My heart is broken! This was an avoidable tragedy. Recently in South Asia, a festival was being celebrated where an effigy of a large man was being burned. The effigy represented evil and he was filled with firecrackers. The atmosphere was one electric with the anticipation of the fire being lit and the evil man being vanquished.
As the effigy was being engulfed in the flames the fireworks started igniting and the night sky was filled with bangs, pops, whistling, and the din of general celebratory chaos. A large group of men, women, and children moved to higher ground to have a better view of the festivities.
As their eyes were fixed on the burning evil man before them their ears were filled with the sound of the explosions and their hearts were filled with the joy of the festival. No one heard the sound or saw the light of the speeding train heading right for the poor souls who were distracted by the entertainment that had captured their attention. The higher ground they were standing on was the raised railway track. The train engineer could not see them in the darkness and even if he did see them there was no way he could stop the train in time.
The train mowed people down in an instant. Bodies were flying about like rag-dolls. A festival had turned into a tragedy. Laughter turned into mourning as 60 people entered eternity.
Oh that there would have been someone there to warn them of the coming train. Oh that there were people who were not distracted by the lights and whistles of everything going on around them. And how evil that person would be if they saw disaster coming and failed to warn as many as they could.
There is another train coming. This is the train of the wrath of God. This is the coming judgement where people will have to give an account of what they have done with Jesus. People did not believe they were in danger, but that did not change the fact that the train was headed their way. People may not believe Jesus is the only way to heaven, but that does not change the fact that judgement is coming.
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you are called to tell people of the coming judgement. You are not responsible for what they do with the information, but you are responsible to tell them.
The Lord spoke to the prophet Ezekiel about the responsibility of the watchman. If the watchman was to stand on the city wall and see an attack coming against the city but said nothing to the people of the city he would be held responsible. But if he warned the people of the coming attack he would be free from responsibility. And so it is with us.
Ezekiel 33:8–9 (ESV) If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.
Our job is not to argue someone into heaven. Our job is not to trick people into signing a pledge, saying a prayer, raising a hand, modifying their behavior, or changing their religion. Our job is to tell them about Jesus. Our job is to exalt Jesus. They are held responsible for what they do with the information. If we truly believe Jesus is the ONLY way to heaven why do we not tell them?
I was talking to a man of another faith the other day. He told me he knew a little about Jesus (most of which was not accurate) but he said people have tried to convert him. He looked a little puzzled as I told him my job was not to convert him. My job is to make much of Jesus. And Jesus would destroy his other gods when He is ready. False gods cannot stand in the presence of the One True Living God.
The Children of Israel would carry the Ark of the Covenant, which represented the presence of God, with them into battle. Once the Ark was captured by the Philistines. They placed the Ark in the temple of their god, Dagon. In the morning Dagon had fallen onto his face before the presence of the True God. The priests propped up their god (Side note: If you have to prop your god up you are worshipping the wrong god) but the next morning Dagon had fallen over and broke his arms and head off (1 Samuel 5:1-5). False gods cannot stand in the presence of the One True Living God.
There is no way we can "convert" anyone. Only Jesus can transform the human heart. But we do have the responsibility of telling people about Jesus. It is our job to tell people to "GET OFF THE TRACKS!!!"
As the effigy was being engulfed in the flames the fireworks started igniting and the night sky was filled with bangs, pops, whistling, and the din of general celebratory chaos. A large group of men, women, and children moved to higher ground to have a better view of the festivities.
As their eyes were fixed on the burning evil man before them their ears were filled with the sound of the explosions and their hearts were filled with the joy of the festival. No one heard the sound or saw the light of the speeding train heading right for the poor souls who were distracted by the entertainment that had captured their attention. The higher ground they were standing on was the raised railway track. The train engineer could not see them in the darkness and even if he did see them there was no way he could stop the train in time.
The train mowed people down in an instant. Bodies were flying about like rag-dolls. A festival had turned into a tragedy. Laughter turned into mourning as 60 people entered eternity.
Oh that there would have been someone there to warn them of the coming train. Oh that there were people who were not distracted by the lights and whistles of everything going on around them. And how evil that person would be if they saw disaster coming and failed to warn as many as they could.
There is another train coming. This is the train of the wrath of God. This is the coming judgement where people will have to give an account of what they have done with Jesus. People did not believe they were in danger, but that did not change the fact that the train was headed their way. People may not believe Jesus is the only way to heaven, but that does not change the fact that judgement is coming.
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you are called to tell people of the coming judgement. You are not responsible for what they do with the information, but you are responsible to tell them.
The Lord spoke to the prophet Ezekiel about the responsibility of the watchman. If the watchman was to stand on the city wall and see an attack coming against the city but said nothing to the people of the city he would be held responsible. But if he warned the people of the coming attack he would be free from responsibility. And so it is with us.
Ezekiel 33:8–9 (ESV) If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.
Our job is not to argue someone into heaven. Our job is not to trick people into signing a pledge, saying a prayer, raising a hand, modifying their behavior, or changing their religion. Our job is to tell them about Jesus. Our job is to exalt Jesus. They are held responsible for what they do with the information. If we truly believe Jesus is the ONLY way to heaven why do we not tell them?
I was talking to a man of another faith the other day. He told me he knew a little about Jesus (most of which was not accurate) but he said people have tried to convert him. He looked a little puzzled as I told him my job was not to convert him. My job is to make much of Jesus. And Jesus would destroy his other gods when He is ready. False gods cannot stand in the presence of the One True Living God.
The Children of Israel would carry the Ark of the Covenant, which represented the presence of God, with them into battle. Once the Ark was captured by the Philistines. They placed the Ark in the temple of their god, Dagon. In the morning Dagon had fallen onto his face before the presence of the True God. The priests propped up their god (Side note: If you have to prop your god up you are worshipping the wrong god) but the next morning Dagon had fallen over and broke his arms and head off (1 Samuel 5:1-5). False gods cannot stand in the presence of the One True Living God.
There is no way we can "convert" anyone. Only Jesus can transform the human heart. But we do have the responsibility of telling people about Jesus. It is our job to tell people to "GET OFF THE TRACKS!!!"
Thank you Brian! Nuggets of gold from the wisdom God has given you! ☝️🦋♥️
ReplyDeleteMy heart hurts for these people and the families. Thank you for making us aware. God uses you world-wide, including Phx. Smiles. O Happy Day because He lives.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully coined!
ReplyDeleteSomething to remember in our daily interactions, thanks, Brian.
ReplyDelete