An Unforgettable Day          

 

 

How could anyone in this century forget the events of  September 11, 2001?

 

It started out like any other day. Yet, it has left everyone with unforgettable memories – lives and homes that will never be the same again. Many now realise that a normal routine such as going to work, or flying on an aeroplane cannot be taken for granted anymore.
One cannot but wonder at how many of the victims of the fatal events of that

day, were ‘born again’? How many of them had the opportunity to hear the gospel? Perhaps someone was putting off sharing the gospel with one  or more of the unfortunate victims in the aeroplanes, or the ‘Twin Towers’. Would there be another opportunity? Definitely, not for those who are no more. That is why the Bible says, ‘TODAY, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart’. Do not harden your heart either to receive, or to share the gospel. The Bible also says, ‘NOW is the accepted time; TODAY is the day of salvation’.  Have you got a friend or relative you haven’t shared the gospel with? What is keeping you from doing so?

 

‘Diseases’ of Christians’

Recently, the Holy Spirit has been ministering to me about some of the reasons why some of us do not freely share the gospel (the ‘good news’) with others. I deliberately put ‘good news’ in bracket so that we can see the irony of not sharing it.  I wouldn’t want to refer to them as ‘reasons’, but rather as ‘diseases’. Naturally, when a person has a disease, the person becomes incapacitated, and unable to perform at ‘normal temperature and pressure’ (NTP). The person would need medical attention. We shall examine that issue later.

 

Now let us consider some of these ‘diseases’ that have crippled many of us – for so long, that some don’t even know they have the disease. One of them is ‘EXCUSIASTIS’. This is the ‘disease’ that makes us give excuses for not sharing the gospel. We explain it away so nicely, usually in our minds. This disease causes us to put off sharing the gospel, because we always feel the time is not ripe. In one of the past issues of the Millennium Echo, I shared my experience of how this disease prevented me from sharing the gospel with my GP and then he died suddenly, and the so-called convenient time eluded me. I also recall a brother sharing with me how he had put off sharing the gospel with one of his neighbours, and then the man passed away. It is possible that some of us have had similar experiences. Beloved, the worst thing that can happen to us is to be guilty of any man’s blood.

 

A second ‘disease,’ which the Holy Spirit revealed to me is ‘THE FEAR OF MAN’. This is a very common disease. In the last issue of the Millennium Echo, I talked about a ‘spirit’ in the air in the Western world, which attempts to make talking about Jesus, an ‘unsociable’ behaviour. The point is that because we do not want to appear ‘unsociable’ or ‘offensive’ to our friends, associates, colleagues, etc., we’d rather talk about what they want to hear (the weather, TV programmes, or things of no eternal significance), and not what God wants us to tell them. The truth, of course, is that if we really love these people, the best thing we can do for them is tell them how they can escape eternal damnation in hell.

 

The third disease, the Holy Spirit reveals, is ‘SPIRITUAL OBESITY’. Many of us Christians have been so spiritually overfed that we now suffer from ‘spiritual obesity’. I recall watching a programme once on the God Channel where a woman was featured who had eaten so much and become too fat that her door had to be knocked down before they could let her out and take her to the hospital. She had been bed-ridden for years, that it required a crane to lift her out of bed. There is a similar parallel with many Christians. Some of us have sat on many fellowship, church and conference pews and being overfed for so long, causing us to be spiritually obese. It is true that the Bible admonishes us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of some, but that we should exhort one another so much the more as we see the Day approaching (Heb.10:25). The question we then need to ask ourselves is what do we do with all the spiritual food we receive in all of these meetings we attend? If they do not provoke a holy and consuming passion in us to win the lost for Christ, then something is wrong. Many of us have become spiritually incapacitated due to overfeeding, which has resulted in spiritual obesity. Others are ‘Daraprin’ (Sunday – Sunday) Christians who never miss church, yet produce no fruit. Jesus said, ‘HEREIN IS MY FATHER GLORIFIED, that you bear much fruit; so you will be my disciples’ (John 15:8).

 

Although mentioned last, the fourth disease, ‘PASSIONLESSNESS’, is the most serious of all the diseases. It is this lack of passion that makes us insensitive to the spiritual (and even physical) needs of others. Many of us are so focused on, (and contented with) ourselves and the empires we have built around ourselves, that we care less about others. Many of us are driven by the desire for worldly success and achievement, that we have forgotten God’s yardstick for success. Jesus said, ‘a man’s life does not consist of the abundance of the things he possesses’. He also asks, ‘what does it profit a man or woman to gain the whole world, and to lose His soul’. Our success as Christians in this life will be measured by the number of souls we shall present to God on that Day when we shall all stand before Him, to give account of our stewardship. Would we hear Him say ‘well done, good and faithful servant’?

 

Spiritual Attention

 In the natural, when a person suffers from any disease, s(he) seeks medical attention. It is no different in the spiritual. If we suspect we suffer from any of the diseases mentioned, we need to seek the attention of the Holy Spirit for proper diagnosis, and then consult with Our Jehovah Rophe, to ‘heal’ our disease. The worst thing that can happen is to suffer from any of the diseases and not be aware of it. The consequence is spiritual death. It is akin to a late diagnosis of cancer, which by the time it is discovered, has spread to other areas bringing about death.

 

Best Christmas Gift

The glittering lights in the shops and streets have begun to remind us that Christmas is around the corner. The good news is that the ‘Baby’ ceased to be in a manger a long time ago. As a matter of fact, He went to the cross some 30 years after He left the manger. Right now, He is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Praise the Lord!

 

As you think of cards and gifts this Christmas, perhaps the GREATEST and the BEST gift you can present to anyone is THE CHRIST OF CHRISTMAS.  More importantly, when Jesus was born, wise men brought Him gifts – gold, frankincense and myrrh. Proverbs 11:30 says ‘he who wins souls is wise’. This Christmas, you can do better than those wise men did. You can present Jesus to your unsaved friends and relatives, and much more, present to Jesus, those souls whom you have helped to redeem from hell and eternal damnation. Remember, whatever natural gifts we present is only temporary, and will perish with time. A spiritual gift is for eternity.

 

Dear friends, it has been my joy and privilege to share with you these inspirations from the Holy

Spirit – echoes of the Millennium - through out the year 2001. We owe our debt and gratitude to God for all He has done for us this year. As the year gradually draws to a close, and as we reflect on our achievements and/or failures this year, let us ask Him for enabling grace to let go of the things that are behind, and to press on to the greater things that lie ahead of us. Where we have been weak before, let us ask for grace to be strong; where the devil knocked us down, let us rise up, shake off the dust, and press on.  Faithful is He who has began this good work in us, who also will complete and perfect it, in Jesus Name. Wishing you all a Christ-centred Christmas, and God’s blessings and special favour in the year 2002.