May 13, 2022 – Click here to listen
The other day I wrote about wanting to be with God now and not in the distant future but hoping He will delay the rapture and/or my demise until I can lead some of my non-believer friends and family to fully commit and surrender their lives to Jesus.
A good friend who is currently living in his golden years is one of the foremost ministers in the world and has spent his entire life working for the kingdom of God responded to that post with the following email:
“So right on Bob. Am laying here in the Holy Cross Hospital going through a very painful medical procedure. My desire is to just be released to go on and be with the Lord. He has so abundantly blessed me in my life and my desire is to be forever in his presence. However, like you my heart is aching for my friends and family who have not yet made a full surrender of their lives to the Savior. So I pray Lord if you can use me in any way to lead one more soul to the cross and save them from eternal hell I’m willing to stay and go thru whatever I must go through to reach that one soul.
I love you, brother Bob.”
I responded this morning as follows:
My dear Brother,
I’m sorry to hear of your current trials. I’m reminded of the Reverend Billy Graham and all he endured prior to joining the Lord and finding glorious peace in heaven. He served faithfully for so many decades and like you made personal sacrifices including spending enormous amounts of time away from his family and beloved wife Ruth not to mention traveling millions of miles. After his wife died and he retired, he was deeply afflicted with Parkinson’s disease and he sorely wanted to join Jesus and his beloved wife Ruth, but the Lord had other plans and I suppose more souls needed to be reached through him and they were for many, many, years.
Like a true warrior He suffered through it and continued the daily fight until the Lord called him home. Today at this very moment we cannot even comprehend the joy he feels.
You too have a great reward awaiting you. I understand the fatigue and pain you are enduring more than most, but I encourage you not to focus on it. It is a mind-trap set by our tormentor Satan and designed to demoralize you and take away your focus from Jesus. Keep winning souls for as long as you can my friend and brother. Fight – Fight until the last dog dies!
You need to know that you are still making a BIG difference in more lives than you will ever realize, (especially in mine). I will pray that God will remove your pain and heal you quickly my brother. I love you and admire you greatly!
My friend reminds me of the person described in this quote by football legend Vince Lombardi: “I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle – victorious.”
The Apostle Paul who was no stranger to suffering and persecution wrote in Romans 8:18 – I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
To all my friends who are tired, living with pain, and are envisioning the reunion with Jesus and friends who have gone on home as a better alternative to continuing the fight, I encourage you to focus on Jesus who willingly submitted to the worst that mankind and Satan could conjure up in order that we might live with Him forever.
Jesus faced his terrible affliction knowing the suffering he would endure on the cross by praying for strength to do his father’s will and because of His love for us. Instead of letting fear overwhelm him or sink him into despair, Jesus dropped to his knees and prayed. That is what I’m going to do as soon as I press send.
Luke 22:42
Saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
Have a great weekend and go to church this Sunday!