MY COME-TO-JESUS MOMENT

by CharlesRobey
(Trussville, AL USA)

"All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.…(Matthew 11:27-29)

Recently, I was half-heartedly watching the nightly TV news, when a certain clip caught my eye. It seems as if this older lady was frantically recalling a near-death traffic accident she had experienced. Her statement, "I just had a come-to-Jesus moment" was emphasized rather loud and clear.

This statement of hers, sincerely riveted my attention and set my subconscious mind in a spin. In other words, I just couldn't believe what she was saying, in light of the context of the occasion. Either I had never heard of this expression before, or never before in such a weightless context, in mentioning the Lord Jesus Christ in that manner. Was this quote like taking the Lord's name in vain or was she literally scared-to-death? I certainly trust it was the latter, and that she really meant the comment to be a spiritual awakening.

This clip really got me to thinking. What is a Come-to-Jesus moment? According to urbandictionary.com, this expression means:

"An epiphany in which one realizes the truth of a matter; a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something; coming clean and admitting failures; realizing the true weight or impact of a negative situation or fact; acknowledgment that one must get back to core values; moment of realization; an aha moment; moment of decision; moment of truth; critical moment; moment of reassessment of priorities; turning point; life-changing moment."

In simply everyday terms, it may mean when I hear someone refer to a "come-to-Jesus encounter" they're usually referring to a moment of truth that is difficult and harrowing for all who experience it.

Nonetheless, why do some people wait until a dire emergency develops to call on the Lord? I realize I serve a loving heavenly Father, but I should not just use His favor as an escape clause. The Bible says to "pray without ceasing.” (1 Thess 5:16-18) In other words, we, who claim Christ as our Lord and Savior should always be in a continual attitude of prayer. We should definitely not wait till "all hell breaks loose" to seek God's attention.

I trust that you feel the same way as I when it comes to the reverence of deity. The Bible is very clear that the sinner's prayers are not answered until that all-important prayer is given, asking for the redemption of one's sins (John 9:31), when the prayer of faith is given in accepting God's free grace for our souls. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

In this modern day society however, Christianity is often made light of until that unexpected tragic event occurs, which puts us ever closer to eternity and to that inevitable encounter with the living God. (Hebrews 9:27)

Knowing also however, that our loving heavenly Father will forgive even when we may be on our deathbed. (Luke 23:43) However, we are not promised a tomorrow, for tomorrow may be too late. (James 4:13-14) Every day that we have is a gift from God. It would behoove all of us to take to heart what James is saying, and realize the importance of making every day count. So please think about it. (Ecclesiastes 7:2) This is just a word of wisdom from the wisest man who ever lived. (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

What then if as a Christian we may fall away temporarily from God? We have a good example of this concern in Acts 8:13-22. Simon became a Christian, yet later sinned as all men do from time to time. He was told by Peter that as a Christian, he needed to repent of the sin and pray to God for forgiveness. This is a prime example of a Christian who has sinned praying for forgiveness. (1 John 1:9)

In conclusion, like the before-mentioned lady giving her TV interview, have you had your come-to-Jesus moment? Whether yes or no, what are you doing with your time to make the world around you a better place? And much like the lady in the accident came to realize, our time in life is short at best, accident or no accident. Don't put off till tomorrow an opportunity to be an encouragement to those around you and show the love of Christ. Tomorrow is not guaranteed.

Author's Postscript:

On October 11, 2004, I had my own Come-to-Jesus moment. I was working in Tennessee, when I was involved in a near fatal traffic accident in which three teenagers attempted to cross in front of me, causing me to me to be T-boned in my vehicle. As I saw the broken glass, the blood and heard the sound of the saws freeing my broken body from the wreckage, all I could do was pray that God would bring me back to my wife, Brenda.

After an extended hospital stay mending my crushed body, I was released to in-home and outpatient therapy, returning a few months later to restricted work duty. Yes, I knew that God needed to get my attention, which He did. And yes, He brought me back to Brenda. Hallelujah!

You see, we served an awesome God; a God who knows all about us, from before we are born, until our heavenly homecoming; a God who has promised to take care of His own forever. (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

http://ccrobey.wixsite.com/themessage