Today is my 34th birthday. While I know that's still relatively young, I can honestly say I don't feel quite as young as I did 5 or 10 years ago. Many of my older friends tell me that it will only get worse. Gee thanks - just what I wanted to hear.
I think birthdays are kind of like milestones in our lives. They cause us to pause and reflect on where we've been, where we are, and where we're going. Today I stopped and asked myself this question: What things would be different if I were never born? Specifically, I wonder how many people would still be headed for hell if I had never been born. While I'm ashamed to admit it, the answer is not near enough.
I led my first person to faith in Christ when I was about 15 years old. I'll never forget it - I was on a youth Evangelism Explosion visit with Gary Boyd and Amy Shoemaker (now Garland). Gary told me that it was my turn to share the Gospel. We went to a nice home in Sequoyah Hills in Knoxville, TN. A teenage girl answered the door and we introduced ourselves and began to ask her about her church background. Then we came to the two big questions we were trained to ask: "If you were to die tonight, do you know that you would go to heaven? If God asked you why you should be allowed into heaven, what would you say?"
While I can't remember exactly how the young lady answered that question, I remember that she indicated some doubts about her relationship with Jesus. God allowed me the privilege of sharing the Gospel with her. I can vividly remember being scared and trying to remember everything I wanted to say. I'm sure it was probably one of the more lackluster Gospel presentations that's ever been given, but God used it to save the soul of that teenager. I praise God that He allowed me, Gary, and Amy to be a part of that experience.
But as I look back over these 34 years, for every one time I faithfully shared the Gospel with someone, there were probably at least 10 or 20 other opportunities that I squandered. Those opportunities were missed either because I had a fear of failure or rejection. While I praise God that he has used me to see a good number of souls added to His Kingdom, I'm ashamed that many others remain separated from His grace simply because I was unwilling to share. Too many people are still on the road to hell, and unless I do something about it their blood will be required at my hands (Ezekiel 33:8).
Perhaps you share some of my concerns. Whose life is radically different because you and I were born? We can live in nice homes, drive nice cars, make large salaries, and belong to fancy clubs, but that will probably do very little to change someone's life - much less their eternity. I hope the burden of Jesus will become ours as well: "I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is still day; the night is coming when no one can work" (John 9:4). When the night comes, I hope we'll all be found leading the lost to a saving knowledge of Christ.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Feeding Rover After the Rapture
Most of you are probably aware that a false teacher named Harold Camping has predicted that Christ will return to rapture His church on this Saturday - May 21, 2011. I wrote a blog post about Mr. Camping's false teaching several months ago. While Mr. Camping's prediction will be proven bogus when the clock strikes midnight this Saturday, it has managed to accomplish one thing. Apparently, it has caused Christians to think about the welfare of their pets following the Rapture.
Until last Wednesday, I had no idea that post-rapture pet care had become such a thriving business. Check out this article that a church member shared with me to see what I'm talking about. There are at least 3 post-rapture pet care services that want your business. Two of them are run by atheists, and the third is a Christian-owned service that claims to coordinate "with atheist animal lovers nationwide who volunteer to take care of left-behind pets." The price for post-rapture pet care services range anywhere from $10-$135.
While I can appreciate the fact that Christians want Rover taken care of in the event of their departure, I find all this post-rapture pet care stuff to be a little disturbing. A few initial observations immediately come to the surface. First, this seems more like a money-making scheme than anything else. If the Christians aren't going to be here to insure that their pets are taken care of, what makes them think that they will be? Are they just going to take the atheists' word for it? And by the way, when the rapture occurs all the atheists will realize that they've been left behind. Do we really think that pet-care is going to be their top priority?
The greater concerns are biblical in nature. Christians, instead of investing our money in the post-rapture care of our pets, why not use our money for the pre-rapture salvation of the lost? The fact that a group of Christians would be concerned in working with atheists to provide pet care rather than presenting them with the Gospel is a telling sign of how misplaced our priorities have become.
