IT IS A SATISFYING EXPERIENCE, WHEN AFTER A LONG JOURNEY, WE HAVE FINALLY ARRIVED AT OUR DESTINATION, SAFE AND SOUND. IT COULD HAVE BEEN THE OTHER WAY AROUND. THE LIFE WE LIVE NOW IS A JOURNEY. WE PILGRIMS AND THE EARTHLY TABERNACLE, OUR BODY, WILL SOMEDAY BE DISSOLVED. SOMETIMES IT'S A LONG JOURNEY, AND SOMETIMES IT SHORT WHEN IT IS MEASURED IN YEARS , MONTHS, AND DAYS; BUT MEASURED IN TERMS OF THE ENDLESS AND UNENDING ETERNITY IT IS INDEED VERY SHORT. SOMETIMES IT IS NOT A PLEASANT JOURNEY. IT IS A JOURNEY THROUGH A LONG AND DREARY WILDERNESS, FILLED WITH DANGEROUS PITFALLS ON ALL SIDES. THE ROAD IS POSTED WITH MISDIRECTIONS SET UP BY SATAN AND HIS AGENTS, DESIGN TO LEAD US ASTRAY. IT IS A JOURNEY THROUGH A WORLD OF WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS, DISHONESTY, FALSE TEACHERS, HATE SLANDER--A WORLD OF SIN WHICH CAN GIVE TO THE WANDERER ONLY A SPIRIT OF FRUSTRATION, DISMAY AND INSECURITY. WHAT IS THE FINAL DESTINATION OF THAT JOURNEY IS STANDING BEFORE GOD, HEARING THOSE WORDS:"COME AND REST GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT!" ALL OF US SOMEDAY MUST COME INTO HIS PRESENCE. IT IS APPOINTED UNTO MEN ONCE TO DIE, BUT AFTER THIS THE JUDGMENT. THE IMPORTANT QUESTION IS: CAN WE STAND IN IS PRESENCE. WILL WE BE PERMITTED TO STAY IN HIS PRESENCE ETERNALLY? DOES THIS FILL OUR HEARTS WITH TERROR OR WITH PEACE. IN PEACE IF CHRIST IS OUR ADVOCATE WHO WILL VOUCH FOR US. EVEN MOSES HAD TO CONFESS. HAVE YOU EVER HAD THIS HEART-- WARMING EXPERIENCE, OF HAVING A LITTLE CHILD CUDDLE-UP ON YOUR LAP WITH THE REQUEST TO TELL THEM A STORY. IN ONE RESPECT CHILDREN ALL OVER THE WORLD ARE VERY MUCH THE SAME. THEY LOVE LISTENING TO THRILLING TALES OF ADVENTURE AND DARING, STRIKING LEGENDS. ONE STORY COMES TO MIND OF GREAT STORIES OF HEROISM, PATRIOTISM, GREAT STORIES OF THE BIBLE, WHERE YOU FIND GREAT BRAVERY IN THE STORIES OF DAVID, GOLIATH, DANIEL IN THE LION'S DEN. THREE MEN IN A FURNACE? WHERE WILL YOU FIND MORE STRIKING WARNINGS AGAINST SIN THAN IN THE STORIES OF CAIN AND ABEL, THE FLOOD, DAVID AND BATHSHEBA? WHERE WILL YOU FIND MORE INSPIRING AND ENNOBLING STORIES THAN THE BIOGRAPHIES OF JOSEPH, JOB, JOHN, PAUL? WHERE IN ALL THE WORLD WILL YOU FIND GREATER LESSONS OF THE MASTER STORYTELLER OF OUR AGES CHRIST OUR LORD? NEVER FORGET THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD? THAT WONDERFUL STORY OF JESUS AND HIS LOVE FOR THE PEOPLE AND THE WORLD, GOD'S CREATION STARTING WITH THE GARDEN.
THE PRODIGAL SON, THE GOOD SAMARITAN, THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN.
NEVER FORGET THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD, THE ONE SAVING STORY, THAT WONDERFUL STORY OF JESUS AND HIS LOVE FOR THE WORLD. CHRISTIANS AROUND THE WORLD ACKNOWLEDGE IT AS THE ONLY HOPE AND SALVATION. EVEN UNBELIEVERS WHO HEAR IT FOR THE FIRST TIME BELIEVE THE BIBLES LOVE STORY, IS THE ONLY HOPE OF SALVATION. WHEN THEY HEAR IT FOR THE FIRST TIME, READILY ADMIT THAT THERE IS NOTHING IN HISTORY, FOLKLORE, FABLE, OR LEGEND, WHICH CAN EVER BEGIN TO COMPARE WITH THIS RECORD OF MAN'S REDEMPTION FROM SIN AND ITS CURSE THROUGH THE SUFFERING AND DEATH OF GOD'S SON. WITHOUT A DOUBT, IT IS THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD! BUT AS LONG AS THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO NEVER HEARD IT, AS LONG AS THERE ARE SINNERS WHO HAVE NEVER ACCEPTED IT, IT STILL NEEDS TO BE TOLD. THE APOSTLE PAUL, THE AUTHOR OF THIS MESSAGE HERE, HAD ONE AIM AND PURPOSE IN LIFE, FROM HIS DRAMATIC MOMENT OF CONVERSION, ON THE DAMASCUS ROAD, HE WAS ALWAYS ON THE MOVE, PREACHING ABOUT JESUS, WITNESSING TO JESUS, SUFFERING FOR JESUS, AND THE REASON FOR IT ALL? PAUL EXPRESSES HIS GOAL IN LIFE, AND INCIDENTALLY GIVES EVERY CHRISTIAN SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT, WHEN HE PRAYS IN THE FIRST VERSE OF THE TENTH CHAPTER, OF ROMANS " THAT THEY MIGHT BE SAVED." EVEN THOUGH GOD CALLED HIM AS THE APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES, HE WAS NONE THE LESS INTENSELY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SALVATION OF HIS OWN COUNTRYMEN, THE JEWS.THEIR ETERNAL WELFARE WAS
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