In Loving Memory

I wrote this several months back...but it sat in my drafts for a long time. 

"Recently I came away from visiting a lady for the last time who was special to me...my sister's mother-in-law. She was lovingly known as "Gramma" by her grandchildren.   Over the years that I was able to get to know her, maybe because I never was able to have a close relationship with either of my Grandmothers, she seemed to fill that place for me. She radiated joy and love to others...but most of all to the Lord. She was very often speaking of the Lord Jesus her Saviour. Some of the very last words I got to hear her say while she lay there in bed, declining rapidly with only a matter of days left to live, and struggling to have the strength to speak were about the Lord her Saviour. 

This happened as I went on one of my visits to her, bringing along one of her granddaughters with me. Her 12 year old granddaughter (my niece) took her hand and said to her "You've always been such a good example to us." Her Gramma was very weak, and lay there a short time before responding "All because of Jesus!", with an expression of perfect peace on her face. 

I miss her...she was always someone with a listening ear and ready heart to help, and willing to give of her time to pray for others.  As I've thought about her passing on to be with the Lord, and it seems that the thought of the swiftness of eternity coming for each one of us is so often on my mind, and the thought of those who do not know the Lord is heavy on my heart today...I wonder, do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour? Will you be able, just as peacefully as she did, to pass from this world to the next when it's your time to go? We should never be afraid to seriously ask ourselves this question....whether we've considered ourselves to be saved for five years, ten years, or 40 years. Is it real? Do you really know the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you trusted in Him, and let go of all self-righteousness?" 

It's not a prayer that will save you. 
It's not reforming your life that will save you. 
It's not having morals and right principles. 

One may have all of these, and still be lost.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation. 

   "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." -John 14:6

   "Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.  This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." -Acts 4:12

How do we come to Him? By faith. This faith is not a head knowledge of certain facts...but a genuine trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. According to God's Word, this faith will have fruit...evidenced by contrition over sin.  It is good to pray, but one might pray over and again in sinful unbelief, without trusting in Christ, and still be lost.  "The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." Psalm 34:18.  "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." If you have not this faith, and contrition over your own sinfulness, will you begin asking the Lord for it? 

"And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." -Luke 11:9-10

"And...should there be any present who are not yet believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, 

they should give themselves no rest in asking God to show them that they are sinners, and that they need the Saviour; and when they are brought to know this, then to ask God to enable them to put their trust in Jesus. And what they will obtain will be the forgiveness of their sins, and peace to their souls, and hatred of sin and love for holiness. God grant this blessing to all of us, for Christ's sake." -George Mueller

The Lord has promised to be good to those who seek Him! (See Lamentations 3:25). He has been very good to me when I sought Him, and He was found of me...and I humbly ask you, if you have not already - will you seek Him with all your heart too? You will find Him if you do, for He has promised. 

Are you trusting in Him, and in Him alone? Have you experienced the wonderful change of becoming a new creature in Christ Jesus? This faith will have evidence!

"You may know the true grace of God by this — it brings salvation, and teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts. My fellow-sinner, have You received salvation? Have you experienced a change of heart, and a change of life? Nothing but the grace of God can bring you to Heaven, and it only brings those there who possess it. To be in a graceless state, is to be in a hopeless state; and to be in a hopeless state, is to be in a most dreadful state."- James Smith, 1842

"Here is Divine consolation. Christ pronounces "blessed" not those who are full of righteousness, but those who "hunger and thirst" after it." -selected

"It is not the absence of sin, but the grieving over it which distinguishes the child of God from empty professors." -A.W. Pink 

Have you ever known what it is to hunger and thirst after righteousness? Or what it is to mourn over your own inward corruptions? If not...will you ask the Lord to show you your sins, and give you a truly contrite heart? 

   "The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." -Psalms 34:18

 "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." -Matthew 5:4

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." 
-Matthew 5:6

  "Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities." -Acts 3:26

"Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freeely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;" - Romans 3:19-25

Have your sins been washed away, and have you been made white by the precious blood of the Lamb? (See Revelation 7:14). 

Have you truly believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, and has He therefore become precious to you?

"Unto you therefore which believe he is precious:" -1 Peter 2:7a 

I posted this poem once before awhile back...but I would just like to share it again: 

Come and See! 

If there is anyone reading this who does not know the Lord Jesus Christ, 

I pray that you, too, will "come and see" as Philip once said to Nathanael. 

And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing 

come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. 

John 1:46

Oh friend, I'd like to tell you

Of One so dear to me.

He is the only Saviour;

Oh, won't you "come and see"?

I cannot taste for you

Forgiveness full and free;

But, Oh! I'd like to urge you,

My friend, to "come and see"!

You'll find in Him a Refuge

If you will only seek

With all your heart and mind and soul

The Shepherd of the sheep.

Don't linger at the portals

But flee to Him Who died!

He rose again, and now you'll find

A Refuge in His side.

His blood was shed, the debt to pay

For all those who believe;

Each one of those who comes to Him

Eternal life receives.

"And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, 

and love one another, as he gave us commandment." -1John 3:23

The Lord Jesus said: 

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." -Matthew 11:28-30

Here, in my sister's mother-in-law's very own handwriting, is the question I know she would want you to ask yourself: