As a preacher, I'm always searching for new resources to help me teach people about the saving grace of Jesus Christ and His plan for saving His creation. My library is full of rubber-banded stacks of this Bible study course or that tract. I have even contemplated writing my own from time to time.  The PFP has even released a Keynote Bible Study just for helping people teach others! 

But I think I might have found my new favorite!

Sure, it doesn't stream Bible passages together to teach people the truth, it leaves that up to the person who will follow up with the perspective Christian. But what it does do is strike right to the heart of the person reading it and convict, encourage and instruct them about a very real possibility. 

I'm talking about the new book "I Died Last Night" by John Orr (published by Start2Finish Books). 

One person said, "It scared the Hell out of me, literally!" I completely agree! 

I Died Last Night was amazingly blunt in its delivery of some very scary truths! As the story follows the first few moments of a man's life in torments after passing from this life, you read about his first impressions of the place, his encounters with people from his past life and even those who lived long before him. 

The imagery of demons, pain and memories is so vivid that one person said, "Don't read this book before you go to sleep at night!" - I wish I had read that quote before starting to read it at 10PM one night!

John Orr uses Biblical truths and amazing word pictures to take you down into the depths of hell and make you honestly look at your life.  If you read this book, be warned, because it will hurt your ego and destroy your pride!

I highly recommend every single person reads this book and buys copies (that's right, multiples) to give to every person they know!

     There are two interpretations of this quote. Either the famous philosopher was speaking as to the individual's power to chose what will be right and wrong in his life, or he was giving that power to the majority in that society decides what is equitable or intolerable. No matter what, he was wrong! 


     Where Protagoras messed up wasn't in implying the ability to chose which is placed in us (i.e. free will) but rather the degree to which he elevated that free will. Solomon wrote it very clearly when he said, "Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all." 

     While we do have the ability to decide what we will do, we do not have the ability to chose whether that thing is right or wrong - it has already been decided. 

      That being said, let's think about that in light of today. It's April 1, 2014 which means today is the day of the practical joker, and I plan on taking my holiday to heart and celebrating it with passion. That being said, there was once another very wise, inspired man who wrote another passage of Scripture stating that the fool, or the wicked man, has determined to reject the overwhelming evidence of his Creator and Lord and deem his own free will as the measure of all things. 

     It's extremely sad to see our world in its current situation. God is mocked as if He were the intended victim of April Fool's Day. He is cursed and condemned even though He is the condemner. And yet all the while He's looking down on us pleading with our race to reject the words of a man (Protagoras or any other relativistic philosopher) and receive the words of the Master. 

     While you are playing jokes today, don't forget that your acceptance of God and obedience to Him is no joke! 

     "[L]ooking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat (2 Peter 3:12)." - What an amazing thought! The fact that the Lord of Glory will descend from heaven (Acts 1:11) in order to receive His children back to Him (John 14:3) to take them to their eternal rest (2 Thessalonians 1:7) is awe-inspiring to say the least. 

     However, there is a word in that passage of inspired Scripture that seems to be overlooked on a daily basis. It's the word "hastening". Now, to some that word gives the idea of causing to speed up, but we understand there is no Biblical precedent on how a Christian can do anything to speed up or slow down the coming of Christ. No, the word means an earnest desire, a hope. 

     Do we honestly, sincerely and reverently hope that Christ will return sooner rather than later? There is a song which some sing called, "Jesus is Coming Soon" in which the singers say that Jesus is, in fact, coming soon. The problem with the song does not arise from that idea, per say, but that the second verse is very premillennial and cannot be sung in accordance with God's will (check out this article for more insight). 

     That being said, do we earnestly desire and expect Jesus to return to gather us for the Judgement? 

     I'm afraid that if we don't, we are in danger of being caught off guard and ill-prepared for that Day!

     So, what does this mean to us in 2014 as Christians living in a much different world than that of Peter and John yet still having the same Christianity and standard of such as they? It means we have to have that same hope! 

     I once heard a brother end his prayer with something to the effect of, "Please, Lord, bring the Judgment soon so that we can be with you!" When he said that, I have to admit that I was somewhat uneasy praying that but upon further meditation I'm convinced that is exactly how we ought to be thinking today. 

     Let's face it, our world is a sinful place filled with ungodliness and Satan is well-loved. It is a place in which Christ and His church is the source of derision and even hate. It's a place where the individual can find salvation and encouragement through the Word of God and yet many would have that Word thrown into the nearest dumpster at a moment's notice. I don't know about you, but I hope Jesus comes soon! If not just to get out of this world and live in a place where righteousness reigns. 

     So, if you have the understanding that Christ will return to bring Judgment on the world and take the faithful to heaven eternal, tell someone about it because at the same time you are to be hoping that it happens very quickly and you just might not have time to tell other people. 

     "Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"