One Night, One Moment and Everything Changed

We have no idea of knowing the precise moment that Jesus will come back for us, but in that ‘one moment’, our eternal destiny will be decided

Source: SlideShare

During my Bible reading and prayer time recently, something that came to mind was how the birth of Jesus and the Crucifixion and Resurrection were significant moments in history that changed everything. They could easily be described as ‘turning points’ or ‘life changers’ because everything changed after each of these events. The birth of Jesus was the fulfillment of the numerous prophesies from the Old Testament where God became flesh by sending His one and only beloved Son, Jesus, to reconcile sinful man back to Himself. The moment Jesus was born, things would never be the same again. Throughout His earthly life, Jesus was a Teacher and a Healer and so much more, who changed people’s lives on earth.  Also, the moment Jesus spoke His final words, died on the cross and then rose again three days later, everything changed; Luke 24:6 ‘He is not here; He has risen!’ This is the very moment when for all those who believe and have given their hearts to Jesus, that death was defeated. Jesus didn’t just change lives on earth but crucially secured their eternity with Him. In this one moment everything changed, things would never be the same again. Satan was defeated and the gates of heaven opened, all because of one moment. Praise God for loving us so much and Praise Jesus for the sacrifice and suffering He endured for us and for rising again.

In Acts 3:3-6 Saul must have got the shock of His life when on the road to Damascus a light flashed from Heaven and blinded him, and then Jesus spoke to him; ‘As Saul drew near to Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? ’Who are You, Lord?’ Saul asked. I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied. ‘Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do’. From this moment, onwards Saul’s life was changed forever. As we can read from a large percentage of the New Testament, Saul changed from a Persecutor of Jews to become the Apostle Paul who, for the remainder of his life, preached the Gospel throughout the World bringing Jesus and with it Salvation to the Gentiles. One moment where everything changed. There are many other examples in the Bible of one moment that changed things forever; Eve eating the apple in the Garden of Eden, Noah’s obedience in building the ark, Abraham’s obedience in sacrificing Isaac, Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt, David defeating Goliath and so on……., all examples where after one moment things would never be the same again.

Source: The Living...

This made me reflect on my own life and where the turning points had been and where ‘one moment’ had changed everything. I can think of a few but the key example that came to mind was when my daughter was born. My wife was 19 years old and I was 20 so we were young parents, but I always remember how I felt when I first set eyes on my daughter. I saw this small bundle of dark hair in my wife’s arms and I immediately felt a sense of love and responsibility and I knew from that very moment that my life had changed forever. I knew things would never be the same again as I was now responsible for another life that God had entrusted to my wife and I, the same feelings and thoughts also came a few years later when God added to our family with the birth of our son.

We also need to be mindful that the choices we make in ‘one moment’ can have two effects, they can either impact on our lives and the lives of others in a positive way or they can impact in a negative way. When my children were younger we used to walk them to school each day and we were often joined by another family of two boys and a girl and their mother.  We lived very close to this family and our kids used to be in and out of each other’s houses playing as they were of a similar age. The children were all happy and cheeky kids and they were always very polite. Several years later when the eldest boy was about 17 or 18 years old he made a choice and in 'one moment' changed his life and that of many others forever. He had driven some of his friends to a football match between two rival teams and an altercation occurred where he ended up running over another young man who sadly died. In this one moment everything changed, not just for him and his family or for the family and friends of the young man who died but the lives of many other people were changed forever. I suspect that in hindsight the young man would have wished that he had made a different choice in that moment however the consequences could not be changed, the moment had gone. We should always seek the Council of God before making any decisions and even more so in those moments when we need to make a decision quickly; Isaiah 30:21 ‘Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it’.

The ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13 had a choice to make of whether to keep their lamps topped up with oil or not. The outcome of their choice was crucial because it related to the ‘one moment’ when the Bridegroom would return. Five of the virgins kept their lamps topped up with oil and were invited by the Bridegroom into the wedding banquet, while the other five did not have sufficient oil in their lamps and the door to the banquet was closed. This represents the same choice for those who know Jesus; because another ‘one moment’ is going to occur when Jesus returns for His Bride; Revelation 22:12 ‘Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done’. If I make the right choices by living my life for Jesus then I can be confident that I will be invited into the wedding banquet and I will hear the words; ‘well done, good and faithful servant’, however, the alternative of making the wrong choices is unthinkable, I do not want to hear the words; ‘away from me, I never knew you’. We have no idea of knowing the precise moment that Jesus will come back for us, but in that ‘one moment’, our eternal destiny will be decided, one moment that will change our eternal life forever!  I pray that I am vigilant and make the right choices in Jesus, throughout my life.

Those who currently do not know Jesus still have an opportunity to make a choice to give their hearts to Him. The choice is time limited because it can only be made while we are still alive! None of us know how long we have left or when Jesus will return, so the clock is ticking before the door to the banquet is closed, ‘One choice, one moment and everything can change’. We all have 'one moment' right now, but what do we choose to do with it?

The video below is a short scene from my favorite Christmas film; ‘Nativity!’ The scene shows how the birth of Jesus was one night, one moment when everything changed. May God speak into our hearts as we understand the significance and consequences of our choices so that when our ‘one moments’ occur in the future that they are from God and make a positive impact for His Glory. May all those who do not know Jesus experience that ‘one moment’ when they choose to give their lives to Him and change their earthly and eternal lives forever.

May God bless everyone who reads this message.

Author: Anonymous

May God bless and enrich your life
   
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