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This is a project that Ben did for school, sort of an auto-biography type thing. I didn't want to pick through
it, and it's all awesome anyway! May take a while to read though!
Prologue
"This one thing I do...," refers to the continual mindset that I strive to carry with
me as a disciple of Christ. The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:13-14,"Brethren, I do
not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but this one thing I do, forgetting those
things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press
toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."(italics added)
There really is only one thing that I have to live for; that is, to be completely faithful to
the One who was first faithful to me. Were it not for the love of God in Christ, I surely
would have been cast away as an unclean thing.
My life has been one of extremes. I have had periods of extreme rebellion and
mischievousness, but I have also gone through times of intense focus and philosophical
examination of things relating to my existence and the concept of eternity. More recently,
the only extreme that I have ventured towards is that of wholehearted devotion to Jesus
Christ.
In this project, I purpose not only to portray who I am, but also who I aim to
become. I also hope to give those around me an opportunity to understand how I see and
react towards the world. The reason for this is because some of the people who are
closest to me have stated that I am very weird and seemingly detached from others and
from the world. I do not disagree. The world has nothing for me, because "For to me, to
live is Christ, and to die is gain."(Phi. 1:21)
2.
What's In a Name?
The subject of names and the symbolism behind names is something that is as old
as life itself. The book of Genesis in the Bible recounts the story of the creation of Adam
and Eve. It is here where name symbolism first took place. In chapter 2, verse 20 the
name Adam is used to describe the first "man". The name Adam literally means "man".
Over in chapter 3 the story is told of Adam naming his wife Eve. Chapter 3, verse 20
says, "Now the man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all the
living." Again, symbolism is used in naming a person. The word Eve translates to mean
"life" or "living".
By turning the Bible over a few pages to chapter 35, verses 16-18, the story of the
first recorded use of the name Benjamin can be seen. It reads:
"Then when they journeyed from Bethel; and when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel began
to give birth and she suffered severe labor. And it came about when she was in severe labor that the midwife said to her,
"Do not fear, for now you have another son." And it came about as her soul was departing(for she died), that she named him
Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin."
The name Ben-oni translates to mean "the son of my sorrow". That wouldn't be the
greatest name to have. However, Jacob named the boy Benjamin. Benjamin translates to
"the son of the right hand''. This is much better. Historically, being at the right hand is a
place of honor. Also, Benjamin is the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Personally, I like the name Benjamin. I don't remember ever being dissatisfied
with my name or wishing my it was something else. I like many other names to, but I
would only want to be named Benjamin. My parents thought of the name because of the
Bible story and also because I had a great-great-grandpa named Benjamin. I'm glad they
did. I kind of enjoy being a Bible character, an Israeli tribe, and the son of the right hand
all at once. It is also better than the alternative. Originally, my parents thought that I
would be a girl. The name that they had picked out and the name that my dad actually
called me sometimes when speaking casually to my mom's stomach was Rachel. Just
think, I could have been named after the mother of the person that I ended up being
named after. Anyway, as a whole I am completely satisfied with the name Benjamin. I
would not want it any other way.
3.
Personal Alphabet
A.-adventurous N.-nervy
B.-brave O.-optimistic
C.-crafty P.-philosophical
D.-dedicated Q.-quizzical
E.-evangelistic R.-risky
F.-fallible S.-sleepy
G.-giving T.-tendentious
H.-hospitable U.-understanding
I.-ingenuitive V.-vigilant
J.-justifiable W.-willing
K.-knowledgeable X.-xanthic
L.-lacking Y.-youthful
M.-meticulous Z.-zealous
4.
Likes/Dislikes List
Likes Dislikes
1. Jesus Christ/ Unrighteousness
2. Righteousness/ Television
3. Love/ Idolatry
4. Joy/ Blasphemy
5. Peace/ Self-righteousness
6. Patience/ Complacency
7. Kindness/ Apathy
8. Goodness/ Rebellion
9. Faithfulness/ Lust
10. Gentleness/ My disobedience
11. Self-control/ My pride
12. Holiness/ My flesh
13. My dependency upon Him/ Entertainment
14. Being a fisher of men/ Not fishing for men
15. The Word of God/ Hypocrisy
5.
Color Your World
Colors are very intriguing things. Wait a minute? Things? Is a color a thing?
Recently, I have been amused with the "substance" of color; or the lack thereof. Now to
tell the truth, I am not an expert on anything. However, when I speculate on natural or
scientific things I must realize that even the most renowned scientist or philosopher began
as an unknowledgeable little baby just like me. Therefore, I should not discount my
thoughts just because I have not spent years studying in the research department of a
major university. So bear with me for a few moments as I broaden the spectrum of your
mind with my basic queries into the world of color observation.
First of all, let me ask a simple question. Where is the location of the colors that
we observe? Where are the colors themselves located? Are they in the objects we look
at? Are they in the air in between us and the objects? Or are they located in the receptors
of our eyes? The answer is not any of these. If color is located in an object, then how
does it get to our eyes? If color is found in the air, in between us an the objects, then how
is the air invisible? And if color is located in our own eyes, then how do we see colors in
the shapes and forms that make up the objects around us? My answer to these thoughts is
not one that you will find published in some popular magazine or encyclopedia. However,
it will be one that comes out of my own mind. That is what is important. Especially
since this AUTO-biography is all about ME. Personally, I have not got a clue where
color is actually located. My best guess would be that it is found in all three locations at
some point during the seeing process. Just remember, this is only a guess. Nobody needs
to go off and make some sort scientific theory out of my little query like they did to old
Darwin. The poor guy had a goofy theory-tale one time and some kooks got a hold of it
and turned it into a religion.
To tell the truth, the only one who knows the true character of color is the One
who designed it, YHWH himself. Only He can open our minds to the true value of color.
Some day, when the redeemed gather around His throne to worship, somebody might just
think to ask him. However, I doubt it will matter to anybody then. Those who eagerly
awaited His appearing will all be to busy glorifying His never-ending appearance.
6
Room Sweet Room
When speaking of my room, the first thing that I want to make clear is that I
consider my room to be the actual bedroom and also the walk-through closet that leads to
the bedroom. Over the last couple of years, the things that make up the decorations of my
room have changed as I have grown in the Lord. The main way that this can be seen is in
the pictures and posters that I keep on my wall.
