Blog

After Stan and I had talked for a few minutes, he said, “I’m hungry. Let’s order breakfast. What are you going to have?”

“I’m hungry too,” I replied, “but I don’t know what to order. It’s one of those days when I just don’t know what I should do.”

“Well,” Stan said with a smile, “if you’re hungry, and if you’re going to order something, and if you are going to have anything to eat, you’ll have to decide. Here comes Ricky to take our orders. If you’re going to decide, now’s the time!”

I make a quick decision. I told Ricky what I would like. He hurried off to tell Cook.

“I’m glad we got that out of the way,” Stan said with a laugh. “All of that had to do with deciding about if you were hungry and if you were going to do anything about it. All about ‘if.’ Let’s talk about ‘if’ in another context.”

“If that’s what you want,” I replied with a smile, “go ahead. What do you have to talk about?”

“As I’ve mentioned before,” Stan said, “with the time I spend journaling with God each morning, I go through the Bible verse-by-verse.”

“Journaling about each verse?” I asked.

“Not necessarily,” he replied. “Some days I cover several verses; other times I will spend more than one day on a single verse.”

“Writing about what God has to show and tell you?”

“That’s it,” Stan said. “Lately I’ve been in Luke’s gospel. This morning I got to one of my favorite verses on discipleship. It’s one we’ve talked about before. I could probably spend weeks or months on this single verse. Maybe the rest of my life.”

“On one verse?” I replied. “Which verse are you talking about?”

“It’s a fundamental one on discipleship,” Stan said. “About the three steps of denying self, taking up what I am too take up, and following. But before we talk about those steps again, I want to focus on the single two-letter word Jesus used at the beginning of His statement on discipleship.”

“What two-letter word is that?”

“If,” Stan replied. “It’s the one we were talking about with your breakfast, but here Jesus used it by saying ‘if’ I want to be a disciple, I need to do such-and-such.”

“With the ‘such-and-such’ being the three steps,” I commented. “What about the notion that all Christians are disciples just by the fact they have come to faith and are Christians?”

“Without anything more?” Stan asked. “Seems to me that Jesus wouldn’t have used ‘if’ at the beginning of what He said.”

“More likely,” he continued, “Jesus would have said something like, ‘If you want to be a Christian without being a disciple, you don’t have to do anything after coming to faith and being saved.”

“But,” I replied, “that’s not what He said, and that’s not what He wants, is it?”

“”I don’t think that’s what He wants,” Stan agreed. “I think Jesus used ‘if’ to tell me I have a choice, but what He really wants is for me to choose to be a disciple!”

_________________________________

Bible verses to consider:

And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23.

If any one wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Matthew 16:24.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for your provision for me to come to faith and know I will spend eternity in your presence. Thank you, too, for your provision of being a disciple though denying myself, taking up what you have for me to take up, and by following. I confess  that too often I don’t make those choices on a consistent basis. Please help me in following every step of your lead so I am, in fact, a full-time disciple being who and doing what you intend for me. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Have you accepted God’s free and gracious provision of life with Him eternally so that you can be a disciple while He keeps you here? If no, why? Why do you want to remain separated from God? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing in being a disciple? Do you believe that you have choices to make in being a Christian who is pursuing discipleship? If you sense the need for change in how you are going about being a disciple, how is that going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?

“I was reading in Luke’s gospel earlier this morning,” Stan commented. “I saw something that the twelve apostles did that’s going to be the same thing for me at some point. It has an impact on my faith walk.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“A quick summary of what was going on,” Stan replied. “At one point during His earthly ministry, Jesus sent the twelve apostles out by themselves to proclaim the kingdom of God.”

“When they got back,” he continued, “it says that they gave an account to Jesus of all that they had done. It’s going to be the same thing for me and for the rest of us.”

“What same thing?”

“We are going to have to give an accounting of what we have done with what God has given us to do.”

“How so?” I asked.

