STORY THAT TOUCHES THE HEART:
A Church Overseer, who
contributed immensely to early missionary activities in Nigeria and other
African states after he took over from the church founder in the early fifties
(Name withheld), found himself in the abyss, after he had served the Lord for
over 32 years. Read the conversation between the Reverend and the man who saw
him by the bank of the Abyss.
“Sir, what happened?”,
I reverently asked.
“Friend, from
where? Do you know me?” he asked.
“It seems so Sir! I
think you were Reverend so and so”, I replied with heaviness of mind.
“Yes, you’re
right,” he retorted.
“I pity the tragic
condition of this place. Upon all the struggling for preaching of those years,”
I continued.
“Dear, I never
dreamt of coming to a place like here too. My waking thought was heaven while
on earth, but, for a lesson learned too late my hope became a mirage.
Friend, this is
what happened. I preached for thirty-two years in the world. I preached
salvation by grace; hell fire as a reality and the imminent coming of Christ
called the rapture. Presently in heaven, are good number of those who heard
these good teachings from me. But, two years before death struck. I took part
of the church money meant for Church Building to conduct a wedding ceremony for
my Grand Daughter. And this being unknown to anybody, I let it go. At the end
of that year, I wrote the financial report revealing that the whole amount
contributed was spent for the project - After a sermon one Sunday evening, I
took ill which ended in my death. Before I got to the main gate I was basking
in joy that I had made it at last, not until I was diverted here. I doubted it,
until the hook of record was opened which carried all my good Christian services.
But underneath all the rendered services it is written “Not to be remembered, because he took a holy thing”. The angel in
charge further disclosed that the church money which I took was contributed out
of sweat by the church members and faithfulness demands for a just and true account.
He added that my
report was not in conformity with the gospel standard of stewardship and that
the act betrayed my office as a minister, he explained.
“But, Sir, did you
plead for mercy? I asked.
“I did, but the
angel replied that forgiveness is possible only in the world, but reward or
judgement is determined there at the gate”, he answered.
LESSON
FRIEND, the lesson
I have learnt from this story is that we should never neglect warnings and
convictions by the Holy Spirit. I want to believe that for 2 years this
reverend gentleman was given opportunity to confess his sins and afterwards
make restitution but he blatantly refused as a result of pride. If he had told
the church board that he used church money, the worst that could have happened
to him would have been for the board to ask him to repay the money or probably
compel him to resign as an overseer. Now this man has found himself in hell and
there is no more chance for repentance or forgiveness. Rom 8: 22.
PRAYER
Oh Lord my Father,
help me to discover and to repent of SINS that are capable of making me GUILTY on
the LAST DAY. Help me to always listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and to
do according to His leading. Gal 5:16, 25. Rom. 8:14. 1 John 1:8-10.
No comments:
Post a Comment