PRODIGAL SUN
AUGUST 2024
Let your light so shine before men that they
may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)
It is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment. (Hebrews
9:27) There is no avoiding either of these events. All are born once
naturally, but dead spiritually, eternally separated from the life once
given to man. However, God in His mercy, made a way for man to re-enter into
that eternal life he had forfeited thousands of years ago in the Garden.
That is through the shed blood of Jesus, His death, burial, and
resurrection.
A person I had met some thirty-eight years ago recently died in a vehicle
crash. Although I had not seen her in years my heart sank at the news. With
that came the thought that she had passed through the ‘portal.’ Looking up
the definition in Funk and Wagnall’s dictionary I read, “An entrance, door,
or gate, especially one that is grand and imposing.”
I can think of nothing more imposing than the gateway into eternity. It is
an entrance that we must all traverse, and alone. It’s a one way entrance
with no return. But, will your/my entrance be grand? Back in May I shared
the experience I had coming back from taking care of the fire at the shop.
One in which I experienced extreme horror, the likes of which I’d never had
before and a darkness so oppressive you couldn’t breathe. Will your portal
be a fiery one or one that leads into the glories of heaven. There are no
second chances. Our choice today determines our destiny for all of eternity.
Very few of us walking or driving around think we may well die today. If
laid up in a hospital bed, the thought may cross our minds, but for the most
part we think we’ll be around tomorrow, next week, or next month.
The choice of a grand entrance or an imposing one is ours to make. Choose
you this day whom you will serve. One day your ‘tomorrow’ will not come. The
person mentioned above rounded a curve and her portal sat there opened and
waiting. I’m sure there was no thought that this was her day to cross into
eternity leaving all these temporal circumstances and concerns behind.
In a single moment all her earthly plans ended. I have no idea what
her entrance was, where she is now, but we do know that it is forever. A
final note is that I just heard a fellow passenger died. She had lived for a
couple of weeks so hopefully someone reached her with the Gospel of Jesus
Christ if she hadn’t heard before.
In Matthew 24:12 Jesus states that because lawlessness will abound, the love
of many will grow cold. The lawlessness Jesus speaks of might well be summed
up as anything that goes against God’s standards. When thinking of
lawlessness it is hard not to consider the recent assassination attempt
against Donald Trump. The last political issue that I remember writing about
was in November 1991. When a person objectively looks at all of the events
that occurred for over 30 minutes at that rally the only conclusion that can
be reached is that every opportunity was afforded the shooter to kill Trump.
Security either delayed or ignored all warnings about him. The only
conclusion that can be reached is that it was an attempted political
assassination by the opposing party. This is what our country has fallen to
in joining the methodology of other countries attempting political
takeovers. Because we have forsaken “One nation under God” we now wrestle
with the Prince of this world – Satan and his schemes. When he is permitted
to rule, hatred takes the upper seat and love’s benefits are negated.
If we, as the Church, do not arise and confront the works of the enemy we
may be found liable for the loss he causes. The most precious and valuable
of these treasures are the souls of men, women, and children. Jesus came to
save people not personal belongings.
Here is an appropriate hymn for the subject;
Am I a soldier of the cross, a follower of the Lamb, and shall I fear to own
His cause, or blush to speak His name?
Must I be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease, While others fought
to win the prize, and sailed through bloody seas?
Are there no foes for me to face? Must I not stem the tide? Is this vile
world a friend to grace, To help me on to God?
Since I must fight if I would reign, increase my courage Lord; I’ll bear the
toil, endure the pain, supported by thy Word.
It was on my heart awhile ago to ask if you had ever made a covenant with
God. We know God’s covenant with us corporately is through Jesus, accepting
His payment for our sin by His free gift- For by grace you have been saved
through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of
works, lest anyone should boast. (Romans 2:8-9)
If you try to earn your salvation in any manner you forfeit your right to
it. No man made method will ever replace God’s formula. Jesus accomplished
it all, now we must just accept that we are bankrupt and unable to pay the
price for our sin.
After accepting Jesus free gift we now have access to God and need to be
communicating with Him through His Word, the Bible. Ask to be filled with
the Holy Spirit Who will teach you out of the Word how to walk victoriously
in these perilous times, and to assist others in doing the same.
Making a covenant with God is born out of intimacy with Him, not to be
equated with your initial salvation experience as going from Savior to truly
Lord of your life. There are more levels to our relationship with Him than
can be experienced in a lifetime if we would just pursue Him.
Blessings to all of you and peace.
Love,
Ken
kenhayesfleming9@gmail.com
Kenneth H. Fleming
www.wbcis.com
502 Market Street
(814) 687-3707
Fallentimber,
Pa. 16639