“At some point,” Stan replied, “each one of us is going to stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give an accounting of what we’ve done. It is going to happen. Period. And the fact it’s going to happen makes a difference in what I do while I’m here. At least it’s supposed make a difference!”

“I can see that,” I said. “If I’m going to have to give an accounting of what I’ve done while living this life, it’s probably a good idea to do what God has for me to do while I have the opportunity to do it.”

“Probably a good idea?” Stan replied. “Only ‘probably’?”

_________________________________

Bible verses to consider:

And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God, and to perform healing. Luke 9:2.

And when the apostles returned, they gave an account to Him of all that they had done. Luke 9:10.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:10.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, that you have things for me to do for you and your kingdom while you keep me on this side of eternity. Thank you, too, for the truth that one day I will be called upon to make an accounting of what I have done about what you had for me to do. Please help me to see and to live the reality of that truth so it makes a difference in how I live this life. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: All of us will one day have to give an accounting of how we have lived this life. We will be asked about how we responded to Jesus, as well as to what we did about what God had for us to do. Are you ready for those questions? How you answer will make a difference for a long time — for eternity. If you sense the need for change in how you will be ready to respond to the questions, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?

“The other day,” Stan commented, “we focused on one word that Jesus used when talking about being a disciple. Do you remember that?”

“I do,” I replied. “It’s the word, ‘if,’ that Jesus said about discipleship being a matter of choice. It’s like ordering breakfast. If I’m hungry and if I want something to eat, I’m going to have to make a choice. [Note to reader: see the posting for March 6, 2023, “Discipleship: Jesus said, “if;” Does that mean a Choice?”]

“That’s right,” Stan said. “This morning let’s focus on another single word that Jesus used in the same sentence.”

“Another single word?” I questioned. “Which one?”

“Anyone,” Stan replied. “When Jesus was talking about being a disciple, after He said, “If,’ He said “anyone.” 

“Oh,” I replied. “So Jesus said the two single words together: ‘If anyone’. So what?”

A neighbor and I were talking about that the other day about how ‘anyone’ includes ‘everyone’.”

“Anyone includes everyone? In what way?”

“Let me tell you what was going on,” Stan replied. “My neighbor was talking about discipleship and wondering whether all Christians are supposed to be disciples.”

“Are supposed to be disciples?” I said. “As contrasted to what?”

“That discipleship might be just for some Christians, but not for all,” Stan responded.

“Maybe,” I commented, “your neighbor was wondering about the difference between disciples and apostles.”

“We talked about that,” Stan said. “About how Jesus selected the twelve apostles from the disciples, and how not everyone is an apostle, but that it seems like everyone is intended to be a disciple, if that’s what they choose.”

“Not just come to faith and then go no further,” I said. 

“You know,” I continued, “as we talk about this, it makes me think that’s what the train station master told me a long time ago when he told me to leave the station platform, not just sit there waiting for the train. To go and work out my salvation. He was talking about discipleship and being a disciple!” [Note to readers, see the very first posting to this blog, dealing with the assurance of salvation and what it means for our time here. It’s also Day One of S. Tory Teller’s book, Waiting for the Train].

“You’re right,” Stan replied. “Discipleship is for everyone, not just a select few. It seems to me that Jesus used the word ’anyone’ because it includes ‘everyone’ who’s willing to make the choice to deny self, take up what’s to be taken up, and to follow.”

“And that,” I added, “includes ‘wherever,’ along with ‘however’ and ‘whenever,’ which is always!”

“It sounds like you’ve been listening, my friend,” Stan replied with a smile. “Thanks!”

_____________________________

Bible verses to consider:

And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Luke 9:23.

If any one wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Matthew 16:24.

