True Spiritual Bio of
Rev. R.A. Stoneking
Have you ever come suddenly face to face with your own mortality? Was there a time when in the blink of an eye you suddenly found yourself at the point of death? I did, and this is my true story related from the spiritual realm of my life.
Life was going fine with few cares in the world. I was having a good time with my friends. Suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye, I found myself standing before the Supreme Judge of the land. I was in serious trouble and I knew it.
I stood there before the Supreme Judge listening as my accuser railed against me throwing fiery darts of accusation after accusation. I knew I could be sentenced to die for each accusation. I stood there horrified knowing I was facing the ultimate penalty. The death sentence! Each stinging accusation was like a fiery dart piercing my heart. How could this be happening to me? I always tried to do good and help others? Yet, I stood there stunned to silence knowing every accusation brought forth was true. I was without excuse.
My Counselor stood there next to me never making a single objection. Of course, He couldn'?t. There were no grounds for an objection. Everything I had been accused of was true and He knew it .
What was I to do? My accuser?s flaming accusations were scorching me to my very soul. My Counselor could only stand there in silence. How was I to defend myself? When my Counselor let me speak all I could do was confirm my guilt. I could do nothing but stand there with tears in my eyes knowing the sure outcome.
In words that echoed through my mind like thunder I heard the Judge say, guilty as charged. I sentence you to eternal death. Wait I pleaded, I know that other judges give leniency. I have been a pretty good person. I was a good husband and father. I tried to help people. I even went to church when I could fit it into my schedule. Isn'?t there something I can do to pay for my offenses? Isn?'t there any kind of community service I can do? Other judges allow the guilty to work off their sentences. Can?t you let me?
The Judge shook His head negatively and said NO! Those other judges were false judges and they too, will receive the death penalty along with those who believed them. They had my instructions on how to properly apply my law but they refused to do that which was right. I have reserved a special place for them. I am the only Supreme Judge. You have no one else to appeal to. I have found you guilty as charged. I sentence you to eternal death never to appear before me again. You will be cast out and forever be weeping and gnashing your teeth in the pain of eternal death and seperation from me and everyone you ever knew.
Suddenly, I burst into tears, desperately crying out for someone to save me. Then, in a still quiet voice my Counselor finally spoke. He looked at me and then looked at the Judge and said, Father, may I speak? I was astonished! The Judge was my Counselors Father? An angry and admittedly selfish thought went through my mind. Why hadn?'t He tried to use His influence to spare me?
His words quickly put me to shame for the thought. Father, He said, I know that this one is guilty. But I love Him and want to save His life. He is one you have given me. You said, all that you have given me shall come to me and all who come to me will not be cast out. He did come to me. He did ask to be saved.
Father, you also said if someone is willing to believe in me, in what I did for them, and let me die in their place for their wrongdoing it would be allowed. Will You then completely pardon Him and let me take His punishment. He looked at me and quietly asked. Will you let me die for you so that you can live? I sobbingly said yes, knowing full well what that meant!
The Judge asked if I was willing to let His Son take the death penalty I deserved? I said yes. The Judge then said, it is so ordered. Set this man free and take my Son to pay the penalty of death for this man.
I followed afar off as they led Him to the place of execution called Mount Calvary. It was a horrible sight to see. They beat Him unmercifully, along the way. Then they used large nail spikes to nail His hands and feet to a wooden cross. They then put a wreath of thorns on His head pressing it down so tight it made His head bleed. In one final act of humiliation one of the guards thrust a spear into His right side.
There, alone and bleeding for my sins, He died. A couple of men took His body and buried Him in a cave. I could not stop weeping even though His last words were, do not fear, I will see you again. I couldn't begin to understand those words.
But Sunday morning His words became clear. He was raised from the dead and now lives to make intercession for all people. Today we call Him Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. You see this man who was my Counselor, is none other than Jesus Christ, the Son Of God, who loved me and gave His life for me. He paid a debt He didn't owe. I owed a debt I couldn't pay.
There is a point in life when we become consciously aware we have sinned against God by going our own way, doing our own thing, and living unto ourselves. This is because we are born with a sin nature. And God has declared that there is a penalty for sin. The bible says "For the wages of sin is death" that means spiritual death not just physical death. But that verse goes on to say - BUT the gift of God is ETERNAL LIFE - through Jesus Christ our Lord.
God is holy and just, and must punish sin. He has declared that the wages of sin is death. Yet, He does not want any to perish but that all should come to repentance and receive Eternal Life.
God loved us - His creation of whom He was "Well Pleased" prior to our downfall. Because of His great love for us He didn't want any of us to perish - that is to spend eternity in the lake of everlasting fire - so He provided a way for us to escape the death penalty. It is by our accepting the free gift of Eternal Life through the work of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shed His blood for the forgiveness of our sins. That work of shedding of His pure blood in payment for the forgiveness of our sin is how we achieve victory over death.
We cannot save ourselves nor even help save ourselves. We cannot do anything to save ourselves from death concerning our sin. Our only hope is our Lord Jesus Christ alone, through our faith in Him alone, in His finished work alone. Jesus Christ, being fully God and fully man, paid the penalty IN FULL for mankind's sin - yours and mine - if we would just believe in Jesus Christ for who He is and for what He has done for us. He did for us what we couldn't do for ourselves. In other words, He paid a debt He didn't owe for our debt which we couldn't pay.
The Bible says: For by grace are you saved through faith and that NOT of yourselves, it is the gift of God, NOT of works lest any man should boast. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. this is a simple truth to hard for some to believe. I made my decision. Now, the decision is yours.
DO YOU KNOW FOR CERTAIN THAT YOU HAVE ETERNAL LIFE AND THAT YOU - WILL - GO TO HEAVEN WHEN YOU DIE? YOU CAN KNOW FOR SURE!
If you aren't sure, email me at Rev.Stoneking@gmail.com
Eternal Life is God's FREE gift to you just for the asking. Why not ask Him right now?
Start by reading about Eternal Life in the gospel of John and then the book of Romans
GOD ALWAYS MEANT FOR YOU TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE, YOU LOST IT BEFORE YOU WERE BORN BY BEING BORN WITH A SIN NATURE, LEARN HOW TO RECEIVE IT AGAIN ONCE AND FOR ALL.
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