You Possess The Truth; But Does The Truth Possess You?

By Missionary Jim Kilgore

Recently I listen to an audio book on the missionary journeys of David Livingston, the great Missionary to Africa.   This man was so loved that when he died at 4am on May 1, 1873, the People of Africa wanted to bury his body in one of the villages.   Once it was determined this could not happen, they asked if they could have his heart and bury his heart in Africa, the country that he loved so well.  

May the words that you now read pierce deep into your heart. May this Missionaries account of his conversation with a Tribal Chief never escape your soul. For this is what BILLIONS might well ask at the great White Throne Judgement before being cast eternally into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:14,15).

Missionary Livingston was to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the. As was their tribal custom, whenever a new subject was brought before them, they wanted to ask questions about the new subject. He was to speak on the Love of Jesus Christ for all people. The Chief asked to be taught about a future judgment, so Dr. Livingston spoke of the great White Throne Judgement.

The Missionary started be reading and teaching on Revelation 20:11: “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away ; and there was found no place for them.” Then he explained Revelation 20: 14-15 which says, “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.“

Did Your Forefathers Know of This Judgment?

Sayshell the Chief exclaimed, “You startle me! These words make all of my bones to shake. I have no more strength left in me. Chief Sayshell asked, “Did your forefathers know of this judgment? Your forefathers were living at the same time as my forefathers.” Yes, they knew of this very well. They knew, and they clearly understood about the judgment of every non-believer. Then he spoke the following words that should burn deep into the heart and soul of every Christian, Pastor, and Missionary on deputation. “How is it, the Chief ask, that your ancestors did not send them word about these terrible things sooner? They ALL passed away into darkness, without knowing where they were going.”

 

Do You REALLY Believe What You Say You Believe?

From this question, I ask every Christian, each Pastor, and every single Bible-Believing Church in the World, regardless of your financial blessings, “Is there a hell (Luke 16:19-31)?

Is there a future judgement awaiting every unsaved person after the 1,000 year millennial reign of Jesus Christ on the earth (Revelation 21:8)?

Do you believe there is a Heaven so wonderful that every person that accepts Jesus Christ by faith will live eternally with Him (Romans 10:9-13)?

Is it really true that Jesus Christ became the only sacrifice for man and shed His blood as the only payment for man’s sin debt (Hebrews 2:9)?

Is it also true that everyone that does not receive Jesus Christ by faith will die and be cast into outer darkness (Matthew 22:13)?

Is it also true that each lost person will spend their eternity in a place where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 22:13)?

Is it likewise true that God desires that EVERY person learn of the atoning work of Jesus Christ (II Peter 3:9)?

Do you honest to goodness believe in these doctrinal truths? Have these truths gripped your heart and soul? Oh my, how many people will exclaim at the Great White Throne Judgment, “Psalm 142:11, ‘’No man cared for my soul.”

Meet Shammy, a Lady That Came to Jesus While on Social Media

I humbly share a story of a lady living in a middle-eastern country.  Her name is Shammy. I first met this lady as she requested my friendship in Facebook through only one common friend. We talked for maybe three minutes when I asked her the most important question in the world. Shamsa I asked, if you were to die today, are you 100% sure that you would go to heaven, or would you have to say, I just do not know? She said that she was not sure. After 1:15 minutes on Facebook, this middle-eastern lady called upon Jesus Christ, and Him alone, for the salvation of her soul.

The next day she asked my permission to copy our conversation, as she greatly desired to share this glorious news with the people in her country.   Since no one had told her the truth about Jesus Christ and Heaven, in all of her 33 years of life, she wanted to make sure that others could hear and make their decision, based upon the Word of God. By the Glorious Grace of God, she won 108 souls to Jesus in less than two weeks. Altogether, she has teamed with our ministry to win over 3,000 people to Jesus Christ during 2014.

How Many People Like Shammy Would Go To Heaven If You Would Be Willing To Take The Gospel To Them?

She had written the following words to me: “No one ever asked me the question about where I would spend eternity until I met you on Facebook. I am so blessed with the visit I had with Missionary Jim as this conversation led me to submitting myself to Jesus Christ and then sharing the Gospel to others. My life was enriched, and was given far greater meaning since the day I have realized my need for Jesus Christ!”

