What About 2004-- Your Life and Others Deaths?

(by Bill Stevenson, December 14, 2004)

My last mass e-mail had a short Christmas message. I hope that you are doing and will do what I
suggested. I am leaving for a 3 week vacation in California. It is being paid for by the 4 key women in my
life now, my wife, mother-in law, mother, and sister. Please pray that most everything will happen as
planned. The latter has been frustrating for many reasons, especially that it seemed as if a lot of time was
wasted using the public transportation trip planners. But I am thankful for the former, because I won’t
have to do quick bus schedule seeking and research. Have you had similar experiences where you had to
be thankful for an apparent waste of time?
Now I would like for you to think as many individuals usually do after Christmas: What happened in
2004 and what should be his or her goals for 2005? Recently this thought came into my mind and has
frequently come to my attention: To almost everyone who has contacted me and whom I have contacted, I
have said that I believe that “the Age of Grace” will soon end and time as we know it will end with the
happening of the second part of 1 Corinthians 15. Well, the Age of Grace ended for thousands of Filipinos
recently because of a horrible typhoon causing flooding. The Age of Grace ended for all who died today
(elderly death, abortions, murder victims, cancer victims, vehicle accident fatalities, etc.). The news media
and newspapers only report a very small number of the deaths, specially chosen for even political reasons.
I didn’t realize this fully about the Age of Grace until now and I will live differently now in trying to make
better use of my time. Why did I conclude such? Have you ever responded to a death of a friend or
acquaintance thinking you should have said or done something differently, or even presented the Gospel to
him or her? I have. One time, I was comforted by reading the obituary of an acquaintance because it had a
request that any who wanted to send flowers to the parents to donate to a named Christian ministry for
children instead. I had been saddened that I had not presented the Gospel to the diseased acquaintance
whom I thought was an atheist or agnostic. The Holy Spirit comforted me to and indicated that I had been
a good example to her mainly by accepting her as she was. That was rare in her life.
Now look at the past year of time 2004. The Time Magazine staff selects a person of the year and the
year-ending issue highlights that person. Who would you select in your life? You yourself, your spouse,
your best friend, a famous person, or Jesus Christ? Because I can’t say the just mentioned Man was the
best person in my life, I want to focus more on Him in 2005. What about you? Who would your loved
ones and friends select if you gave them the same question? Shouldn’t we do much more in living like and
sharing about the most wonderful Person in all history of mankind? Oh God, give me more courage to do
so. Will you, as I plan to do, say that frequently from now on? The Age of God’s grace might end soon
for individuals that you relate to. In a court of law, how much evidence would there be if there were laws
against being Christ-like or against sharing the Gospel?
Also, Romans 8 and Galatians 5 indicate that each individual is living selfishly for “the flesh” and sin
or to please God by doing what is urged by the Holy Spirit and Scripture. How much time of 2004 were
you doing for both of those ways of living? How much time were you living selfishly and how much time
were you living unselfishly? Selfishness is the common characteristic of every sin, and sin will not be
allowed in Heaven or on the New Earth. What are your daily priorities? Do you think that you might need
to make changes in such? What or who are you living for? Revival for true Christianity does not start
with special church or a famous Christian speaker; it begins with the individual who wants to become
much more Christ-like. Do you, like me, need to make some changes in how you live in 2005 in order to
do the just mentioned? Will I use my 3-week vacation to God’s glory or just a time of enjoyment in not
normal experiences? I hope that most of the time I will be sensitive to the Holy Spirit guidance and
compassionate with those around me (at least with intercessory prayer). If I focus on Jesus Christ much
more, I will do what I just said I hoped for. That is how I can love God much more. Jesus said to His
close disciples that if they see Him, they see His Father. And true Christians should reflect Jesus Christ,
His righteousness and compassionate love. Do others in your life see just you or do they see Christ most
of the time?
So until next year, I will be praying that you will finish 2004 in a way that will please God. Please
pray that I will do such too. I am thankful for you and the others in my e-mail list, but I am sorry that I
have not shown more compassion for you and them. It doesn’t seem that there is enough time to do so.
But I even need to at least pray much more for you and them than I did in 2004. The Holy Spirit wants to
help me do the desires I mentioned in this spiritual essay and I hope that I will be more sensitive to Him in
2005. I want to use everyday mostly for God’s glory from now on. What about you? Please live more for
others. Others need to see Christ-likeness. Let my Bible study tools help you do so. Onward for God and
His Word-- the Great Commission!!