Depart From Me!

Depart From Me! I Never Knew You!!

(Going to Church Doesn’t Make You a Christian)

By Chuck Cooper

May 31, 2013

NOTE: You are not likely to hear this message taught in most churches because many pastors are afraid of stepping on sensitive toes in their congregations. Possible repercussions of losing members (finances), being fired, or being publicly chastised often prohibit preaching/teaching God’s truth. Because God is the ONLY authority to whom I’m accountable, I have both the freedom and the responsibility to write what He inspires me to say. I take that responsibility extremely seriously.  I seek no fame or fortune or agreement; I seek only God’s approval.

            Sad to say, but many regular, loyal Church-goers will NOT go to Heaven when they die! Unwittingly, they will wind up in Hell for all eternity!

            “What?” “How can you say that?” I didn’t say it; Jesus said it!  In the Bible! I’m simply repeating what He said so you won’t  unknowingly make the eternal, infernal mistake of assuming you are “good to go” when, in Jesus’ eyes, you really aren’t.     

            Twice in the Book of Matthew Jesus warns us of the consequence of being unacceptable to Christ – turned away at the “pearly gates” and banished to Hell!! Even if we’ve been loyal life-long church-goers…even if we’ve sung in the choir, taught a Sunday School class, served as an Elder or Deacon. Well, you get the picture.

            In Matthew 7: 21-23, Jesus warned His disciples that “not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father.” He continued and told them that many will call Him “Lord” and remind Him that they have prophesied, have cast out demons, and done many wonders in His name. Jesus told them “And, then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

            In Matthew 22: 1-14, Jesus used the story of a wedding feast for a king’s son to describe Heaven to the Pharisees who were attempting to arrest Him for heresy. According to the parable, when the King (Jesus) came in to see the guests at the feast (Heaven), he saw and evicted one of the guests because that guest wasn’t wearing a “wedding garment” (prepared).  He wasn’t wearing a “cloak of righteousness” and was banished, kicking and screaming, to the “outer darkness” (Hell).

            Concluding the parable, Jesus tells the Pharisees in Verse 14: “for many are called, but few are chosen.” The implication of that statement by Jesus should be obvious: just because we are “called” (heard the Gospel) doesn’t mean we will be “chosen” (accepted the Gospel) and prepared to enter Heaven for all eternity. Why? Because we haven’t received the “cloak of righteousness” (salvation).

            In both instances, Jesus implies that he is referring to “nominal” Christians – those who are “Christians” in name only and those who have heard the Gospel, but have rejected it.

            Neither group has truly accepted Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. “Truly” is the operative word here.  Only “true” believers in Christ receive the “cloak of righteousness” – their ticket to Heaven!

            Can you imagine that nauseating, “kicked in the gut” feeling that “nominal Christians” will feel when they hear Jesus utter the worst words possible to them? “I NEVER KNEW YOU; DEPART FROM ME!”

            Can you imagine Jesus ordering his followers to “bind you hand and foot” and to take you away and cast you into “outer darkness” where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth? Forever?

            REALITY CHECK!:  (If you can honestly say “yes” to the following basic questions, there is a good chance that you have truly accepted Christ and have received  your “cloak of righteousness”.)

            #1. Have you truly, sincerely accepted the free gift of salvation that only Jesus can give to you? Have you “repented” of your sins; have you asked Jesus to save you?

            #2. Has your life changed because of your gratitude for what Jesus did for you on the cross?  Are you joyfully serving Him in all you do? Do you love Him with all your heart? Do you read/study His word?

            #3. Does your life reveal sincere dependence on Christ for ALL things?  Do you go to Him seeking wisdom and counsel in ALL decisions you make?

            #4. Jesus tells us to judge “Christians” by the “fruit” they exhibit in their daily lives and to run (“flee”) from those who don’t.  Those fruits of the Spirit are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Do you truly exhibit those fruits?