So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, that you gave your only begotten Son so that all who believe can know they will spend eternity in your presence. Thank you, too, for the provision of discipleship on this side of eternity that is available to all who choose to be disciples. I confess that too often I do not include myself in the “anyone” category by not denying myself, by not taking up what you have for me to take up, and by not following. Please forgive the foolishness of trying to live this life as a Christian without being a disciple. Please help me follow every step of your lead into the deepest possible discipleship. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Have you accepted God’s provision for you to spend eternity in His presence? If no, why have you not accepted His free and gracious provision? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing in being a disciple? Do you believe that discipleship is available to anyone who chooses to be a disciple? If you sense the need for change in what you are choosing to be and to do, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?

“A neighbor stopped by the other day,” Stan commented. “He was asking about something he had read in the Bible. He wondered if he should be concerned about it.”

“Wondering if he should be concerned about something in the Bible?” I replied. “Isn’t there a lot of stuff in the Bible that all of us should be concerned about?”

Stan laughed and said, “You just summarized the whole of Christianity with one question!” 

“Yeah,” he continued, “there are a lot of things in the Bible we should be concerned about. My neighbor was specifically wondering about something Jesus said when He was teaching His disciples how to pray.”

“In what’s called ‘The Lord’s Prayer’?” I asked.

“That’s it,” Stan said. “Some people call it ‘The Disciples’ Prayer’ and some people call it ‘The Our Father,’ or something else, but, yeah, that’s it.”

“What was your neighbor focusing on?”

“The part where Jesus said to pray to the Father in heaven to be forgiven as we forgive,” Stan said.

“Oh,” I replied. “Was your neighbor concerned that he might not be forgiven unless he forgives others?”

“That’s it, in a nutshell,” Stan said.

“Did you have an answer of him?”

“I did,” Stan replied. “I told him I think that forgiveness is a really big subject and that it is a legitimate concern. I also told him that I think the best way to get around that concern is to forgive others just as we have been forgiven!”

“Just as we have been forgiven,” I repeated. “I suppose people can best do that if they look at every situation that requires forgiveness and ask themselves, ‘How have I been forgiven?’ And then do the same.”

“That, my friend,” Stan replied, “is a good supposition!”

______________________________

Bible verses to consider:

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Matthew 6:12.

For it you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, your Father will not forgive your transgressions. Matthew 6:14-15.

And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your transgressions. Mark 11:25.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for giving your only begotten Son to go to the cross to pay the price for my sin and separation so I am forgiven and know I will spend eternity in your presence. Thank you, too, for teaching me that I am to forgive as I have been forgiven. I confess that too often that is not the standard I use in forgiving others. Please help me to follow every step of your lead so I do, in fact, forgive others just as I have been forgiven. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Have you accepted God’s forgiveness so you know you will spend the rest of eternity in His presence? If no, why do you want to remain separated from God? If you are a Christian with the assurance or salvation, redemption, and forgiveness, how are you doing with forgiving others just as you have been forgiven? If you sense the need for change in how you view your forgiveness and/or how you forgive others, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why no?

A posting for March 16 just went out early due to a computer glitch. Sorry! It has been deleted and will be posted on the correct date, but you may have received it today and wondered why. That’s why!

–S. Tory Teller

“As you may remember,” Stan commented one morning as we waited for breakfast, “we’ve recently focused on some one-word aspects of what Jesus said about discipleship.”

“I do remember,” I replied. “First it was the word, ‘if’ as it concerns whether discipleship is optional. Then there was ‘anyone’ about whether discipleship is for all Christians, or just for some of them.”

[Note to reader: see the postings for March 6, 2023, “Discipleship: Jesus said,’if;’ Does that mean a choice?” and March 8, 2023, “Discipleship: Jesus said ‘Anyone’ — Does that include ‘Everyone?”]

“You’ve got it, my friend,” Stan said. “Thanks for listening and remembering.”

“Today,” he continued, “I have another one-word aspect of discipleship I’d like to focus on.”

“If we’re going to do this one word at a time,” I said with a laugh, “it’s going to take a long time!”

“Do you have something else you’d rather be doing?” Stan asked with a smile.

“I do not,” I replied. “What’s the next word?”

