Just a word!

It was just over a week ago, on a service bus from Motherwell to Wishaw. I was seated a few seats from the front and, at the front, in the section reserved for buggies and wheelchairs, was one of the latter with a young man seated in it and, with him, another, older, gent who was obviously his carer. I have no idea as to the medical condition that confined that young man to the wheelchair, but it certainly appeared to be physical rather than, in any way, mental. His carer was speaking with him and, every so often he must have said something that particularly pleased the young man, as his mouth widened, and his face creased into a smile that seemed to light up the whole bus!

As we drew near to my stop, and I prepared to get off the bus, I determined to speak with the young man before I did so. As I moved towards the door, I stopped, and leaned down. "Has anyone ever told you," I asked, "that you have a most beautiful smile?"

I suspect that I would have received a less enthusiastic response if I had told certain of my friends that they had just won the Euro Lottery, and had now €5million to add to their bank account! The young man was delighted. "Thank you, thank you", he said, as his carer gave me a thumbs-up! As I left the bus, he was still calling out "Thank you. Thank you very much!" Then as the bus pulled out to continue its allotted journey, we waved to each other. Just a brief word - but what joy it engendered! I was so glad that I had had the momentary courage to speak.

So, what was the lesson from that situation? Well, there is more than one! I have taken a personal lesson that I don't wish to share. However, I believe that there is a lesson for all of us - those who read this blog and who are disciples of Jesus, and those who do not make that claim (yet!). It is a simple lesson - that we always look for opportunities to bless others; to encourage; to edify; to assist; to inspire; to embolden.

Writing to his brothers and sisters in Jesus, in Galatia (an area that was situated in modern Turkey), the apostle Paul encourages them with these words: "And let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." (6:9-11).

I hope that you will take those words to heart and, when the opportunity arises, do good to someone by blessing them - even if it is by just a word!

Judgment Is Coming.

Writing to the believers in the "eternal city" of Rome, Paul makes this statement: "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." (14:12).

Centuries later, American statesman Benjamin Franklin wrote: "Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." However, there is only one thing that is absolutely certain, and it is neither death, nor taxes. It is that every single one of us will have to face Almighty God for an accounting of our individual lives!

 

So, we would be wise to take heed of the warning given to the Children of Israel, by the prophet Amos, some 500 years before Paul: "Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel" (4:12); and the words of the anonymous wrote of the Letter to Hebrew disciples of Jesus: "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." (9:27).

Of course, the disciple of Jesus has no need to fear, for "There is therefore now no condemnation (judgment) for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Rom.8:1). How can this be? It is so because the Lord Jesus has paid for our sins and purchased our redemption with His shed blood. He "was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification" (Rom.4:25).

Nevertheless, even as His disciples, we still "must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ" (II Cor. 5:10), where "the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire." (I Cor. 3:13-15). In other words, we need have no fear when we appear before the Father, because the Son will be beside us saying "This one, Father, is mine"! However, we will then appear before the Saviour, Who will judge all that we did "in the body" (II Cor. 5:10). Now that could refer to our fleshly, mortal, bodies. However, the same Greek word is used to refer to the church, as the body of the Christ, and so I believe that this is how Paul is using it here. It is our Christian life that will be judged by the Lord Jesus, because all that went before our conversion was dealt with at our conversion.

Those who die in unbelief, however, not having trusted Christ as their Saviour, will face a different meeting with God. The apostle John describes the awesome scene as he saw it in the Revelation he was given of the Lord Jesus. "And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Also another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, by what they had done." (Rev. 20:12). But no one can ever be saved by his works (Eph. 2:9). Therefore, "if any one’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (Rev. 20:15). 

I commented, at the beginning of this post, that not even death is certain! That may have raised a few eyebrows. However, God's Word teaches that there will be a rapture - a snatching up - of true disciples of Jesus before the final time of tribulation. Paul writes: "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord." (I Thess.4:16-17).

So, those who are "raptured" will include both believers who have already tasted physical death, and those who are still physically alive at that moment. They are those who will never die! 

I am one of many who are utterly convinced that we are in the very last days, leading up to that rapture. Are you ready for it? If not, then I urge you to act, and to do so quickly. If I may be of any further help, please feel free to contact me using the e-mail address at the top of the blog.