Linkin Again!

Linking to noteworthy articles from other blogs and websites.

RIP, Britannica: An Elegy for an Encyclopedia by Albert Mohler

Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc. announced Tuesday that it would no longer offer its venerable reference set in a printed edition. Western Civilization just took another hard blow to the chin.

As I pray about sharing the gospel with others, or as I pray for those who do not yet know the Lord, there are many passages from the Bible that can give focus and direction. Here are just a few of them.

Easter Sunday must be more than the day the nice church people welcome the nice community people, tell the nice story of the happy ending and then everyone goes on their merry way.

If you read any news other than the sports pages, you have probably picked up that the Pope died. But not that one, the other one. The late Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria was the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church from 1971 until last Saturday (17 March 2012) when he passed away at 88 years of age.

The reports of your progress warm my blackened heart. When you were assigned to one of the Enemy’s ministers ten years ago, his infernal Majesty and I knew you’d have a rough go of it.

Christians intend to communicate life-giving, objective truths about the real world. But their statements are interpreted as attempts to impose personal preferences.

Matthew 25:31-34: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

v. 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

v. 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

The Question: Do you believe this?

Do you believe that Jesus is coming again and that He will judge both the living and the dead?

Do you believe that He will separate all humanity into two groups?

Do you believe that one group will go away to eternal torment and the other to eternal life in the presence of God?

A simple yes or no is required. Either you believe it or you don’t.

If you don’t believe it and you call yourself a Christian, you either need to repent for your unbelief or stop calling yourself a Christian. I’m serious. You shame the name of Christ if you disbelieve His own testimony of what will happen at the end of days.

If you do believe it but don’t engage in personal evangelism, you either need to repent for your unbelief or stop calling yourself a Christian. I’m even more serious now. You shame the name of Christ even more if you say you believe his testimony, but disobey his commandments (John 3:36).

I think that there are only a few Christians who personally engage in evangelism to the extent they can. If you are doing so, may God strengthen you and bless your efforts.

Matthew 28:19-20 – Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

In all likelihood, most of the readership of this little article believe that Jesus means what He says but, for some reason, don’t give much effort to personal evangelism. If this is the case with you, as it is with me, then we have some repenting to do.

If we really believed what Jesus said about a final judgment and eternity in either heaven or hell, then we would be far less complacent about our unbelieving co-workers, neighbors and family members.  But many of us don’t really believe Jesus, even though we say we do. The proof is found in our action or inaction in the face of certain death and torment for those on the judge’s left.

O Father in Heaven: Your ways are so far above and beyond my ways. Except for your amazing grace, I would be counted among the goats. Forgive my unbelief and strengthen me to share the Good News with those who need to hear it. Embolden me to speak the truth with love and humility to my family, friends and neighbors. For the sake of Christ Jesus and his unforgettable work on the cross, grant that I might become a better witnesses to the transcendent love that is you, O God. Amen.