A few years ago, when I first moved into my new room, almost all of the
decorations were of white-tailed deer and a combination of many other animals. The
reason for this is because I was really into hunting and enjoying the "great outdoors''. I
think that I had a couple of dozen different pictures of antlered animals on my wall that I
had cut out of outdoor magazines. Along with the antlered animals was a good-sized
poster of a mountain lion, a poster-sized photograph of the Grand Tetons with the Snake
River in the foreground, a poster of Crater Lake, and many other outdoor type pictures
and posters. By looking at my room, it was pretty obvious where my mind was most of
the time. On October 6, 1998, during bow season, I shot my first and only white-tailed
deer. This was about the time that I was really focused on enjoying myself in the
outdoors. About three and a half months after I shot the deer was when I was truly
converted from an unregenerate state to a place where I really began to become a disciple
Christ.
Since the time of my conversion, the decor of my room has changed somewhat.
Almost all of the outdoor and animal pictures are still on my walls. However, I have
added many things. During the past couple of years I have made a few trips to Mardels
and purchased some posters with scriptures on them so that I will have things all around
me to continually remind me who it is that I serve. On my wall I now have a poster of the
Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, the Twenty-Third Psalm, one of Mathew 16:
24-25 which says, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his
cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses
his life for me will find it", and many other smaller pictures with scriptures on them.
These posters all help me to maintain an attitude of prayer and to keep my focus on things
of an eternal verity. I thank Him that my room is now good for more than just to sleep in
7.
Personal Metaphors
- If I were an animal, I would be a sparrow because I know that God would see
my coming and going, and I could go anywhere that I wanted to in a very fun and
interesting way of travel.
- If I were a car, I would be my truck because it is dependable and reliable and
is compact enough to squeeze through most tight places.
- If I were an article of clothing, I would be a hat because it has the best view
and helps to shade people's eyes.
- If I were a day of the week, I would be a Sunday so that I could make sure and
get plenty of rest.
- If I were a food, I would be a grain of salt because Jesus said that "salt is
good''.
6. If I were a color, I would be white because it represents purity.
- If I were a movie, I would be "Ben Hur" because it depicts the life and
ministry of my Savior.
- If I were a fragrance, I would be the smell of a fresh rainfall because it is
pleasing to the senses.
- If I were a type of building, I would be tent because it is small, portable, and
easily replaceable.
- If I were a plant, I would be an evergreen tree because it would be nice not to
have to die once every year.
- If I were a musical instrument, I would be a guitar because they are fairly
portable and pleasant to the ears to hear.
- If I were a geometric shape, I would be a circle because without the circle of
the wheels on my truck I couldn't get much done.
- If I were a piece of furniture, I would be a rocking chair because you usually
see them in unique or picturesque places.
- If I were a song, I would be the Third Day song "More Than I Deserve",
because Gods grace given to me is far more than I have ever deserved.
- If I were a season, I would be the fall because it mixes beautiful foliage and
cool to cold temperatures with the chance of a refreshing snowstorm.
- If I had to be a television character, I would be John Hagee because he is a
minister of Christ.
- If I had to be a cartoon or comic character, I would be Garfield because he is
funny and he likes to eat and sleep.
- If I were a piece of machinery, I would be a copy machine so I could print my
own tracts.
- If I were a natural phenomenon, I would be a tornado so I could spend a lot of
my time in the state of Oklahoma.
- If I were a word, I would be the word "repentance" because without
repentance no one can receive forgiveness.
8.
Unfinished Sentences
- I usually worry about
whether or not I am being a true and faithful witness to
those I come into contact with. As a disciple of Christ, I am a fisher of men. So I spend a
lot of my time wondering and worrying about whether or not I am doing all that I can to
"save some, pulling from the fire". The reason that I have to worry about this is because
so often my own desires get in the way of His desires. God desires that "all men should
be saved", so I must deny myself until my desires correspond perfectly to His.
- I feel angry with myself when
I do something not in line with the will of
God. I feel angry because despite all of God's mercy I still am full of nothing but pride
and rebellion. You would think that I could learn the first, second, or third time.
Obviously not, because it is a daily struggle to deny myself, take up my cross, and follow
Christ.
- I'm moody when
I have not had enough sleep and when I do not discipline
myself to meditate on God's Word day and night. By not thinking on the things of God
all of the time I allow myself to be absorbed into the mindset of the world. The Bible
says, "Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of
God." So I must discipline myself in His Word and not let how I feel dictate the way
that I act.
- I'm happiest when
I feel that I am in God's will and doing everything right.
As good as this may sound, It is not how it is supposed to be. I should not be happy
because of anything that I do but solely because of everything that He has done. I am not
saved by my works, but by the grace of God. I should never rejoice because things are
going good but instead because my name is written in Heaven.
5. I feel confident most of the time when I speak about anything that I know the
Bible plainly teaches. The Word of God is infallible and an anchor to the soul. I know
that if I teach according the Bible that I can be completely confident and know that my
words will not fall to the ground void.
- I feel frustrated when
I see what can be done but realize that there are few
who are willing to make the sacrifice. I am speaking of the "church" in regards to seeking
and saving the lost. In the United States there are about 100 million people who visit
church regularly. If each of those people prayed that God would help them win just one
soul a year, and if those souls prayed that same prayer and so on each year, it would take
just six years to see the entire world or 6.4 billion people saved.
- I feel depressed when
I fail to love my neighbor as myself. If I were an
unrepentant sinner, I would definitely want those who say they are saved to do all that
they could to warn me of my own rebellion, the fact of judgment day, and the reality of
hell. I would also want someone to explain to me that if I would only exercise repentance
towards God and faith towards Christ that I would be saved from the wrath to come and
be given eternal life in heaven with Him. When I fail to do what I would want done for
me then I feel very depressed at my apathy and lack of love for my fellow man. Sadly, it
is rare that I do ALL that I can to "save some, pulling from the fire".
Lord, I pray that you would not allow me to ever think of myself but to always
think of You and of others. Please forgive my complacency.
8. I am comfortable when the temperature is not too hot and I know that I am
abounding in the work of the Lord. The reason that this makes me feel comfortable is
because I know that my labor is not in vain in the Lord. If my labor was in vain; that is,
not doing something that will affect eternity, then I could never be comfortable.
- I feel nervous when
I go to witness to people and hand out tracts. Even
though I know that there is nothing to be nervous about I still get uneasy many times
while spreading the seed of the gospel. I believe that this is because of my pride. Deep
down inside I still favor the praises of men to the praises of God. It is because of this that
I must strive to keep both heaven and hell before my eyes so that I will always be alert
and ready for every good work.
