by Pat Franklin
Free money - a man in our church held out a £10 note ($15) and said: "This is a genuine ten pound note and a genuine offer. If anyone would like it, they must come up here and accept it from me." There was a kerfuffle in the back row...
A boy of about ten years old climbed over other people in the back row and walked quickly to the front. Malcolm (the man with the money) handed over the £10 with a big smile. And he said: “In the same way, Jesus offers salvation to every one of us, but if we don’t come and accept it, we don’t have it.”
I talked to Malcolm after church and he said he had done the same stunt in a church in Bracknell (a town in southeast England) and no one had come forward. He went there with £10 and left with £10. No takers.
What about you, dear reader? Are you up for God's free offer? Or will you sit on your hands like the people in Bracknell? Are you happy with your earthly life? Are you comfortable with the possibility of an eternity in Hell? Satan has done such a job on our generation that in fact most people are perfectly comfortable, because they do not even believe in Hell, or in Satan for that matter. Satan's PR has done its tragic work.
Do you even realize that Heaven is guaranteed for all those who believe in Jesus? He Himself said: "If you believe in Me, you HAVE eternal life." Guaranteed, like money deposited in a bank. Well, actually, much safer than money in a bank! Banks can fail; Jesus' Word will NEVER fail.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became a man so that He could suffer and die for YOUR sins. It is His death and His blood shed for us that pays the price of all our sins (if we accept His sacrifice on our behalf). He was buried and rose again on the third day and is now seated in Heaven at the right hand of His Father, just waiting for the right time to return and take possession of the cosmos He created, and take charge of the planet earth.
In the meantime, He has not been idle, but has been building the New Jerusalem, the heavenly city which will one day come down out of Heaven. The magnificence of this wondrous place is described in some detail in the Bible.
It's all on offer, folks! It is free. The Lord Jesus has made it possible. He stands at the door of your heart and knocks right now, or you would not be reading this. Won't you open the door of your heart and invite Him to forgive YOUR sins and be the Lord of your life?
The offer is free, but most people continue to reject Jesus, Savior of the world. Any takers? I am so glad I took Him up on His great offer in 1981.
The problem is...the offer is only valid right now. You may not have another day; you may not even have another hour. None of us knows when the Lord will call time and our earthly life will suddenly be over. Jesus has the keys of death an of Hell. Heaven doesn't need a key, because Jesus has opened the door wide for all those who accept Him.
Today is the day of salvation. The great offer ends .... when??? Maybe today. Who would want to risk another moment? All we really possess is the air that is currently in our lungs. Once that is expelled, it is only by the grace of God that we take another breath. Won't you put your trust in the Lord Jesus, dear friend?
That little lad in our church couldn't wait to get to the front and claim that £10. And to think that each of us can claim eternal life!
"If you believe in Me, you have eternal life." Promise made by Jesus Christ in the gospel of John, chapter 6 verse 47.