            If you aren’t certain of your answers to the above questions, please, please go seek counsel from someone you consider a “true” believer in Christ.  Someone you trust…a friend, a pastor, a relative, 

           Or, e-mail concerns and/or questions to me at: rvchuck38@gmail.com.  I’ll be happy to assist you!

In His Love and Service!

 Chuck

           

Forgiving Jodi..?

By Chuck Cooper
(May 9, 2013)  


     Glued to the TV late yesterday afternoon awaiting the jury’s verdict in the sensational Jodi Arias trial for brutally murdering her former lover, Travis Alexander, I suspect I was among the majority of the trial watchers who wanted her to be found guilty of pre-meditated, first-degree murder! We got our wish! Beginning this morning that same jury will deliberate and eventually determine her fate: spending the rest of her natural life in prison or execution.
     As my eyes focused on Jodi for several minutes before the verdict was announced, I was reminded that, like all of us, she was created by God who still loves her as much as he loves you and me…in spite of what she’s done; in spite of what we’ve done!
     Acknowledging that, I prayed for Jodi! My prayer was that somehow she would be drawn close enough to our Creator to sincerely and earnestly repent for what she’s done, fervently seek His forgiveness, and truly accept the free gift of eternal life that only comes through Jesus Christ.
     Why would I suddenly, with my eyes intently focused on Jodi to watch her reaction to the verdict, pray for her? Good question! Here’s why: I’m just as guilty of sin as Jodi is and so are you! The difference between Jodi and me is that I have sincerely accepted that free gift. So far as I know, Jodi has not. Not yet, at least. Though the prayer was somewhat uncomfortable for me, I know beyond the shadow of reasonable doubt that I had no choice but to be obedient to what I recognized as a prompt from the Holy Spirit.
     As a Christian, I’ve learned that I must be obedient to those prompts. So, automatically, I began praying for Jodi’s salvation!
     I have no clue what is in Jodi’s heart right now. I have no idea what she was thinking or feeling as she stoically sat waiting for the verdict. I have no concept of what her immediate thoughts were after hearing she was legally guilty. Fear? Disbelief? Remorse? Anger? Shock? Her facial expression revealed no emotion whatsoever.  Not that I could see.     
     While the media types were opining that “justice has been done” and while hundreds outside the courthouse were gleefully celebrating the verdict, I wondered how many times she has rejected Jesus. How many have tried to talk with her about Him? How many times has she made fun of those who call Jesus their “Lord and Savior”? And, I wonder how she will react to those who attempt to minister to her behind those prison walls.
     One thing I do know: God will be persistent in pursuing her until her heart is so hardened that He will accept her “final answer.” Until then, God’s forgiveness (through his crucified and resurrected son, Jesus) will constantly be there for her. Yes, she must accept prison as her home. She may even have to accept execution as her earthly fate. Her life will never be “fun” for her again.
     Although, incarcerated and perhaps facing the executioner, she will still be able to experience “the joy of the Lord” as she faces the consequences of her actions. How do I know this? Well, it’s pretty simple – the Bible tells me so. It clearly says that the only unforgivable sin is to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. All others are forgivable!
      The Bible also gives us two prime examples: Paul, a devout Jew, was a ring leader in murdering, torturing and persecuting “Christians”. And, while King of Israel, David murdered his lover’s husband. Both were guilty of premeditated murder; God forgave both of them!
     The lyrics of an old hymn remind us: “What He’s done for others, He’ll do for you.”
     Even Jodi!

A Holiday For Atheists!

Submitted by Sandra Jenkins, Nashville, TN

June 24, 2007


Have you heard about this court case?

In Florida, an atheist became incensed over the preparation of Easter and
Passover holidays. He decided to contact his lawyer about the discrimination
inflicted on atheists by the constant celebrations afforded to Christians and
Jews with all their holidays while atheists had no holiday to celebrate The case
was brought before a wise judge.

After listening to the long passionate presentation by the lawyer, the Judge banged his gavel and declared "Case Dismissed."

The lawyer immediately stood and objected to the ruling and said, "Your Honor, how can you possibly dismiss this case? Christians have Christmas, Easter and many other observances. Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah......yet my client and all other atheists have no such holidays."