To me, that's the most tragic part of this whole story. Are "Christians" now going to be known more for their love of pets than for the lost? Perhaps we already are. Statistics tell us that nearly every mainline Christian denomination in America is now baptizing fewer and fewer people with each passing year. Is it any wonder? We're now thinking more about the earthly welfare of our pets than we are the eternal destination of the lost.
God help us never to forget these words of a certain rich man whom Jesus said is now burning in hell: "Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame" (Luke 16:24). If God's people would often stop to consider the eternal destiny of those who die lost apart from Christ, my guess is that post-rapture pet care services would become a thing of the past.
Until last Wednesday, I had no idea that post-rapture pet care had become such a thriving business. Check out this article that a church member shared with me to see what I'm talking about. There are at least 3 post-rapture pet care services that want your business. Two of them are run by atheists, and the third is a Christian-owned service that claims to coordinate "with atheist animal lovers nationwide who volunteer to take care of left-behind pets." The price for post-rapture pet care services range anywhere from $10-$135.
While I can appreciate the fact that Christians want Rover taken care of in the event of their departure, I find all this post-rapture pet care stuff to be a little disturbing. A few initial observations immediately come to the surface. First, this seems more like a money-making scheme than anything else. If the Christians aren't going to be here to insure that their pets are taken care of, what makes them think that they will be? Are they just going to take the atheists' word for it? And by the way, when the rapture occurs all the atheists will realize that they've been left behind. Do we really think that pet-care is going to be their top priority?
The greater concerns are biblical in nature. Christians, instead of investing our money in the post-rapture care of our pets, why not use our money for the pre-rapture salvation of the lost? The fact that a group of Christians would be concerned in working with atheists to provide pet care rather than presenting them with the Gospel is a telling sign of how misplaced our priorities have become.
To me, that's the most tragic part of this whole story. Are "Christians" now going to be known more for their love of pets than for the lost? Perhaps we already are. Statistics tell us that nearly every mainline Christian denomination in America is now baptizing fewer and fewer people with each passing year. Is it any wonder? We're now thinking more about the earthly welfare of our pets than we are the eternal destination of the lost.
God help us never to forget these words of a certain rich man whom Jesus said is now burning in hell: "Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame" (Luke 16:24). If God's people would often stop to consider the eternal destiny of those who die lost apart from Christ, my guess is that post-rapture pet care services would become a thing of the past.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
A Christian Response to Osama Bin Laden's Death
As I was watching TV on Sunday evening, some breaking news flashed across the screen. The reporter said that there was a "big announcement" that was fixing to come from the White House. Fox News actually broke the story before the White House had a chance to do so: "Osama Bin Laden is dead." Once the news broke, the reporter was filled with joy. He happened to be interviewing a retired general, and at one point they gave one another a high five.
I'll have to admit that when I first heard the news, my heart was excited as well. For me it was a great relief to know that justice had finally been served. But as I continued to watch the coverage that evening and early the next morning, I saw people dancing and yelling in the streets of Washington, New York, and several other places. It caused me to stop and wonder, "Is all this celebration really a Christian response to the death of a wicked man?"
I've wrestled with that question for the last 24-48 hours, but I think the Holy Spirit has reminded me of some things I'd like to share with you. First, I think it is completely appropriate for us to rejoice over the fact that justice has finally been served. Romans 12:19 reminds us that vengeance belongs to the Lord, and the following verses of chapter 13 make it very clear that God has chosen our governing officials as a means of executing that vengeance: "For he (the government) is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minster, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil" (v. 4). God has finally brought Osama Bin Laden to justice and for that we say, "Amen!"
And yet, I wonder what God thinks about all this celebration and high-fiving going on. Should we rejoice over the death of a wicked man? I think we can agree that our response to Bin Laden's death should be like our Lord's. So what is our Lord's response to his death? "As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live" (Ezekiel 33:11). If God took no pleasure in the death of Osama Bin Laden, neither should we. Rather than killing the world's most notorious terrorist, it would've been the pleasure of our Lord to have saved him through the shed blood of His Son Jesus. And yet, it seems that Bin Laden was not willing to come, much like the Jews during the ministry of our Savior (Matt. 23:37).
