Wisdom From A Friend

I have a friend who goes by the name of A.J. who is a true brother in Christ. A.J. is passionate about this Representative Republic in which we live. He has in the past expressed these passions with great ferver and emotion. Interestingly enough he has had a revelation just recently that I find personally encouraging. Here are the words I received from him today!

If you've never read anything I've sent, please read this. I want to apologize to everyone I have e-mailed over the years with my "passionate rants". I can't say that I will no longer do it but I will try. Please forgive me.

Just after sending out my last email about the Rutgers girl sueing and asking for prayer, I took my dogs for a walk. I began praying and experiencing the effects of some of your prayers.

I was convicted by the Holy Spirit in several ways;

A) WE are all under the curse of sin (which leads to physical death and worse eternal torment for the unsaved). Every one of us from the apostle Paul to Don Imus, From the Rutgers ball player to George Washington, from Bill Clinton to Ronald Reagan, from Adolph Hitler to Mother Teresa....you name one they have the curse!! We all do, not one of us is better than any of the rest of us, including me.

B) The world is under the curse of sin and everything "crazy" going on in it from frivelous lawsuits to war to sickness to disease to crime is under the curse of sin.

C) Acknowledging A and B above, I should not place my focus on the here and now. It's bad and it's only going to get worse. In other words, I shouldn't be focused on "building my earthly kingdom" (living the for good life here). All this is going to burn, literally. Only 2 things on earth will remain, the souls of men, which will either be in Heaven or Hell, and God's Word.

D) God allows all of this on earth because of our sin. Since the fall, we were never meant to be "comfortable" here. All of this on earth is a reminder that we are not where God intended us to be but we blew it and are in sin. We are to focus on eternity and a saving relationship with Jesus. As hard as it is to see, this life is but a blink of an eye, while eternity...well the human mind cannot even conceive it.

E) Rather than getting upset with life on earth I should use it as a reminder that I'm not home yet and I'm just on my way home thanks to Jesus.

F) I, too, am a sinner and a heinous despicable one at that. If I could for an instant see what I really am in my sin, I would probably shreik for eternity. So I have no place to be self-righteous (a sin in itself) I must rely soley (and "souly", OK a little play on words but it applies) on the work of Jesus Christ by faith. He died in my place to cover my sin, more than that He rose and is alive today!! Outside of Him, I am not worthy of anything but to be in Hell.

G) One goal for me should be to be a witness to the saving grace of God, to be used by God to show others the Truth and the way to Heaven. This is serious business. People (both those I like and those I don't like) are going to HELL!!! I don't want that to happen to anyone. Not one of us deserves to go to Heaven but I don't want anyone to go to Hell, which, without Jesus, is where we all do deserve to go.

H) Everyone of us will leave "this life" behind (We're all gonna die!!). There's only one decision in this life that will make any difference. We either live here on our own terms (which really won't be on our terms anyway) and die and go to Hell or we accept the gift of God through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ and get to go to Heaven. I pray we all make that decision. I truly want all my family and friends (and enemies and everyone else) in Heaven.

Please forgive me for my bad example over the years, and I pray that we all get the only priority that matters straight.

In Jesus Name,
A.J.