“Wishes,” Stan said.

“Wishes? What did Jesus say about wishes that has anything to do with discipleship?”

“That’s the word Luke used when he wrote what Jesus said,” Stan replied. “Jesus said, ‘If anyone wishes’ to follow Him, they have to do such-and-such.  It seems to me that even though Jesus used the word, ‘wishes,’ He was telling the people that it has to be more than just a wish.”

“More than just a wish,” I repeated. “In what way?”

“It’s just like anything else,” Stan replied.  “Choices are involved. If I wish that I didn’t weigh so much, I can’t just wish away those extra pounds. I have to do something about them. Or if I wish I wasn’t so tired, I have to do something like get more rest!”

“Oh,” I said. “And if people want to be disciples, they have to do more than just wish they were disciples. Is that it?”

“It sure seems that way to me,” Stan replied. “And I think Jesus laid out what that looks like when He spoke about the three steps that are to come after, ‘If anyone wishes,’ so that the wish becomes something more than just a wish.”

___________________________________

Bible verses to consider:

And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If any one wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24.

And He summoned the multitude with the disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Mark 8:34.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for your provision of salvation and redemption through the cross of Jesus. Thank you, too, for the provision of discipleship that comes after acceptance of your free and gracious provision of the cross. I confess that too often I don’t do more than just wish I was a disciple pursuing an ever-deeper relationship with you. Please forgive the foolishness of just wishing rather than doing what’s necessary to be the disciple you intend. Help me to follow every step of your lead in truly denying myself, truly taking up what you have for me to take up, and truly following, just as you intend. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Have you accepted God’s free and gracious gift of life eternally with Him so you can be a disciple while He keeps you here? If no, why? What’s in the way? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, are you pursuing discipleship or just wishing you were a disciple? If you sense the need for change in going beyond merely wishing, how is that going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?

Stan’s main takeaway for each day this past week.

The full version of each posting can be found at www.waiting4thetrain.com

Note: Please forward this to friends, family, colleagues, etc. as a way to introduce them to Stan,  S. Tory Teller, and the conversations about faith, discipleship, and what it means to be a Christian.

Also, don’t forget that S. Tory Teller’s book, the 100-day devotional, Waiting for the Train — Biblical Food for Growing Before Going, is available from amazon.com, other on-line book sellers, and directly from the publisher at www.s-toryteller.com 

_________________________________

Monday, March 6 (Discipleship: Jesus said, “if;” does that mean a choice?) —Is being a disciple automatic for Christians, or are there choices involved. If there are choices, how are we doing?

Tuesday, March 7 (The apostles gave an accounting; it will be the same for us) — Jesus sent the apostles out. They came back and told Him what they had done. We will be asked what we have done. Are we ready to answer?

Wednesday, March 8 (Discipleship: Jesus said “anyone” — does that include “everyone”?) — If anyone can be a disciple, why aren’t all of us disciples?

Thursday, March 9 (Forgiving as we have been forgiven) — Forgiving others as we have been forgiven through the cross of Christ is a very high standard. How are we doing with that?

Friday, March 10 (Discipleship: More than just a wish?) — Wishing for something usually doesn’t make it happen. Is discipleship the same in that we have to make choices other than just wishing?

“Yesterday,” Stan commented one morning while we waited for breakfast, “I mailed a package to a friend back in the old town where we used to live.”

“A package of what?” I asked.

“Books,” Stan replied. “I hate to admit it, but these were some books he had loaned to me a long time ago. I forgot to return them, but I finally did.”

“Good for you,” I commented. “Hope he gets them.”

“Me, too,” Stan said. “In fact, when I mailed the package I asked for a tracking number so I can keep track and make sure he gets the package.”

“It occurred to me later, when I was reading in Luke’s gospel,” he continued, “that’s kind of like what Jesus said about receiving the package.”

“Receiving the package?” I said. “What package was Jesus talking about?”