The judge leaned forward in his chair and simply said "Obviously your client is too confused to even know about, much less celebrate, his own atheists' holiday!" The lawyer pompously said, "Your Honor, we are unaware of any such holiday for atheists. Just when might that holiday be, your Honor?"

The judge said, "Well it comes every year on exactly the same date.....April 1st! Since our calendar sets April 1st as April Fools Day, consider that Psalm 14:1 and Psalm 53-1 state, The fool says in his heart, there is no God. Thus, in my opinion, if your client says there is no God, then by scripture he is a fool, thus April 1st is his holiday!"

Pray that some day our courts will be full of these kinds of judges.....maybe then , we can put God back where He belongs........in everything we do.....Way to go, Judge!

A Beautiful Story!

There Is A Reason For Everything!!

Submitted by Betty Smith
(Saturday, October 20)

The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry to reopen a church in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October excited about their opportunities. When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve. They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc, and on December 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished.

However, on December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving rainstorm - hit the area and lasted for two days. On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high. The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home.

On the way he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity so he stopped. One of the items for sale was a beautiful, handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover up the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church.

By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus. She missed it. So, the pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus due 45 minutes later. She quietly sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.

Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?" The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG, were crocheted into it there. They were.

The woman broke into tears. You see, those were her initials. She had made the tablecloth 35 years earlier, in Austria! The woman could hardly believe her eyes as the pastor related how and why he had just gotten the tablecloth. The woman told him that before the WWII she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria. When the Nazis invaded their homeland, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. But, he was captured, sent to prison and never saw her or their home again.

Touched by her story, the pastor insisted she take the tablecloth. But she adamantly refused, saying the church wall was the perfect place for it to hang. She didn't refuse, however, the pastor's offer to drive her home to the other side of Staten Island. She had been in Brooklyn that day only because she had a housecleaning job there.

What a wonderful service the whole church had that Christmas Eve. The church was nearly full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return. One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood, continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn't leaving.

The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike. He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home again all the 35 years in between.

The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier. He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on the door and he saw the greatest reunion he could ever imagine!

Who says God does not work in fantastic, mysterious ways? So when the road you're traveling on seems difficult at best. Just remember to pray and God will do the rest.

When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out that God is all you need!!

Heaven's Spelling Bee

Spelling To Get Into Heaven

Submitted by Carolyn Edwards
(June 24, 2007)

A woman arrived at the Gates of Heaven. While she was waiting for Saint Peter to greet her, she peeked through the gates. She saw a beautiful banquet table. Sitting all around were her parents and all the other people she had loved and who had died before her. They saw her and began calling greetings to her "Hello - How are you! We've been waiting for you! Good to see you."

When Saint Peter came by, the woman asked: "This is such a wonderful place! How do I get in?"

"You have to spell a word," Saint Peter told her.

"Which word?" the woman asked.

"Love."

The woman correctly spelled "Love" and Saint Peter welcomed her into Heaven.

About a year later, Saint Peter came to the woman and asked her to watch the Gates of Heaven for him that day. While the woman was guarding the Gates of Heaven, her husband arrived. "I'm surprised to see you," the woman said. "How have you been?"

"Oh, I've been doing pretty well since you died," her husband told her. "I married the beautiful young nurse who took care of you while you were ill. And then I won the multi-state lottery. I sold the little house you and I lived in and bought a huge mansion. And my wife and I traveled all around the world. We were on vacation in Cancun and I went water skiing today. I fell and hit my head, and here I am. What a bummer! How do I get in?"

"You have to spell a word," the woman told him.

"Which word?" her husband asked.

" Czechoslovakia ."

Answer To Prayers? Divine Appointment? Both?

By Chuck Cooper
(June 22, 2007)


Her entire family was absolutely thrilled when her physicians in Illinois declared in late November 1975 that the radioactive gold implanted to treat her two-year fight against uterine cancer appeared to be working! In fact, her docs said her strength had improved so much that she could even take a plane trip to her native Georgia to visit her sister Helen and other relatives. Although requiring assistance, she and her husband boarded a flight from Peoria to Atlanta arriving safely at Helen’s home in nearby Lithonia.

