 |
|
Vol. 11 No. 12 December 2009 |
Page 13 |
|
|
Vol. 11 No. 12 December 2009 |
Page 13 |
Ernest S. Underwood
The doctor comes into your room and in somber tones tells you that you have only one more year to live. What changes, if any, would you make? Let’s notice some possibilities.
Would you adopt a new sense of values? Would “things” be so important? Would you use your time more wisely? Would you learn to put spiritual things first?
Would you attempt to clear up your past as much as possible, apologizing for words and deeds that you would liked to have recalled? Would you clear up your past with God by learning and obeying the Gospel? Although we cannot undo some things, we can be forgiven of them if we follow God’s commands concerning sins and how to be forgiven of them.
Would you do your best to develop a spiritual life by work and worship in the Lord’s church? Would you pray more, study more and teach your friends, relatives and neighbors?
Remember, my friend, if you are not preparing, according to God’s instructions, to live a life in harmony with His will, then, friend, you are not prepared to die.
Ernest S. Underwood
The story is told, and it is a true one, that two men of conflicting beliefs were in a public debate about some point of doctrine, whether it was from God or from man. In one of the sessions of a scheduled four-night debate, one of the preachers was showing from the Scriptures that the doctrine taught by the other was false, and condemned by those Scriptures. As he was pressing his point, the other preacher jumped upon the speaker’s platform and gave a resounding slap to the face of his opponent. A hush fell over the audience. The one who had been slapped was a rather large man. As he towered over the one who just slapped him, he glared at him for a long moment, then quietly spoke into the microphone, “Go ahead and defend your doctrine with your fists, you can’t defend it with the Word of God.” As you can imagine, for all practical purposes, this ended the debate.
How do you defend what you believe? With feelings, with deathbed tales, with what your “pastor” says, or do you, can you, defend it with the Holy Word of God?