r L n -- really LOVE now! : i'm DYING!

Sunday, July 5, 2015

i'm DYING!

What IF one of your family members, diagnosed with a deadly disease, personally wrote this letter out of LOVE for you?

"i'm dying! What if i don't make it through today? What IF tonight GOD says, 'That was your last breath -- your time on earth is over -- come UP to your real home!'

The IFs in life is the WHY to this letter -- because IF (by GOD's design) i don't make it through tonight, i want you to know that i love you. i don't want any loose strings left untied, any words that need to be said, left UNsaid. IF i were to leave this physical world because GOD has called me to the REAL world where He is -- then i must say what is MOST important in my heart.

Forgive me for trying to make you into a person other than who you are; for not being more forbearing and more accepting of our differences as potential gifts for each other; for not praying more often and more fervently for you... i do LOVE you!

Forgive me for not being more tenderhearted and more understanding towards you; for my lack of patience with the small stuff; for my selfishness... i LOVE you SO much!

Forgive me for putting on you my personal expectations of how a CHRISTian ought to act; for not being more easy-going and lighthearted with you; for being SO "wordy" rather than just being a listener... i SO LOVE you!

Forgive me for not acting more on the deep concern i felt for you; for not making the time to just be with you -- to just listen with the ears of my heart to your unspoken words... i LOVE you very much!

Forgive me for not having the answers to your doubts; for not being more empathetic... i LOVE you SO!

i am dying! And so are you. Who will leave this earthly life first, only GOD knows. But i have been impacted by this sense of urgency because of the deaths of dear friends -- and of my own impending one. DEATH is ALL the time stalking ALL of us, 24/7 -- whether we know the exact time or circumstance... each day is a gift -- or NOT.

Are you prepared? Is your "house" in order? Is your conscience clear? Are you prepared to meet the Righteous and Holy JUDGE -- our ALLmighty Maker -- face to face?

i know you believe different -- for our lifestyles demonstrate what we truly believe in our innermost hearts. But i hope you'll keep an open mind that you could be wrong in your beliefs. i hope that you will be transparently honest as your inner heart is laid bare as you examine these words...

TRULY, we've ALL sinned. We have ALL done something our conscience plainly told us was wrong. Whatever that wrong may be -- don't whitewash it by calling it a "mistake" or "character defect" or "weakness" or "he/she/devil made me do it" -- call IT what "it" IS -- SIN: doing what is not right according to GOD.

IF you've taken ANYthing that's not yours -- that is stealing... which makes you a thief. (Exodus 20)
IF you've told lies -- even "white" lies -- that makes you a liar. (Exodus 20)
JESUS said, "whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:28)

ALL the above are sins against a thrice-holy GOD; and whether we've just broken one or ten of GOD's 613 commandments -- we are guilty and deserve punishment: eternal separation from GOD forever...which is hell.

But it really is "easy" to escape punishment and enter into heaven -- ONLY because it cost GOD SO very much to be LOVE and yet still be the JUST and holy GOD that He is... so GOD the Creator Himself, died for His creation... for sinners like you... for sinners like me.

GOD gave GOD -- so that we may be saved from paying the penalty of our sin-debts -- which is HELL: eternal separation from GOD... forever separated from His love, His goodness, His mercy, His light, His blessings, His joy, His glory, His paradise, His heaven!

And if we think our own merits or good works are enough to enter into GOD's Kingdom -- consider Mother Teresa who did so much or the virgin Mary, the mother GOD chose for JESUS -- even they needed to be delivered from eternal death by the blood of the SON of GOD. And consider this -- if we even have one unforgiven sin -- even that one sin will shut the gates of heaven, but will open wide the mouth of hell to swallow up the unforgiven sinner into everlasting death.

But consider GOD's incomprehensible mercy and amazing grace -- even if you (or i) were the ONLY sinner in the whole universe, GOD would STILL give GOD -- His Son CHRIST JESUS -- to save you (or me) from hell. And it's not at all because of any "good" in us or in any "good" works we've done. It's because GOD SO LOVED His creation and SO HATES sin that HE died to make things right!

GOD in His righteous wisdom gave us the freedom to choose our destiny -- heaven with Him... or hell with satan and all his demons; and 'the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.' (Rev 21:8)

i've bared my heart to you because of the UNpayable amount of debt that JESUS paid for to set me free! And because i want to share with you the experience of having eternal life NOW -- and the REALITY of the JOY of my hope in CHRIST, the incredible PEACE He brings, the SUPERnatural confidence that bolsters me during difficult times.

