Fellow Travelers — Where To?
by Bob Thompson
In a vivid description of man's brief stay on earth, the poet wrote. "A 'mess of pottage,' a glass of wine, a game — and he travels on." And now, with the "Sputnick" the "Muttnick" and intercontinental missiles looming overhead, we may all "travel on" sooner than we think.
Meanwhile, are you allowing some religious work-for-your-salvation travel agency of Satan to chart your course, or lull you to sleep after convincing you that "God will never allow anyone to suffer eternal fire. He's such a good God!" (They forget his holiness and justice!) Or, have sin-loving, gospel-hardened, "hail fellows well met" been allowed to sell you on the idea that life here, and hereafter, is nothing more than a wild, grim game of chance?
LET ME ASSURE YOU, MY FELLOW TRAVELER, that God is not turning a wheel of fortune. You may play the roulette wheel or gin rummy in the gambling balls of Las Vegas and perhaps lose a fortune, or win a little, but it is CERTAIN that you can not gamble your soul with death and win! The Word of God all too plainly declares, "It is appointed unto soon once to die, AFTER THIS THE JUDGMENT." That same Book declares that the sinner who penitently hears and believes the record of God's Son, "SHALL NOT COME INTO JUDGMENT, but is passed from death unto life."-- Heb. 9:27; Jn. 5:24. It is clear, then, that our destiny is NOT determined by chance but choice - our choice!
Many will disagree with this, of course, such as agnostics who have adopted an abstraction called evolution. While young people are struggling through high school and college, these evolutionists, who unfortunately help to supervise our modern classrooms, stand ready with "a bone, a theory, and a bottle of ink" to debate, discourage, or discount any student who agrees with the Bible, and who prefers Godly faith to a fossil and a faithless creed. This anti-miracle brotherhood of skeptics dominating many schools today, frown upon the Bible as an already successfully debunked invention of men, and unhesitatingly mark as superstitious and gullible anyone who believes it.
UNANSWERABLE FACTS!
These "wise men", with their theory of reptile-ascendency, (but who snort when you agree that there might be a. slight resemblance between them and a higher order of creatures, chiefly the baboons), utterly fail to explain how sixty-six books, penned into one single, united Book, with but one central theme, one hope, all revolving about and exalting one single character, the Lord Jesus Christ. "TO WHOM (Christ) GIVE ALL THE PROPHETS WITNESS THAT THROUGH HIS NAME, WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHALL RECEIVE REMISSION OF SINS." — Acts 10:43.
Let the "fellow travelers" of the "Neanderthal" man, the "Heidelberg" man, the "Eonthropus" man, "Pithecantropus" and humbug, who scoffingly turn from the Word, explain the multitude of Old Testament prophesies that have already been fulfilled, for instance, Psa. 22; Isa. 7:14; 9:6; and chapter 53, to name a few. Let them explain the existence of Israel, that God promised "shall never cease to be a nation before Me forever". — Jer. 31:36. By every standard of reason and human nature, the nation of Israel should have perished from the earth long ago. But the Jew is still with us (often dominating the headlines). Now he's even back in his own land, under, his own flag (for the first time in 2500 years), with his feet under the United Nations table! Interesting — but impossible, unless the Bible is true.
Let these "broad-minded" spell binders, who pant for the "missing link", who presume to sit in judgment over God and His Book, and scientifically (?) point out His "blunders", let them explain, if they can, why the Bible is still the "best seller", now being read in some 1025 languages and dialects — in spite of Bob Ingersoll, Thomas Paine, Jean Voltaire, and countless attempts by generations of other Satan-inspired critics to stamp it out of existence. Concerning the writers of this Book, Dryden the English poet, wrote these provocative lines, "Whence but from heaven could men, unskilled in arts. in several ages born, in several parts, weave such a precious truth? Or how, or why, should all conspire to cheat us with a lie, unasked their pains, ungrateful their advice, starvation their gain, and martyrdom their price".
THE WRATH OF GOD
Yes, the Bible is true — God breathed, Spirit indited. This Book of ages reveals that at the inevitable hour, each of us will either be separated from sin, sickness and mortality, to dwell in the blissful - presence of Christ and his angels in the Celestial City of God, or we will be forever banished separated from all hope, from loved ones, from every thing God calls good — without reprieve. The Bible further states that unbelievers will die in their sins, for apart from Christ "there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversary". — Heb. 10:26-27. These will forever "drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture, into the cup of His indignation; and they shall be tormented with fire and brimstone .. and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever, and they have no rest day nor night " (Rev. 14:10-11). THIS IS THE WORD OF GOD ON THIS SUBJECT, IN SPITE OF HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG, THE 7th DAY ADVENTISTS, THE SO-CALLED "JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES", AND OTHERS WHO FALSELY TEACH TO THE CONTRARY!
THE GRACE OF GOD
But the end is not yet. You haven't yet reached "THE GREAT TERMINUS" though it may be nearer than you think. Surely the uncertainty of life should be enough to dispel indifference or spiritual stupor in this matter. If you are unsaved, my fellow traveler, accept the glad tidings of salvation while there is yet time. ("NOW is the accepted time." 2 Cor. 6:2); receive "the bread of life" for "the bread of sorrow", the sublime peace of heaven for the fickle peace of earth, and an endless hope for a hopeless end! (Matt. 11:28-29; Rom. 5:1-8; 'Mils 2:11-14).
LIFE'S MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION
Multiplied millions, sad to say, have been deluded into thinking that life's most important question is, "What shall I do with my sins?" Slaves to fear, superstition and ignorance, they feverishly seek to ease their conscience under a mountain of "good works", religious ordinances, endless sacrifices, and/or rituals of every weird and Satanic description. But the answer is not in man, nor in what man can do. It is God Himself Who has adequately supplied the answer, without any help from man. That answer is found in the SUBSTITIONARY life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who lived FOR YOU without sin, died FOR YOU for your' sins, and rose TO SAVE YOU from the guilt and penalty of sin! The perfect, physical works of obedience necessary to salvation have already been accomplished by Another! (Read Romans 5:19). Life's most important question, then, is not "what shall I do with my sins," but "WHAT SHALL I DO WITH JESUS CHRIST, WHO LIVED IN MY STEAD, DIED FOR MY SINS, AND ROSE FOR MY JUSTIFICATION??" (Romans 3:19-26; 4:23-25; I Cor. 15:1-5.)
WHAT WILL YOU DO?
Christ said, "He that cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out." (John 6:37). Then cease your religious strivings, my friend, stop groping and searching. The flood gates of mercy have been opened and God bids you come. In sincere repentance and child-like faith, accept what Christ has done for you, and God, Who is "not willing that any should perish," will instantly AND FOREVER save your poor soul, clothe you with His perfect righteousness, fill you with His great Spirit, and give you "joy unspeakable and full of glory". It is yours for the taking. (2 Pet. 3:9; Isa. 55:1-9).