Published by “Lord help brother so and so to get busy with serving you” I prayed. “You know Lord he is capable of so much more than he is doing right now. Lord Just make him desire to serve you more and more”. I continued this way for some time! I know now that I prayed just as Jesus said in Luke 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, although this prayer was misguided It was well intentioned. Brother Smith (not his real name) was a very capable young man in the Lord. He was about 19 years of age and unlike myself, he was blessed by being raised in the church. He was smart talented, Good with his hands, could repair almost anything. Yet he did not seem as on fire for God as I was. For example, I would pray every morning at the church before work. Just as I was doing now, I would fast often. (I say these things to my utter sham now.) The reason I feel compelled to write this article is the remarkable way Jesus taught me the error of my ways.
You see my little prayer meeting was shattered by ten words they were, “Don’t you fear God seeing you’re in the same condemnation?” On a normal day, I can recall scripture rather easily. However, I feel that God kept me from recognizing this one on this day. I tried to remember where that scripture was in the book I could not. I tried to remember the context of the verse I could not. I searched for my bible to look it up. Guess what, I left it at home. “Don’t you fear God seeing your in the same condemnation?” came back to me. I know there must be a bible in the pews somewhere right? For the first time in the history of Christendom, I could not find a leftover Bible in the empty church building not one! After a diligent search I realized it was time to go to work! With those words ringing in my head, “Don’t you fear God seeing you’re in the same condemnation?”
All day at work it was, “Don’t you fear God seeing you’re in the same condemnation?” At lunch again “Don’t you fear God seeing your in the same condemnation?” and for my life I could not recall anything about those words, those horrible repeating words. Finally, my eight hour shift was over and my eight hour bible study from The Lord. When I finally got home, I ran through the door. Carol my wife greeted me “hi Dear”, my reply, “quick where is my bible”. There, on the table quick flipping to the back of the book to the concordance under “c, confused, conscience, Condemnation” there is was if you haven’t already guessed. Luke 23:40. The other condemned criminal on the cross with Jesus.
Luke 23:40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? it was the other person on the cross
I finally understood that brother smith and I both are going to die. And we both will stand before God in the judgment. We will both give an account of our lives and actions. Every idle word that a man shall speak he shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment. It is not for me to judge any others works but to care for the things that pertain to me alone. Thanks be to God that this is one lesson I will never forget and be much wiser for it!
