Finish Strong

I got a call yesterday from a friend (I’ll call him JD) in another city. His health is not good. He has major heart problems and has a defibrillator that was implanted some months ago. Shortly after that, we talked and he told me he didn’t know how much longer he has and wanted me to know that he has named me as a pallbearer for him when he goes. He’s a few years younger than I.

When he called yesterday and told me about his recent round of problems and hospitalization (he just got home after a 5-day stay), my mind immediately went to the dark side. But he is a solid believer in our Lord Jesus and ready for the upward call. What I thought could have been “one of those calls” that the end was near, turned out to be over an hour of sharing how glorious is the hope we have for an eternity in heaven.

 To give you a sense of JD’s state of mind,

he just now called again and had an encouragement he wanted to share with me. He has a copy of my men’s devotional book Christ in Men…Today that he reads every day. It’s a 52-week showcase of Christ’s character qualities, one week for each one.

I answered the phone and heard this excited voice on the other end and he went right to the point without the usual pleasantries and said, “I opened your book today and turned to Week 43, Thursday. The title is, ‘Victorious men know that death is NOT the end.’” He was chuckling as he talked because he saw God’s encouragement to him for his trial and a reminder that Jesus has already gone on ahead to prepare a place for him/us (John 14:2).

For those of us who don’t live

with the thought that God could call us home any second, my question is, “Why not?” I know from experience (I’ve buried two children ages 1yr and 27yrs) that God will call each of us when He’s ready. We may or may not have any more warning than what has already been given in God’s word. “Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour” (Matt. 25:13).

JD is ready to meet Jesus. If you’re not sure that you are, check out our Steps to Salvation in the back of this book or click the link here. If you are sure, you know people in your circle of influence that aren’t. Time could be shorter than we think. It’s our charter, given by Jesus Himself, to be His Ambassadors, to evangelize our families, our neighborhood, our workplace. God doesn’t hold us accountable for those who believe or don’t. But He will ask what we’ve done with what He’s given us.

Our epitaph should read

like the Apostle Paul’s, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2Tim. 4:7,8).

Thanks for reading. I hope to see you on the other side.