Monday 27 December 2021
Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.
A man was delighted to get a letter. Its contents thrilled him even more. He was a modest, hard working sort of bloke a pillar of the community. A member of the local Church who could look back on his encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ as a teenager when he committed his life to the Lord. He had remained faithful throughout the years and had held various offices, even now he took charge of the media aspects of the Churches life.
The letter was one of overflowing thankfulness for the good neighbour he had been. The couple next door had been getting on in years and becoming increasingly frail. Being the neighbour he was he sort to make there lives as pleasant as possible. Putting out the bins, doing the heavy work in their garden, feeding the cat when they took a holiday. The husband would tell folk how blessed they were to be living next door to them, no more so than when the wife died, the neighbour was there to offer comfort and company as the man came to terms with his grief.
All of this was spelt out in detail, he felt pride as he read the letters’ contents pleased that he had been that good neighbour.
However, as he read the last paragraph, he felt a chill run through his whole body. It read thanks for all you did for me you were certainly a wonderful neighbour. But why O why did you never talk to me about Jesus? If you had perhaps, no certainly, I would not have ended up here.
The letter was signed. But there was no address at the top of the page. The man examined the envelope, it was postmarked Hell.
Fanciful, and theologically incorrect as there is no contact from hell. But does it present a challenge to each one of us? I believe so. Unfashionable in our day to talk of sin and hell it is a reality. Those of us who have been forgiven for our sins and the dreadful eternal consequences of them should need to further motivation to tell of the one who loved us and indeed the whole world to save us from our sins.
Discover more
Acts 4: v 1-22 2 Kings 7: v 1-9
The presence of hope of the invincible sovereignty of God drives out fear.