THE POUND
PROCLAIMER
Volume II
May 2007
Number 7
Sing
to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day
to day. Psalms 96:2
There was a man who lived a
long life. He was a wicked and cruel man. Eventually, this man went the way of
all men and died for it is appointed for all men to die (Hebrews 9:27). When it
came time for his funeral, the preacher proclaimed him to be saved. The
preacher did this because while lying on his death bed the wicked and cruel man
cried out, “Lord Jesus save me!” The preacher was of the opinion that as long
as there was breath to utter those words, a man could
be saved.
The aforementioned
preacher’s opinion is held by many. Therefore, it behooves the seeker of truth
to ask the following question. Can a person who has lived their entire life in
services to the devil be saved by saying, “Lord Jesus save me” as they draw
their last breath? This is an important question, for it doesn’t matter what a
preacher may think or say, it only matters what God thinks and says.
The key to man’s salvation
rests in obedience. The Hebrew writer speaks about Jesus’ obedience in this
way, Although he was a son, he learned obedience through
what he suffered. Hebrews 5:8. Because Jesus was both
God and man, He knew the ordeal He was going to face. It is in this context
that we read; In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up
prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to
save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Hebrews
5:7. Facing His impending death Jesus petitioned the Father with the
following words. “My Father, if it be
possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you
will.” Matthew 26:39. Jesus learned obedience by subjecting His
will to the will of the Father.
The problem of salvation
for man resides in man’s propensity to want his way. Man has no problem with
doing what God says as long as what God says is the same as what pleases man.
The Scriptures plainly
teach that Jesus became the author of eternal salvation to those who obey Him (Hebrews
5:9). In view of this, why do preachers proclaim cruel and wicked
men saved when they speak, “Lord Jesus save me” with their dying breath? Is it
because such words soothe the conscience and dull the grief of family members?
The Scriptures plainly
teach that baptism is for remission of sins (Acts 2:38; cf. Acts
22:16; 1 Peter 3:21). In view of this, why
will preachers proclaim that a person is saved before and without water
baptism? Is it because to do otherwise would condemn friends and family?
Those who live lives as
servants of the devil, then expect to go to Heaven,
are like the story a young man who gave his girl an orange. In the days when oranges
were a rare and special treat, a young man came in possession of one. He
decided to give it to his girl but on the way to see her, temptation overcame
him. He took a knife and cut a hole in the end of the orange and sucked out all
the juice. Upon arriving, he gave her an empty shell.
Men who live their lives to
please themselves bring God an empty shell from which the devil has sucked out
the goodness of life. If we would not expect a young lady to accept an empty
orange, then why should we expect God to accept death bed repentance?
The Editor’s
Page
Being a parent brings with it
a host of fears. When they are small, we fear some harm befalling them. As they
grow, we find that each stage of development brings new fears of all sorts. The
fear of letting go, in my opinion, is the strongest of all fears. We do our
best to bring them up in the nurture of the Lord only to doubt our success at
accomplishing so great a feat.
As a parent, I understand the
anguish of mothers and fathers as they watch their child grow into adulthood.
We want them to avoid the mistakes we made. So, with somewhat of a helpless
feeling, we give our child unconditional love and leave the rest to God.
I am inserting an open letter
I wrote at the time of my youngest son’s graduation from High School in
nineteen hundred ninety-six. He had neglected his salvation up to that time which
created a great deal of pain for his mother and me.
We are in the graduation
season; therefore, I want to share this open letter with you once again.
Dear Son,
I remember the first time I saw you. You
were so small and helpless. I knew right away I would love you. As you grew,
there were smiles and kisses. The first time I heard the word ‘DA DA’ from your
lips, I felt as if my heart would burst with joy. It has been my pleasure to
hold you by the hand as we have traversed life’s path together.
Today, I must look at you a little
differently. I see you standing there in cap and gown, a young man at the
threshold of adulthood. As you stand there I think, ‘my youngest son, a man’.
The thought gives me both pleasure and pain!
I cannot help but ask myself, “Have I
prepared you for this time?” God gave me an awesome responsibility as far as
you are concerned. I only hope I have in some small way, accomplished my task.
I know there were times I made mistakes as a father. There were times I was too
hard, and then, times I was not hard enough. But with God’s help and your
cooperation, you have become the person you are today. I have been told that I
have young gentlemen for sons. I hope someday you will be able to experience
the gladness of heart that such statements give a father.
There is before you a new horizon. As you
consider your future decisions, I want you to know that either success or
failure depends upon you. The outcome of either success or failure will be
based upon the kind of person you are. Are you a man who will make his
decisions with a deep abiding faith in God?
I wish I could lead you by the hand and
protect you for the rest of our lives, but such is not the way of man. Each one
of us must stand before God on his own merits. The decisions, for which you
will be held accountable, are the ones you make. For this cause, I implore you
to always examine yourself in the light of God’s words and be not a forgetful
hearer but a doer of the Word.
At some time in the future, you may find
that your decisions must take into account a family. You will find yourself in
the role of being the head of your house and having the awesome responsibility
of leading your own son by the hand. What kind of father will you be? Will you
be a father who loves God and who trains his son to do the same? These are all
serious questions you must face as you pass through the door into adulthood.
Whatever events life holds in store for
you, remember this, the most important event in your life will be when you are
born into the family of God. I, as your earthly father, cannot always be there
for you. But God, as your heavenly Father, will. No matter how insurmountable
may seem the problem or how dark the night, He will be there.
In closing, I want you to know that your
mother and I are happy to see you graduating from High School. But know this,
the greatest joy for us will come, when you repent of your sins, confess Jesus
with your mouth and then are baptized for the remission of your sins.
“Remember now thy creator in the days of thy
youth.” Ecclesiastes 12:1.
I Love You, Dad.
To the delight of his mother
and I, Brad obeyed the gospel shortly after his graduation and continues to
serve God. There is no greater joy for a parent.
THE LAST WORD
FIND THE THIRTY BOOKS IN THE
BIBLE
There are 30 books of the
Bible in this paragraph. Can you find them? This is a most remarkable puzzle.
It was found by a gentleman in an airplane seat pocket on a flight from
