Nephenthes

This past Sunday, I and the many other members of my church had the pleasure of hearing The Word preached by Mr. Mike Mellor. It was a real blessing, refreshment and invigoration to hear him, more so for some other people I know - one of my friends was converted, praise the Lord!! As much as I got from both sermons, one particular anecdote stuck with me and has been troubling my soul for the past two days, as I'm sure it will continue to do.

He told the story of one time that he preached, presumably in the open air. There was an old man sitting on a bench throughout, and upon the close of the gospel, he went to sit beside this man and ask him what he thought about the content of the aforesaid. Sadly this man, who had seen and served in both World Wars, responded "I've survived for 86 years with God, I can do the rest without him". On the brink of eternity. That brings it home.

It's made me think about all the old people in my life, and how they're headed for a stretch far longer than the three-score-years-and-ten they've managed - with Providence - to eke out. The devil - through apathy, procrastination and lack of conviction - veils our eyes from these things. Not that we don't know them, but we are tempted by Satan to walk around in a semi-slumbering state all too often.

It would though, be a mistake to care only for the elderly in their unsaved position, for any one of us can be snatched away by the Lord at any time. This makes it all the more important to radiate the gospel of forgiveness and salvation in our lives, and to use every opportunity to be verbal vessels through which our Father's message can flow.

Judgement is real and no-one will be able to side-track it.

"...it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment"

- Hebrews 9v27

"You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

- Matthew 5v13-16

Ultimately nothing matters but that God has us, and we have God.

KTF