How many people like Shammy would go to heaven if you would be willing to take the Gospel to them? Does this not remind you of how concerned God was over one lost soul standing in his chariot in a desert called Gaza, by whom we only know him as “The Ethiopian Eunuch?”

God placed such great value on that ONE soul that he removed Phillip from Samaria, where he had been preaching the Gospel (Acts 8:5), where many were turning to Jesus Christ and led him into the desert to help a seeking sinning understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Acts 8:6, 12, 14, 25). He was able to explain the Scriptures and present the Glorious Gospel to the Eunuch. Thank God, he responded to the Gospel and was saved.

Church history tells us that this man took the Gospel and spread the Gospel through-out all of Africa following salvation in the desert of Gaza. Wow! Who could had known the impact this one soul would make for Jesus Christ.

It is the same with this middle-eastern lady. How many Missionaries could reach these precious people like Shammy if you would give sacrificially each month to those that are willing to go and whom are even now reaching many with the Gospel

Let us see the biblical principle presented by Jesus, used by the Missionary Philip, and subsequently used by this Missionary in winning Shammy to Jesus Christ.

 

The Biblical Pattern for Evangelizing the World

1. Jesus said that we are to present the Gospel Clearly (Matthew 28:19; John 14:6; Acts 4:12).
2. Phillip went and presented the Gospel (Acts 8:30, 35). Eunuch was Seeking Truth (Acts 8:31), but needed someone to explain the Gospel to him (Acts 8:28-31).  I was able to present the Gospel to Shammy through Social Media. She, like the Eunuch, was seeking Truth!
3. Jesus taught that the new convert is to follow the Lord in “Believer’s Baptism” (Matthew 28:19c).   Phillip baptized the man that had just received Jesus Christ (Acts 8:38-39).    Shammy was baptized in a water hole in her middle-eastern country, thus identifying her with Jesus Christ. This of course could mean death when you identify with Jesus in this particular Country.
4. Jesus said that we are to continue teaching or training the new Believer (Matthew 28:19d).  Although there is no record of who taught the Eunuch during his early days of becoming a becoming a Christian, but Church historians tell us that this man spread the Gospel through-out Africa.  

I believe that discipleship is a divinely given duty, as stated, for example, in the Great   Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Having said this, I must also point out that God sometimes provides for the training of men apart from the typical means. Saul, for example, was trained by God in the wilderness, and not by the apostles.

So, too, this Ethiopian was not trained by Philip or by any other Christian, so far as I can tell. In these exceptional cases, God will meet the need.

Shammy and I met every Friday on Skype (a video conferencing outlet) for 90 minutes each week, for sin to eight months to train her in the Word of God.

This is what we are all called upon to do. But the Missionary MUST get to the field.   How will you help? Each Christian has a personal responsibility to either go, to pray, or to give financially so another may repeat this process for Jesus Christ.

There Is An Urgency In Your Getting Heavily Involved In Missions

1. First, the time is short (I Corinthians 7:29).   Therefore, you must do all that you can while you can.
2. You could have less than 24 hours to live. Luke 12:20 is giving You a severe warning, “But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? “  

Why now?   Hebrews 9:27, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die , but after this the judgment:”

You simply do not know the day nor the hour that you will die.   Therefore God has warned you to make your preparations to meet Him before you die (Amos 4:12).  

Therefore God even told you WHEN you should make your spiritual preparations in II Corinthians 6:2, “For he saith , I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold , now is the accepted time; behold , now is the day of salvation).”  

 

1. Jesus could return at any moment to snatch all Believers out of this world (II Thessalonians 4:13-18).    Jesus  will come as a thief in the night  (Matthew 24:43;      I Thessalonians 5:2).

One day you WILL stand before Jesus Christ as a Christ at what the Bible calls “The Judgement Seat of Christ” (II Corinthians 5:10). Every Christian WILL appear before Jesus Christ and give account of how faithful we were in the things of God (Romans 14:12).

It will be an awesome event to look into the eyes of Jesus and wish they you had done more. What possible explanation can you provide for NOT giving to get Missionaries to the field?

The greatest thought in my mind, is my personal accountability to God! It will not matter what I “Wanted” to do, but what did I actually do and what was my motive in doing it?   I cannot say that it was impossible for me to carry out the Great Commission when He personal commanded every believer to try and reach the World with the Gospel (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47; John 20:21; Acts 1:8).