Answer to prayers? Divine appointment? Both? Read on. You decide.

The day following her arrival she was visited by her oldest son and his family from Athens, GA and other relatives in the area. The whole Georgia family was literally shocked to see how much weight she had lost and how gaunt she appeared and how weak she seemed. Her ever-present bucket was a reminder that the radioactivity still caused recurrent, periodic vomiting.

The son said later that he might not have recognized her had he not known in advance that she was there reclining on Helen’s sofa. Only her sweet, loving smile was recognizable to him and his family although her facial expressions often betrayed her obvious pain.

Conversations with her were difficult and frequently interrupted by her drifting into sudden naps, leaving the family wondering if she could hear their conversation
while being careful not to awaken or upset her by what she may overhear.

When preparing to return to Athens that evening, the son asked what he could bring her or what she wanted to do the next day.

With alarming vigor and surprising alertness, she blurted: “Take me to Stone Mountain; I want to go to Stone Mountain.” Promising to return the next morning, the son, with tears in his eyes, silently kissed her on her cheek and left.

She was bright and cheerful the next morning and was obviously excited when the son showed her the borrowed motor home he had parked in Helen’s driveway. “You are going to see Stone Mountain in style today,” he teased her.

Stone Mountain was his ill mother’s favorite place in the whole world. She loved that mountain. As children living in the Atlanta area, she and Helen often visited the mountain and viewed the early stages of the Confederate Memorial carving depicting Jefferson Davis, General Robert E. Lee, and General Thomas Stonewall Jackson on their famous horses.

Too, the son also fondly remembered his summer vacations in Atlanta and the annual trips to the mountain with his siblings and cousins. On each visit they climbed with a family picnic basket and stared in wonder at the sites below. The children looked forward to that outing with excited anticipation, particularly because it became a tradition among family members to purchase a nickel Coca Cola from a washtub filled with ice at an old wooden shack which stood at the base of the walkup trail. That was in the Fifties - years before the carving was completed, long before beautiful Stone Mountain Park was created and when the shack was the only “attraction” around.

So, this outing with his ill Mother and her family was a special event for all of them. With the Mother silently gazing out the motor home’s large picture window at her beloved Stone Mountain and reminiscing about her childhood and family adventures there, it became obvious to all aboard the vehicle that this was a very “special” day together.

Having circled halfway around the mountain, the Mother became violently ill, vomiting uncontrollably, sweating profusely from an elevated body temperature, and moaning with pain.

Aborting the remainder of the trip, the son hurriedly returned to Aunt Helen’s house where she placed an urgent call to her doctor. He ordered the Mother to Dekalb General Hospital immediately and initiated tests right away.

The next morning, after consulting with her physicians in Illinois and analyzing the medical tests he had ordered the previous evening, the doctor informed the family that it was his opinion that during previous surgeries the Mother’s stomach had become twisted and that she would need surgery to correct the difficulty. The problem was that she needed to regain some strength before surgery could be performed.

Several days later the surgery was begun. It was then that the surgeons discovered a large, inoperable mass in her stomach and along her intestines. He advised the family to prepare for her death.

Late on the evening of December 19, 1975, Polly Dupree Cooper of Dooly County (Vienna/Unadilla) GA, age 61, died at Dekalb General Hospital in Decatur, GA.

She was my Mom!

Author’s Note: In the days immediately following Mom’s death, Dad revealed to all of us that Mom had persistently begged him to bring her to Atlanta. He believed to his dying day that Mom knew she was dying and wanted to see Stone Mountain one last time and then die in her native Georgia.

So, were Mom’s final days and ultimate death in Georgia an answer to her prayers? Did she have a Divine Appointment with God in Atlanta for her home going? I think both!