You may or may not know of my personal sins -- but believe me when i say, "i've been made NEW!" But i am a changed person today only because CHRIST JESUS is the LORD of my life. i was as black as black can be! Yet it was the LORD JESUS who made me CLEAN on the inside and who is continually giving me the SUPERnatural POWER to live clean on the outside -- as i press on, one day at a time, to be-ing the person He has already destined me to be.

Don't we all want PEACE and JOY -- happily (blessed) ever after... in REALITY? The "happily ever after" will NEVER -- no, never ever -- NEVER happen on earth in anyone's lifetime. BUT when we receive JESUS as our Savior (Redeemer of all our sin-debts), as our LORD (Master, Ruler, King of our lives) -- He gives us eternal life (knowing GOD the Father and the GOD the Son -- CHRIST JESUS -- now... right NOW and forever). We are made new -- born again -- by the Holy SPIRIT of GOD... made children of GOD, so that NOW and forEVER we may call GOD -- ALLmighty Creator of the Universe -- our Father in TRUTH... in REALITY!

"FIVE MINUTES AFTER DEATH" -- by Pastor Adrian Rogers

Dear one -- CHOOSE today -- for tomorrow is not guaranteed. Ask GOD in all sincerity: 'GOD in Heaven -- have mercy on me! i am a sinner, too. i believe Your Son JESUS died for all my sins. Thank you, JESUS, for dying on the cross for me. i believe in Your resurrection -- You defeated death! Save me from the penalty of my sins. Cleanse my heart; renew my mind; change me from the inside -- be the LORD of my life -- today and forEVERmore! Amen.'

Heavenly FATHER -- in the faithful Name of Your Son, CHRIST JESUS -- AMEN!" \o/

No comments:

my Prayer For You

When i think of the wisdom and scope of GOD's plan, i fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. i pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will give you mighty inner strength through His Holy SPIRIT. i pray that CHRIST will be more and more at home in your heart as you trust in Him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of GOD's marvelous love.

And may you have the power to understand, as all GOD's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love really is. May you experience the love of CHRIST, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from GOD.

Now to Him Who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by CHRIST JESUS to all generations, forever and ever. AMEN!

(Ephesians 3:14-21)

The Great I AM

I AM the Bread of life. He who comes to Me will never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
(John 6:35)

I AM the Light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the Light of life.
(John 8:12)

I AM the Door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I AM the Door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
(John 10:7, 9)

I AM the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep. I AM the Good Shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.
(John 10:11, 14)

I AM the True Vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. I AM the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
(John 15:1, 5)

I AM the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
(John 11:25)

I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
(John 14:6)

Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" JESUS answered, You say rightly that I AM a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the Truth hears My voice.
(John 18:37)

LOVE is...

Though i speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, i have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

And though i have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though i have all faith, so that i could remove mountains, but have not love, i am nothing.

And though i bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though i give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;

does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;

does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;

bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

For we know in part and we prophesy in part.

But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

When i was a child, i spoke as a child, i understood as a child, i thought as a child; but when i became a man, i put away childish things.

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now i know in part, but then i shall know just as i also am known.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

(I Corinthians 13)

Rejoice!

Rejoice in the LORD always. i will say it again: Rejoice!

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The LORD is near.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to GOD. And the peace of GOD, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind in CHRIST JESUS.

Finally, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.

(Philippians 4:4-8)

How Great Thou Art!

O LORD, my GOD! When i in awesome wonder consider all the works thy hands have made.
i see the stars, i hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, my Savior GOD to Thee: how great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior GOD to Thee: how great Thou art! How great Thou art!

And when i think that GOD, His Son not sparing, sent Him to die, i scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul, my Savior GOD to Thee: how great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior GOD to Thee: how great Thou art! How great Thou art!

When CHRIST shall come with shout of acclamation and take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then i shall bow in humble adoration and there proclaim, my GOD, how great Thou art!

Then sings my soul, my Savior GOD to Thee: how great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior GOD to Thee: how great Thou art! How great Thou art!

Amazing Grace

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! i once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now i see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved; how precious did that grace appear the hour i first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares, i have already come; 'tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.

The LORD has promised good to me, His word my hope secures; He will my shield and portion be, as long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail, and mortal life shall cease, i shall possess, within the veil, a life of joy and peace.

The world shall soon dissolve like snow, the sun refuse to shine; but GOD, who called me here below, shall be forever mine.

When we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun; we've no less days to sing GOD's praise than when we'd first begun.

The Holy BIBLE -- The Word of GOD

The BIBLE contains the mind of GOD, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you.

It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the CHRISTian's charter. Here is Paradise restored, Heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed.

CHRIST is its grand subject, our good the design, and the glory of GOD its end.

It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened at the judgment, and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.

(Foreword from The Gideons International)

Sunday, July 5, 2015

i'm DYING!

No comments:

Post a Comment