Man at a Crises — E.A. Johnston

Oh, great God, I pray that you open our hearts and minds and peel back the curtains on eternity today and show us that solitary figure with the eyes of a vast crowd upon him as he stands before the judge of all the earth and the books are opened and men are judged according to the things written in the books, whether good or bad, show us the vanity of a life lived selfishly in a world that's just a wrecked vessel smashed on the rocks and slowly sinking.

I pray, Heavenly Father, for you to attend the preaching of your gospel with your pungent presence by your spirit and that you will come and disturb folks, have mercy on some sinner here and show them a revealed Christ, let them see a bleeding and dying Christ on that bloody cross at Calvary.

Sin's Empty Harvest

I pray these things in the strong name of Jesus, Amen. My Bible says that sin is a wasting thing, sin may have a temporary allure, but in the end it will bring you but a profitless harvest of grief and regret for they have sown the wind and they shall reap the whirlwind, and we are warned by the Apostle Paul in Galatians, be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

You go and live a life of sin and you will reap the consequences for sure. The devil likes to wrap sin in pretty packages with colorful bows, but once it's opened and indulged in, will leave just the empty wrappings of bitter tears of guilt and regret.

A man lives in a busy world, a chaotic world and a busy life, all his energies go to his work or career path as he tries to accumulate as much of the world as he can, but this is just an empty bubble that will one day pop, for a man's energies are consumed on the wrong things in life as he makes his way in the world.

Most men live a hollow, drifting life with mundane ambitions, giving an ounce of service to his fellow man, but making no real sacrifice. Most live a life utterly selfish and self-absorbed, living for the moment and tasting the pleasures of life as they briefly appear here and there.

The Certainty of Death and Judgment

A man is in a solitary boat, gliding feebly down the stream of time, as the world flashes by and his ears are filled with the sound of the inevitable roaring cataract of death, to one day leave this world for another world, my Bible declares.

And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. One day man will have to stand before the judge of all the world and give an account of himself. We see this to be the case from this vivid scene spoken of in the book of Revelation.

The Great White Throne

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. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works.

There stands a solitary figure, with the eyes of a vast crowd upon him, from all generations through the ages. There stands before that pure white throne and that sovereign judge a man, a man with his life laid bare and exposed beneath the glaring spotlight of eternity, as that judge reviews that person's life with his intense scrutiny, and behind him is the red hot glow of a lake of fire.

The Second Death and the Final Judgment

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. There, the secrets of his innermost heart are analyzed by that judge, who has eyes of fire, a careless life spent on perishing things that won't hold up for a skinny minute in eternity.

The Judge Who Was Crucified

But that judge has the scars of nail prints in his hands from a time when he walked the earth doing good. Jesus healed the sick and gave sight to the blind. He fed the hungry and gave rest to the weary.

He even raised the dead to life. Yet what happened? Men cried, away with him, and nailed him to a cross. They put a crown of thorns upon his head and crucified him on a hill called Calvary. There he hung, nailed to that cross, with his arms outstretched, wrestling there under the weight of sin.

The Crucified Savior's Love

Look at that man on the cross. See him there, bleeding and dying, Savior for sin. Herein is love, not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. He cared enough for me to hang there, naked and bleeding, on my behalf.

He loved me and gave himself for me. Come, friend, to the feet of this crucified Savior, and look at the bleeding hands and see his dimmed eye as his strength is failing. In the blink of an eye you may be his, nestling in his arms and resting on his grace.

With your burden of sin and selfishness resting at his nail-pierced feet, hear his pleas and promises as he cries, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

The Urgent Crisis of Decision

Look at that man on the cross, friend. Don't let this moment pass you by. Come to him and believe on him and own him as your Savior and Lord. Are you a man at a crisis? The gospel is for the hungry, the weary, and the thirsty.

Are you hungry for God? Are you weary of your sins? Are you thirsty for Christ? Come to him, give your all to him for all he is. He is a pearl of great price worth selling all for and losing all for, so he may be gained.

The Invitation to Receive Living Water

Hear him, and the Spirit and the bride say, Come, and let him that heareth say, Come, and let him that is bethirst come, and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.