Obedience to these commands are not Optional, they are Orders to be Obeyed. And God expects each of us to be faithful in our obedience (II Corinthians 4:2). You Possess The Truth; But Does The Truth Possess You?

 

You Will, At The Judgement Seat Of Christ Say, “Thank God That I Did, Or, I Wish That I Would Had”

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The Glorious Grace of God

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Luke 23; 42, 43: “And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

We once again return to Calvary. Calvary, the most sacred and significant place in the world. Calvary is the place where Jesus Died that you might Live. Calvary is the place where we see Man at his Worst while seeing God at His Best. Calvary, where the royal, rich, and red blood of our Sinless Saviour was shed so that wicked, vile sinners could make peace with God through His Son Jesus Christ.   Calvary, the place where the Angels in heaven wept while the Demons in hell were rejoicing.

Let us remember the first words of Jesus while hanging upon Calvary’s cross. We strained to listen as Jesus prayed for those that had just clamored for His crucifixion; then they placed the crown of thorns upon His head, and drove the thorns deep into His scalp.

Listen as the Son of God prays for those that spit upon Him; He prayed for those that had pummeled their fists into His face; He prayed for the one that thrust the spear into His side. In Luke 23:34: “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do …”

As the crowd stood gazing upon the One they had wanted to hang and suffer on the Cross, they stood beholding the excruciating pain of God’s only Son (Luke 23: 35). They had now started the mocking, the ridicule, the gambling for His clothing, the taunting to save Himself.   But this was NOT in plan of our Gracious God.

Finally the crowd heard a small conversation taking place between all three that were hanging on the cross. What were they saying? Each wanted to get closer to hear this monumental conversation that would have eternal consequences for both men on either side of Jesus (Luke 23: 39-43).

These words speak loudly and unmistakably of the Glorious Grace of God. Neither man had a right to ask Jesus to forgive them. They were both guilty, condemned men. They were convicted thieves.   Yet, God in His grace listened to each man and responded accordingly to each one.

The Clearest Picture Of Salvation By Grace In The Entire Bible

Grace is the unmerited, and the unmeritable favor of God. Grace is God NOT giving to man that which he deserves. If you and I received that which we deserve, we would all be burning and suffering in hell this very minute.   No, these men did NOT deserve God to even listen to them, let alone answer their prayers.

An Example Of God’s Grace

When a person works an eight-hour day and receives a fair day’s pay for his time, that is a wage.   When a person competes with an opponent and receive s a trophy for winning, that is a prize. When a person receives appropriate recognition for his long service or high achievements and good performance, that is an award.

But when a person is not capable of earning a wage, can win no prize, and deserves no award, yet receives such a gift anyway, it is a good picture of God’s unmerited favor. This is what we mean when we speak of the Grace of God.

 

Throughout His ministry, Jesus had been “the Friend of Sinners” (Matthew 11:19). His antagonists derided Jesus for this. They mocked Jesus by saying, Since Jesus loves sinners so much, and they were His companions in life, we will give Him the privilege of dying with them. Little did they realize that Jesus was actually dying FOR them and not merely WITH them (II Corinthians 5:21).

 

Let Us See What Each Person Represented While Hanging On The Cross

• We see one man dying IN his sin; one man dying OUT of his sin, and of course Jesus dying FOR sin.

• We witness one man Scoffing Jesus; another man Seeking Jesus; and Jesus Sacrificing Himself as the ONLY sacrifice for sin His Father would accept.

• We witness one man making a decision to go to Hell; the other man making his decision to go to Heaven; whereas Jesus is providing the only HOPE that any will have in gaining entrance into Heaven.

 

Placing Your Faith in Jesus Christ is Your ONLY Hope of Going to Heaven

  One man went to heaven because he placed his faith Completely in Jesus Christ.   He finally understood the truth found in John 14:6: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”   This man did not deserve to go to heaven any more than you and I do, but he made the correct decision. He placed his faith in Jesus Christ as his only hope of going to Heaven.

