A denial of the resurrection does not figure in early anti-Christian apologetics. That would be the obvious thing to attack if you wanted to stamp out this fledgling religion, right? But no one attacks it. Why do you think that is? I think it was because too many people knew it was true. There may have been bewilderment about its significance, but the fact of Jesus’ resurrection was never denied. Jesus was clearly raised from the dead. The argument was simply about what that could possibly mean.
Mark Dever

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"IT MUST BE SETTLED TONIGHT"

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#1 · April 27, 2003, 10:46 am

Posted by: bigguyhereagain <bigguyhereagain@...>

There was no paper yesterday due to server problems.
<>< IT MUST BE SETTLED TONIGHT ><>
 
THE BURLY MINER BLINKED AS HE LEFT THE DARK INTERIOR
OF THE COAL MINE. STOPPING AT A FAUCET NEAR THE MINE
ENTRANCE, HE WASHED THE WORST OF THE GRIME FROM HIS
FACE AND HANDS, THEN HEADED TOWARDS HIS HOME ON THE
OUTSKIRTS OF THE VILLAGE.
AS HE TRUDGED ALONG THE DUSTY LANE, HE PASSED THE OPEN
DOOR OF A LITTLE CHURCH. INSIDE, A SMALL CROWD
LISTENED INTENTLY AS AN ENERGETIC MAN GESTICULATED
FROM THE PULPIT. INTERESTED, THE MINER STEPPED TO THE
DOOR.
"ABSOLUTE SURRENDER IS WHAT WE MUST HAVE," THE
MINISTER WAS SAYING.
"ARE YOU WILLING TO SURRENDER YOURSELF ABSOLUTELY INTO
HIS HAND? IF NOT, YOU
ARE NOT READY TO MEET YOUR GOD." THE MINISTER PACED
BACK AND FORTH ON THE PLATFORM. "WE DO NOT KNOW HOW
MUCH LONGER OUR EARTHLY PROBATION WILL LAST.
TONIGHT YOU ARE LIVING; TOMORROW MAY BE TOO LATE. ASK
YOURSELF, I BEG OF YOU, 'AM I READY TO MEET THE
LORD?'"
 
THE MINER, TOUCHED TO THE QUICK, SLIPPED INTO THE BACK
PEW. I AM NOT READY
TO MEET GOD, HE THOUGHT. I HAVE LIVED A CARELESS,
GODLESS LIFE. HOW CAN I MAKE PEACE WITH HIM? THE
MEETING ENDED, AND THE PEOPLE FILED OUT. STILL THE
MINER REMAINED IN THE PEW, HIS HEAD IN HIS HANDS.
 
 FINALLY, THE MINISTER TOUCHED HIM ON THE SHOULDER.
"BROTHER, ARE YOU READY TO MEET THE LORD?" BLINDLY,
THE MINER SHOOK HIS HEAD. "I KNOW I AM NOT. OH, HELP
ME FIND PEACE!"
AN HOUR PASSED AS THE MINISTER SHARED THE PLAN OF
SALVATION; YET SOMETHING HELD THE MINER BACK FROM FULL
SURRENDER.   "IT'S GETTING LATE," THE MINISTER FINALLY
SAID. "GO HOME, AND CONTINUE TO SEEK THE LORD."
THE MINER SHOOK HIS HEAD. "STAY WITH ME A LITTLE
LONGER; IT MUST BE SETTLED TONIGHT."
ONCE AGAIN THE MINISTER EXPLAINED THE WAY OF SALVATION
AND PRAYED, BUT
IN VAIN. ANOTHER HOUR PASSED. "YOU MUST GO HOME," THE
MINISTER TOLD HIM. "IT'S
LATE, AND I CANNOT MAKE IT ANY CLEARER."
"IT MUST BE SETTLED TONIGHT," THE MINER REPEATED, HIS
EYES BURNING WITH
EARNESTNESS.
"THEN WE SHALL STAY HERE TOGETHER," THE MINISTER
AGREED. ONCE MORE HE
SPOKE OF JESUS AND SHARED PROMISE AFTER PROMISE. ONCE
MORE HE PRAYED, BUT IN VAIN. "I MUST GO," THE MINISTER
FINALLY SAID. "IT WILL SOON BE MORNING. GO HOME, AND
RETURN TOMORROW NIGHT. MAYBE THEN YOU WILL FIND
PEACE."
 
"SIR, I CANNOT LEAVE THIS PLACE UNTIL I FIND PEACE."
THE POOR MAN'S VOICE TREMBLED. "TOMORROW MAY BE TOO
LATE. IT MUST BE SETTLED TONIGHT."
 
THE MINISTER COULD NOT RESIST HIS APPEAL. " BY THE
HELP OF GOD." HE SAID,"IT SHALL BE SETTLED TONIGHT."
AGAIN HE EXPLAINED THE STEPS OF CONVERSION; AGAIN HE
PRAYED. AS HE SPOKE, THE MINER BROKE INTO SOBS AND
TEARS AND AT LAST THE LIGHT
PIERCED HIS DARKNESS. "I SEE IT!" HE CRIED. "I GIVE
MYSELF ABSOLUTELY TO GOD, TO HIS WILL, TO DO ONLY WHAT
HE WANTS. IT IS SETTLED. PRAISE HIS NAME, IT IS
SETTLED!" THE TWO MEN KNELT AGAIN, BUT THIS TIME TO
THANK GOD FOR BRINGING LIGHT TO A SINNER'S SOUL.
 THE NEXT MORNING THE MINER WENT TO WORK AS USUAL.
DURING THE DAY HE WAS SENT TO A DISTANT PART OF THE
MINE TO FETCH SOME TOOLS. WHEN HE DID NOT RETURN, HIS
FELLOW WORKERS WENT TO LOOK FOR HIM. THEY FOUND THAT
THE MINE WALLS HAD CAVED IN ON HIM, AND HE WAS BURIED
IN THE DEBRIS. WORKING WITH PICK AND SHOVEL, THEY
BEGAN TO DIG.
 
FINALLY, FROM THE FRAGMENTS OF ROCK AND RUBBISH AND
STONE, WHICH HID HIM FROM SIGHT, CAME A FAINT SOUND:
"TONIGHT ---- WOULD HAVE BEEN ---- TOO LATE. THANK GOD
---- IT WAS SETTLED ---- LAST NIGHT!"
-AM I READY TO MEET THE LORD?
 
<>< + <>< + <>< + <>< + <>< + <>< + <>< + <>< +<>< + <><
 
What if...?
God couldn't take the time to Bless us today because we could not take the time to thank Him yesterday...
 
What if...?
God decided to stop leading us tomorrow because we didn't follow Him today...
 
What if...?
God didn't walk with us today because we failed to recognize it as His day...
 
What if...?
We never saw another flower bloom because we grumbled when God sent the rain...
 
What if...?
God stopped loving and caring for us because we failed to love and care for others...
 
What if...?
God took away the Bible tomorrow, because we would not read it today...
 
What if...?
God took away his message because we failed to listen to His messenger...
 
What if...?
God met our needs the way we give Him our lives...
 
What if...?
God didn't send His only begotten Son because He wanted us to be prepared to pay the price of sin...
 
What if...?
God answered our prayers the way we answer His call to service...
 
What if...?
The door to the church was closed because we did not open the door of our hearts...
 
What if...?
God would not hear us today because we would not listen to Him yesterday...
 
What if...?
We failed to pass this message on...
 
Have a Blessed Day
Dave and Barbara
 
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