- I feel sentimental when I contemplate my meager existence and eternity's
immeasurable span. This sentimentality comes from knowing that my name is written in
heaven. However, mixed with my sentiment there is a holy fear. The fear of God
reminds me that the path I walk is a narrow one and that if I choose to deny Him and live
for myself then I will suffer the eternal consequences. This sentiment is also mixed with
a sense of urgency knowing that it is up to me preach the gospel to all creation and make
disciples of all nations.
9.
Personal Symbols
I do not see it as a coincidence that the only personal symbol that comes to my
mind is a seventeen year old Bible that my maternal grandparents gave me on my first
Christmas; the day that I was dedicated to the Lord. Since I have come to salvation in
Christ, I have found that the content of the Bible should be the only thing that directs my
words and works. So to find that my only personal symbol is a Bible does not surprise
me. Instead, it reinforces what I know to be true; that I have only one thing to do. That
is, to be obedient to His Word.
The Bible I am speaking of is a small leather-bound King James Version of the
Old and New Testaments. Engraved towards the bottom of the front cover of the Bible is
the name Benjamin Faulkner West. Just below my name is the date I received the gift,
- My mother first gave me this Bible a year or two ago. She had been keeping it
with some of my childhood things. It was when she saw I was growing in the Lord and
old enough to appreciate it that she decided I should have the little Bible. I am grateful
that she did because on one of the inside covers my grandma Suda had written me a little
note of wisdom. She wrote:
"12-25-83
Presented to our Darling Grandbaby
Benjamin Faulkner West on the
Day of your Dedication to the Lord.
Read daily Proverbs Chapter 3,
and very specially Verses 5-6.
Let that be a guide to your life,
and you will never be lead astray.
Love Grandpa and Grandma
Faulkner"
After I had read these words which were written about fifteen years earlier, it was obvious
to me that my grandparents knew what they were talking about. At that time I was
questioning a lot of things and these scriptures were some that I really needed to hear. I
am very appreciative of my grandparents, Eugene and Suda Faulkner, and I am thankful
for their life-giving advice. My grandpa passed away just seven months after that
Christmas. My grandma died on December 3, 2000, about four months ago.
11.
In Other Words
1. ''You have nothing to do but to save souls, therefore spend and be spent in this work."
John Wesley
2. "In the scriptural sense, a believer lives and walks in eternity. His prospect is enlarged. His view is
no longer bounded by present things nor by an earthly hemisphere. Faith places the unseen continually before his face." John
Wesley
3. "The true believer cries out, "Oh, what love I have unto Thy Law! All the day long is my study in it."
He sees daily into that divine mirror, more and more of his own sinfulness. He sees more and more that he is still a sinner
in all things, and that neither his heart nor his ways are right before God; and that every moment sends him to Christ."
John Wesley
4. "Abhor sin far more than death or hell; abhor sin itself, far more than the punishment of it. Beware of
the bondage of pride, of desire, of anger, of every evil temper, word or work. 'Look unto Jesus,' and in order thereto, look
more and more into the perfect law, 'the Law of Liberty,' and continue therein, so shalt thou daily 'grow in grace and in
the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.'"
John Wesley
5. "Deny yourself of every pleasure which does not prepare you for taking pleasure in God, and willingly
embrace every means of drawing near to God, though it be a cross, though it grieve your flesh and blood." John Wesley
6. "If sinners be damned at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies, and if they must perish let them
perish with our arms about their knees imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled let it be filled in the teeth of our
exertions and let no one go there unwarned or unprayed for."
Charles Spurgeon
7. "Have you no wish for others to be saved, then you are not saved yourself, be sure of that!"
Charles Spurgeon
8. "Fear to die? Thank God, I do not. The cholera may come again next summer-I pray it may not. But if it
does, it matters not to me. I will toil and visit the sick by night and by day until I drop. And if it takes me, sudden death
is sudden glory."
Charles Spurgeon
9. "The very least offense to God is so intolerable that if hell-fire were put out then one sin could kindle
it again."
Charles Spurgeon
10. "It were better to die a thousand times than to sin."
Charles Spurgeon
11. "I believe that the holier a man becomes, the more he mourns over the unholiness which remains in him."
Charles Spurgeon
12. ''Blood-red with the murder of men's souls will be the skirts of professing Christians, unless the end
and aim of all their work has been to "save some"."
Charles Spurgeon
13. "Brethren, do something, do something, do something! While societies and unions are making constitutions,
let us win souls. I pray you be a man of action all of you. Get to work and quit yourselves like men...forward and strike,
no theory, attack, form a column, charge, bayonets plunge into the center of the enemy. Our one aim is to save sinners, and
this we are not to talk about, but to do in the power of God!"
Charles Spurgeon
14. "We have to live but one day at a time, but we are living for eternity in that one day."
Unknown
15. "You don't have to cross the sea to be a missionary, you just have to see the cross." Ray Comfort
16. "Perhaps there is no happiness in life so perfect as the martyrs."
Unknown
- "The called man sees himself as a stewardHe's obedient rather than
ambitious, committed rather than competitive. For him nothing is more important than pleasing the one who
called him." Richard Exley
18. "Evermore, the Law must prepare the way for the Gospel. To overlook this in instructing souls is almost
certain to result in false hope, the introduction of a false standard of Christian experience, and to fill the church with
false converts."
Charles Finney
19. "If we reprove not the unfruitful works of darkness, we have fellowship with them, and become accessories
after the fact."
Mathew Henry
20. "Many will seek to enter in, and shall not be able; they seek, but they do not strive. Note, the reason
why many come short of grace and glory is because they rest in a lazy seeking of that which will not be attained without a
laborious striving. They have a good mind to happiness, and a good opinion of holiness, and take some good steps towards both.
But their convictions are weak; they do not consider what they know and believe, and, consequently, their desires are cold,
and their endeavors feeble, and their is no strength or steadiness in their resolutions; and thus they come short, and lose
the prize, because they do not press forward."
Mathew Henry
12.
Metamorphosis
I Used To Be but Now I Am
1- ignorant of Biblical Christianity a disciple of Jesus Christ
2- wicked and rebellious a new creation in Christ
3- a lover of pleasure one who tries to always love God
4- one who set my mind on earthly things one whose citizenship is in Heaven
5- an instrument of unrighteousness an instrument of righteousness to God
6- one who hated God without cause one who tries to abhor sin above all
7- apathetic about the salvation of sinners a laborer for Him who first loved me
8- a son of the Adamic nature a son of Almighty God
9- one who lacked in wisdom one who seeks His wisdom
10- under the wrath of God (John 3:34) justified in His sight by Christ Jesus
Remembrance of Things Present 13.
