good news

my friend walked into the room, a grim expression upon his face
“my coworker passed away yesterday”
“what do you mean?” I asked
“I went to work today, and she wasn’t there, and they said she died in her sleep”
the room went silent, as the words slowly began to sink in.

my friend began to speak,
“how can I claim to hold the keys to eternal life yet never share the gospel with her? i can’t believe I never got to share the gospel with her.
she was the most selfless person in the office...i could tell she was so hopeless, living a hopeless life. I could tell by the way she carried herself...she said she lived in a trailer home with her mom...that seemed like the only thing she lived for was to take care of her mom...she was always on the phone with her doctors...she always looked so tired...she said she had insomnia, she would go to work in the morning, her eyes dark because she couldn’t fall asleep...i could tell she had no purpose...she never cut her hair, and when people asked her why she said if she did she wouldn’t know how she should get it cut...it reflects how she lived her life...just wandering...just to get through life...without a purpose, without a hope...
how can I claim to know the good news and yet never share it to her? why am I not treating the gospel like it was good news? if the gospel message is such good news, why have I failed to preach it to a woman who needs it the most? if anyone, she would’ve been really open to receive the hope of the gospel. and I failed eric, I failed.”

my friend walked out of the room.

the room fell silent again.
the weight of eternity weighed heavily upon me.

I began to reflect on how death is the ultimate equalizer; that God, perfect in love and perfect in judgment, would use death to level the playing field. that regardless of wealth, fame, social status, there will come a day where we each come face to face with death. in this place, we will find ourselves standing before the judgment seat of God, ready to receive our fate for the rest of eternity.

I was cut to the heart by the reality of souls upon souls that reach eternal death every second of the day. nearly 161 people die every minute; LORD knows if at least 80 souls go to hell and enter into eternal damnation every minute, never given the chance to experience any hope or sense of life again. we are talking about souls. eternity is at stake, and can won or lost in a moment.

the question is this: will you say yes to Jesus?

and if you have said yes to Jesus, where is the sense of urgency? do you not hold in your hand the key to eternal life? do you claim to know the only means to salvation? how can you not share it? is it not good news to you?

one of the most sickening realities about myself and most christians is that I have known all this yet I remain unmoved.

LORD, break my heart for what breaks yours.