to join me inside. Now I know I am really a Christian.”‚ñà

The Rev. Guy BonGiovanni is the director of Life Enrichment Ministries in Canfield.