The title of my autobiography, "This one thing I do", really does apply to my
entire life. That is, throughout all of my life I will have basically the same focus in all of
my activities. If in twenty years I have forgotten all of the things that fill my life now
then I pray that there would be someone there to wake me from the deadly slumber that
would have taken hold of me.
My heart's cry is that in twenty years, only Christ would live in and through me.
When I follow Christ and humble myself to the place of a servant and continually fall
down on my knees before Him as one in submission, then I will be glorified in His sight.
Jesus said, "My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."
That means that those who neglect to do what the word of God says to do are not his
mother or brothers(disciples). The Bible commands Christ's disciples to "preach the
gospel to all creation", and to "make disciples of all nations". So those who spend most
of their time doing anything other than being "fishers of men" are proving to be those
who hear God's Word but do not do it.
"Fishing" is the very thing that I plan to spend my life doing. Some people do not
see evangelism as being very important. I think that it is extremely important. God
commands that we "love our neighbor as ourselves". Our neighbor is anyone who walks
the face of this earth. If there are any people anywhere who have not repented of their sin
and exercised faith in Christ then we must drop every other thing to do for them what we
know we would want done for us. If we deny this simple reality then we must repent to
God and ask that He remove our hearts of stone and give us a new heart and a new spirit
that we might love God with all of our heart and love our neighbors as we do ourselves.
14.
My Own List of Lists
1. People who have influenced me... Jesus Christ/ Jim Manter
Dad and Mom/ Brad Paddock
Grandma and Grandpa West/ Ray Comfort
Suda/ John Wesley
Apostle Paul/ C.H. Spurgeon
2. Places that make me happy... Grandma's House/ wherever my Savior is
Oklahoma /wherever His Word is
Wichita Mtns./ wherever there is snow
3. Places I would like to go... Brazil/ England
New Zealand/ Alaska
Africa/ Israel
Heaven
4. Things in people which I like... humility/ compassion
self-denial/ faith
righteousness/ obedience to Christ
love/ hope
patience/ zeal with knowledge
5. Things in people which I dislike... pride/ apathy
love of self/ rebellion
hatred/ complacency
misguided zeal/ hopelessness
flattery/ unrighteousness
6. Things that worry me... me/ my sin
my pride/ my apathy
lack of love by "Christians" /hot weather
not being a faithful witness/ when other people sin
- Things I would like to know how to do...
play the piano sing like Mac Powell
preach like Wesley be a better leader
love others selflessly love God completely do His will only trust Christ solely
8. Things that have moved me...
thinking of my Grandma Suda in heaven
thinking of myself having true compassion
watching a wedding and thinking of being Christ's bride
thinking of myself and future family being martyrs
listening to the song "Old Man on the Park Bench" praying for my church and another church in my old church building
9. Ideas that intrigue me...
eternity/ the trinity
relativity/ reality
omniscience/ omnipresence
absolute nothingness/ never ceasing to exist
10. My personal favorites...
witnessing to man/ loving God
loving others/ knowing that I am right
knowing I am needed/ doing something important
reading the Bible/ reading Christian literature
15.
Lessons I Learned After It Was Too Late
There are many lessons that I have learned after it was to late. However, one
lesson stands out more than all of the others. It is a little hard to explain but I will try to
put it as plainly as possible. I spent about fifteen years of my life as a non-Christian. I
was separated from God by wicked works. The first seven or eight years of my life I
probably would not have truly understood salvation if I had had the desire to get saved.
However, after the age of seven or eight I had enough understanding to choose whom it
was that I wanted to serve. At that time in my life I chose to serve myself instead of Him
who made me. If I had not loved myself so much that I neglected to repent and put my
faith in Christ for salvation, I could have spent all of that time that I was living in sin
helping others become true disciples of Jesus Christ. Only the Lord knows those that I
could have helped to heaven if only I had been on the narrow path myself. It is too late to
go back now. Those years are gone forever. All that I can do at this time in my life is
pray that the Lord would raise up laborers who are more faithful than me to go and preach
the whole counsel of God to all those that I did not reach. However, even though I know
that God will answer my prayer and all of those souls will hear the truth of the Gospel,
there will be those who suffer because of my sin. Hypothetically, the laborers who are
speaking to those whom I neglected could be preaching the gospel to other people in the
areas that they usually minister; but since they are doing what I did not do, they cannot.
In the end there will be people somewhere who are not personally warned and exhorted to
flee to Christ for salvation because of my choosing to only serve myself and my desires.
This is definitely a lesson that I learned after it was too late.
This is Ben's testimony:
First of all, I thank God for Jesus! Where would any of us be without
Christ. We turned our backs on Him,
but He didn't allow us to have our
"own way". He died to save us! I love the words of the old
hymn..."Amazing
love, how can it be, that You my God shouldst die for me!"
Anyways, I grew up in a Christian church
and in a Christian home, but
I lived the first 15 years of my life in complete darkness. I was simply
blinded
by my own rebellion. I didn't do anything "horrible", but simply
lived for "Me". I didn't mind lying, disobeying
my parents, stealing
little things here and there, cursing God's name(using it in vain),
looking lustfully when the
opportunity arose, etc... I went to chuch and
new all about Jesus and salvation and stuff, but I was somehow unable
to
really SEE the Truth because of my sin. Well, that went on until I was
about 16. It was around that time
that the Lord began to open my eyes to
see the Truth and the reality of my own sin against God. There was one
pivotal
moment...one night I was in a church service, and there were many
teenagers really praying and seeking the Lord.
I was there too, but (as i
said earlier) I was blind. I wasn't praying like everyone else, because I
had no one
to pray to. I didn't know God. The absolutely amazing thing
is this...somehow by the grace of God, as I heard
and saw everyone else
praying, I realized for the first time that I didn't "know" God. I
couldn't cry out with
everyone else, "Father, I love you!". As soon as I
realized this, it immediately brought fear and conviction to me.
I left
the sanctuary and went into a back room of the church to pray by myself to
God...for the first time! Now,
I had "prayed" before, but never in
sincerity. I can't remember exactly what I prayed, but I do know that it
was
at that moment that I began (as Jesus said) to "hunger and thirst
after righteousness". God is sooo good! I
deserved ANYTHING but
forgiveness, but God did it anyway...He died for me! It was at that
church service over
three years ago that I began to learn for the first
time who Jesus Christ really is.
