“The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what He promises, according to some people’s conception of slowness, but He is long-suffering (extraordinarily patient) toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 [Amplified Bible]
Dear Christian, I am happy for you that you have testimonies and things are moving well for you.
I know for a while now you have been enjoying God and for you, it is very advantageous being a Christian.
However, there is a problem.
We are all conversant with the tragic story of the rich man in hell that the Lord Jesus told in Luke 16:19-31 …
’He went to hell and was suffering terribly. When he looked up and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side, he said to Abraham, “Have pity on me! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water and touch my tongue. I’m suffering terribly in this fire.”
Abraham answered…there is a deep ditch between us, and no one from either side can cross over.” But the rich man said, “Abraham, then please send Lazarus to my father’s home. Let him warn my five brothers, so they won’t come to this horrible place.” Luke 16:23-24, 27-28 [Contemporary English Version]
It is saddening to know that those in hell see the urgency of evangelizing Christ to the millions of unsaved people today who are inevitably heading towards a Christ-less eternity clearer than we do in this modern day church.
The time is almost up and Jesus is coming soon.
When He comes, will you feel proud and happy or will you be sad and ashamed?
Has it ever occurred to you that you are the only one who can reach some people in this world with the message of salvation?
The Bible says that the reason why the Lord is extraordinarily patient and has not destroyed this world and put everything to an end is because of you.
Yes.
You.
‘The Lord is not slow in keeping his word, as he seems to some, but he is waiting in mercy for you, not desiring the destruction of any, but that all may be turned from their evil ways.’ [Bible in Basic English version]
There is no reason to be shocked or surprised that you are the one the Lord is waiting for.
Please permit me to be bold:
Do tell me, since you have been born again, how has God profited from your life?
I know you celebrate testimonies on ‘what the Lord has done’ and men congratulate you, but please, is God congratulating you today?
Are you confident He will congratulate you on the Last Day?
Can you honestly pray that God should handle your life exactly how you are handling the gospel of Jesus Christ?
‘…but he is waiting in mercy for you.’
Dear reader, look around you, when was the last time you heard a message on hell, eternal judgment, pleasing God and so on?
Even if preachers have stopped preaching about all these, should you stop?
How come you are smiling at your unbeliever neighbours and even though you know they are not born again and are heading for eternal doom, how did you become so comfortable, nay, so cold that you can chat about everything else except the Bible?
How can you share everything with them except Jesus?
‘…but he is waiting in mercy for you.’
You may say, “thank God I’m born again, I don’t need any mercy”; but please let me ask you, regardless of your physical state and whatever you have in your bank account, what are you depositing in your eternal account?
Or don’t you know there is an eternal account?
Since you have been saved, how many souls have come to Christ through you and are they remaining in faith?
Maybe you do not know that our eternal future is solely determined by how we live our lives here and who we live for [2 Cor. 5:15, Gal. 2:20].
Please, how are you living today and who are you living for?
Why do you wake up early every day and what precisely are you pursuing?
Is it money, ‘breakthrough’ and the worthless treasures of this world, or is it Jesus, the Shepherd and Captain of our souls?
A time is coming when you and I will stand before God to be judged…all our works will pass through the fire of God’s judgment.
Rather than running up and down, catching toads in the river of this world, rather than comparing myself with my colleagues and age mates, I will sit down and ask myself, what is the Lord demanding from my life, even today?
‘…but he is waiting in mercy for you’
Like a trader on a long journey, one day I will return home. I will be self-deceived to think ‘I still have time’, especially when my Master Himself had warned: “So keep a sharp lookout, for you don’t know the timetable.” Mark 13:33 [The Message].
Dear reader, like me, you don’t know the timetable.
You don’t know when He will come; yet, the judgment seat of Christ comes immediately after the rapture [See 1 Thess. 4:16-18, 2 Cor. 5:10, 1 Cor. 3:11-15], where you and I will receive our due reward for how we have lived while on this side of the Jordan.
How can you bear it on your conscience to know that undisclosed number of people were denied of the benefits and joys of the Kingdom of God because you were too afraid or ashamed or too busy to talk to them about receiving Jesus?
Like a farmer, what are you putting into your eternal basket?
