“Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be
with me in paradise.’ ” Luke 23:42-43 (NIV)
I remember visiting a home where the husband was dying from cancer. I asked if it was okay for me to go and see him in his room. The wife agreed. I entered the room, and you could tell that he did not have many days left. I asked him if he knew Jesus Christ, and he said he did not know.
I told him who Jesus is, and that He is preparing a place for us. I asked him if he would ask Jesus for forgiveness of his sins, and he agreed by nodding yes. I told him that he will be with Jesus in paradise for eternity, and he nodded yes. The next day he passed away.
When I think of this man, I think of the thief on the cross in Luke 23. One criminal defended Jesus and asked Him to remember him when He comes into the kingdom. The man in my story had not been a believer, but he became open to knowing Jesus. Like the thief on the
cross he, too, had an opportunity to be with Jesus in paradise.
If you know someone who is close to death, they still have an opportunity to express their faith and not be led into the lake of fire. We all have a chance to “make it right” before we pass away, and it may take a believer in Jesus to make it happen. Don’t let your loved one miss that opportunity. Tell them about Jesus and what to expect when they have no more breath. If you love them very much, take the risk. If they chose not to ask Jesus for forgiveness of their sin, at least you have made the effort.
– Kirby James
Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.
The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website.
Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org