“Let’s take a look,” Stan replied. “At one point in His earthly ministry, Jesus was talking to His disciples about receiving Him. He said that whoever receives Him receives the One who sent Him.”

“The One who sent Him,” I said. “That would be His Father? Right?”

“Exactly,” Stan replied. “And later on Jesus was talking about receiving the Holy Spirit. So, it seems to me, Jesus was talking about receiving the whole package.”

“The whole package?” I said. “Oh, you mean like the whole package of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Is that it?”

“You got it, my friend,” Stan replied. “That’s what God has available for us,. At some point He’s going to ask us about the package. Our lives on both sides of eternity depend on our answer to His question of whether or not we’ve received the package!”

__________________________________

Bible verses to consider:

Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. Luke 9:48.

He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. Matthew 10:40.

And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:22.

And he (Paul) said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” Acts of the Apostles 19:2.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for your free and gracious provision of life eternally with you so I could receive it, not only for later, but also for now while I am here. I confess that too often, even though I know I will be with you in eternity, I don’t receive all you have for me on this side of eternity. Please forgive the foolishness of trying to live this life without receiving all you have for me. Help me to follow every step of your lead so I do, in fact, receive and embrace all you have for me. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Have you received what God has for you so you know you will spend eternity in His presence, beginning now? If no, why? Why do you want to remain separated from God for all of eternity? That’s a long time! If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with receiving all that God has for you while He keeps you here? If you sense the need for change, how is that going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?

“I was talking with a neighbor the other day,” Stan commented. “He was quite upset.”

“About what?”

“God,” was Stan’s one-word answer. He then continued, “It seems that my neighbor has been going through some tough stuff. He has prayed asking God to remove or to change what’s going on, which hasn’t happened, and he wanted to talk about it.”

“About why God may not have answered his prayer, or why God may have said, ‘No’. Is that it?”

“That’s it,” Stan replied. “Of course I couldn’t tell him for certain why God might be doing that, but I was able to offer a possibility from the standpoint of what happened with Jesus.”

“What kind of possibility?”

“That God may want to use my neighbor for kingdom purposes,” Stan replied, “and the only way to do that is to have my neighbor go through what he’s going through.”

“I’m not sure I follow,” I said.

“Okay,” Stan replied. “Let’s look at what happened with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He prayed and asked His Father to remove what He was about to face.”

“Going to the cross?”

“That’s right,” Stan replied. “And, as you may remember, Jesus concluded His prayer by saying, in essence, that it was okay for His Father to do whatever He needed to do. And that’s the way it went.”

“The way it went, how?”

“That God the Father could not spare Jesus, His only begotten Son, and redeem the lost world,” Stan said. “Jesus was the way to salvation and redemption for the lost world, and the cross was the way to accomplish that. And it might be the same thing for my neighbor.”

“What same thing?”

“That perhaps God wants to use my neighbor for His kingdom purposes,” Stan replied. “And maybe having my neighbor go through what he’s going through is the only way to get my neighbor to the point where God’s will is done in and through him.”

“Oh,” I said, “kind of like getting your neighbor to the point of saying the same thing that Jesus said about going along with His Father’s will. Is that it?”

“That’s it,” Stan replied. “That might be why God seems to be silent.”

________________________________

Bible verses to consider: 

And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as Thou wilt.” Matthew 26:39.

He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, thy will be done.” Matthew 26:42.

And He went a little beyond them, and fell on the ground, and began praying that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. And He was saying, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for Thee; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what Thou wilt.” Mark 14:35-36.

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. John 6:38.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for giving your only begotten Son so that all who believe in Him will spend eternity in your presence. Thank you that Jesus went to the cross in obedience to your provision for redeeming the lost world. Thank you, too, that you want me to be involved in your plan for such redemption. I confess that too often I don’t obey what you have for me to experience and to do in accordance with your will for the salvation and redemption of others. Please forgive me. Help me follow every step of your lead so you can use me exactly as you want in being a part of redeeming the lost world. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Have you accepted God’s provision of Christ’s cross so you know you will spend eternity in His presence? If no, why? Do you really want to remain separated from God for all of eternity? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with being a part of God’s provision to redeem the lost world? Are you willing to be a part of what God is doing regardless of the cost? Do you sometimes think God is asking too much of you? If you sense the need for change in any of this, how is that going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?