Post-Script: Fast forward nearly 32 years. Stone Mountain has become a very beloved place for both me and my wife, Sue, too. You see, we are now full-time RVers and are currently seasonal employees at Stone Mountain Park. Our RV spot in the Park’s campground faces the mountain where we can see it daily. It is surreal to see that mountain every day and to understand how special this place was to Mom and is now to us.

There is not a day that goes by that I don’t reminisce about my Mother and Aunt Helen, now deceased, and the fun times we had in days gone by. My, how both of them influenced my life. My, how this mountain is a reminder of the Christian heritage I have. My, how close I feel to both of them.

Somehow, they seem here, too!

(END)

Where The Heck Is The Fruit?

By Chuck Cooper
April 14, 2007




Two of my colleagues, both well-trained veteran employees of an Atlanta-area attraction, fired themselves this week. That’s right….they fired themselves!

Both falsely signed and dated a required safety inspection form stating clearly that they had completed the full inspection of a passenger-carrying vehicle, when in fact, they hadn’t. They took a senseless shortcut which could have endangered not only their own lives, but the life and limb of their passengers.

Quickly, they discovered that taking safety shortcuts is a huge “no-no” particularly in the “high risk” classification in which they were employed. They were both terminated immediately. Rightly so.

I have no idea what they used as excuses for their wanton disregard for safety procedures and for signing a false statement. What I do know is that no excuse is an acceptable one to my employer. Period. No relaxation of safety procedures is tolerated because “I’m having a bad day” or “I’ve got some personal issues at home” or “I’m on some medication which blurs my memory” or “I’ve got a bad back.” Zero tolerance should, and does, rule.

Do I feel compassion for them? Of course, I do. They were my team-mates and had been extremely helpful to me in learning the “ropes” of my new position. But, they were wrong and were held accountable for their actions. Their willful disobedience to company policy cost them a good-paying, fun job and reminded the whole team how important it is to strictly follow safety procedures.

I’m particularly perplexed because one of them is a professing, born-again believer in Jesus Christ. He is an active member of one of Atlanta’s largest churches and teaches Sunday School there. And, he would frequently initiate discussions about his faith with his believing team-mates.

Frankly, he was on thin ice to begin with. Our team-mates warned me about his negative, arrogant, me first attitude. He just wasn’t fun to be around. He constantly complained about the entire operation. He took great pleasure in telling new employees the best way “to mine this gold mine we’ve got here” with bigger tips. And he frequently pontificated that he didn’t care whether guests had a good time or not as long as they tipped him generously. He was a grumpy, unhappy man.

He made matters worse for himself when he “went off” on his supervisor and other managers who questioned him about his inspection report in a publicly-heard tirade spiced with “colorful,” inappropriate language.

Unfortunately, his behavior this week trashed his Christian witness and his credibility as a believer and follower of Jesus with all his team-mates and those within ear-shot of his tirades. The reason: his actions didn’t evidence any of the fruit we believers are supposed to bear. Where the heck was his fruit?

His self-imposed termination was the perfect example of being hanged by one’s own tongue. That is so sad!

I’m recording this incident as a personal reminder to me of how important it is for me, as a Christian, to be careful of the fruit that I bear. In all circumstances! The Scripture warns that we believers are to judge others and will be judged by our fruit – love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

How many times have I evidenced rotten fruit? How often have I lashed out in anger rather than in love? How often has my joy in the Lord been masked by anger or a bad attitude or selfishness? How often have I been negative about my circumstances or complained about the behavior of others to all who would hear? How often have I disobeyed the rules because I thought they applied to everyone but me? How often has my walk not lived up to my talk?

My prayer is that the Lord will convict my former team-mate of his lack of fruit in this instance, that the Lord will remind me of my own fruit-bearing shortfalls and that in reading this, you, too, will vow to be careful of the fruit you bear.

It’s our fruit that speaks loudly and clearly…much more so than our talk. Our fruit is our walk. Perhaps learning of this incident can be a lesson to all of us.

If I were arrested and hauled into court for being a Christian and the evidence presented against me was my “fruit” would there be enough to convict me?

So, how’s your fruit today?

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