While in India in May of 2014, I realized just how big idol worship was in this great land. There are over 330 million false gods various people worship.   Yet, 1,287 came to Jesus Christ during this missionary journey, understanding that Jesus Christ is the ONLY name whereby men MUST be saved (Acts 4:12).  What made the difference? Simply preaching and presenting Jesus Christ, and His atonement for man’s sins.

 

Jesus Christ Wants EVERYONE To Go To Heaven

Now there were two sinners hanging beside Jesus while He was paying for the sins of the world (John 1:29). As joyful as Jesus was in one responding to His sacrificial work on the Cross, He was just as broken for the one that literally saw what the Son of God was doing for all people, yet chose to reject the Work of Christ.  

I Timothy 2:4 reminds us that God wants YOU to be saved and go to heaven. “Who will have all men to be saved , and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” I Timothy 2:6 teaches us, “Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”

There is no one that Jesus will not forgive and thereby save and take to Heaven. I Timothy 1:15: “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”

 

Here What The Repentant Sinner Understood And What He Did To Go To Heaven

 

1. He understood his Condition.   He knew that he was a sinner. He knew that he deserved his punishment, both in this life, and the life to come.   He knew that he deserved hell. Romans 3:10 reminds us that that: “There is NONE righteous, no not one.” Romans 3:23 is clear about the spiritual condition of us all when Paul declared that we have ALL sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

 

2. He understood God’s Provision. He finally grasped that Jesus Christ was doing, not only for him, but for any and all that might call upon Him in faith. Luke 23:41: “And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds : but this man hath done nothing.” God’s PROMISE is found in Romans 10:13: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord SHALL BE SAVED”! This is a promise from God.

 

3. He understood that HE must make his Decision.   It was his decision to call upon Jesus Christ. It was His decision to place his complete faith in Jesus and Jesus alone.  It was HIS decision to ask Jesus to save him.  II Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”  

 

In light of this, what was the response of Jesus towards this sinner calling upon Jesus for salvation? Luke 23:42, 43, “ And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” Jesus promised to take him to heaven.

The same promise by Jesus is offered to you as well. Romans 10:13 is a promise from God to you, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord SHALL BE SAVED.”

 

Will You Call Upon Jesus Right Now, Placing Your Faith In Him; Trusting In His Grace?

 

If you do, please email me at: JimKilgoreMinistries@gmail.com and I will send you some free Bible Study materials to help you as a new Christian.

How Deeply Do We Christians Really Care About Global Missions?

How Deeply Do We Christians Really Care About Global Missions?

This is a parable about how we so often focus in certain areas with the Gospel and yet we neglect the vast majority of the people in the world. Years ago someone told me, “The Good news of the Gospel is ONLY Good news IF it reaches them in time. I believe this old story from 1979 should shed light on the Churches failure to reach the Unreached.

 This is a Mission’s Parable about Lost People and Putting Global Evangelism Statistics and Numbers in Perspective.

  

   Are you familiar with the parable Jesus told about the lost sheep? Here’s one on a similar note except that it’s about the RUINED apples from a potentially PLENTIFUL harvest.

    Once upon a time, there was an apple grower who had acres and acres of apple trees. In all, he had 10,000 acres of apple orchards.   One day he went to the nearby town. There, he hired 1,000 apple pickers. He told them:

   “Go to my orchards. Harvest the ripe apples, and build storage buildings for them so that they will not spoil. I need to be gone for a while, but I will provide all you will need to complete the task. When I return, I will reward you for your work.”

    “I’ll set up a Society for the Picking of Apples. The Society — to which you will all belong — will be responsible for the entire operation. Naturally, in addition to those of you doing the actual harvesting, some will carry supplies, others will care for the physical needs of the group, and still others will have administrative responsibilities.”

    As he set up the Society structure, some people volunteered to be pickers and others to be packers. Others put their skills to work as truck drivers, cooks, accountants, storehouse builders, apple inspectors and even administrators. Every one of his workers could, of course, have picked apples. In the end, however, only 100 of the 1,000 employees wound up as full-time pickers.

    The 100 pickers started harvesting immediately. Ninety-four of them began picking around the homestead, (Local Missions). The remaining six looked out toward the horizon, (Global Missions). They decided to head out to the far-away orchards.

