The good pastor addresses his church congregation one Sunday morning:
“I want to be very up-front and straightforward with you! YOU are here for one reason and one only! You are to answer the question: “Will YOU accept the gift of life─Jesus Christ, or not? That is it!There is nothing else to consider! And there is no way around that question and you will…answer it! What happened with you in times previously to answering this question is of no concern, good or bad, or right or wrong! You have asked and wondered why you and the rest of us were created and are here. The answer is…YOU must answer that question…that is all there is to this life here on earth! For the life of me, I cannot figure out how, so very many people can get this part of life…so messed up!
I know the Lord has been very, very, kind to me and made these things seem simple. Maybe it’s because I was always a simpleton or just plain ignorant at times. It matters little, in light of what is the most significant question ever asked, “Why are we here?” The Lord chose for me to write for HIM, to spread HIS gospel, HIS love for all in this world and it was simple enough in the beginning. Then came all the researching, the praying for wisdom and discernment, the reading of the Bible over and over again, dissecting of words, searching the meanings in Strong’s Concordance. I have yet to understand Hebrew or to research some of the Torah─for better understanding of the Jewish people and their past. Yet for me, the Bible is sufficient! In my mind, everything other than the Bible is simply fluff.
The necessity for everyone through out all of time has always been this question “Why are we here?” And the answer is also so very simple, if one takes the time to realize that the question should be viewed simply. Don’t add or take away from the question! Don’t try and rationalize the question! Keep it as simple as you can and then answer it in the most simple of ways.
Why are we here?
Because God chose for us to be here, HE created us!
And so, why did HE do that?
Because HE wants to be our God and for us to be HIS people!
Then the question is:
Okay, if we become HIS People and HE is our God, then what? And the answer is: we will have life for eternity! And so the question is What happens if we choose not to be HIS people and HE is not our God? The answer is: Then you will die forever, over and over again! The question always comes back again, how will you answer?
And you are given sufficient time to answer until the Rapture or your death as a human. Now, there is a way that this salvation must be acquired, a statement if you will. You must ask Jesus Christ to cleanse you of your sin, through HIS blood on the cross. You must ask HIM to take over your life, so that you may live to do HIS perfect will in your life and then finish the statement, in Jesus’ name! At that moment, you are changed, you are no longer the same individual, you are a new creature and you belong to Jesus Christ!Simple!
Here are some things that you probably never see. Our lives and the answer to the question are played out in front of us every day and every- where we look. If you are in your house, then obviously you are not across the street, if you are standing up, then obviously you are not lying down!
Every question ever asked has a right or a wrong answer and it can be answered with a YES or a NO. So what is this telling you? That you and I complicate our lives by adding something to the simple equation and we call it “rationalizing.” STOP…rationalizing, stop making excuses, stop adding fluff to the situation!!
The Bible says in Matthew 5:37: “But let your communication be, Yea, yea [Yes is Yes] Nay, nay [No is NO] for whatsoever is more than these cometh evil.”
Now we already know the world that does not belong to God, will NOT understand this simple verse. As they stand before Jesus Christ at the judgment they will endeavor to make excuses for what they have done here in their life─for their SIN. They will look to see if their name is written in the Lambs book of life and again these people will say things like “Oh it has to be there, I was a very good person” and then a whole slew of admissions will start. The simple fact is this: If they never gave their lives to Jesus Christ, they will simply be led to hell for eternity!
The real problem is this that hey don’t want to have an authority of any kind, over them. If you remember why Lucifer was kicked out of heaven you will see that this is the exact same thing, once again. Satan has convinced them that they are a god or like unto God! And the exact same result will take place again─they will be cast down…again! Just like Satan!! Only this time, it will be into HELL for eternity.
Here again, we will hear them tell us we are the haters of the world, that we are “intolerant!” Here is what I say, according to the Word of God, “If it is sinful, if it is against the Lord, then it is WRONG, I won’t do it!!” And that is the name of that tune!
Again this is simple, don’t make excuses for it, don’t rationalize it and don’t add any fluff to it! That is what the Bible says!! It says in2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good work.”
If you are sitting there in your pew, your hands nicely folded on top of your Bible, with a sweet and pious smile on your face, then youbetter get on your knees and take into account that you are in the presence of the Lord God Almighty!!” (Boom!! on the pulpit.) “That you are a sinner and you NEED Jesus Christ!! (Boom, on the pulpit!!) “That you NEED to be washed in HIS blood from the cross!!” (Boom!! on the pulpit.) “Anything else will get you hell fire and eternal damnation!!” (Boom!! on the pulpit.)
