Daily Wisdom 06-21-2001 That Life-Changing Moment

I've stood at many a wedding altar as the minister before lots of brides and grooms, but this one was different.The beautiful bride, glowing in her elegant white dress was our only daughter. Man, what a thrill it was toperform Lisa's wedding, and to watch her commit herself unconditionally to a wonderful young man namedRick. She is a great son-picker. And, of course, I watched him commit himself to her. I had the privilege ofwatching that relationship grow over 3 * years to that point from Lisa's first discovery of Rick on a missionstrip... then her deepening love for him... then all the experiences they had together that build trust..and then thejoy of their engagement...the months of preparation for the wedding day. There were a lot of important stagesthat led up to that glorious moment, but something decisive happened that day, at that altar. Everything elsewas important, but it was just preparation. And it all came down to a magic moment on a life-changing day formy daughter. And maybe there's one for you.

Now our word for today from the Word of God is Matthew, Chapter 13, Verses 37-41. It's from a disturbingparable that Jesus told, but it's got life-saving truth. He told about a man with a wheat field, and this competitorcame in and sowed weeds in the middle of the wheat that you couldn't tell them apart, and it messed up, tryingto figure out what was what. And the servants wanted to go out and try to pull up the weeds, and the Mastersaid you won't be able to tell the difference. Well, a little later, he began to explain to the disciples what thismeant. Jesus said, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man, the field was the world, and thegood seed stands for the sons of the Kingdom, the people that belong to him. The weeds are the sons of theEvil One, the ones who don't belong to Jesus. And the enemy who sows them is the Devil. The harvest is theend of the age and the harvesters are Angels. As the weeds are pulled up at the harvest, and burned in the fire,so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out His angels. They will weed out His Kingdom,and it causes sin and all who do evil. In other words all those who are unforgiven and who do not belong toJesus Christ.

Now notice you can't tell the difference between the wheat, the real Christians, and the weeds, the ones wholook like them. And I think that's true today, I mean, literally according to what Jesus is saying here, you canhave sitting in church next to each other, one person who knows Christ and is going to heaven, and anotherwho doesn't and is headed for a Christless eternity. They sing the same songs, know the same words, do allthe same things. The difference is that life-changing moment. Jesus described it over in John, Chapter 5, Verse24. He said, "Whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life, and will not becondemned. He has crossed over from death to life." There's a moment when you consciously choose JesusChrist to be your Savior. You pin all your hopes on Him to give you a relationship with God.

Now lots of church people have discovered Jesus as Lisa discovered Rick, and they've increasing grown toappreciate Him - even love Jesus. They've learned about Jesus. They have done things for Him. And they thinkbased on all of that that they must have a saving relationship with Christ. But there's never been that momentwhen they have taken Jesus hand and said, "From today on Lord I'm all Yours. I am forsaking all others. Youare Number One in my life, I belong totally to You Jesus. And I know you've loved me enough to die for me,and You have won my heart. I'm giving it to You today." That's when you cross from death to life. There's amoment that happens. When did you do that? Do you know that there's been a time when you...do you knowthe time...has there been a time? You say, "I'm not sure". Then you probably haven't. And though you looklike, and act like, and behave like a Christian, there's never been the time of giving you to Jesus. As surely asmy daughter will always know the day she became Rick's, you could always know the day you became JesusChrists' - today, your life changing moment.

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