Since that day,
God has been so good to me. He began to almost
immediately stir in me compassion for the lost. Throughout the
past three
years I have been constantly challenged by Him to be more bold, less
fearful, and more dedicated to being
a "fisher of men". Other than when I
came to the Lord (or rather "when the Lord came to me"), the event which
has
impacted me more than anything else in my life was when I heard and
read for the first time a Bible message on evangelism
called "Hell's Best
Kept Secret" given by Ray Comfort. This message has challenged me
immensely to be a "true
and faithful witness" to everyone I meet, and it
has also given me the understanding to most effectively share the Gospel
with
the lost. God used Ray's message to bless me more than I can ever
explain in mere words. This message is still
available for anyone to
listen to for free at raycomfort.com.
As for my life in the future, I plan
(if God leads) to go to nursing
school this fall in my hometown of Oklahoma City. After completing a
two-year
program in Nursing, I would like to go to Bethany College of
Missions in Minneapolis to study for a year in their Cross
Cultural
Missions program. Then, I want to go as a missionary and a nurse to serve
the Lord in one of the least
evangelized areas of the world...possibly
Turkey or Afganistan. More than anything I simply want to give every
waking
moment to serving Jesus and seeing His will done on the earth. I
have been bought with a price. It is no longer I
who live, but Christ who
lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son
of God, who
died and gave himself for me! He died for me...the least I
can do is LIVE for Him!
"For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain that we can carry nothing out. And having food
and covering, let us therewith be content."
1 Timothy 6:7-8
A Senseless Slaughter
I wish that my heart would break and that I could physically feel the gnawing hunger and pitiful pains
of the tens of thousands who die every day simply because they lack the necessities of life. If I could just be in
their shoes for a moment, perhaps I would catch a fleeting glimpse of this grim reality. I cannot. I have never known hunger.
I have never known starvation and death. I have never lacked anything that I needed to survive. 1.3 billion people
in our world are not so lucky. These people live with basically nothing. They severely lack even food to eat and most call
cardboard shanties their "homes". Around 34,000 children in this class of people die EVERY DAY from malnutrition and disease
caused by a lack of the simple things that we easily take for granted. We are talking about a dozen children just like the
children you know who have died in the past thirty seconds since you began reading this letter. Are you awake? Do you
care? If you say 'Yes', then what are you doing about it? Please do not say you care unless you can show me that you have
done or are doing ALL that you can for your fellow man.
Let's say you are a fireman. There is a building ablaze with nearly 50 people stuck inside. You manage to
get inside and grab two young children by the hand and pull them to safety. Then, you congratulate yourself for your supreme
sacrifice and go next door to the local YMCA for a swim. You spend the rest of the day pretending like the 48 people still
inside the burning building really don't even exist. This sounds completely ridiculous and even horrifying, yet, this is exactly
what most Americans do every single day. If you are spending your money on more than the "necessities" of life (food &
shelter), then you are letting people die every minute that goes by. Even if you do give SOME money to the dying, just
saving a few lives while letting countless others slowly perish does nothing to hide the fact that people are still indeed
dying (possibly without the Savior) and you could have prevented it. Please do not object to this or try to argue with
me. If you want to argue with me and try to justify spending thousands of dollars on entertainment, cars, furniture, or clothes
that are designed to please yourself, then please do not tell it to me. Tell it to the children. Turn to the starving six
year old girl and explain to her how important it was that you spent seven dollars to go see the latest movie or how the new
car you purchased was "indispensible" to the livelihood of your family. If the starving girl had any education, she might
be able to explain to you how seven dollars could feed her family for over a week, or provide her with shoes and simple medical
care or maybe even a Bible. She might also be able to tell you that the hundreds of dollars spent on your closet full of clothes
or albums full of cds could provide clean water to thousands who are sick and dying from drinking water from disease infested
water sources. Let me repeat myself. If you are spending any of the money you have received on more than food and shelter,
then you are willingly, knowingly, and premeditatingly allowing other humans just like you to slowly die painful deaths (besides
disobeying scripture), .all because you just "cannot do without" stuff like movies, cds, new clothes, nice cars, big houses,
jewelry, "necessary" furniture ...etc.
Am I being blunt? I certainly hope so. I am very, very angry. I am angry with myself, for the years I spent
in seeking "my own" benefit in everything. And I am angry with other "professing" Christians for doing the same. I am angry
for the sake of the children who we could be saving and bringing up to be laborers in God's kingdom, but who, at this very
moment, are dying at rate of 1,400 per hour. You do not have an excuse. You DO have eyes that see and ears that
can hear. You are not ignorant. And you cannot complain about not having any avenue to give to those who are starving. If
I wanted, I could name dozens, if not hundreds, of organizations who are begging for money donations that would be used to
directly nourish and disciple hundreds of thousands of the worlds impoverished. The problem is simply this: You have chosen
to focus on the things that you enjoy, rather than what other people actually need for survival. This is called willful sin.
Please do not harden your heart and try to find a way to justify your actions. It would be much better for everyone in the
world if people would admit their wrongs (instead of pretending they dont have any), repent, and begin to do what is right,
rather than seeking to find a way to sustain their own "self-worth". Please remember that this is not about doing what "seems"
best for you. It is about doing for your neighbor what you would want him to do for you.
Put yourself in the place of the twenty-five year old mother living in the filthy slums of Rio de Janeiro.
You barely survive on a dollar or so a day, while living in a cardboard hut with your two year old daughter. One day, as you
beg in the market, you come across a USA TODAY newspaper and catch a glimpse of thousands of people lined up in front of a
large building with the words CINEMA 1 on it. The people are well dressed. Many are eating and drinking food; something you
haven't been able to find for three days. What catches your eye most, however, is the handfuls of money stuffed into the hands
of each person waiting in the lines. If only you could have just a little of it, then you could feed your starving little
girl and maybe even get her some clothes. You begin to break down in tears because these people seem to have so much, and
you have nothing. If only they could see you and your situation, maybe they would help. Maybe.
If that young mother only knew that we all know of thousands like her around the world, yet we still go on
doing our own thing, she would surely gasp in disbelief and conclude that we must really truly hate her and her poor dying
child. This is not a laughing matter. Jesus said very clearly in Matthew 25,
"Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry,
and you gave me no food: I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and you did not take me in: naked, and
you did not clothe me: sick, and in prison, and you did not visit me. Then shall they answer him, saying, Lord, when did we
see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he
answer them saying, Truly I say unto you, whenever you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me. And
these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
This will be the case of every one who continues to live in this sin. Remember that if we are saved,
"with food and covering, we shall be content." This is neither command nor suggestion. It is simply a factual statement about
what the true Christian life is. I pray that we all would forget about ourselves and give our hearts over completely to the
task of helping our neighbors around the globe grow in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. This cannot happen, however,
if our neighbor died of starvation at the age of two years old.
