Willisburg Bulletin 8.18.24
WASTING CHANCES
“People are in Hades begging for one last chance, while people on earth are wasting millions of chances.” I saw that quote a couple weeks ago and it has struck me ever since. I hadn’t really thought about it in that way before. We all know once we die there is no coming back to redo anything, but to think about it in a way that while we are here we are wasting chances, throws it right in your face (as it should!).
God has already told us not everyone is going to make it to Heaven, even those that may be doing “good” and think they are heaping Heavenly treasures. Matthew 7:21-23 tells us that God already knows there are going to be people trying to plead their way to Heaven by justifying all their deeds (as so they think), yet God is going to say “I never knew you, depart from Me.” How sad that truly is and what’s even worse is most people are in this category as Matthew 7:13-14 quotes. It’s interesting that in that verse it says, “broad is the way that leads to destruction and there are many who go in by it” but when it talks about the narrow path it says, “few who find it.” So it’s not just something that’s going to happen by accident. Eternity with God must be saught after. Are chances are fleeting and each hours that ticks by, and each day that passes, is one day closer to the end. We all know the story of the rich man and Lazarus, but have you thought about it in the way of the quote? That rich man was begging for one last comfort, and at least wanted one last chance to talk to his family, yet it didn’t happen. You can just picture this scene in your mind and how terrible it seems, yet if we aren’t watchful as the Lord commands, we could be just like this rich man. There are many families that have lost loved ones and beg that they could switch places with them, yet that loved one died in sin. And just as this rich man, that loved one is begging for just one more chance to change and tell their family not to come to where they are. Luke 16 says, even though they may raise from the dead, the family won’t listen because they still are rejecting God and all the prophets. It’s just as the quote says, many are begging, yet lots are wasting! We must prepare NOW! We have to listen to Moses and the prophets, the apostles and teachers. God’s Word is the last revelation until eternity with Him. Are you following it? God knows how stubborn we can be, but He also warns that’s ignorance is not an excuse anymore. We are etc that even the early New Testament Christian’s didn’t have, yet we see how faithful they were. Yes they had issues, but every church will, but they were not wasting their chances. Are we wasting ours? Are we too worried about the earthly matters? Do we read our Bible daily? Do we pray to God constantly? Do we praise God for who He is? Do we thank Him for all He does? Do we do work for His kingdom? We need to be asking ourselves, how are we laying up treasures in Heaven as God commands in Matthew 6:19-21. Don’t wait until it’s too late. You don’t want to be the one in Hades begging for one las chance. Let’s be like Lazarus that is resting and being comforted. We have all we need to know, we just have to do it. Quit wasting your chances and fulfill your God given purpose!