 |
| Where would you spend eternity if you died tonight? |
On October 25, 2000, I went to work like any other day. When I got home, I had several messages on my answering machine, and I thought that was kind of strange. I only listened to a few of them, before I got the message from my former mother-in-law. She told me that they needed to come over and talk to me about something concerning Paul (my ex-husband). I had no idea what they would need to talk to me about. Paul was an addict, and I figured it finally caught up with him. I started speculating, and I figured he must have been arrested for something. What I didn’t realize was that it did catch up to him, just not in the way that I had thought…
When Paul’s parents arrived at my door, I opened it up to see them looking like they had something terrible to tell me. While still standing in the doorway, Paul’s mom said, “I found Paul dead in his bed this morning.” His mom thought something seemed strange when it seemed like Paul was going to be late for work. He was still in his bedroom at noon, when he had to be at work by 1:00. His mom went in to find that he had died, only to realize later that he had actually died of a heroin & cocaine overdose up to 24 hours earlier.
If you died tonight, would you go to Heaven or Hell?
To back up a little, I became a born again Christian about 4 months before Paul died. Paul didn’t think of himself as a Christian, and the only times he went to church was when we were planning our wedding. (We actually had almost all of the scriptures removed from the wedding ceremony, because it didn’t seem necessary to us to include them. –Wow, have times changed!) After I got saved, I shared the gospel (not knowing that’s even what I was doing!) with him a couple times. Paul was someone who always had something to say. He was hard to find speechless, but he was speechless both times I mentioned Jesus to him. I didn’t want to push it, so I just moved on after I didn’t get a response. Around that same time, Paul told me that a police officer actually witnessed to him and gave him a New Testament bible. I thought that was really unusual, but he showed me the bible that he was given.
One week before Paul died, the two of us got together to talk about some unresolved things between us. I didn’t know he was still using at the time, but I should have – looking back. After our conversation, he took me home. When Paul left that day, we both knew it was our final goodbye…I just didn’t realize how final.
The next day, I felt bad about how our conversation went, and I decided to write him a letter to clarify some things. What I did, instead, was write a 3-page letter explaining my new relationship with Jesus, and how happy I knew he would be if he turned his life over to Him. The police found it opened up on top of his dresser, so I know he read it. Did he give his life to Jesus in response?
I don’t know. I never got to talk to him again.
Looking back, I can see how God was giving him so many chances in the end. I witnessed to him 3 times, and that police officer did, also.
God gives us all opportunities to come to Him before we die, but it is up to us to make that choice! He’s not going to force us into a relationship with Him. Turning your life over to Jesus, repenting of your sins (walking away from your sin and turning towards Him) and asking Him for forgiveness is the ONLY way to get to Heaven! He doesn't expect you to clean your life up before you come to Him. You can't clean it up. You would have by now if it was possible. Jesus knows that.
This is so incredibly difficult, especially when we have loved ones who have died without a relationship with Jesus. I remember searching the bible in agony for any shred of evidence that someone could go to Heaven without giving his/her life to Jesus. It's not in there. There's no other way but through Jesus!
It’s not too late for you, and it’s not too late for your other loved one's who are still alive!
Give your life to Jesus today! This could be one of those last opportunities that God is giving you. I know that Paul had no idea that he was going to die when he did. He had a bunch of clothes in the back of his car that he bought a day earlier. It's so strange to me to think that while he was shopping, he had no idea that he was going to die in just a few short hours. I hope that someday I will see him in Heaven. I don’t know if I will, though. He could have made that decision to follow Jesus, but I’ll always have to wonder. Let me tell you, it’s an excruciating thought to have to wonder about where he is right now. What I need to do is let that motivate me to share the gospel with others while I still can...NOW!
Share the gospel with the people in your life today! I cannot imagine a worse feeling than not sharing the gospel with someone (out of procrastination or fear) and then that person dying without Jesus in his/her life. I am speaking to myself here, also. I know that I have let fear and procrastination get in the way of sharing Jesus with people. When you look at the reality of the situation, God could be using you to be the last person to share the gospel with them.
If you are not born again, and desire to give your life to Jesus, make this prayer your own:
“Heavenly Father, I believe you love me. I believe Jesus died for me because of my sin and rose from the dead in victory. I confess Jesus as my Lord, and I receive the forgiveness of all my sins. Today I will turn away from my sins and follow You. Holy Spirit, come into my life. Thank You for saving me, in Jesus' name. – Amen."
Lord, Jesus, I thank you for giving us all opportunities to turn our lives over to You, before it's too late. Please help me to share the gospel with others, so they can also spend eternity with You!
(If you would like more info. on what it means to be born again, click here.)
.JPG)
