The List

Perhaps you have heard the story about a woman was bitten by a stray dog. Tests were made on the health of the dog. "I'm sorry to inform you," the doctor said, "but you have been bitten by a rabid dog."

The woman sat down and instantly began to write. She wrote furiously for some time. When the doctor noticed what the woman was doing he said, "It won't be necessary for you to write your will. I'm going to give you a series of shots which will cure you."

"I'm not writing my will," the woman said. "I'm making a list of all the people I intend to bite!"

I know a woman that has kept a long list of names for a long time.  The names on the list were written by her own hand.  The lettering is small because of the number of names on the list.  The woman has been known to look at the list at least once a day, and she has looked at each name on the list, each time.

Is it a list of people with whom she has some problems?  Are these names of people that she refuses to forgive and likes to bring to remembrance daily so that she can stew over their misdeeds?  Absolutely not!

This long list of names is her prayer list!  The woman who made the list, looked at it daily for a long time and mentioned each name in deliberate prayer, is Mildred Nelson.

Mildred Nelson, a dear Christian woman, passed away earlier this week on May 8, 2012.  She leaves a legacy of faith and love for all who knew her.  Her prayer list exemplifies the love and concern that she continually manifested for others.

Her list reminds me of another list: it’s called The Lamb’s Book of Life (see Phil 4:3; Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; 22:19).  It’s a “list” of names that God
has recorded in a “book” of those who are saved by the blood of Jesus.

Each of us needs to be saved because each of us has sinned (Romans 3:23), and
“the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

But God loves us so much that He gave His Son Jesus to die on the cross so that we might be forgiven of our sins and receive the gift of eternal life (John 3:16; Romans 6:23).  He adds to the Book of Life those who accept His offer of salvation through Christ.

To accept God’s offer of salvation and life, and to be added to the Lamb’s Book of Life, we must place our faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from our sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38). 

Then, we must continue to live faithfully to the Lord. Jesus promised, "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels” (Revelation 3:5).

It would be an honor for one to have been on Mrs. Mildred’s prayer list and to be prayed for daily by this godly woman.  But Mrs. Mildred would want most of all for each one of our names to be in the Lamb’s Book of Life!

Are YOU on the Lamb’s list?  You CAN be, if only you will trust and obey Him today.  Won’t you?

David A. Sargent, Minister