“I didn’t say it─God Almighty said it!!
Brothers and sisters, there is only ONE way to heaven and that is through Jesus Christ! There is only one place that you should goand that is the cross of Jesus Christ! And only HIS blood, there on that cross has the power to save you!! If for one moment, you thinkthe situation is different for you, then YOU’RE WRONG!! My Daddy used to tell me, “Son…use your head for something other than a hat rack!” And that is exactly what I am, telling you right now! GO TO JESUS CHRIST AND BE SAVED…BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!!” (Boom!! on the pulpit.)
The church walls resonated with the sound of that boom, every eye was wide-open. All that the pastor could hope was that each and everyone understood what he was saying! There was a slight pause and he took a drink of water and cleared his throat.
2 Corinthians 6:2: “For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee. Behold,now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation,” (emphasis added).
The preacher continued:
“Don’t wait! Don’t think for one moment that you can go about your business and that someday─or sometime─you will think on this and that MAYBE at that time you will call upon the Lord. YOU may notget that day or that moment!!” (Boom!! on the pulpit.) “The Lord may call you home tonight, in your sleep, when you aren’t paying any attention! He may call you home!! And where will that home be? In: Hell?” (Boom!! on the pulpit.)
And again the sound resonated around the now quiet sanctuary!
If you want to call me intolerant…FINE!! If you want to call me a HATER…FINE!! But the one thing you can’t tell me…is that I am going to hell…for eternity!!” (Boom!! on the pulpit.) “Every single day and night, I am on my knees asking my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ to forgive me of my SIN…that’s right!! I’ll say it again…SIN!!That is what separates you and me from Jesus Christ and salvation, from Heaven…SIN!! God did NOT SIN…YOU DID!!” (Boom!! on the pulpit.)
“Jesus Christ…Who is God…died on that cross…YOU didn’t!! You’re a puny little person, just like me and we do NOT deserve to be forgiven! It is the LOVE for us, by Jesus Christ…who is God…that has made the way for us to be cleansed and made perfect before God and then to enter Heaven! You didn’t do squat!! YOU can’t do squat to get there!! You alone aren’t enough…it is a relationship…which requires two or more!! It is Jesus Christ, first and always!! Then…comes you and me! Let’s bow our heads in prayer:
My Lord and Father in heaven, we come to you humbly beseeching your grace Father. We come in all humbleness, Father asking for mercy, for we are a fallen people, a sin-filled people, Father. Speak to our hearts Father, maybe there is someone here this morning Father, that needs you to cleanse them and make them whole. Maybe someone is in desperation over an illness, Father, someone is starving, someone is at the end of their, rope Father. We humbly ask you, Father to intercede on their behalf. We ask for your healing hands, for love like no other, Father! Cover and touch us Father and bring us to you. In Jesus’ name we pray, Father. Amen.
Keeping our heads and hearts in quiet prayer for just a moment or two, I want to ask if there is anyone that would like to approach the alter of God and give your life to Jesus Christ, please come forward. If there is anyone that has a need they wish to bring before the Lord, please come forward right now. I will meet with you and you can tell the Lord the contents of your heart and as we kneel before our Lord and Savior, we will pray together.”
Once, at a tent revival this same preacher shared these thoughts:
“I always thought, that if I went to the cross of Jesus Christ, I’d never find it, for all the bodies and disease and SIN that was left there by so many that had given their lives to Christ! Then one day the Lord told me, that spot is clean as a whistle!
And ya know why? Ya know why? Because all those bodies of all the people that nailed their old bodies to that cross and all their SIN and degradation, all the disease and anything else was continually wiped away by a loving and forgiving, Lord and Savior and God. It is continually ready for the next person who wants a life with Jesus Christ, who wants to go to heaven, who wants to leave their SIN there!! Then they walk away a new person, in Jesus Christ!
Don’t tell me how good a person you are, YOUR JUST LIKE ME…FILTHY!! (Boom!! on the pulpit.) “Tell me when and how you accepted Jesus Christ and then let’s PRAISE HIS NAME TOGETHER!! ANYTHING ELSE…is of this world and it ain’t worth SQUAT!!” (Boom!! on the pulpit.) “Can I get an Amen?”
A drink of water and a wiping away of his sweat, his tent revival sermon continued. Sort of funny, at a tent revival in those fields, you could hear him as the words traveled for miles! The again…isn’t it how it should be??
Praise the Lord always!!