In all our joy and celebration, have we stopped to consider that Osama Bin Laden split the gates of hell wide open, if in fact he died lost apart from Christ? Is that really a happy thought for us? If it is, something is desperately wrong. Rather than rejoicing over the death of a wicked man, our hearts should break that he now has no further opportunity to be reconciled to God. It should also remind us of the missionary mandate to reach the world for Christ while there is still time.
The Holy Spirit laid one final thought on my heart. We tend to put guys like Osama Bin Laden in the same category with people like Hitler and Stalin. Whether most people would say it or not, they often tend to think that hell is really reserved for those kind of people. We tend to think that they were "worse sinners" than us. But consider what Jesus said: "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3). The death of Osama Bin Laden should cause us to examine our own hearts to see if we are really children of God.
So let us rejoice that justice has been served, but let's take a look in the mirror as well. Are we burdened over the spiritual condition of the lost? And could it be that we ourselves are one of those lost apart from the saving grace of Jesus? Let us all thank God that we still have a chance to receive Him and that we can compel others to do the same. Let's save our rejoicing and high-fiving for the salvation of a lost person. As Jesus said, "There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent" (Luke 15:7).
I'll have to admit that when I first heard the news, my heart was excited as well. For me it was a great relief to know that justice had finally been served. But as I continued to watch the coverage that evening and early the next morning, I saw people dancing and yelling in the streets of Washington, New York, and several other places. It caused me to stop and wonder, "Is all this celebration really a Christian response to the death of a wicked man?"
I've wrestled with that question for the last 24-48 hours, but I think the Holy Spirit has reminded me of some things I'd like to share with you. First, I think it is completely appropriate for us to rejoice over the fact that justice has finally been served. Romans 12:19 reminds us that vengeance belongs to the Lord, and the following verses of chapter 13 make it very clear that God has chosen our governing officials as a means of executing that vengeance: "For he (the government) is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minster, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil" (v. 4). God has finally brought Osama Bin Laden to justice and for that we say, "Amen!"
And yet, I wonder what God thinks about all this celebration and high-fiving going on. Should we rejoice over the death of a wicked man? I think we can agree that our response to Bin Laden's death should be like our Lord's. So what is our Lord's response to his death? "As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live" (Ezekiel 33:11). If God took no pleasure in the death of Osama Bin Laden, neither should we. Rather than killing the world's most notorious terrorist, it would've been the pleasure of our Lord to have saved him through the shed blood of His Son Jesus. And yet, it seems that Bin Laden was not willing to come, much like the Jews during the ministry of our Savior (Matt. 23:37).
In all our joy and celebration, have we stopped to consider that Osama Bin Laden split the gates of hell wide open, if in fact he died lost apart from Christ? Is that really a happy thought for us? If it is, something is desperately wrong. Rather than rejoicing over the death of a wicked man, our hearts should break that he now has no further opportunity to be reconciled to God. It should also remind us of the missionary mandate to reach the world for Christ while there is still time.
The Holy Spirit laid one final thought on my heart. We tend to put guys like Osama Bin Laden in the same category with people like Hitler and Stalin. Whether most people would say it or not, they often tend to think that hell is really reserved for those kind of people. We tend to think that they were "worse sinners" than us. But consider what Jesus said: "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3). The death of Osama Bin Laden should cause us to examine our own hearts to see if we are really children of God.
So let us rejoice that justice has been served, but let's take a look in the mirror as well. Are we burdened over the spiritual condition of the lost? And could it be that we ourselves are one of those lost apart from the saving grace of Jesus? Let us all thank God that we still have a chance to receive Him and that we can compel others to do the same. Let's save our rejoicing and high-fiving for the salvation of a lost person. As Jesus said, "There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent" (Luke 15:7).
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