God: Forgiving
God: Forgiving
Death and Taxes
It's a flip saying, but true: death and taxes are the two things we can count on. But there is a difference: we know on what day the taxes fall due; we can't predict the day of death. We can put money aside to take care of taxes; but what provision can we make in anticipation of death? If we die before our taxes are paid, they'll not be forgiven. The government will take them out of our estate. If we die as unrepentant sinners, our sins will not be forgiven after death. We'll have to pay the penalty for them hereafter. But there is a difference: God has made a way of escape for us. He has already paid the penalty for our sins-yours and mine. All He asks is that you accept what He has done for you in a true spirit of repentance and faith. The Open Door
The story is told of a girl who turned her back on her widowed mother who had worked so hard to bring her up, and left home without telling her mother where she was going. Night after night the mother waited for the girl, but she did not come back. In her perplexity and sorrow the mother went to her pastor to ask his help. He suggested that she have some pictures taken of herself and bring them to him, which she did. Then he asked her what message she wanted to send her lost girl. In tears the mother said, "All I want to tell her is 'Come back.' " "Write that on each picture," said the minister, and then he proceeded to send these pictures to places of amusement in other large towns which he felt the daughter was most likely to frequent. He requested that the picture be posted on the bulletin board where it could be easily seen. One night, the daughter came to one of these places and was attracted by something familiar about the picture on the bulletin board. Little did she imagine that it could be her mother's picture. She came closer to it, and there it was-her own mother, looking much older than when she had left. Then she saw what was written on it, "Come back," and knew it was addressed to her. She could not proceed with her plans for that night. With a heart burning with remorse, she went back to her room, packed her clothes, and took the first train home. Arriving in the early hours of the morning, she was surprised to find the door of the little apartment open; in she went. There was her mother in tears, not sleeping, but sitting up, praying for her prodigal daughter. She threw her arms around her, and the first thing she asked when she could speak was, "Mother, why did you leave the door open?" "Oh, Louise, the door has never been closed since the day you left. I left it open all the time expecting your return. I didn't want you to find it shut when you came back."