“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16)
How many people have you met in your life who, when either they have been confronted with an adverse condition, or when you speak to them about a certain malady that the Lord has brought into your life, offer the response of “It could be worse.”
One of the statements that is rarely heard in the Christian community anymore is, “There but for the grace of God go I.”
Those who do not serve the Lord Jesus Christ are of course referring to their death by their words, that which they fear above all other fears is that which the born-again believer waits for in anticipation, the release from the flesh, to be in the presence of the Almighty, for death.
“And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” (1st Kings 19:10)
The Lord told Elijah that there were seven thousand left to Him, and so I ask this question of you today, if you are seeking for relief from the bondage of the flesh, whether by Rapture or your death, how many are left in the circle of your family, friends and acquaintances, of all that you know, that are prepared to take your place, prepared and willing to assist those who are on the path to the Kingdom of the Living God in their growth in the grace and knowledge of the Lord, and to those who do not serve Him to continue to plead with them to repent before it is too late?
“For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:” (Phil. 1:23)
How willing are you now, with the knowledge of these truths just offered, to suffer willingly with whatever it is that the Lord has placed upon you knowing full well that you may be the only one that is reaching out to those around you with the truths of the Scriptures?
This is not to say that you are not replaceable in this regard, for you are, the Lord always keeps a remnant for Himself, but contemplate this question as well. In the length of days that you have been on this planet, how many people have approached you and initiated a conversation with you about the Lord Jesus Christ, about the Scriptures, about your eternal soul? Fifty? Twenty? Five? Even one?
Out of perhaps the thousands of living souls you have met in your life, how many have said to you, “Who do you say Jesus Christ is?”
For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matt. 22:14)
You will die when your Father in heaven says your work is over, and in a way determined by Him. This letter is not meant to tell you that you should be seeking for a Timothy to continue on in the work that has been set before you, it is an attempt to help you see truth in this regard, that there are far fewer of us than you might like to believe.
My beautiful wife has lived in the same general geographical area for many decades, within that locale there are perhaps fifty churches or more and thousands of people. Her employment field has allowed her the opportunity to meet a large portion of them. Would you like to know how many of those have spoken to her about eternal matters?
Two. And I was one of them.
Before you get in a hurry to go home, consider these words, you are probably not the only saved person in your vicinity, but you may be the only one who is willing to openly speak of the Living God to others, who has no fear of their reproaches, who looks forward to their last breath here, but wants to remain, no matter the personal cost to yourself.
