The Great Divide and Your Oscar

Dear Saints:

We live in a world of divisions and groupings of people into various kinds - race, wealth, age and etc. However, there is only one great divide that matters and that is: "Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

No other categories matter except eternal life vs eternal death. This is very sobering when everyone living right now is reduced to these two categories.

Can we start seeing people differently into these two categories especially in this era of racial/tribal tensions and hatred all over the world and particularly in the USA? When we do, we will take actions that help people experience true life and living.

Last week one of my Muslim neighbors, a young man I have been praying for a couple of years lost a very close friend in a terrible car accident. I had spoken to him in the past and had arranged to go to a sit in lunch/dinner and then the COVID-19 came and restaurants were closed. I had another opportunity to speak with Oscar (not his real name) after his girlfriend whom they both grew up together died at age of 25 last week. He was very sad and his entire family was mourning this young lady. We mourned along, expressed our condolence and prayed for God's comfort for the families. 

This event gave me the opportunity to explain to Oscar what we believe about death and those who die. I specifically consoled him for his friend dying at a very young age. However, I told him that though the age is important but more important is that we are ready to meet our God at any time when our time of death comes.

I told Oscar you may not believe this now but this what we as Christians believe. We believe that because we believe and trust in Christ, when we die, we are already at peace with God and He welcomes us into His kingdom. I told him yes, Muslims believe differently since they hope that their good deeds will out-weigh the bad and God will have mercy on them at the end.

I told Oscar, if God is looking for 100% obedience and we can only score 95%, we are still disobedient. I told him that Jesus Christ is the only one who has scored 100%; and as we put our trust in Him, God is pleased with us because Jesus paid the penalty for all our sins when He died on the cross. This, in a nutshell is the Gospel, the good news.  

Did Oscar jump up and say yes that he trusts in Jesus? No, and I did not ask him to do so because I knew this was not the time. The Holy Spirit has to speak to Oscar and will convict him. I am trusting that it will happen and please pray along with me for Oscar and his entire family – his parents and siblings. Oscar has had a troubled past and his parents are concerned about his lifestyle. Please pray that Oscar and his entire family will come to know Christ and put their faith, believe and trust in Him. Amen.

All of the above bring us to our continuing study and reading for today in 1 John 5: 7-12:

“7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9 We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

Apostle John wants to get just one thing clear and implanted in us and every reader of his first writing, the Gospel of John and now these epistles. That is: Jesus Christ is God, and God is Eternal and when we believe and trust in Christ, we have Eternal life. If we have Christ, we have eternal life, not a doctrine but the person of God Himself.

I pray and trust that everyone reading this has Christ and have eternal life; life with God forever. If you don’t, please put your trust in Christ and ask Him to give you the grace and faith to believe and you will be saved and have Eternal life which is Christ Himself. Amen.

If you already have Christ the eternal life, could you please introduce someone else to Christ like my young friend Oscar so that they too can have eternal life. Let’s look for the many ways/opportunities to introduce people to Christ and do so in love and humility. Amen. 

Who is your Oscar today, this month and in this season? I know you have an Oscar because all of us have family members, co-workers and neighbors and etc. Please pray for your Oscars and pursue them with the love of God. May the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth and Witness enable you to do so. Amen.

We pray God to comfort the family of U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg who died this evening.

 

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