If this short letter has made you desire to do something, then please set everything else aside. Sit down
and look at all the "stuff" that you have. Then look at what portion of all those things you actually need. Now, think about
how much money all of those things are worth. What would our Savior, Jesus Christ do? Remember that Jesus didnt even have
a place to lay his headbut you do. Jesus would give up everything in an instant if it meant the salvation and saving of even
one life. As a matter of fact, He did. He gave everything up for you and for me. Everything. He drained His life's blood so
that you could live, but you cannot even drain a pocketbook for your brothers and sisters around the world. How dare we call
ourselves disciples of Christ if we are not willing to give up everything for His cause. There is no arguing with the Almighty.
He gave you all that He had, and He expects you to do the same for your brethren. If you refuse then it was you He was speaking
of when He said, "Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of
my Father who is in Heaven."
"Sell that he have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that
faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
Luke 12:33-34
"Wherefore, He saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. Redeeming the time because the days are evil." (Ephesians
5:14-16)
A WAKE UP CALL:
How to Do the Devil Seven Favors in Three Hours Or Less
Once upon a time, there was a large battleship sailing upon the cold waters of the North Atlantic. It was
known far and wide that the Captain of this ship was the best man on the sea. It was also thought by most that the crew was
whole-heartedly devoted to what the Captain had purposed for the ship to do. Or so people thought.
One early June morning, the large ship received an emergency call that another ship had struck an iceberg
just a few miles to their northeast. The concerned Captain immediately ordered that his ship be turned and steered in the
direction of the sinking vessel. To the Captains horror, however, he received the following message from his First Mate on
behalf of the crew. It stated, "At this time it will not be possible for us to steer the ship anywhere near the proximity
of the sinking vessel due to the extreme importance of us all not wanting to miss the premier of the most recent hit
movie."the note continued"However, we the crew will be sure to think and say a prayer for those who might be drowning, that
is, unless something more important doesnt come up in the meantime." Needless to say, as the concerned Captain finished reading
these words from his crew, he could not believe that they could even think of such a thing as they were now doing.
He could not understand it. Either these men were extremely unintelligent or they had just made a very willful and evil decision
to allow fellow humans like themselves to drownwhile they sat back and watched the television!
The Captain of our Salvation has many millions around the world who claim to be a part of his crew, however,
a closer inspection will show that most of these people are no different than our fictional crew aboard the battleship on
the North Atlantic. Countless millions in our world are drowning in the Ocean of Rebellion, and the Captain has issued his
unchangeable order to all those on the ship to "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation." A precious few
heed the command and gladly give all that they are to try and save those who are dying. However, many more fail to
listen to their Captains voice (or they only heed it some of the time), and consequently allow millions upon millions
of souls drown themselves forever in godless despair. There are a multitude of reasons why these so-called crew members
deny obedience to their Captain. We will look at one of the most common here in the 21st Century. Many people feel
(and demand) that it is their right to always enjoy themselves, even at the cost of lives. Since human creativity has significantly
waned in the past few centuries, these pleasure-seekers have been driven to find their enjoyment in watching literally hundreds
of made-up stories about the lives of non-existent people being portrayed by openly immoral and blasphemous men and women
that we politely call "actors". Along this same line, many others (usually men) just cannot live through the week without
watching a bunch of overgrown boys play dozens of purposeless and time-consuming games on the television. Needless
to say, these things should not be.
In case you think I have forgotten the title of this essay, I am now going to present how you can easily
do the devil seven huge favors in a mere three hours time.
Favor # 1- By spending any money on any Hollywood entertainment, you immediately become a direct
financial supporter of the "organization" that will promptly produce more anti-Christian entertainment. You can thank yourself
that the money you have spent on entertainment in the past is currently producing the immoral and deadly material that is
eternally wounding countless lives in our world today. Satan must love this. What more could he want than to see professed
followers of the Messiah paying to support an anti-God and openly immoral industry. I cannot tell or show how grieved I am
because of this. May God help us to wake up!
Favor # 2- As an obvious consequence of money being spent on entertainment, some money will inevitably
NOT be spent for the purpose of seeing souls saved. A double whammy! Not only does the devils industry get our money, but
those who desperately need it do not. Again, what more could the enemy want?
Favor # 3- To be "entertained" means, "to be diverted from" whatever you would normally be doing, therefore,
during the time you are so enjoying your entertainment, it is obvious that you will not be "seeking the lost" for a few hours.
The unsaved did not go anywhere, but you did. No matter what you may choose to use your time for, there will always be someone
who desperately needs to be saved by trusting in Christ. As long as your attention is off of the will of the Father, which
is to "seek and to save that which was lost", you may as well be having fellowship with Satan himself. Seriously.
Favor # 4- The human mind is incapable of completely focusing on two different things at the same time. When
we consider that God has instructed us to "pray without ceasing", we have a problem. We can either obey God without asking
questions and "continue constant in prayer" (it is possible-see Acts 6:4), or we can reason that God must have been
exaggerating in this scripture, and that he would surely understand our desperate need to be entertained and consent. Do not
forget that mans fall came when we chose to believe that what God had already told us could be somehow "twisted" to be something
other than what He intended for it to be. (see Genesis 3) He says "pray without ceasing"what else are we to do but seek to
always obey Him.
Favor # 5- By indulging your mind in the godless (no secular movie portrays the real God), blasphemous (you
already know that basically every movie curses God and/or Christ), and rebellious (all secular movies glorify the rebellious)
actions and attitudes of secular entertainment and music, you will (without any doubt) consistently become more and more like
the immorality that you watch. As a matter of fact, the Apostle Paul speaks very clearly about those who choose to focus their
minds on earthly things (exactly what watching a movie causes you to do). He says in Philippians 3:18-19, "For many walk,
of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end
is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things." It is generally
agreed that humans will naturally gravitate to those with like actions, attitudes, and interests. If this be the case, then
it makes sense to assume that those who view a certain type of entertainment are in the same spiritual condition as those
actors they enjoy viewing. If it were otherwise, then why in the world would they enjoy watching them so much? This is a huge
victory for the Adversary seeing that the person has chosen to self-destruct his or her own soul.
