I was chatting with Brandon at a coffee shop the other day. He works there, and I have talked with him a few times before. This time, I asked him, “Are you ready for the box?” He didn’t understand what I meant, so I explained it to him.
Death is an amazing thing. We are here, and then we are gone. What happens to our bodies at the end of our lives? That is correct: It gets tossed in a box. Young or old, rich or poor, black or white, we all have the same end: our bodies will get tossed in a box. So, when you really think about it, the key to life is to be “ready for the box.”
Brandon is ready for the box. He is saved and serving the Lord. Whenever I see him, I challenge him to share his faith more and more. He is friends with people who are not ready for the box, and his job is to do something about it.
What Will People Say About You?
Found out this week that one of my college teammates died. He was in his 50s. That is pretty young in my book. When someone dies, it is interesting to read what people write about them. In the case of my friend, they said he was the all-time leader for “assists” at Auburn. I didn’t know that.
Back in the day, I used to read the obituary pages in newspapers. (Are there still things called newspapers in existence today?!) I was always fascinated by what folks wrote about someone who had died. I guess if you were writing an obituary, you would include the important stuff about someone’s life, wouldn’t you? But sometimes, when I read those obituaries, they seemed to include things about the person that weren’t really that important. Another fascinating thing I found on the obituary page was that I could always find someone younger than me who had passed away. Always.
I had tried to witness to this teammate of mine on a couple of occasions. He didn’t seem to want much to do with eternal matters. God gives us the freedom to choose what we want to spend our time on. We all have the time we need to search out whether the Bible is true and what will happen to us when we die. God doesn’t force anyone to conduct that search. If we want to waste our time on worldly things, He allows us to do that. My teammate now understands the importance of knowing who Jesus is. Was he ready for the box?
Another thing I noticed at the Celebration of Life for my friend is that his cause of death was not mentioned. But I already know the cause of death for all of us. The Scriptures are clear.
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Are You Warning Them?
Last night, I had an interesting time witnessing at a couple of concerts with a friend of mine. I was standing in a good spot where I could actually hand out tracts to people going into both the Janet Jackson concert and the Taylor Swift concert. We handed out a lot of tracts and got into some short conversations. More than a few people didn’t want anything to do with us! Well, that was their choice. But if I am concerned that people are ready for the box, I need to go where they are and try to reach them.
Close to Crossing Over
I saw online that people were giving Jack Nicholson a hard time. Why were they doing that? Apparently, some people didn’t like how disheveled he looked.
https://twitter.com/MailOnline/status/1646634800109723652
Well, I hate to break the news to them, but a lot of 85-year-olds look like 85-year-olds! Goodness, I look like that some mornings when I get up! Isn’t it okay for older people to look old? The question is whether or not he is ready for the box. I have not seen any indication that he is. Pray for him.
Already Crossed Over
Leroy Carhart passed away recently. You might not know that name, but his name is very well known in the pro-life movement. He is an infamous abortionist. LeRoy was a wicked, evil man.
Some have estimated that he murdered 90,000 babies. Why aren’t serial killers like him the number-one news story every day? We know the names of those who killed just one “celebrity,” but we don’t know the names of the LeRoy Carharts of the world? He has sure put a lot of babies in a box. Well, LeRoy is now in a box himself. And if he didn’t repent and believe, he has put himself in a box that he will not be able to get out of with Almighty God.
Do You Care?
I met a man the other day at a gas station. He was a Nigerian evangelist. He wanted some booklets to give away. Why? He sees people in America who are not ready for the box. How about you? Do you see people the same way?
As I was writing this newsletter, I was also getting ready to speak at a baccalaureate service. As I thumbed through my high school yearbook, I decided to use it in my message to the graduates. One thing I thought about as I went through its pages was that a lot of my classmates have already been put in the box, and the rest of us are going to be in one soon.
Psalm 116:15
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
Now, those saints were the kind of people who were definitely ready for the box!
Don’t Waste Your Life
Luke 16:22,23
And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
The rich man wasted his life. He was not ready for the box. He wasted his life on matters that had no eternal significance. You’ve probably seen that famous bumper sticker from back in the day: “He who has the most toys wins.” Nope. That’s a total lie. Plenty of rich people wish they could give every penny of their earthly riches for one more chance to repent and believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. Not gonna happen now. Too late.
Revelation 22:20,21
He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
“Box” day is coming for one and for all.
A Wealthy Man Who Listened
J.P. Morgan is a name you might have heard. But what you might not know is something he wrote in his will:
“I commit my soul in the hands of my Saviour, full of confidence that, having redeemed me and washed me with His most precious Blood, He will present me faultless before the throne of my Heavenly Father.
“I entreat my children to maintain and defend, at all hazard and at any cost of personal sacrifice, the blessed doctrine of complete Atonement of sins through the Blood of Jesus Christ once offered, and through that alone.”
https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon-illustrations/80514/j-p-morgan-s-will-by-johnny-a-palmer-jr
Now that sounds like someone who was ready for the box. How about you?
Until the nets are full,
P.S. And, by the way, the boxes are filling up whether you decide to witness to lost people or not. We all need to pick up the pace with our soul-winning. Go talk with a lost soul today before they hit the box.
P.P.S.
