Two Sacks of Money

Suppose there were two enormously large sacks of money on two sides of a room. One sack was filled with $1 bills. The other sack was filled with $1,000 bills. And supposing you were given a small basket, and told you had only 60 seconds to fill your basket with as much money as you could…
… which sack would you choose to take from?!

Money is a very temporary object, as it is here one day and gone the next. Jail cells are filled with people who once had great wealth. Life, also, is short. The Scriptures liken it unto a vapor, a flower, and a single day. So, friend, which would be the wiser use of our ‘day’ on earth? To gather up as much as we can from the low-dollar self-serving worldly sack, or to reach into God’s Will, and attain that which will last all eternity!?

That said, allow me to act as your CPA (Certified Public Accountant) and let’s review your assets in this matter. In short, “How successful are you at leading souls to Jesus?!” Take a piece of paper and write down how many years it has been since you first found Christ. Now, below that number, please write down the total number of people who have placed their trust and hope for Heaven in Christ because of your witnessing/testimony.
If the top number is larger than the bottom number… you need what I am about to say. If the bottom number is much larger than the top, you already know what I am about to say.

Here’s the secret to becoming a fruitful Christian:
“This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightiest war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:” -- I Timothy 1:18-19

Young Timothy had a Greek, unsaved father. His mother was a Christian, and took great care to teach her child, Timothy, the scriptures. Paul reminds Timothy, (In the book aptly named 1 Timothy.) That God gives us TWO UNIQUE WEAPONS to being an effective Christian witness.

1.) Faith. Without FAITH it is impossible to please God. We like to SAY we have faith, but in truth… it takes faith the size of a mustard seed to move a mountain. Have you re-arranged any mountainous terrain lately? No? Since you lack even the most rudimentary level of terraforming, mayhaps your faith is SMALLER than even a grain of mustard seed! LOL!

Actually, your problem may very well lie in the book of James.
“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew my thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith BY my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils ALSO believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” -- James 2:17-20 [emphasis added]

Sadly, many Christians believe that since they are saved, there is no need to live a separated life. Their THEOLOGY (How they view God and His Commandments/Laws) are based on their MORALITY (Their comfortable and preferred lifestyle.) Paul reminds Timothy that the scriptures taught to him in his childhood would be the ‘ammo’ for fighting a good warfare. Christian friend, if you do not spend time thinking on scriptures, and meditating upon God’s precepts, you are trying to fight a war with no ammo… and those wars tend to be short ones!

Your faith becomes as DEAD in the eyes of those you are trying to witness to if it contains no works. God DOES see the heart, but man is stuck seeing the OUTSIDE. What are the works that establish our faith in man’s eyes? Knowing and keeping God’s precepts and principles! Forgiveness. Love thy neighbor. Love thine enemies. Bless them that curse you. Go the second mile. Care for the widows and fatherless. Turn the other cheek.
… you KNOW most of them. But KNOWING and DOING are two very different things. It only takes faith to trust Christ as Savior, and be saved! But it takes faith + works to convince others.

2.) A Good Conscience. Let’s build a sling shot. (You remember those from childhood, right?) We must find a ‘Y’ shaped stick, and then we need a pebble. And what else….!? Oh! And we must not forget the thing that sends the pebble flying! What works best for that? STRING? Tape? How about a USB cable?!
No. A pebble will not go far without proper energy transfer method. (Throwing always works.) Rubber bands will work, yes, but a piece of bungee cord is the absolute BEST!

A Christian armed with a Good Conscience is like using an elastic band to launch a pebble! It is what gives the words you say ‘Oomph!’ ... POWER!

The younger you are, the easier it is to maintain a clear conscience! When you make a huge blunder, or commit a terrible sin, you are in a wonderful position to use the Grace that God gives you to ask forgiveness and keep your slate clean with both God and man.
However, the older you get, the harder this becomes. Especially if we have neglected the necessary repairs from our youth. Why is it so hard to go to those we have wronged and apologized? No excuses. No cop-outs. No placing or sharing the blame.
Guilt is probably the all time GREATEST preventer of Christianity! It nullifies our words, and causes them to be meaningless and doubtful.