Favor # 6- Jesus taught that, "No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the
kingdom of God." He is speaking of looking back to our former godless way of living. If you enjoy watching other people fulfill
the lusts of the flesh (something common to all movies, save those few with specific evangelistic intentions), then you have
gone far beyond "looking back" at the world but are instead reveling in the excitement and fun of it, although you yourself
are not actually "doing the deeds". You are following in the footsteps, not of the Messiah, but of Lucifer, who chose to deny
his God. And in doing so, you are denying the blessed Savior who gave his life to save mankind from the very sins you are
paying money and giving time to watch on a television.
Favor # 7- By the example you portray in doing all of those things previously mentioned, you have become
Satans spokesperson, evangelist, and financial supporter. All those who see you doing those things that Jesus has commanded
us not to do, and not doing those things He has asked us to do will be influenced to do the samebecause of your example. Also,
your profession of faith in Christ will go far in casting a shadow on all Christians as being hypocrites. Think of it. Imagine
if some atheist picks up a Bible and reads "Thou shall not lie" and then promptly goes to Blockbuster and sees a bunch of
teenagers wearing crosses and Christian t-shirts rent a movie like "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" (a movie that glorifies the "art"
of lying). He will no doubt easily conclude that Christians just spout off about obeying God, but go on doing whatever they
please. How many times have you been seen going into secular movies or heard listening to secular music by a wide-eyed non-Christian?
All of these things simply because you just cannot live without being entertained by those who live in direct
rebellion to the "great God and our Savior Christ Jesus, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us FROM (not for)
every lawless deed." (Titus 2:13-14)
For those of you who disagree with what I have just said in the past few pages, I challenge you to go back
and read it again in light of everything God has revealed to us in scripture. However, I want to make a few small things clear.
There are a few (very few) pieces of entertainment that could actually challenge a true follower of Christ to do more for
the sake of the Gospel. However, you are sadly mistaken if you try and use that as an excuse to watch movies like "Pearl Harbor",
"Titanic", "Armageddon", "Men in Black", or "Independence Day". You know as well as I do that these movies and others like
it are full of nothing even slightly righteous, and especially not uplifting. For those who choose to waste their time watching
sports (waste is the only proper word for it), at least consider the fact while you are enjoying yourself, hell is enlarging
its jaws to swallow most of the people you are viewing. The very least you could do is fall on your face before the
television and cry out to God to raise up true and faithful witnesses to take the Gospel to those you are watching. Maybe
you could even obey the Lord and become one of those witnesses yourself.
I am sure many of you are thinking, "Man, what about you. I know that you havent always done what you are
telling us to do." And you are correct. I cannot go back and live my life over. Only the Lord knows how much of His time I
have wasted serving myself in times past. I just pray that the Lord would send forth laborers into the harvest who are more
faithful than myself to take the Gospel to those I neglected while I was living for myself.
In closing, I want to make it very clear that this is nothing to joke or to laugh about. I may have used
a little sarcasm in this letter but in my heart I am grieved beyond words. How blind can we be? We are only deceiving ourselves
as long as we believe we have a "right" to pursue happiness at the cost of the souls of innumerable sinners like ourselves.
To quickly illustrate: If I were to spend just 10 hours a week on entertainment, in just 20 years I would have completely
wasted 10,400 hours of the time God has given me to do His work. That is the same as 433 twenty-four hour days. Only the Lord
knows how many souls someone who is wholeheartedly devoted to doing His will could win in 433 days. With God it is all or
nothing. Either we stand with Him and fight against the corruption of the world, or we fight directly against Him by being
supporters of this world (Favor # 1).
"A whole new generation of Christians has come up believing that it is possible to accept Christ without forsaking
the world." A.W. Tozer
"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame
even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are discovered are made manifest by the
light" (Ephesians 5:11-13)
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord." (1
Corinthians 15:58)
If Only I Had Known
How suddenly it seems to me, that my life has ceased to be
Now I see reality, oh, if only I had known
The reality I see, it seems, is not what Id expected it to be
I never dreamed I could feel so guilty, if only I had known
It feels as though my guilt has grown, as I travel through deaths door alone
The farther I go, the more I know, this air is heavy with a holy love
This righteousness that seems so sweet, is beginning to feel like death to me
My sinful heart, I now clearly see, oh, If only I had known
Now I stand in full bright light, my heart feels as black as night
Straight ahead I see a sight, so holy that Im terrified
I never dreamed that He was more, than a tale in some old lore
But now my soul cannot ignore, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords
The King has come and Ive been found, a traitor to His throne
His righteous eyes pierce through my soul, oh, If only I had known
My heart was dark, my love was cold, as I walked lifes road alone
I vainly dreamed hell would not be my home, oh, if only I had known!
By Ben West-You certainly can know all of these things before this happens to you. God has given us
every Word we need to knowin the BibleGod has spoken, but will we listen? If you are not a follower of Christ, I suggest reading
"Mere Christianity" by former atheist and scholar at Oxford, C.S. Lewis. Lewis proves Gods existence in the book. If you are
a Christian, please take the time to go to www.raycomfort.com
and listen for free to "Hells Best Kept Secret". This simple sermon is simply the most helpful Christian teaching I have ever
heard in my life. The message discusses how to share the Gospel more effectively.
Look At All Ive Done For Thee
Judgment day has finally come. I stand alone before Gods throne
There He is, I see Him now. The One who made my flesh and bones
As Christ begins to open wide, the books containing all my life
I anticipate to see Him smile, as He glimpses my profile
Whenever He gets done, I said, surely He will clap His hands
And proclaim abroad to everyone, all the things this good man has done
But, oh, thats not a smile I see, his face looks grim and stern and keen
I watch Him stand up and declare to me, "I never knew youdepart from me."
I gasped in horror. I fell to my knees
Lord, Lord, cried I, Look at all Ive done for Thee!
Then somehow in the still, dense air. I clearly saw my lifes affairs
How Id "professed" to follow Christ, while ignoring His command to lay down my life
The words hit home, my mouth went dry
As I began to realizeThis was no joke, Id lost all hope
The Prince of Peace I had denied!
Now it all makes sense to me, I had lived in hypocrisy
I said I cared, I said I loved, but I never obeyed Gods only Son
Now Im lost, forever gone, simply because I ignored the Son
He died for me, He shed His blood, yet all I cared was to have some fun
Why Did He Have To Die?
As the conversation began, between my friend and I, the
question again arose, Why did He have to die?
