Dear Muslim and Christian friends,
Imagine yourself driving alone on an extremely cold, rainy night – the rain is pouring down, the visibility is low, the road conditions are slippery and dangerous.
Imagine that you near a large bridge ahead but somehow, some way, you are able to see that the bridge is not there! It has collapsed.
Miraculously, you are able to slide to a stop just at the edge of the collapsed bridge or you and your car would have plunged into the icy waters below. You would have surely been killed by the impact, drowned, or frozen to death. But somehow by the mercy of God you saw that the bridge was out.
What would you do then? Surely you would breathe a huge sigh of relief and thank God for saving you from dying. Right? But. . .what then?
There are people who are traveling behind you. Many people. Some of them you know. Some of them you don’t. But they are coming and if you don’t find a way to warn them, they will certainly plunge to the horrible doom you were rescued from.
In your mind you picture the horrible images of carnage and destruction that await them!
Your mind races.
How can you warn them that the bridge is out?
1) Call 911 and leave it all up to someone else – the professional rescuers – to save people?
2) Quickly make a sign and hold it up for oncoming drivers to see: “Danger – Bridge Out Ahead!”
3) Stand on the side of the road and wave kindly – but timidly – to oncoming cars?
4) Stand on the side of the road and wave frantically – yelling and screaming at oncoming cars of the danger ahead?
5) Stand in the middle of the road – refusing to move – risking your life to stop traffic to save people from dying?
Or. . .would you do nothing because of what people might SAY to you if you tried to warn them about the bridge being out:
“Who do you think you are?”
“You shouldn’t be here!”
“You’re intolerant!”
“I know where I’m going and how to get there!”
“Mind your own business!”
“Get out of my way!”
Would you do nothing because of what people might DO to you if you tried to warn them about the bridge being out:
laugh at you. . .
mock you. . .
curse you. . .
throw things at you. . .or even. . .
beat or kill you.
What would determine how you would act on that cold, rainy night?
Fear of what people would think of you?
OR. . .
Concern for what would happen to them if they kept going?
The prophet Solomon (Sulaiman) said we must do something! God Himself is watching:
“Rescue the perishing;
don’t hesitate to step in and help.
If you say, ‘Hey, that’s none of my business,’
will that get you off the hook?
Someone is watching you closely, you know —
Someone not impressed with weak excuses.”
(Proverbs 24:11-12, The Message)
“Rescue. . .
don’t stand back and let them die.
Don’t try to disclaim responsibility
by saying you didn’t know about it.
For God, who knows all hearts, knows yours, and he knows you knew!
And he will reward everyone according to his deeds.”
(Proverbs 24:11-12, The Living Bible)
My dear readers – whether you call yourself a “Muslim” or a “Christian” or something else – I love you. I care about you. That is why it is my absolute duty before God to warn you that every spiritual “bridge” you are trusting in on the Day of Judgment is out except for one.
The only “bridge” you can trust to cross over into Paradise is the person and work of Jesus.
God looked down upon you and me and knew that we cannot do enough good things in this life to cross over safely into Paradise. He sent the Prophets to warn us. They were mocked, laughed at, rejected, even killed. Then He sent Jesus. He sent him to die. To be sacrificed. In your place – and mine. For the shame and punishment of your sins – and mine. How do we respond? By accepting the free gift of that sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. By giving our life to Jesus in humble, loving gratitude and then becoming his lifelong followers.
This is the bridge that God Himself has built to save us.
There is no other bridge. There is no other way:
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'” (the Injil, the Good News according to John, chapter 14, verse 6).
“Salvation comes no other way; no other name has been or will be given to us by which we can be saved, only this one” (the Book of the Acts of Jesus’ Apostles, chapter 4, verse 12).
My dear friends, I WARN you because I LOVE you.
I warn you because I CARE.
Every bridge is out.
Every bridge except one. . .
That bridge. . .is JESUS.
______________________________________________________________
Postscript:
To my “Muslim” readers, please note that I am not trying to “convert” you to “Christianity” or becoming a “Christian” – at least not in the way most of you think about those terms. No! But what I am trying to do – boldly and unapologetically – is to plead with you to examine the claims of Jesus in the Injil. To read about his life and yes, his death and resurrection. To see that no one loves you like he does. To see that no one else has given their life for you like he has.
You can trust your good works to get you to Paradise but I warn you. . . that bridge is out. Jesus is the bridge to Paradise and he is calling your name. He is calling you to follow him. Will you answer that call?
To my “Christian” readers, I fear for so many of you. Why? Because you are trusting in your good works to get you to Heaven. Maybe you said a “sinner’s prayer” but let me ask you, “Are you living for Jesus?” “Are you following him?” “Have you given him your life?” Or did you just pray at one time long ago for “fire insurance” but without real commitment to Jesus? It won’t work. I warn you. . .that bridge is out.
It’s time to quit playing games with God, with yourself, with your eternity. Jesus is the bridge to Paradise and he is calling your name. He is calling you to follow him. Will you answer that call?
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