A Time To Die

I bring up the subject now and again because it’s one we all need to contemplate on.

"The Obituary of Mrs. Prayer Meeting." Mrs. Prayer Meeting died recently at the First Neglected Church, on Worldly Ave. Born many years ago in the midst of great revivals, she was a strong, healthy child, fed largely on testimony and Bible study, soon growing into worldwide prominence, and was one of the most influential members of the famous Church family. For the past several years Sister Prayer Meeting has been failing in health, gradually wasting away until rendered helpless by stiffness of knees, coldness of heart, inactivity and weakness of purpose and will power. At the last she was but a shadow of her former happy self. Her last whispered words were inquiries concerning the strange absence of her loved ones now busy at work and places of amusements. Experts, including Dr. Works, Dr. Reform, and Dr. Joiner, disagreed as to the cause of her fatal illness, administering large doses of organization, socials, contests and drives but to no avail. A post mortem showed that a deficiency of spiritual food coupled with the lack of faith, heartfelt religion and general support, were contributing causes. Only a few were present at her death, sobbing over memories of her past beauty and power. In Honor of her going, the church doors will be closed on Wednesday nights, save the third Wednesday night of each month when the Ladies Pink Lemonade Society serves refreshments to the men’s handball team. Sad to say, this obituary could be read over many churches, as well as, many Christians today.  This is an awful, and a tragic death, because it shows the relation of spiritual prayer to spiritual power. The lack of prayer means the lack of power; and, the death of prayer means the death of power.
Simply put; where there is NO PRAYER, THERE IS NO POWER!

[2 Samuel 14:14; Job 24:22; Genesis 27:2] The Bible teaches - death is an appointment that we all must keep. An unusual business leader often shocked his banker friend by abruptly saying, “I died last night – where does that leave my family, financially?” That was his way of telling the banker to help him with his money so as to provide for his loved ones. But, friend, suppose YOU had died last night? Where would you spend eternity? What shape, spiritually, would you and your loved ones be in if death had intervened yesterday? Perhaps we are all guilty of passing over the serious nature of this solemn idea. Many consider this subject to be morbid but do we honestly realize that the next funeral could be our own? If death comes for us soon, what heritage have we left our children? Will our sons be the gospel preachers and elders the Lord so desperately needs in the years to come? Will our daughters be the spiritual, modest women the church must have (1 Peter 3:1-6)? Will our children get to heaven by following in our footsteps? If our time on earth were soon over, will we leave behind souls that are saved because of our teaching and example (1 Timothy 4:16)? Will the church miss our voice because of the word of encouragement we spoke? Will our hands be missed because of the good works that characterized our life? Will the brethren say, “...You will be missed, because your seat will be empty (1 Samuel 20:18). Job 3:17 speaks of a place where “...the wicked cease from turmoil, and there the weary are at rest.” Hebrews 4:9-10 mentions the rest that remains for the people of God. Death holds no sting and the grave no victory for faithful Christians (1 Corinthians 15:54-58). It makes an everlasting difference in the end.