Don't Foolishly Waste Your Life!

By David J. Stewart | March 2014

James 4:14, “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

       I once knew a Christian man (I won't mention his name) who commit suicide in the late 1990's. He was about 40 years old. The woman that he was engaged to ran off with some other guy and married him. The guy was devastated. The man was also in debt. I received word one day that he had killed himself. From time-to-time I think about the man, as today, thinking about all the things he could be doing for God if he were still alive. The man was perfectly healthy. It's so sad.

I sometimes imagine him up in Heaven, reminiscing over all the things he could of, should of, and would of done had he not commit suicide. I know he's kicking himself, realizing that he could have been witnessing the gospel to the lost, giving money to struggling missionaries who are faithfully sowing the seed of the gospel throughout the world, and helping others to find Christ. The Bible teaches that a living dog is better than a dead lion. Ecclesiastes 9:4, “For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.” When applied to a spiritual application, Solomon is telling us that when our life is over so also is our opportunity to serve God.

That's why Solomon sums up the book of Ecclesiastes with the exhortation to fear and obey God. Ecclesiastes 12:13, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” Solomon further states . . .

Ecclesiastes 9:11-12, “I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.”

Keep in mind that Solomon is speaking from the perspective of a worldly man who had everything this sinful world has to offer (fame, women, wealthy, power) but he COULDN'T find satisfaction, just like Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones sings. Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. He inherited literally tens-of-billions of dollars in gold (by today's standards) to build the temple of God. Solomon had anything and everything that a worldly man could want, but he was miserable knowing that it all couldn't last. It wasn't until toward the end of his life that Solomon wised-up (no pun intended) and concluded that serving God is all that really matters in life. Ecclesiastes 12:1, “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.”

I wonder how many Christian believers up in Heaven are disgusted with themselves, looking back in hindsight to their selfish life on earth, never having done anything for the cause of Christ. Have you witnessed to anyone lately? Have you invited anyone to church? Have you prayed for your local pastor, church congregation and your church's missionaries on the foreign field? Have you donated money to the work of God? I WOULDN'T stay in a Baptist church that doesn't support missionaries for another day. How can we obey The Great Commission if we don't send out and/or support missionaries? WE CANNOT!!!

Philip James “Jim” Elliot (October 8, 1927—January 8, 1956) was an evangelical Christian who was one of five missionaries savagely murdered by the natives, while attempting to evangelize them. The Huaorani people of Ecuador were a very troublesome tribe, known for intertribal conflicts and murdering of their own. The natives martyred them! Their dead bodies were found in the local river. They paid the ultimate price for their faith, laying up the highest rewards of men in Heaven next to the souls of men which we lead to the Lord in themselves.

The Lord Jesus command believers in The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) to make disciples of every tribe (nation), which means also going into dangerous countries and taking risks. Jim Elliot paid the ultimate price for his Christian faith! Do you know what quote Jim Elliot is most famous for saying, and it's an awesome quote . . . “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
—Missionary Jim Elliot

This is why some Christian believers have given away their business, sold large possessions, cashed out their 401K retirements or donated the money from the sale of their home (like Ananias and Sapphira did in Acts 5:1-10). They had an excellent spirit at first in desiring to give their wealth to the work of the Lord, but then then reneged behind the scenes on their agreement My friend, you cannot keep anything that you own here upon the earth. You will die soon and your home will be given to another. You will pass away, likely sooner than you think, and all your toys and worldly possessions will be taken by someone else.

Jim Elliot believed the Scriptures, counted the cost of what he was doing for the Lord, and decided to invest everything in Heaven instead of earth. Missionary Jim Elliot risked all, gave all and paid all. The natives savagely murdered him and his four co-labourers. As a result of Jim Elliot's testimony, countless missionaries have been encouraged, blessed and inspired around the world over the past 58-years since his brutal murder in 1956. Jim was only 28 years old!

You and I could be dead by sundown. There are places that we'd all love to visit, things that we'd all love to do, ambitions that we'd all love to pursue, but there's just not enough time in life to do them all. I've always wanted to live in Hawaii and play music in a music group or band. I love lap and pedal steel guitar, slack key guitar and tenor ukulele. I could play music where I live, for money each night, if I desired, but I don't for numerous reasons:

1) one being my damaged spinal cord in my neck, which causes continually pain (both toothache-like pain in my neck, and razorblade-like pain radiating down into my arms and legs;

2) and also because the world is so wicked these days that everything is associated with beer and fornication). I am content to serve my Lord by living a simple life.