Foolish people attempt to balance their guilt with blame. Why is it that our actions and attitudes are always someone else’s fault? Why is it that the words we say in anger, or our actions-in-response are always someone else’s fault? WHY? Because we have guilt, and look to balance that guilt with blame. But to do this brings on depression, anger, bitterness towards self and others, discouragement, disorientation, and devastation.

A Wise Christian understands that it is better to balance GUILT with FORGIVENESS! If you mess up… when you fall… when you hurt others… when you lose your temper… when you fail to act in accordance to God’s Wise and True Preciepts… it is BETTER to humble yourself and ask for forgiveness.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrigheousness.” – I John 1:9

Keep things level and clean between God and Man. Go to those you have wronged in your past. Make those slates CLEAN. Apologize to those you have offended. Make restitution to those you have stolen from or cheated. Correct with honesty those to whom you have lied. Make amends with those whom you have fought with. Let everyone know that you are trying your best to be a TRUE Christian with a CLEAN conscience. While some may choose NOT to forgive you, at least God will know that you have honestly and truly tried.
And keep the slate clean by granting mercy and forgiveness to those who have wronged you.

As Christians, we are responsible for every thought we dwell on. (II Corinthians 10:5); every word we say (Matthew 12:36); every deed we do (II Corinthians 5:10); every attitude we display (I Peter 3:10); and every motive which drives our actions (Jeremiah 17:10)!!!

That’s BASIC human responsibility! How can we expect to be a happy, effective Christian if we choose to neglect our basic responsibilities and live a slave to the world’s philosophies!

Chose to grab from the sack of eternal treasures… Things you will be able to present to the Father on that judgment day. Live for HIM because He, alone, is Worthy. Live by FAITH… constantly attentive to God’s Word. And live by a Clean Conscience… faithful to those God has placed around you.

I part with this advice: “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works.” – Hebrews 10:24 Christ died for others... can we not live for others?

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Life-and-Death Decision ... Would You Tell A Dying Person About GOD?

I stood outside his hospital room and watched the middle-aged man frantically motion to the nurse for his suction tube. He had no jaw, and across his shoulders were open, oozing sores.

The nurse, noticing his erratic hand movements, quickly suctioned the trachea opening in his throat. Relieved of the clogging mucus, the man eased back on his bed. Fifteen seconds later he repeated the same frantic motions. The nurse left, and his wife took over the suctioning.

His wife placed her hand on his arm and spoke quietly, trying to help and comfort him. Impatient, he grabbed the tube from her hand and suctioned his own trachea. I could see the fear in his eyes, and I felt his desperation to live. As I watched, fear also gripped my heart, Lord, please don't let him be one of my patients today, I prayed.

During the report time with the nursing staff I learned that Mr. Anderson had had radical cancer surgery the year before to remove part of his mouth and all of his lower jaw. In spite of the doctor's best efforts, the cancer had continued to spread with a vengeance. Now death is imminent--and the charge nurse had assigned Mr. Anderson to me. The thought of caring for him terrified me --a 20 year-old nurse's aide. My heart cried out, Lord, help me!

I felt impressed that God wanted me to speak to Mr. Anderson about him, the One who could give him hope and eternal life. Yet my first thought was How can I get out of this? I felt afraid and inadequate for the task.

For the first few hours of my shift, I prayed and made excuses. Lord, I don't have time. Mr. Anderson is a lot older than I am, I'm sure he's not going to listen to me, and he's already heard the gospel.

Then I argued with God, His wife is always there. I can't just barge into his room and start preaching.

Finally I told God. It's too hard, and I just can't do it I'm afraid I'll fail, and I'm afraid to be in his room.

I had no peace in my heart until I gave in to the Spirit's urging and asked God to please make a way for me to talk to Mr. Anderson. I began to pray, Lord, please don't let him die until I have a chance to tell him of Your plan of salvation and eternal life.

Two years earlier I'd asked Jesus to be my Savior. As a young Christian I'd tried to witness to a young man at a youth event. I'd pleaded with him to receive Jesus as Savior. He'd refused, and I'd felt defeated.

