Compelling Love

Two men were talking. One said, “You are a perfect idiot!” The other replied, “Aww, nobody’s perfect.” A not so humble man once said, “I never make mistakes! Well, I did make one mistake many years ago. My mistake was in thinking I had made a mistake when I hadn’t.”

I had an elderly friend named John who believed the Bible was God’s Word, but had never received Jesus as his Savior and Lord. When I invited him to do so, he replied, “If I’ve ever sinned, it’s so long ago that I don’t remember.” I reminded him of Romans 3:23 and 6:23, and then said, “John, do you believe the Bible is the Word of God?” He replied, “Yes, I do.” I said, “Well, God says in these verses that ALL have sinned and come short of His glory, and that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. So which are you going to believe, your feelings that say you’ve never sinned, or God’s Word that says you have?” He answered, “I’m going to believe God’s Word.” Minutes later he prayed to receive Jesus as his Savior and Lord. Five days later, the Lord took him to heaven.

He received Jesus as his Savior and Lord on a Saturday afternoon, and died in his sleep the following Wednesday night. During the day on Wednesday he was joking around with the nursing assistants at the care center and telling each one, “I’ll be leaving soon, but I just want you to know how I appreciate you and the help you’ve been giving me during my stay here.” The angel of the Lord did not catch him by surprise that night. He was ready and waiting.