“I was reading in Luke’s gospel the other day,” Stan commented one morning as we waited for Ricky to bring our breakfast, “and I saw something that some people did that was a really bad idea.”

“Who was doing what that was such a bad idea?”

“The ‘who’,” Stan replied, “were some people who were weeping. The ‘what’ is that they laughed at Jesus.”

“Laughed at Jesus?” I questioned. “Why’d they do that?”

“Quick summary of what was going on,” Stan said. “Jesus had just returned from healing a man who had a bunch of demons. Jesus was in the middle of a crowd when a man named Jairus showed up and asked Jesus to heal his sick daughter.”

“Was his daughter with him?”

“No,” Stan replied. “She was at home. But before Jesus could even start to go there, someone from Jairus’ house came and told him that his daughter had died.”

“That’s too bad,” I responded. “Then what?”

“When Jesus heard what was said,” Stan replied, “He told Jairus not to be afraid, but to believe, and his daughter would be made well.”

“So did Jesus go to Jarirus’ house?”

“He did,” Stan replied. “And when He got there, that’s when the weeping and laughing people came onto the scene.”

“How so?”

“When Jesus entered the house, there was a bunch of people weeping over the death of Jairus’ daughter. Jesus told them to stop weeping because the girl wasn’t dead; she was only asleep. And that’s when they laughed.”

“Because they thought they knew better than Jesus?” I replied. “Is that why they laughed?”

“That’s it,” Stan said. “Jesus went on to wake up the girl, but before that happened it says that those people laughed because they knew that the girl had died. And what they did is not a whole lot different from what happens way too often today?”

“What’s that?”

“People laugh at Jesus and at the people who believe in Jesus,” Stan said. “They laugh because they think they know better.”

“But they don’t,” I commented.

“Exactly,” Stan replied. “And there can be some serious consequences when people laugh because they don’t believe, thinking they know better.”

“Like what?”

“Two things,” Stan said. “First, they will miss being in God’s presence for all of eternity when their time here is finished. Secondly, they will miss the eternal life of knowing Jesus and His Father while they remain on this side of eternity.”

“If that’s what they will miss because they laugh in their unbelief,” I asked, “do you think God will say, in essence, that He has the last laugh?”

“I do not,” Stan replied. “God doesn’t want anyone to perish.”

“And,” he continued, “when those who are perishing realize too late that their lack of belief  was no laughing matter, I don’t think God will be laughing. Satan probably will be, but God won’t. And we shouldn’t either.” 

_____________________________

Bible verses to consider:

Now they were all weeping and lamenting for her; but He said, “Stop weeping, for she has not died, but is asleep.” And they began laughing at Him, knowing that she had died. Luke 8:52-53.

He began to say, “Depart; for the girl is not dead, but is asleep.” And they were laughing at Him. Matthew 9:24.

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for providing the way to you for all who believe. It is the way to you for all of eternity, beginning here. Thank you for those who brought me to the truth so I could believe. I pray for each person who is still laughing at you and at those who believe in you, thinking they know better. I pray they will come to the truth so Satan will not be laughing when they step into eternity to be with him forever. Please help me follow every step of your lead in helping those who are laughing so they will see, believe, and accept the truth of your free and gracious provision. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Have you accepted God’s free and gracious provision of life eternally with Him that begins on this side of eternity? If no, why? Why do you want to be separated from God for all of eternity, as well as being separated from what He has for you while you remain here? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with seeking to save the lost who are still laughing at Jesus and at those who believe in Him? If you sense the need for change in how you view those who are laughing, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?