Some time ago I had to talk to people at a factory and I also showed them the movie The Passion of the Christ. They must have thought I was angry with them when I started talking. But I was forceful. I was serious about the fact that the Lord wanted each of them to join Him in heaven one day. And I explained it to them in simple language: “If you do not choose Jesus at one time or another in your life, you will go to hell. You are going to burn and it certainly won’t be nice. However, if you choose Jesus, you will live for ever and ever. Yes, one day you will leave your body behind, but after this life, you will live again.”
I begged those people to choose Jesus. Because He died on the cross we will one day be able to experience Eternal Life. And it is precisely this message that John wants to convey to his readers. 2 The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we’re telling you in the most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us. What we do not always realise is that the life that we live here on earth is very short, even if you get to be a 100. It does not even make a mark on the time line of eternity. I always use the example of a block of granite one metre by one metre by one metre in size. Once a year a very small bird comes and sharpens his beak on that block of granite. Just once a year, a very small bird. The day when that big block of granite is worn away by that one small bird sharpening his beak once a year, even on that day, not one day of eternity will have passed. The few years of your life on earth is a time in which, firstly, you have to make a choice about where you want to go after this life on earth, and, secondly, you have to prepare for the trip. God wants each of us to make our own choice. God does not force His will on people. Therefore, He gives us an earthly life during which we ourselves can choose for Him or against Him. God made it easier for us to choose Him by sending Jesus to us. In Him, we can see God. In Him, we also see a picture of eternal life. By default, making no choice, is to choose against Him. This is not pie in the sky, something we can only dream about. No, Jesus, who is closest to God, showed us what it is all about through His life here on earth. We just have to choose it. But there are people who choose the direct opposite. This reminds me of a guy who once asked me to remove his e-mail address from the mailing list, because he did not believe in God and Crossroad was just @#$% him off. This is a choice against God and against Jesus and against Eternal Life and for hell . . . However, if we choose Eternal Life, we also choose to be knocked “into shape” for Eternal Life. We must keep our eyes on the winning posts, because that’s where we’re heading! And that is why I had to talk so seriously to the people after The Passion of the Chris. I’m afraid that they’ll miss the bus. And in a way I was just like John: 3We saw it, we heard it, and now we’re telling you so that you can experience it along with us. We cannot keep the message to ourselves. There are many people out there just waiting for us to come and tell them the message. Children, spouses, friends and colleagues. So, include the message of Eternal Life when you spend time with them. Reflection Do you believe that there is life after death? Are you ready for it? What must still be cut off? Who must you tell about eternal life? When are you going to do it? Comments are closed.
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Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
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