I've never been to Las Vegas, Disney World, or all the tourist attractions that the world drools after. I'm just waiting for Jesus! I wanted to vomit recently when I heard a TV commercial. I don't have TV myself, but I saw the commercial somewhere that I can't recall. The husband and wife were frustrated that they could only take ONE vacation to Florida instead of TWO per year. Aw, poor babies! It makes me sick to see just how spoiled we Americans really are.

I saw some home-buying show last year on TV where some spoiled brat around 30-years of age didn't like the 6,000 square foot home that the realtor was showing her, because she said it was TOO SMALL for her 350 lb. fat posterior butt!!! AMERICANS GET WHAT THEY DESERVE! Nearly everyone's becoming obese, dumbed down, spaced-out on psychotropic drugs, fluoridated, radiated from cellphones, distracted with all the handheld gadgets and toys, addicted to society's vices galore these days, et cetera. America is weaker than ever before in every way. We are like a sick body whose immune system is not working, like someone infected with the H.I.V. virus, waiting for it to become full-blown AIDS! America's ROOT problem is that we have forsaken the Word of God.

I hope the Lord Jesus returns soon!!! I'm not looking for the undertaker, I'm looking for the UPPERTAKER! Bless God! Even so, come, Lord Jesus! The Rapture could come today!!! Glory to God!
 

God Promises To Profit Our Eternal Investments 10,000%

That's exactly what the Bible teaches in Matthew 10:30... A “HUNDREDFOLD” . . .

Mark 10:30, “But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.”

If you invest $1000 and it profits AN HUNDREDFOLD (times 100), that computes to a whopping $100,000!!! No Stock Market or even Future's contract could yield that type of drastic windfall profits so assuredly. There is NO RISK when you invest in the things of the Kingdom of God. God's PROMISE is 100% guaranteed. The Lord commands each and every believer in Matthew 6:19-20 not to lay up earthly treasures; but rather, to lay up treasures FOR YOURSELVES in Heaven, where nothing can happen to cause loss of them.
 

Why We Should All Give To MISSIONARY WORK!

Every New Testament Church should support missionaries. Since churches are composed of individual born-again believers, then every individual Christian ought to support missionaries as well. We ought to have a GLOBAL, REGIONAL (Acts 13:4; 2nd Corinthians 8:5) and LOCAL vision. Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

Matthew 4:19, “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

The Word of God ought to ignite a passion in every Christian believer to surrender ourselves to the Lord, and instill a passion for investing in missions work by giving. Acts 13:4, “So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.” 2nd Corinthians 8:5, “And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.” When you pray for missionaries and give financially to support their work, that makes you a co-laborer together with them in the Lord. God will reward you as if you were on the mission field yourself. Mark 9:41, “For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.”

*Make sure that you only donate to genuine Christian missionaries who are obeying The Great Commission, like BIMI (Baptist International Missions, Inc) and not a scam fat-cat charity that pays it's executives 6-digit salaries!

We are not as generous as what we give; but rather, what we keep for ourselves! Think about that! When we give to God, we are really just letting go of what is already His. Oh, how we ought to give to God. May we graduate from spiritual preschool and start praying at length in IMPORTUNITY FOR OTHERS, and may we give sacrificially to the work of Christ, even selling our personal belongings to do so, supporting missionaries who are faithfully preaching the gospel.

I like BIMI a lot because they have field directors that monitor the missionaries, helping them and making sure that God's money is used wisely, effectively and honestly. I wouldn't give a dime to any ministry which is not held accountable financially. An independent audit is NOT acceptable, as many auditing companies are corrupt. I look at the missionaries themselves and what God is accomplishing on the mission field THROUGH THEM for Jesus Christ. I DON'T like IBM's Statement of Faith, but I DO believe that their missionaries are being used of God to obey The Great Commission. There are no perfect churches, church members, pastors, missionaries or missionary boards; but thanks be to God that we DO have a perfect Savior, Jesus Christ the PERFECT and SINLESS Lamb of God!!! Thank you God!!!

The loneliest place in the world is the human heart if there is no love. The way to truly be rich is to help somebody else...

“Missionary zeal does not grow out of intellectual beliefs, nor out of theological argument, but out of love.” Roland Allen

65% Of 120,000,000, Citizens In Japan Don't Believe In God [less than .05% (500,000) people profess to have any faith at all in Jesus Christ)]. Japan greatly needs the Lord!
 

237 countries,
7 billion people,
2/3 have yet to hear!

Baptist International Missions Philippine Typhoon Relief Fund (1900 church buildings destroyed!)

“If [God] has work for me to do, I cannot die.”
―Henry Martyn, Journal and Letters of Henry Martyn

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Repent And Believe To Be Saved

Proverbs 14:34, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”

Mark 1:15: “...repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

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