Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

In October of last year the passing of Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Computers, was a shocker even though it was well known that he had battled cancer for some time. The shocker was that he was only 56.

Steve, a genius with computer technologyâ€"from the personal computer to the iPod and iPhoneâ€"had a profound impact pretty much on the entire world with his incredible computer-related inventions. He will be known among the greatest of inventors. Interesting that in 1993 he said, "Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me.… Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderfulâ€"that's what matters to me."¹

That's certainly a worthwhile goal, but what if Steve died without knowing Christ as his Savior? All his remarkable achievements in this life would amount to nothingâ€"even though his inventions have helped spread the Christian gospel around the world. As Jesus warned us all when he said, "What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?"²

I heard Steve say in a TV interview that sometimes he believed in God and sometimes he didn't, but only he and God know where he is now. I surely hope he is in heaven. One word of wisdom Jobs shared when he made it known that he had cancer was this: "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life."

How true this is. Time is limited. Life is shortâ€"and we only have one shot at it. If, per chance, your time was up today, would you be prepared for life beyond the graveâ€"to meet God?³ If not, I urge you to make that preparation right now. For help, read the article, "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian" at: http://tinyurl.com/real-christian.

Same principle applies to Christians: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."⁴ As Christians we won't be judged for our sins because God has forgiven us for all of these because Jesus Christ, God's Son, paid the penalty for us by dying in our place on the cross. What it does mean is that we will have to give an account of our life to Jesus Christ regarding how we lived for and served God since we became a Christian.

When I stand before the judgment seat of Christ, I trust and pray that I will hear his welcoming words say, "Well done, good and faithful servant. … Enter into the joy of your lord."⁵ I encourage you, too, to make sure that you are living in harmony with God's will and faithfully serving him so you won't be embarrassed and disappointed when you stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for your assurance of life after death, and that you are preparing a home in Heaven for all who trust you as their Lord and Savior. Thank you, too, for your promise of a rich reward to all who believe in you and have served you faithfully. Please help me to be certain that my name is written in your book of life so I will not be left behind when Jesus returns. And please help me to serve you faithfully in the here-and-now so that I will not be embarrassed when I stand before Jesus to give an account of my life and service to you. So help me God. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

Special NOTE: Should you die today and are not absolutely sure that you would go to Heaven, but would like to be sure, you can be by accepting Jesus as your Savior and in so doing receive God's forgiveness. You can make and record that decision today by going online to http://tinyurl.com/gods-invitation. Or, again, for further help read the article, "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian," at http://tinyurl.com/real-christian.

Also, if you have already accepted Jesus as your Savior and would like to re-commit and re-dedicate your life to God and promise with His help to serve him more faithfully,   and thereby not be embarrassed when you stand before Jesus at the judgment seat of Christ, I encourage you to make that commitment today. You can do this by going online to the same link at: http://tinyurl.com/gods-invitation

1. CNNMoney/Fortune, May 25, 1993.
2. Mark 8:36 (NKJV).
3. Amos 4:12 (NIV). God's message to ancient Israel also applies to you and me.
4. 2 Corinthians 5:10 (NASB).
5. Matthew 25:23 (NKJV).

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