Later a youth worker at the event had explained to me, "God is the one saves. Your job is to tell others the good news and to live a godly life. The Holy Spirit will bring them salvation." The youth worker was right; I just didn't want the same thing to happen when I talked to Mr. Anderson, because I knew he might not live through the night.

My opportunity came late that evening.

After all of the other patients were bedded down for the night, I walked in. I noticed that his wife had left, and no one was around to disturb us.

I straightened his bed and fluffed his pillows as he suctioned his trachea. Then I walked to the foot of his bed and looked into his eyes full of fears and despair. My own fears caused my legs to feel weak and shaky. I clasped the end of the bed with my sweaty hands.

"I'm a Christian, Mr. Anderson. May I tell you of God's good news?"

He nodded yes.

I took a breath before I started. "God send His son, Jesus Christ, into the world to die for our sins. The Bible says that we've all sinned, and our sins have separated us from God [Romans 3:23]."

Mr. Anderson looked interested, so I continued. "None of us can live a perfect life, which God requires. The Bible says the wages of sin is death, and death is what separates us forever from God [Romans 6:23]. But Jesus Christ came to this earth to live a perfect sinless life. And He died on a cross, shedding His blood for our sins [Colossians 
1: 19, 20]."

Mr. Anderson sat upright in his bed and leaned forward. He sat very still with his eyes fixed on me.

"The Bible says all our sins were laid on Him ---He took our punishment [Isaiah 53:6] so we could live [John 10:10]. He not only died, but also conquered eternal death [Revelation 1:18]. The Bible says He came back to life three days after His death, proving that He'd overcome sin and death. It also showed that His claims to be God's Son were true [Matthew 28].

Mr. Anderson didn't move at all.

"Now, Mr. Anderson, the good news is that you don't have to pay for your sins. The Lord Jesus Christ did that. The Bible says that 'if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved' [Romans 10:9]."

I ended by quoting John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Then I asked, "Would you like to ask Jesus t be your Lord and Savior, Mr. Anderson?"

Again he nodded yes.

"Would you like me to pray with you?"

Mr. Anderson bent forward, grabbed my hands, and held them tightly. I prayed with him, giving him time to pray too. Though I couldn't hear his words, I knew that God could. After the prayer I opened my eyes and saw tears streaming down his face.

He shook my hands in thanks. Peace filled me.

I tried to assure him, "Mr. Anderson, you are now God's child. He'll never leave or forsake you [Hebrews 13:5]. You will live with Him forever in heaven [John 14:1-3]."

His eyes seem to brighten. I smiled, and I'm sure he did, too. He let go of my hands and eased himself back on his pillow. I walked to the side of his bed and tried to make Him comfortable.

Before leaving his room, I looked over at Mr. Anderson and said through a smile, "Welcome to God's family."

As I went to the nurses' station to complete my charting, joy and happiness filled me. I felt encouraged. I had obeyed the Lord, Mr. Anderson believed, and he would go to heaven at the resurrection.

When I made a final rounds for the night, Mr. Anderson's condition had deteriorated. I probably won't see him again, I realized.

Gone 
When I came to work next afternoon, I went directly to Mr. Anderson's room. I stood outside the door and looked in. Clean sheets covered the empty bed. The suction machine along with the tubes were gone.

As I stood there I wondered if Mr. Anderson had truly believed in God yesterday. I knew that the Bible said in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

When a nurse came by I asked her, "When did Mr. Anderson pass away?"

She answered, "At lunchtime."

I said softly, "Last night he asked Jesus to be his Savior."

"Would you like to know how he died? she asked.

I smiled. "Yes, I would really like to know."

She placed her hand on my arm and smiled as she spoke, "During the morning he was peaceful. At noon he wrote a note to his wife that he wanted to take a nap. When he went to sleep, she decided to go to the cafeteria and eat lunch. When she returned he had 
passed away peacefully in his sleep."

My eyes watered. "That's wonderful. God is so good."

Yes, He is good. Mr. Anderson died in peace. He's no longer in pain."

The nurse looked at her watch. "It's time for us to go. We're needed in the report room."

As we walked down the hall, I prayed, Thank You, God. Thank you that I'll see Mr. Anderson again. And thank You for giving me a chance to offer a dying man Your gift of life. ●

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