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© 1997 Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
Last Update: 03/09/1997
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I've stood at many a wedding altar as the minister before lots of brides and grooms, but this one was different. The beautiful bride, glowing in her elegant white dress was our only daughter. Man, what a thrill it was to perform Lisa's wedding, and to watch her commit herself unconditionally to a wonderful young man named Rick. She is a great son picker. And, of course, I watched him commit himself to her. I had the privilege of watching that relationship grow over 3 ½ years to that point from Lisa's first discovery of Rick ... then her deepening love for him... then all the experiences they had together that build trust..and then the joy of their engagement...the months of preparation for the wedding day. There were a lot of important stages that led up to that glorious moment, but something decisive happened that day, at that altar. Everything else was important, but it was just preparation. And it all came down to a magic moment on a life-changing day for my daughter. And maybe there's one for you.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have Word With You today about That Life Changing Moment .
Now our word for today from the Word of God is Matthew, Chapter 13, Verses 37-41. It is from a disturbing parable that Jesus told, but it has got life-saving truth. He told about a man with a wheat field, and this competitor came in and sowed weeds in the middle of the wheat that you couldn't tell them apart, and it messed up, trying to figure out what was what. And the servants wanted to go out and try to pull up the weeds, and the Master said you won t be able to tell the difference. Well, a little later, he began to explain to the disciples what this meant. Jesus said, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man, the field was the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the Kingdom, the people that belong to him. The weeds are the sons of the Evil One, the ones who don t belong to Jesus. And the enemy who sows them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age and the harvesters are Angels. As the weeds are pulled up at the harvest, and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out His angels. They will weed out His Kingdom, and it causes sin and all who do evil." In other words, all those who are unforgiven and who do not belong to Jesus Christ.
Now notice you can't tell the difference between the wheat, the real Christians, and the weeds, the ones who look like them. And I think that is true today. I mean, literally according to what Jesus is saying here, you can have sitting in church next to each other one person who knows Christ and is going to heaven, and another who doesn't and is headed for a Christless eternity. They sing the same songs, know the same words, do all the same things. The difference is that life-changing moment. Jesus described it over in John, Chapter 5, Verse 24. He said, "Whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life, and will not be condemned. He has crossed over from death to life." There's a moment when you consciously choose Jesus Christ to be your Savior. You pin all your hopes on Him to give you a relationship with God.
Now lots of church people have discovered Jesus as Lisa discovered Rick, and they have increasingly grown to appreciate Him - even love Jesus. They have learned about Jesus. They have done things for Him. And they think based on all of that they must have a saving relationship with Christ. But there has never been that moment when they have taken Jesus hand and said, "From today on, Lord, I'm all Yours. I am forsaking all others. You are Number One in my life, I belong totally to You, Jesus. And I know you ve loved me enough to die for me, and You have won my heart. I m giving it to You today." That is when you cross from death to life. There is a moment that happens. When did you do that? Do you know the time...has there been a time? You say, I m not sure. Then you probably haven't. And though you look like, and act like, and behave like a Christian, there has never been the time of giving you to Jesus. As surely as my daughter will always know the day she became Rick's, you could always know the day you became Jesus Christ's - today, your life changing moment.
If you would like to know more about what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, or if you want to know for sure that you belong to Him...
Read YOURS FOR LIFE!.
OR, you can return to more LIFE ISSUES.
© 1997 Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
Last Update: 03/09/1997