Within a few days of each other, two brilliant
individuals stepped into eternity!
One lived a life that shared his faith in an almighty God
around the world for over 7 decades; the second lived his life in disbelief
that there was not a God. Of course, I
am talking about Rev. Billy Graham and physicist Dr. Stephen Hawking.
Both of these men had individuals that followed every
word they said, and they both had their critics. Honestly, I do not know if they ever met in
person, if they had I would like to have been a fly on that wall. Hearing the discussion of how the Big Bang
affected the world all those billions of years ago, and the rebuttal of how
that God created the universe and all that’s in it. The thought they may have talked about the
existence of heaven or hell, or how would these two brilliant minds in their
own thinking and expertise have talked about Christ and the need for a personal
Salvation experience.
Three realities I take from each of these men’s lives
that I feel are important for each of us.
1)
Every individual no matter your personal belief in God
is going to step into eternity.
Some in society will celebrate your life others will mock it. However, the
reality is that the life we live determines people’s perception of us. Although,
the real reality is that God can only define the life we lived.
2)
It is important to have a cause in your life: Both of these men had a passion though they were
different, one a belief in God and preaching/teaching the love and message of
Christ and the other a belief in science the teaching that science answers all
of life’s questions. Over the years as I
have listened to both men, you could hear the passion for their beliefs and
today they both will only answer to the creator for what they taught.
3)
I also realize today that we must make a personal
decision for Christ: At the point of
death is not the time to beg God for mercy, or admit you are wrong. Some will
argue there is nothing out there it is dark and cold, and you are simply being
placed in the ground to decay over time.
I have heard the question time and time again “What happens if you’re
wrong, and there is a God, there is a need for a savior who was willing to die
on the Cross for you?” Are you willing to take that chance? Some are willing,
but me personally I think only a fool steps out into eternity without knowing
Christ.
Ladies and gentlemen: The
decisions is yours, you have to make it of your own personal free will.
However, as I think of men like Stephen Hawking and realize that there are men
so educated that have missed heaven because of their brains understanding and
seeing the reality of God, with all their intelligence they can’t comprehend
God, and we miss seeing the reality of the universe. However, men like Billy Graham simply by faith
accepts that Genesis 1:1 “In the Beginning God” or John 3:16 “God loved me” the
facts for him are simply, I will believe in the creator and savior of my soul
until I step into eternity and meet him face to face, or go to the grave. Either way I have lost nothing but gained
everything.