3rd and 4th Spoke – “Fellowship and Witness”

Point 1:  “Staring At The Threshold”

Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.  (Romans 10:1)

Imagine lying at the door of Death.  It is inevitable that you will be going through that door, sooner than those around you.  Maybe you have a disease, the doctors won’t tell you much, other than you do not have much time, and there’s nothing they can do to help you.  You are staring at the threshold of Eternity, not standing at it, mind you…you have time, but only by the grace of God.  But you don’t believe in God, at least, not Heaven and Hell anyway….that’s what you’ve told yourself, but you always pray to Christ for forgiveness and peace when the going gets REALLY rough. 

Now, here you are, scared because you might be wrong.  You don’t know of course, who can?  Yet you will find out sooner than anyone else.  If you are right, you will close your eyes and fade from existence; this life being all you had.  If you are wrong?  If you choose not to believe what that close Christian friend told you about Christ or what that stranger said when he told you about the death and ressurection of Jesus, just for you, what then? 

Such is the attitude I need to have towards those who do not believe in Christ.  If they HAD TIME to choose, to look at deaths door, what would they choose?  What if they had no idea what was on the other side?  What if you were the only person to help them decide – Heaven by believing or Hell by ignorance?  If I could just get a glimpse of most people this way, would my uncaring attitude change?   People who scoff at the LORD, those who hear the Good News and refuse to believe, may change their tune if they just knew the end was coming.  If I can take this attitude, would I ever give up praying for them, no matter how cruel they treat me or who I stand for?  Or would I just not care because of their indifference?  If God were to give them all the grace, just one more day, one more hour, then I should try to picture what that person may do if he or she stood at the threshold of Eternity.  God forbid, they should reject the witness of our Lord in love, and step into Hell, after my heartfelt warning and affirmation of Christ’s love towards them!  But some will, we just can’t give up hope until hope is gone…because as long as God gives that person the grace to take one more breath, he may also give them one more breath to choose to follow Him and believe that He is Lord. 

For my fellow believer, my attitude changes towards you as well if I can take this attitude towards the unbeliever; because you are united with me in a cause if you share the same burden.  We have a common goal, to love the world one soul at a time that our Lord will be glorified.  I will help you, you will help me, and “fellowship” continues.  And my-”uncaring attitude” towards people besides myself, ends.  May we all “stare at the threshold” before we have to walk through it, for ourselves, but most importantly-for eachother.