One Million Years From Now . . .

By Joe Keim

July 1, 2009

One million years from now, what will be the only thing that will matter? Will it matter how much money you made? Will it matter how much property you owned? Will it matter that you worked 15 hours a day and neglected God and your family?

One million years from now, the only thing that will matter is who is in heaven and who is in hell. And if that is true, shouldn't that be our greatest concern?

In Matthew 18:11, Jesus said, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." If it was Jesus' greatest priority to reach the lost, shouldn't it be ours too? With that in mind, what are you doing today that will matter one million years from now?

2nd Cor 5:10 teaches us, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." Do you believe that? Can you close your eyes right now and try to imagine what that is going to be like? Do you think it will matter at that moment if you shared your faith with a lost and dying world, which by the way is the ONLY answer for a lost soul.

More then 150,000 people die every day and go into eternity. Since that is true, shouldn't you do everything in your power to get the word out to your lost neighbors and friends? If not you, who? If not now, when?

During my growing up years, there was an English man that came to my dad's shop on a regular basis. He was heavy into logging, drove 4-wheel drive trucks, chewed tobacco, and cursed the Lord's name on a regular basis. Mr. Spellman was all business and would not even acknowledge us youngsters and would have walked right over us, if we didn't get out of his way. We were afraid of him.

About 15 years went by and one day I walked into a nursing home in our local area. I was there to visit some older people, when out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a big burley looking man sitting in the corner, pouting. I looked a little closer and then a little closer yet, and low and behold, it was Mr. Spellman. Right away, shivers ran up and down my spine, as I recalled his rough lifestyle of chewing tobacco and cursing the Lord's name. At first, I wanted to run as fast as I could, for fear that he might see me.

I hurried on to visit the friends I had come to see, but I wasn't able to keep my mind from wondering back to Mr. Spellman. What would I say? What would he say? Would he know me? Would he curse the Lord's name?

Then it happened. The Lord began to convict me that I should go back and share God's greatest love story of how He sent His only begotten Son to die on the cross.

At first I argued with God-send someone else, I am not your man, but He didn't give up. I finally gave in.

As I made my way back to where he was sitting, I felt my heart pounding like a sledge hammer.

As I approached the place where he was sitting, I looked him in the eye and asked, Mr. Spellman, do you remember me? He looked at me for a minute and than growled in a low voice, "yes, you are Johnny's boy."

We talked for a few more minutes and than I asked the question, Mr. Spellman, I have something I must ask you, if you should die today and go into eternity, do you know if you would go to be with God?

He looked at me as if I had just hit him on the head with a 2x4. And than he said, "well I don't know about that but I do know this, I want out of this place now and if someone does not get me out of here right now, I'm walking out myself."

I waited awhile until he got over his anger spell and then I said, Mr. Spellman, if I could show you from the Bible how you can have all your sins forgiven and a home in heaven when you die, would you let me? To my huge surprise, he said, "well, I guess but make it quick."

I got my Bible out and began with Romans 3:23 where it says, "for ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God". Isaiah 53:6 says, ALL we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; I explained to him that no matter how many good things we have done in life, ALL of us have sinned and come short of God's perfection, therefore we have been separated from a totally Holy God, as the drawing shows.

Next, I explained to him that mankind has attempted to bridge the gap which separates himself from God by doing good works ... living moral lives ... doing good things ... even being religious ... but he has always failed.

The Bible says in Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us...

Salvation does not come by good works. Man cannot earn righteousness by good works. No person can be good enough or do enough good to make God accept him.

What man fails to see is that God is perfect, and as perfect, He cannot accept anything imperfect. Therefore, no matter how many works of righteousness man does-no matter how much good he does-man is not saved by his own efforts. He cannot earn, win, or merit salvation.

Next, I moved to Romans 5:8, where the Bible says, "But God commendeth (proved) His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

I explained to Mr. Spellman that Jesus loved him with such an indescribable passion that He gave up the Glory of Heaven, came to our sinful and wicked planet and allowed His very own created beings to murder Him on the cross between two evil men. Jesus did all this so that he, Mr. Spellman could have ALL his sins forgiven and receive everlasting life.

1 Peter 3:18 says, For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God...

All of a sudden I saw the tears welling up in Mr. Spellman's eyes and then he began to weep out loud. It was at that moment that he began to realize how great the love of Jesus was for him. Through tears, he looked at me and asked, "what can I do to be saved?"

I took him to Romans 10:9 and 13, where it reads, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

The next few moments were so precious, as Mr. Spellman cried out to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, for forgiveness of sins and everlasting life.

When we got all done, he thanked me for sharing Jesus with him, we hugged, and I went home, glad that I had given in and shared God's simple plan of salvation.

A week later, I received word that Mr. Spellman breathed his last on this side of eternity and died. When I heard about it, I was filled with joy, knowing that Mr. Spellman was with his Lord and Savoir, Jesus Christ-just like the thief on the cross.

The Bible says in Romans 10:14-15, "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace...

I have heard Christians say, "well, the lost can just look at my life and see that I have the love of Jesus." I suppose that means the lost will need to assume that they too should love Jesus. If that were true, then whose life are you really sharing-yours or God's? They would not know why you are such a good person, so you would be sharing your life only.

When we don't want to talk about our faith it is usually because we are ashamed of what people might think of us. The Apostle paul writes in Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."

My dear friend, we have no time to spare! People are dying every day and going to hell. We must do something about it! Jesus commanded us in Matthew 28:19-20, Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen

- Joe Keim

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