I received an interesting e-mail the other day in response to Words for the Day. In part it said: “You asked if we know someone who is hurting and if so that we should not give up praying for them. I think we also need to pray for those that are NOT hurting (and are not Christian) as well. Many in my family (my dad in particular come to mind); they are not Christians but they are not hurting. My dad (73) retired about 7 years ago with a good nest egg. He has kids and grandkids and travels around the U.S. and the world, for leisure. He’s in good shape physically, and doesn’t have anything going wrong with him. Nobody in our family has gone to jail or has any kind of addiction to drugs. He’s happy and content.
I think satan sometimes makes it comfortable for folks, so they don’t think they need Christ or anyone/anything else. My dad knows I’m Christian and we’ve talked about Christianity, but he could care less. Brought up Catholic, “he’s tried it” and doesn’t see the value in having Christ in his life. My brother calls himself a devout atheist and he too is not hurting. So, it sounds silly, but there are times that I pray that something does go wrong in their lives. I pray for God to do something that would make them feel the need to have Christ in their lives. My point is that they are not hurting and I won’t give up praying for them.”
Hmmm . . . I’ve never received a letter such as this one and have never thought about it really. I’ve never met anyone that didn’t have valleys and peaks in their life. Generally speaking it is when someone is going through a crisis down in the valley that most folks reach out to the Lord, but not always.
Many non-Christians become disillusioned when they discover that nothing physical including money, travel and no material thing will give them true peace, joy, and/or real love. The Bible states plainly that it cannot be achieved apart
from God.
As human beings we face whatever is left of the here and now, (life on earth). When we die we face the hereafter, (eternity). Logic alone dictates that it would not be wise to focus on the here and now versus the hereafter. Statistics tell us that the average person lives to be 79.9 years old. Some receive a little more, some less, but that means that this individual at 73 is nearing the end of the here and now and sooner rather than later will be facing the everlasting.
And then what happens?
The teachings of Jesus called the Beatitudes are recorded in the gospels of Matthew (5:1-10) and Luke (6:20-23). They are an invitation to a way of living that brings true happiness and both inward and outward peace both for the here and now and the hereafter.
I read the following about the Beatitudes by Virginia Schurman. “Each Beatitude begins with the word “blessed.” The Greek word translated as “blessed” means “extremely fortunate, well off, and truly happy” because one is favored by God. To live the Beatitudes is to be centered on God and God’s desires for our life. They invite us to live in a true inward peace that leads to a desire to be outward peacemakers, to bring reconciliation, to seek out opportunities for mercy and compassion, to pursue justice and righteousness as a hunger and thirst. We live the Beatitudes where we are right now, one day at a time, one leading at a time, and one action at a time. We live them realizing that we are imperfect, that we make mistakes, and need forgiveness. We live them with confidence in Jesus’ promise of a joy and peace that only God can give.
The eight Beatitudes in Matthew can be arranged into two categories. The first group reflects a longing for a deeper relationship with God (blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn). The second group reveal the transformation of our lives as fruits of that relationship (blessed are the pure of heart, the meek, the merciful, the peacemakers, the persecuted). The first group brings us into closer relationship with God which results in the transformation of our lives described in the second group.”
I once led a gentleman to Christ who was 98 years old through correspondence with him and prayer. He wrote me a handwritten letter and it was obvious from his handwriting that it was laborious and his hand was shaking. We corresponded for many weeks and then I didn’t hear from him again. I assumed that he might have died, but then one day I received one of his letters. I eagerly read it and he told me that he had accepted Christ as his Savior. Praise the Lord! This told me that it is never too late.
We can only enter heaven through faith and grace, (the precious spilled blood of Christ and His broken body and not by works, (though we are called to works).
We live; we die; and then what? The Bible teaches that then we face God almighty and give an accounting of our life. When sin is found there must be punishment. The Bible states that ALL have sinned and the wages of that sin is death. We either face that punishment alone, or we listen to Jesus as He declares that we belong to Him because He already has paid the punishment for us.
Personally I’ve never met anyone who has not faced valleys and always remains on a peak. The Bible is unequivocal in stating that we will face both. Perhaps it isn’t drugs, alcohol, criminal activity or something that blatant, but some consequence for sin in our lives will occur such as divorce, death of a loved one, disillusionment, etc.
My advice is to pray for all that are lost. Most atheists become atheists because some supposed Christian provided a horrid example of being a Christian and instead of blaming the person, Christ wrongfully gets the blame. Others play the intellectual game. One thing certain is that 100% of us will die and then what? Life is not a game and eternity lasts far longer than 79>9 years…Heaven or hell the choice is ours to make. Selah . . .
Romans 14:17
For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
March 2, 2015 – Click here to listen