"Burns became almost overwhelmed with the thought of those in foreign countries who were perishing without the good news of Christ. He often felt the burden of their cries of help as if they were calling to him. He was in Glasgow one day and his mother walked straight up to him but he remained oblivious. When he did finally see her, she said it was as if he had come from a great dream. When he spoke she says it was with deep emotion: "O mother! I did not see you: for when walking along Argyle street just now, I was so overcome with the sight of the countless crowds of immortal beings eagerly hasting hither and thither, but all posting onwards towards the eternal world, that I could bear it no longer, and turned in here to seek relief in quiet thought."
Each man, woman, and child is heading straight for eternal life. Eternal life is everyone's destiny. It does not matter how many places you have been, how many cars you own, how much you love this world. Nothing will go with you, no earthly possession, no business venture, no time to redeem. When you enter into the abyss of eternity, the only thing that will go with you is your immortal soul.
What you do with your life matters. Where do you lay up your treasures? For those that want to see great things, go take a look at Rome, Greece, Carthage, Egypt. These were once empires but are no more than rubble. They exist as a reminder of what earthly treasures afford. For those that are bold in heart, go fight great battles, climb high mountains, become a combat elite. The death toll of Mount Everest stands as a warning to you. For those that love adventure, run across the Sahara, hunt alligators in the Everglades, go hunting for lions in Africa, or swim with stingrays. What will this gain you? What does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his own soul? Throughout all these things, there runs a vein. Something that has lasted since the beginning. There is an eternity for us all. Now, I ask you. What are you doing with your life? Eternity is a reality. Will you build for yourself a palace on this earth?
I opened this post with a quote from the book titled, God's Polished Arrow. This book concerns the great missionary, William C. Burns. It was said of Burns by his brother that he spent his life at the mercy seat of Jesus Christ. This is how we must live. The Lord said of Caleb in Numbers chapter 14, "But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully." Lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven. George Whitfield purposed to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and trust the Lord with the rest of His life. Do you live this way? Is your affection for God so great that you can say, "I have counted my life lost for Christ's sake?"
| Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? 2For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. [Isaiah 66:1-2] |
| 3Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? 4He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.a 5He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. [Psalm 24:3-5] |
Do you take time to pour time into others? God has given you talents. God has given you a great gift. "To whom much is given, much is required." Do you have a heart for the lost? God does not care how many countries you have seen, how much money you make, how many friend you have. God cares whether or not you have obeyed His Word. God wants to know whether or not He will receive His talents back with usury when He returns. The life you live is not yours. It belongs to God. You are merely a steward. Have you been a profitable servant? When God asks for His talents, will you have to say, "I saw Rome, I swam with dolphins, I killed a wildebeest"? Or will you say, "Countless millions did not know you; however, as your ambassador, I went to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. I have taken captivity captive, I have bound up the broken hearted, I have proclaimed liberty to the captives. I have been faithful in these little things." "Those that are faithful in little will also be made faithful in much."
Let me tell you something. While you live life to the extreme, reality is that all over the World more and more people are entering eternity without God. While you live your adventure, men, woman, and children, are becoming monsters in hell. I challenge each of you to go to the mall next time black Friday comes around and sit in the food court and watch. There are so many people trying to amount earthly possessions for themselves that will soon fall away. Listen to their noise. You are listening to a small fraction of the millions upon millions of people running headlong into the bottomless pit. Now, are you going to go put your light under a bushel and climb Mount Everest or on a candle stick that it may give light unto all those that are in the house? Are you willing to spend life, "living life," when the rest of the world is dying? What else needs to be said? We are too concerned with what we want, need, and set our mind upon. Are you satisfied in Christ or do you always want more? The souls of the people of this world are crying out for a Savior, a Savior that can only be found in Jesus Christ. Now, who will count the cost and answer the call as the Lord's ambassador?
Sola Deo Gloria
