“He Was A Good Man”

You’ll hear that about many men – but many people have said it this week about Mike Wheeler. I’ve known him since he started dating my daughter more than 36 years ago. His obituary published this about him:

Mike served in the Navy on the USS Eisenhower where he was in aircraft ordinance. He was a member of First Baptist Church in Cottondale where he served as a deacon. Mike was an AVID drag car builder and racer. He was a lifetime aircraft mechanic and spent most of his working years at American Airlines.

But saying he was a member of a church doesn’t cover the meaning behind those words. Another church member wrote truth:

Mike never kept his Christian belief secret; he shared it with everyone he came in contact with.  His belief in Jesus Christ saved his life here on earth more than twenty years ago and saved his soul from Hell for an eternity. It was his Christ-like love for others and his desire to see all men saved from an eternity in Hell that spurred him to tell others about his own conversion . . .

Mike lived a great life because he was ready to die.  He believed in the truthfulness of God’s revelation to us in His Word. 

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21. 

Are you ready to live?  Are you ready to die? 

Those are questions Mike would have asked you. “Will you be in heaven?” “Are you sure?”

We have many in our lives who firmly believe the answer to that is:

“Yes! I know God’s plan of salvation. I’ve read and believed His promises.”

That’s my answer, but like Mike said so often, we don’t earn it. We can’t buy it. Good works won’t gain it – but having it brings good works. Jesus told Nicodemus how to gain it:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)

Paul responded to a jailor who asked a question:

And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:30-31 KJV)

If you don’t believe, I have a question – why not? Learn from my sister-in-law who discussed her beliefs and wrote that if she were wrong and atheists right, nothing was lost at death. However, if she were right and atheists wrong – their souls were lost for eternity.

That’s the crux of the matter – is life eternal? If you say “No!”, are you so absolutely certain that you’ll live your life by your answer? Will you never speak of others being in heaven? Never mention a pet crossing a rainbow bridge? Never consider that if you are wrong, have you had an affect on others?

Mike had an answer for every one of those questions and he was ready to die firmly living here with Philippians 1:21 as both his purpose and his goal.

Since Mike now has full knowledge of the answer, and I believe I will see him again based solely on God’s promises, I don’t mind asking the question:

Are you ready to die?

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

(Philippians 1:21 KJV)

Mike gained. My prayer is anyone reading this will live with Christ, and gain.