    Before long, the storehouses in the 800 acres immediately surrounding the homestead had been filled by the 94 pickers with beautiful, delicious apples. The orchards on the 800 acres around the homestead had thousands of apple trees. But with almost all of the pickers concentrating on them, those trees were soon picked nearly bare. In fact, the ninety-four apple pickers working around the homestead began having difficulty finding trees which had not been picked

  As the apple picking slowed down around the homestead, Society members began channeling effort into building larger storehouses and developing better equipment for picking and packing. They even started some schools to train prospective apple pickers to replace those who one day would be too old to pick apples.

  Sadly, those ninety-four pickers working around the homestead began fighting among themselves. Incredible as it may sound, some began stealing apples that had already been picked. Although there were enough trees on the 10,000 acres to keep every available worker busy, those working nearest the homestead FAILED to move into unharvested areas. They just kept working those 800 acres nearest the house. Some on the northern edge sent their trucks to get apples on the southern side. And those on the south side sent their trucks to gather on the east side.

    Even with all that activity, the harvest on the remaining 9,200 acres was left to just six pickers. Those six were, of course, far too few to gather all the ripe fruit in those thousands of acres. So, by the hundreds of thousands, apples rotted on the trees and fell to the ground.
     One of the students at the apple-picking school showed a special talent for picking apples quickly and effectively. When he heard about the thousands of acres of untouched faraway orchards, he started talking about going there.

    His friends discouraged him. They said: “Your talents and abilities make you very valuable around the homestead. You’d be wasting your talents out there. Your gifts can help us harvest apples from the trees on our central 800 acres more rapidly. That will give us more time to build bigger and better storehouses. Perhaps you could even help us devise better ways to use our big storehouses since we have wound up with more space than we need for the present crop of apples.”

    With so many workers and so few trees, the pickers and packers and truck drivers — and all the rest of the Society for the Picking of Apples living around the homestead — had time for more than just picking apples.

    They built nice houses and raised their standard of living. Some became very conscious of clothing styles. Thus, when the six pickers from the far-off orchards returned to the homestead for a visit, it was apparent that they were not keeping up with the styles in vogue with the other apple pickers and packers.

    To be sure, those on the homestead were always good to those six who worked in the far away orchards. When any of those six returned from the far away fields, they were given the red carpet treatment. Nonetheless, those six pickers were saddened that the Society of the Picking of Apples spent 96 percent of its budget for bigger and better apple-picking methods and equipment and personnel for the 800 acres around the homestead while it spent only 4 percent of its budget on all those distant orchards.

    To be sure, those six pickers knew that an apple is an apple wherever it may be picked. They knew that the apples around the homestead were just as important as apples far away. Still, they could not erase from their minds the sight of thousands of trees which had never been touched by a picker, (This is the DEEP, DEEP burden on my heart.  People in the MILLIONS are dropping into hell without EVER hearing the Gospel.  Oh my soul is so heavy as I look into the faces of those people whose countries i try to evangelize.  Don’t they deserve a chance to hear the Gospel at least once?).

    They longed for more pickers to come help them. They longed for help from packers, truck drivers, supervisors, equipment-maintenance men, and ladder builders. They wondered if the professionals working back around the homestead could teach them better apple-picking methods so that, out where they worked, fewer apples would rot and fall to the ground.

    Those six sometimes wondered to themselves whether or not the Society for the Picking of Apples was doing what the orchard owner had asked it to do.

    While one might question whether the Society was doing all the owner wanted done, the members did keep very busy. Several members were convinced that proper apple picking requires nothing less than the very best equipment. Thus, the Society assigned several members to develop bigger and better ladders as well as nicer boxes to store apples. The Society also prided itself at having raised the qualification level for full-time apple pickers.

    When the owner returns, the Society members will crowd around him. They’ll proudly show off the bigger and better ladders they’ve built and the nice apple boxes they’ve designed and made. One wonders how happy that owner will be, however, when he looks out and sees the acres and acres of untouched trees with their unpicked apples.

Original version appeared in Let’s Quit Kidding Ourselves About Missions, Moody Press. © 1979 by The Moody Bible Institute. Edited and revised by Howard Culbertson.

My Dear Friends, “Untold Billions REMAIN Untold”

 

What will you do more than what you are currently doing to reach the World for Jesus Christ?  Please email me at JimKilgoreMinistries@gmail.com  We are Going Global with the Gospel!       

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