Wed pondered this thought before, many, many times, yet
the answer to the question, still amazed our minds
Throughout the land we live, everybody knows, of the baby Savior, born two thousand years ago
But few, if any care, to know why He appeared, there is a wonderful answer, if you will lend your ear
When at first the earth was formed, and we were placed therein, God granted us the choice, to serve ourselves
or Him
And as the days went by, in the Creators perpetual joy, man chose to serve himself, when he believed the devils
ploy
Although Gods love was great, man had made his choice. Justice
must be served, lest corruption should rejoice
It cannot be conceived, what was lost that day. Man had been given everything, but we cast it all away.
Just a glance, at the world, will show this is the case. God
has given us all things, but we curse Him to his face
This is not the only sin, around our world todaylying, hatred, lust, and theft, have bound us with their chains
God has every right, to condemn man for his sin. Although
it is our due, He chose instead to give
From ages past God knew, the rebellion man would choose, and from all of eternity, He knew just what to do
What better a way show, the depths of your concern, than to give yourself as ransom, to those who dont deserve
God Himself became a man, Jesus Christ was He. The Prince
of Peace bore our sins, when He died at Calvary
I still cannot conceive, that He would die for me. I dont deserve a thing, accept to be cast away as guilty
And that is what will happen, if I dont believe. But alas, I do Believe!, Jesus died for me upon that tree!
"..on some have compassion, making a difference; and
others save with fear,pulling them out of the fire.."
(Jude
22-23)
A Call to Action: Search and Rescue
After the first plane plowed full-speed into
World Trade
Center Tower #1, people everywhere knew
immediately that many souls had just died, and that
countless more were in immediate
danger. And just as
suddenly as people understood the reality of what they
were seeing, countless rescuers ran
headfirst into the
flaming tower. This was what they lived for, what
they had trained for, and what they were
prepared to
give their life for. Once their eyes focused in on
the mountain of horror burning in front of them
and
they comprehended the desperate plight of the untold
thousands still inside, fear was no longer an option.
Neither
was pride. Instead of the usual wondering
about who was more qualified and who had the most
potential, there was
a flame of compassion lit inside
of each worker. The compassion came naturally from
the fact that each person
could easily see themselves
in the same dire predicament. Hold right there.
Let's pause a moment for reflection.
What were the
rescuers really accomplishing? What were they really
doing? Many would immediately call out,
"They were
saving people's lives!" Were they? I think it is
accurate to say that anyone who may have been
saved
from the fires and collapse of the World Trade Center
will still undoubtedly die. This doesn't sound
pleasant,
but it is the plain truth. No matter how
many times my life may be "saved", it does not remove
the fact of my
final death. So to be perfectly honest
with ourselves and each other (something we are not
very good at doing),
we must make it clear to all
people that the "saving of lives" which at first seems
a truly glorious undertaking, should
correctly be
termed a "delaying of deaths". We do not save lives,
we delay deaths. I realize that many who
are reading
this may be thinking to themselves, "What a depressing
person this is", but it is not my desire to say
something
that is going to make people smile and then
go on living the same way that they were. The fact
is, whenever any
human "saves" another human's life,
as honorable as that may be, they are really only
delaying the ultimate reality
of the death of that
person. I say it is a waste of time to focus solely
on "saving" lives because there is an
infinite more
important task at hand. Infinite is not an
exaggeration. I am speaking of the infinite length
of
boundless eternity. When thinking of the unbelievable
devastation of that day in September, we must open our
eyes
and realize that it was not the chief danger of
that day. On September 11, 2001, multitudes of souls
around the
world were on the brink of eternal
bliss...or eternal destruction. As a matter of fact,
if statistics hold true,
nearly 140,000 immortal souls
passed through the doors of death on that one day.
The true enemy to humanity was not
renegade Muslims,
but our own selfish desires and disobedience to the
law of our Creator; and the imminent danger was
not
burning plane fuel, but the eternal fires and utter
darkness of the place prepared for the devil and his
angels.
Besides the massive four thousand that
perished in New York on the 11th of September, one
hundred and thirty-six thousand
people died around the
world on that same day and entered into eternity, but
where are the Christians running with sympathy
to the
dying? Around four and a half million souls perish
each and every month around the world! Where is
our
compassion? Do we have to actually see them jumping
from 100 story buildings and burning in the windows to
feel
sympathy for them? Do we need to physically see
the torments of hell and the end result of treason
against the
Ultimate King? Are the fireman and police
officers of New York more compassionate than those of
us who claim to follow
Christ? Imagine if some of the
firemen had said, ''Oh, I really would like to go and
save those dying people but
I think I would rather
play a round of golf." That is ridiculous. Not even a
sinful reprobate could think of himself
at a time when
people are so plainly in need of help. But
unfortunately, that is what a vast number of people
who
call themselves followers of Christ do each and
every day. In truth, these hypocrites are no better
than the terrorists.
The one causes pain out of
action, the other allows it through lack of action.
Please take this moment to examine your
own heart.
There are over 6 billion people who are alive today
walking the face of this earth, and unless Christ
comes,
every single one will also one day die. What a
sobering task we have at hand. There is only one
difference
with the Christian's task as opposed to the
task of the rescue worker on September eleventh. The
victims in New
York and the Pentagon could see the
fire with their eyes and feel the heat with their
bodies. They wanted to be
saved and helped. The vast
majority of all the people in the world casually
flatter themselves that all will be
okay with their
souls in the end. They do not need to trust in a
Savior, why, "What harm have I done?", they say.
So
the Christian "search and rescue" worker is called to
work feverishly night and day "pulling them from the
fire"
while the self-righteous victim argues, "I don't
believe in fire!...and if I did, I would manage to
escape on my own."
This is why it takes true
compassion and love to "save some, pulling from the
fire" in the Christian sense. The
Christian worker is
trying to save countless people, who, for the most
part do not want to be saved, even though they
know
the possible danger. But despite the rejections and
refutations of men, let us all go forth as an army of
men
and women, ready to give our very lives in search
and rescue efforts for the King of Kings. With God's
help we
will save men despite their rebellion. If we
have been saved, then we know that it is possible for
a prideful
heart to be broken and for the waters of
eternal life to be poured soothingly over the soul
consumed with the flames
of lust, rebellion, and hate.
Let us carry this water to the ends of the earth,
pleading with the Lord to use whatever
means possible
to cause men to take concern for their eternal
welfare. As Charles Spurgeon so urgently stated,
"If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to
hell
over our bodies, and if they must perish,
let them
perish with our arms about their knees imploring them
to stay. If hell must be filled at least let it
be
filled in the teeth of our exertions and let no one go
there unwarned and unprayed for!"
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