When we STAND Before the RISEN LORD

The thief on the Cross and I have much in common. I tried to live my entire life for Christ. He lived only the last few minutes of His life for Christ. Neither of us are worthy, each of us is equally guilty of Sin before God.

It is only His Grace to each of us that allows mercy to flow to us so we can be forgiven and then enter His Perfect Heaven.

It is all a gift from God. Through Faith alone by Grace alone do we hear Him whisper our name and then turn, respond and accept HIM as Lord. Strength comes back into my body as I rise up to a knelling position. I feel His hands around me lifting me up before Him.

He says, “My sheep hear my voice. I knew you before the foundations of the world were made. The Good work I began in you; I have now completed. You are one of mine and I love you with an everlasting love.

Come; let me show you your new home.”

Oh…My God…My Lord…thank you. He takes me to the place He prepared for me. There is a door before me. I turn back and look too Him. I am overwhelmed with emotion and I burst into tears with great sobs. These were tears of great sorrow, and of pain.

I looked behind HIM…faces were everywhere before my eyes. My children, my grandchildren, my parents, my relatives, my neighbors, my dear friends…all whom I loved in my life. All there before my eyes in one moment of time.

I reached into the air behind Him trying to touch them. Sobbing and choking back the tears I cried with a loud voice to HIM. But what about them? What will happen to them? He spoke softly to me. This ONE who spoke the Universe into existence.

“Ernie, I stood at the door of your heart for 38 years waiting to be invited in. Then I whispered your name and you heard my voice and you opened the door to your heart and let me in.

The decision to open the door to your heart was yours not mine. The same decision is theirs as well. I will continue to knock on the door of each one of their hearts for as long as they live in time. I will wait patiently as I did for you, to be wanted by them.

They too as you have, in a yet future moment; will stand before me. They will have to answer my question…“Who do you say that I am?” They two will be held accountable to my Standard of Perfection.

Then the same hands that formed me in my mother’s womb, gently wiped the tears away from my eyes. He opened the door before me and said, “Welcome to my home, to your future…for you, the past is gone forever.”

“As for them…they have the Law and the Prophets (Luke 16 verse 30 -31).

Their future is up to them.”