Justin_Long_Founder
My, but those words sound so ominous. They remind me of sonorousvoices springing up to speak for hours while victims sit in hard, cold,wooden pews. Well, you’re lucky at least: you get to choose where yousit, and your own voice–which you’re probably more comfortablewith–gets to read the words to you.
I’ve said from time to time my testimony is “boring.” I suppose Ishouldn’t say that: how can I even dare to claim the salvation ofJesus’ sacrifice is “boring”? There was certainly nothing boring abouthis life: the Pharisees dogged him at every step, trying to defeat him.If they had been bored, I imagine they would have let him alone. Yetthere was something infuriatingly holy about this man — something thatshowed them for what they were. Their pride couldn’t handle that, sothey conspired, broke half their laws, tried him illegally, and senthim off to his death. Even then, he wasn’t boring: how many of youcould be nailed to the most pain-inflicting instrument of the times,and still say, “Forgive them”? *I* couldn’t. I’d have beenpronouncing curses on them until the very last second — especially ifI knew I had the power to make my curses really work! No, his life andhis death weren’t boring in the least, no matter what Satan’spropaganda campaign has been telling us for the past 1, 988 — excuseme, 1,989 years.
Still, you no doubt already know the life and times of the man calledJesus. You’re wondering about me. (or else, you downloaded this fileout of curiosity, and are reading it simply to sate said emotion).
I was saved at six.
(no, no dragging me to the altar, no trembling confession of a thousandand one sins, no flushing of cocaine down the toilet, no agnonizingnights as I tried to get over alcoholism. Sorry.)
Through sixteen, I did rather well.
(my biggest sin was stealing my mom’s last Snicker bar.)
(Oh, well, unless you count the time when, at seven, I was determined Iwas going to run away — the thought lasted until darkness fell, and mybest friend had to go in for supper.)
At seventeen, somehow I began looking at everything I COULDN’T do. Actually, I should phrase it — all I wouldn’t do. Couldn’t orwouldn’t, it doesn’t matter which. So when a pretty young girl blinkedher lashes at me, suddenly all the years seemed to roll into one largelump of bitterness, and I started to draw aside. Seventeen, and Ihadn’t had any fun. It was a crying shame!
The crying shame came later. We “went out” for quite some time — wentto parties, went to the beach, went here, went there, went to movies –and finally the only unasked question was made. (Congratulations tome: the question wasn’t mine.)
How had it gone so far? How did it fall so quickly? Suddenly, I foundmyself in a situation I had little control over, and I felt rotten.
I said no.
Since then, I’ve climbed back out. It wasn’t much. We didn’t “go allthe way.” In fact, she never even took off her necklace. We’re stillfairly good friends today.
But it began when I got my eyes off all I had, and started looking atall I had not. My witness is not for sinners, but for Christians. Iurge you: remember the man who discovered a treasure in a field. Herushed home, calling for his wife to sell all. His neighbors laughedat him, scorned him, ignored him — until he began to dig, dig, dig inhis newly purchased land. And when he began pulling up jewels, andgold, and silver… my point is proven. Did he sit up at nightpondering the hundred dollar cart he’d sold, when each ruby was worth acouple thousand? Did he whine over his fifty thousand dollar home,when each diamond was worth half a million? Why should we cry abouthow much he’d given up for God, when he has given us everything?
Please, please! The warning signs are coming. The end of the worldcould be just around the corner. I am not a doomsayer, but I look atthe signs of the times. The years ahead, if not the endtimetribulation, will be times that could very well stress and strain theChristian church to a near breaking point. Never forget what you havegained in Christianity. The question is not, “How much have you lost?”The thought is, “How much I have gained!”
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,Look full in his wonderful face.And the things of this world will grow strangely dimIn the light of his glory and grace.
Why turn to Jesus? Why keep true to him? If you take one look at whathe offers, you will spurn everything this world will give you. If youpeer deep within his eyes, the question becomes, “Why not?”
Justin Long Founder