Last week, the father of a childhood friend of mine was killed in an auto accident. He wasn't a goodly man, I doubt he ever went to church or that there came a time in his life that God granted him faith to believe on Jesus. This has gotten me thinking about different things lately. I intend to articulate all of this at a later time. One of the things I was thinking about is funerals.
I once saw a bumper sticker that read, "Life your life in a way that the preacher doesn't have to lie at your funeral." I don't know about everyone else that reads this, but I've been to several funerals of non-believers and I am perplexed by how the pastors handle this. In a nutshell, the preacher talks about how good the person was, how this person put their faith in Jesus when I know this is probably not the case. At my grandmother's funeral, the priest talked about how my grandmother was a regular mass attendee. My aunt gets up to talk next and promply tells everyone how church made my grandmother nervous! Why do preachers lie at funerals? Why not tell the truth? This person led a sinful life, as we all do, and more than likely is suffering in hell this day. Why not wake up the deceased love ones to the fact that this earth is temporal, and that those who do not call upon the lord for salvation are doomed to eternal punishment?
This man who died recently was about 50 years old. He lived 50 years on this Earth seeking his own pleasure, and now he is in hell for eternity getting his just punishment; the same punishment I deserve. Wake up Christians! Everyday people just like this man die and are given up to the wrath of God! We have all been commanded to tell those we know about the hope we have in Christ. This man's blood is on my hands. I knew him for years but was too ashamed to speak out. Granted I haven't seen him in 12 years, but that doesn't change the fact that I know people just like him who I willingly allow to go down the path to hell without shouting "Stop! That path leads to eternal suffering." Most, if perhaps not all, will laugh at me and continue, but at least I know I tried.
My mother sent me a few pictures of him in an e-mail. One is a recent picture taken with his son recently returned from Iraq. I've made it my wallpaper so that I am constantly reminded that there are lost people in my life that are condemned to hell and do not realise it. I pray that this encourages all of us, myself especially, to be bold for the Lord, to proclaim his name!
I once saw a bumper sticker that read, "Life your life in a way that the preacher doesn't have to lie at your funeral." I don't know about everyone else that reads this, but I've been to several funerals of non-believers and I am perplexed by how the pastors handle this. In a nutshell, the preacher talks about how good the person was, how this person put their faith in Jesus when I know this is probably not the case. At my grandmother's funeral, the priest talked about how my grandmother was a regular mass attendee. My aunt gets up to talk next and promply tells everyone how church made my grandmother nervous! Why do preachers lie at funerals? Why not tell the truth? This person led a sinful life, as we all do, and more than likely is suffering in hell this day. Why not wake up the deceased love ones to the fact that this earth is temporal, and that those who do not call upon the lord for salvation are doomed to eternal punishment?
This man who died recently was about 50 years old. He lived 50 years on this Earth seeking his own pleasure, and now he is in hell for eternity getting his just punishment; the same punishment I deserve. Wake up Christians! Everyday people just like this man die and are given up to the wrath of God! We have all been commanded to tell those we know about the hope we have in Christ. This man's blood is on my hands. I knew him for years but was too ashamed to speak out. Granted I haven't seen him in 12 years, but that doesn't change the fact that I know people just like him who I willingly allow to go down the path to hell without shouting "Stop! That path leads to eternal suffering." Most, if perhaps not all, will laugh at me and continue, but at least I know I tried.
My mother sent me a few pictures of him in an e-mail. One is a recent picture taken with his son recently returned from Iraq. I've made it my wallpaper so that I am constantly reminded that there are lost people in my life that are condemned to hell and do not realise it. I pray that this encourages all of us, myself especially, to be bold for the Lord, to proclaim his name!
