Today there was a celebration...a celebration of love, happiness, family, friends, and life. It wasn't a pity party. No, it was a celebration. This was a homecoming celebration. There was no game, there was no loud music, there were no gifts being passed out. However, there was one gift. The love of one man who loved his family and friends very deeply and genuinely. Tears, laughter, sadness, and joy were all present. Hope even stopped by for a while and decided to stay awhile. Hope reminded us that there is life beyond this one...beyond the horizon. We were blessed with the life of one Roby J. Shelley. He will be missed...
Have you ever wanted to know a good place in which you might be able to strike up a conversation or "argument" about religion and salvation. I believe I came across a hot spot tonight. This evening we lost a very close member of our family. My wife's grandfather passed away tonight. Leaving the hospital, I overheard a conversation between a man and a couple just outside the ICU waiting room. I usually avoid eavesdropping, but when words like: God, Jesus, Bible, Hindu, Buddha, Hell, Muhammad, Koran, and Truth pop up, my attention has been captured.
In this conversation, imagine every argument and standpoint against Christianity being used. One man was speaking the truth and the other was fighting it, embracing every false teaching that has ever been known. The young man was educated in every religion it seemed, but a knowledge of those false religions will not love him or save him like the love of God. The couple that was speaking with the man about God and His word being the truth were right on. To be honest, my spirit wanted to join in and tag team that guy and get him on the ropes, but to be honest, I was physically and emotionally drained from the workday and from the given situation. I knew it probably wasn't the best time to get into it, but I felt okay knowing that what the older man was speaking the Truth and doing so in a calm, loving manner.
2 Corinthians 5:6-10
6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 We live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
We are trusted with one life. We can live that life our own way, or we can live it to serve a powerful, strong, loving, and perfect God. Tonight, the young man was saying that there's no way to know that the Bible is true and that it is only a book to guide people to do the right thing. Obviously, he didn't read too far into. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me..."
God gave his Son for us. Christ died for us. According to this man, Buddha "walked with God" and Buddhism is just a different religion with the same text as the Bible. He also said that the Koran is the same. How do people become so mixed up in that they cannot see the truth and love of God as if it were right in front of them? With our life, we are to take the message of truth, grace, love, and salvation to everyone we meet. I wish tonight would have been in different circumstances so I could have joined in that conversation and help lead that man in the direction of God's love. I also wish my family could have been in different circumstances tonight, but questioning the Lord's timing and call is not for us to consider. Hopefully a seed will be planted and a life will be changed with what was said between those people. Life is a precious gift. Eternal life is even more blessed and a beautiful gift given only through the blood of Christ Jesus and a relationship with him.
We've got one shot...
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