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Revelation 20:11-15 (NIV)
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it.
Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and
books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The
dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13
The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up
the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he
had done.
14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The
lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone's name was not
found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
The other night I walked home from my
office. For those of you who do not know what that means, I walked along a
small rural road after dark that winds around several corners. All in all it
is a 3.5 mile hike. There is usually wildlife of many sorts that roam in the
forests; deer, foxes, snakes, coyotes, skunks, raccoons, wild turkeys, etc.
on this road.
On this particular night the sky was
overcast and lightning and thunder was lighting up the night sky. Every now
and then the wind would pick up and the leaves would fall in mass on the
road. As I walked further into the country I would hear the howls of the
coyotes, or the steps of some animal walking in the woods next to the road
where I was walking.
To fill my mind as I walk I usually listen
to the Bible on my mp3 player. The Scripture that was up next was the book of
Revelation. So as I began my walk into the country on this small rural road
the skies lit up with lightning and the thunder began to rumble and the wind
began to pick up and the leaves began to fall and the animals began to howl
the Scripture I heard was the book of Revelation.
About mid way through my 3.5 mile hike I
heard the howl of several coyotes that I know were walking next to me in the
woods trying to decide when they would jump on their next meal, me. I found
my heart rate increasing and my pace was quickening hoping to get home before
the storm broke loose or the coyotes got me.
I was about to call my wife and have her
come and get me but I said to myself, "Self, you are a man, not a mouse,
you can make this." I wanted to agree with my self but my heart rate and
my breathing said otherwise.
It was then that I began to listen to the
Scripture from Revelation. I thought to myself, "I have the presence of
God with me in this long walk home, why should I be afraid? Yes though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art
with me." My heart rate slowed and my breathing returned to somewhat
normal respirations. I still wanted to get home as soon as I could.
To make a long story longer I did make it
home and the rain never happened. When I got in the door of my home I
completely relaxed because now I was safe. It felt really good to be home out
of the storm.
But then it hit me, "What shall those
without Christ do when the severe storms of life visit them? How shall they
fare without Christ? What will happen to those who begin to walk that long
dark road toward death without Christ?"
Should we not speak up to tell them of
Christ so their walk toward death will not be something to fear. May the Lord
cause you to speak to someone this week to warn them and remind them that
they do not have to travel this road of life and death alone if they will
trust in Christ.
Speaking up to Those who are without
Christ,
Pastor Phil
P.S. I don't advise long walks home after
dark in the country on a stormy night if you have heart problems
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