I want to post in memoriam a friend of mine. I found out today, that he died yesterday in his sleep at the age of 28. He had significant emotional and health issues, and struggled much in life to find peace, but I believe that he is in God's wonderful, and incomprehensible presence now, because he had a child-like faith in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Andrew ("Drew") was a fun guy, had an awesome laugh, and a great, contagious smile! He loved people, and wanted to hang out often. In the days leading up to his death, he seemed to be showing increasing interest in being right with and living for God. He even asked for help in starting a Bible Study at the group home where he lived. It is as if the LORD was drawing him ever nearer in his heart, in the days before seeing Him face-to-face.
In the end, that is really all that matters: being right with God. All of us have sinned against the LORD. It is only through His only-begotten Son Jesus Christ, that reconciliation with our Creator is possible. Where will you go when you die? It's going to happen sooner or later. My prayer is that you will receive and follow Jesus, and end up in the endless Paradise of Heaven!
I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. -- Jesus (John 14:6)
Pray on in hope. Many a one has had his prayer for others answered after he had been dead. There was a father who had prayed for many years for his sons and daughters, and yet they were not converted but became exceedingly worldly. His time came to die. He gathered his children around his bed, hoping to bear such a witness for Christ at the end that it might be blessed to their conversion. But, unhappy for him, he was in deep distress of soul; he had doubts about his own interest in Christ. He was one of God's children who are put to bed in the dark. This was, above all, the worse fear of his mind, that his dear children would see his distress and be prejudiced against religion. The good man was buried, his sons came to his funeral, and God heard the man's prayer that very day. For as they went away from the grave, one of them said to the other, "Brother, our father died a most unhappy death."
"He did, brother. I was very astonished at it, for I never knew a better man than our father."
"Ah," said the first brother, "if a holy man such as our father found it a hard thing to die, it will be a dreadful thing for us who have no faith when our time comes." That same thought had struck them all and drove them to the cross, and so the good man's prayer was heard in a mysterious way.
From The Power in Prayer by Charles H. Spurgeon 1834-1892
In the various conversations that I have had with atheists/evolutionists, I have found a consistent pattern. They will often claim to be willing to "convert" if shown evidence for creation and the existence of God. Yet, when you try to present or lead them to such evidence, they are entirely uninterested, and refuse to even look into it. This, however, comes as no surprise. It is not about a sincere search for the truth, but rather about defending and clinging to what they want to believe, which suits their chosen path of sin, and self-diefication. It's just like Jesus said...
"This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil."
John 3:19
The apostle Peter explains how people intentionally convince themselves, against the evidence, that there was no flood/judgement of God.
For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
2 Peter 3:5-7
In the heart of every person is the knowledge of a Supreme Being -- the God of the whole universe who, revealed Himself to us through the people of Israel in the Bible. The hostility of the atheist against our God and His Son Jesus Christ, is clear evidence of this. They know deep down that He is real, and are angry and afraid. Consider the chilling last words of dying atheist George Villiers, The Duke of Buckingham...
"You see, my dear doctor, the apprehensions of death will soon bring the most profligate to a proper use of their understanding. In my life, to purchase a smile from a blockhead, whom I despised, I have frequently treated the virtuous with disrespect, and sported with the holy name of heaven. Now I am haunted by remorse, despised by my aquantance, and, I fear, forsaken by my God."
1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness , although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
I have seen it many times -- people who claim to be Christians, yet over time, fall away from the Faith, to serve their sinful desires, rather than Christ. We see in the above Scripture that it was prophesied that this would happen, and as I was pondering the possible reasons for this phenomenon, the simple answer suddenly became clear to me.
Folks all too often fall for the false message that teaches us that God's aim in our lives is to keep us happy and successful. But Jesus' message to us is very different. It is one of holiness above happiness!
The answer is simple. People delude themselves into believing the unbiblical teaching just mentioned, then they forget or fail to recognize the Biblical truth of God's coming wrath against sin.
One is either born-again, or not. One is either a new creation in Christ, or not. God will not be mocked; believing in Him in the modern sense of the word, is not enough, as the demons do that. When the New Testament was written, to "believe in", meant to trust, follow, and obey with the whole heart!
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate , nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
As times become more and more difficult, Professing Christians will have to choose between Christ and the world, and between the hard narrow road that leads to life, and the easy broad road that leads to destruction. Professing Christians will have to choose whether they want to be among the Wheat, or among the Tares. God will reserve for Himself a Faithful Remnant, as He always has. May we be among them!
If we see ourselves as worthy before God, our unworthiness will be revealed. If we recognize our unworthiness before God, we then become worthy.
There's a
sweet old story translated for man
But
writ in the long, long ago --
The
Gospel according to Mark, Luke, and John
Of Christ and His mission below.
Men read and
admire the Gospel of Christ,
With its
love so unfailing and true;
But what do
they say, and what do they think
Of the
Gospel "according to you"?
Tis a
wonderful story, that Gospel of love,
As it shines in the Christ life divine,
And oh, that its truth might be told yet
again
In the story of your life and
mine.
Unselfishness mirrors in every scene,
Love blossoms on every sod,
And back from its vision the heart comes to
tell
The wonderful goodness of
God.
You are writing each day a letter to
men,
Take care that the writing is
true,
Tis the only Gospel that some men
will read --
That Gospel "according to
you."
Author Unknown
This poem fits right in with the theme
discussed in the previous post. You never know who is watching the example
you're setting as you live life. Do they see someone who is sold out for Jesus,
and who is truly different in the way they love God and people -- a born-again, new
creation? Or do they just see the same old, same old human nature of those who
walk the broad path to destruction? If we are truly citizens of Heaven, let's
act like it, and make unbelievers jealous of the Treasure we have in these
"earthen vessels"! Perhaps they too will turn to the Lord Jesus, and join us in
the camp of those who are the children of God!
Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.
Colossians 4:6
You that preach Christ in the streets, go on preaching Him. I saw a man preaching the other day with no creature but one dog to listen to him, and I really thought that he might as well have gone home. But I met with a story yesterday, which I know to be true, and it showed me that I was making a mistake. There was a woman who for years had been in such dreadful dispair that she would not even hear the gospel. She came to be very ill, and she said to one that called upon her, "You sent a man to preach under my window three months ago, and I got a blessing." "No," the friend said, "I never sent anybody to preach under your window." "Oh," she said, "I think you did, for he came and preached, and my maid said that there was nobody listening to him. I did not want to hear him; and as he made so much noise, my maid shut the window, and I laid down in bed; but the man shouted so that I was obliged to hear him; and I thank God I did, I heard the gospel, and I found Christ. Did you not send him?" "No," said the good man, "I did not." "Well," she said, "then God did. There was nobody in street listening to him; but I heard the gospel, and I got out of my despair, and I found the savior, and I am prepared to die." Fire away, brethren! You do not know where your shot will strike, but "there's a billet for every bullet." -- Charles H. Spurgeon 1834-1892
Although open-air preaching may or may not be considered the best form of communicating God's truths with others in today's culture, I would like to point out that the principle described in this story will always be valid! You just never know who you might be influencing with your words and actions. You never know what kind of seeds you might be planting as you seek to both say and do things that honor God, while interacting with people day-to-day. So, whether you are admonishing or encouraging a fellow believer, or sharing your Faith with an unbeliever, keep shining for Jesus with the life He has given you! And although you may not always see it, God will use a willing and sincere believer's heart for His eternal purpose and glory, as well as the believer's eternal reward!
"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5:16
