RAY COMFORT, DEAD AT 61  --Ray Comfort <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

I have been thinking about what I would write if I knew that that was going to be tomorrow's "Atheist Central" headline. What would I say to those who believe that God doesn't exist? After some serious thought, here is what I think would be my last words: Our life is our most precious possession. Yet it's like a small and isolated puddle of water that is quickly evaporating in the heat of a dry desert. Even though we may surround ourselves with people and things to keep us busy, we are alone in this desert called "life." We are alone with our thoughts and fears. Let me speak to that part of you; that hidden and vulnerable part that you carefully guard.I would like you to consider one thing; your demise. Nothing else really matters. Please listen to me because in the darkness, there really is light. That is, if you care to look for it. Death is a part-payment for wages well-earned. It is a due sentence given by Divine Justice that none of us can deny--"But I say unto you, that whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart." A morally perfect Creator sees our thoughts, and holds us accountable to that standard. Look at some more of the Commandments: You shall not steal. You shall not lie, or covet. You shall not take the Name of the Lord your God in vain. You shall have no other gods before me. Their purpose is to show us that we have sinned. Have you kept or violated the moral Law? Have you put other "gods" before Him?-things to whom you have given your affection--nature, pleasure, people? Have these become your idols.Be honest with yourself and let your conscience remind you of things you have done, that you knew were morally wrong. Without that knowledge you will never, ever, call upon the mercy of the Judge. It is "knowledge" that causes a dying patient to trust a skillful surgeon who can save him from sure death. Knowledge is power, and in this case, it has the power to lead to your salvation. It can take you to the One who can save you from death, and from what comes after death--a very real and terrible Hell. What is sometimes called "saving knowledge" was mentioned by the prophet Hosea, hundreds of years B.C. God said through him, "My people are destroyed though lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6). My problem before I came to know God was a lack of knowledge, and it is probably your problem also. So, to be saved from death and Hell, you must have "knowledge of sin." Do you have it? Did the Law of God get through to you, or did your pride stop it from doing its incredible work? I trust you have been humbled by the Commandments, so that you can appropriate the further knowledge that the gospel brings, knowledge that can save you from death. The most wonderful truth you will ever hear is that God is rich in mercy. Guilty though we are, He in His great love provided a Savior--One who is able to save His people from their sins. Without Him, sin will be the death of you. It will justly sweep you into Hell. But God became a Man--Jesus of <?xml:namespace prefix = u1 />Nazareth, and took the punishment for our sins upon Himself. He was bruised from our iniquities. God commended His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. We broke God's Law (the Ten Commandments) and Jesus paid our fine in full. That means that God can legally dismiss your case. He can commute your death-sentence and let you live. After He had purchased our salvation, Jesus rose from the dead, destroying death forever, for all that obey Him--"Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him" (Hebrews 5:8-9).So, please, repent today. Confess your sins to God, and then forsake them. Then trust alone in Jesus for your eternal salvation and God will forgive you and give you everlasting life. So there you have it. Those would be my dying words to you. There would be no arguments about God's existence, and no contentions about speciation or the age of the earth. If you obey the gospel, these things will be seen for what they really are. They will fall away like moths that cling to the sides of the space shuttle as it rises in power towards the heavens. They are insignificant bugs that will be forgotten the moment you come to know Him "whom to know is life eternal." I would add one more important Post Script to my last words: I love you, care about you, and want more than anything else to see you in Heaven. Please don't disappoint me.Btw. This isn't the first time I have proclaimed my death on this blog. One day I will get it right.

An Atheist's near Death Experience

It seems that I have provoked talk of a near-death experience from PZ Myers. In his popular blog he talks about how death's cold hand touched him last summer. He was having his heart examined by means of a "stress test," when it nearly gave out. He said that it was similar to driving in a car and having the engine suddenly gasp and splutter. He felt utterly helpless. "It was like driving along on your car and suddenly the engine starts to gasp and splutter because it's not getting any fuel, and I felt the same thing you would in such a situation: helpless, because no amount of pumping the gas pedal helps, nor can I will gas to the motor, and betrayed. I rely on that heart, I take it for granted, and there it was, failing me."It was a very moving testimony, and one that we can all identify with. PZ then says,"And then I felt myself going. My guts went all watery, and I felt the unpleasantness of nausea with a flabby feeling that no, I wasn't even going to have the strength to vomit. My limbs went all rubbery and limp. I kept sweating - a cold, clammy sweat. There was a roaring whisper in my ears, and all I heard as the doctors milled about was a distant 'waa waa waa' sound. My peripheral vision faded, and it seemed like I was staring down a narrow tunnel. And I was alone."I took the time to read comments about the post. Hearts were really touched. Some atheists even became teary-eyed, and some spoke of their own near death experiences. PZ added that he had the thought, "'So this is what dying feels like.' I felt no panic or fear, just a little sad about ceasing to exist, and I thought about the important things in my life." A "little" sad? Is he kidding? Doesn't he love life? After what he then said about his love for his wife and children...a little sad? I don't believe it. Thank God that PZ made it through his horrible experience. After giving such a graphic account he wanted to make sure that the flock didn't panic and stray into theism, so he exhorted: "... I can tell you that as the darkness descends, there will be no gods or angels rising to judge you. You'll be alone, no matter how crowded the room, and the only judge you'll face is yourself. There will be no authority looking over your shoulder and telling you whether your life was worthy or wasted, and if there were, it's opinion would be irrelevant - all that will matter is that you can look back and find happiness and accomplishment. We live our lives for our life's sake, rather than for illusions about rewards and satisfaction after we're dead."Here's the big and obvious disconnect. PZ, you didn't die. You were alive during your whole near-death experience. If you get "near" something, you are not there. Yet. So, I hope you read this next statement slowly, and then think seriously about the claims of the gospel:"It is appointed to men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27, italics added for atheists).A special PS for PZ: Your status with the atheistic community means little (look at how many turned on you when you criticized their "I have no beliefs," etc). What matters is your eternal salvation, and that of your beloved wife and children. That issue is more serious than a heart attack.
 
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