Horseshoes and Hand Grenades

"Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades". One is luck, the other deadly.

I've been thinking about how often I've told people lately about the passing of my friend who took her own life. I keep telling everyone she was 'so close' to accepting the Lord. 'Close' doesn't count. There is no such thing as being 'almost saved'. If someone hasn't made a decision to follow the Lord they are no closer then the one who has never heard. If they die tomorrow their knowledge without personal acceptance doesn't put them 'close' to heaven - their destination remains hell.

Jesus is the Light. St. Augustine said, "It is of no advantage to be near the light...if the eyes are closed." Satan blinds the minds of those who are perishing (2 Cor.4:3-4). Only God can create the sense of need for Himself in a person and as Oswald Chambers says, "The only thing that can possibly satisfy the need is what created the need." God alone creates and satisfies.

Then, for those of us who claim to know Him - why do we live 'mostly free'? Ann Mainse writes that "Jesus doesn't give us freedom in doses". If the Son has set you free, you are free "through and through" John 8:36 (The Message).

I need to remove words like 'close', 'almost', and 'mostly' from my vocabulary when it comes to talking about salvation issues. We either are perishing, are saved and we can live completely free.

Don't be playing with horseshoes and hand grenades.

A Quote "Good Friend"

Couldn't sleep last night....don't know if it was the popcorn, cranberry juice or chocolate chip cookie and tea before heading to bed - any of the above could have set me off....but....thinking more it was thoughts racing through my head.
A special friend died recently - actually took her own life. This was a friend I had been witnessing to a lot recently and sharing my faith with her. She seemed so close to accepting the Lord. Why did she do this? I wasn't ready to let go. In the pain that has followed so many friends have tried to encourage me by telling me I was a "good friend". If that was really true.....where was I at 2:45pm, Thursday, November 24th when her husband found her in their basement???

Speechless

Well....it only took me half an hour to figure out how to create a 'blog' and now I'm wondering why I did this? Is it because it's the 'in thing' and everyone is talking about their personal blogs? Is it because I actually might have something to ever say? Is it to find a channel to express myself freely and wonder if anyone, anywhere would ever care what I think? Now that it's set-up, I find myself speechless...... Well, at least I'm ready for when the most brilliant of thoughts come to me.... If that's my criteria, ...I'm wondering if there will ever be another post here at all ???