Boot Hill

For years it was my blessed good fortune to pastor a church with an international television ministry. It was a joy to receive correspondence from unique places. One that really caught my eye referenced a little sign beside a road reading:

“Powderville, Montana – Population 1:  
Mayor, Joe Hodge –  Sheriff, Joe Hodge – Fire Chief, Joe Hodge.”
“Drive carefully, the life you save may be —- Joe Hodge.”  

The gracious lady who sent it invited me out to their ranch in southeast Montana. I accepted with my housing being the old abandoned stage coach station lodge. Over the course of time I became close friends with her and her husband. On a later visit she said, “One of these days when you come out here I will be up on that hillside.”

I had been up there and knew what she meant. There was a little plot fenced in by barbed wire. I strained to read a little tombstone-like plaque stating: “Boot Hill Church, Deadwood Junction.” This was an unreal page out of a long lost past. What she meant was one of these days I will die and be buried up there on Boot Hill. Her prophecy was fulfilled. She knew she, like all of us, would die and she had prepared for it, not only physically, but spiritually.

I don’t want this Post to be morbid, but helpful, and above all encouraging by asking are you ready physically and spiritually to die? If so, today is a wonderful day to celebrate it. If not, now is a wonderful time to make preparation for that eventuality. Here are the A, B, Cs of how to do it.

A. Accept the fact your sin that has separated you from God, can be forgiven no matter the extent and extreme thereof.

B. Believe the fact that God loves you so much and He wants you to spend eternity with Him so badly that He “sent His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him might be saved.” This is a belief with consequence.

C. Commitment. Ask Him to forgive you and give you new life. Express your love and lifetime commitment to Him.

Thereafter remember: God said it, you did it, that settles it.

To set a reminder of this, here is a visual action. Using four fingers do the following.

Finger one: “God is God.”

Finger two: “I am not God.”

Finger three: “I sin when I get number one and number two reversed, and make myself God.”

Finger four: “Jesus came to help me get number one and two in order, and forgive me of my sin.” Rejoice, ask Him to enable you to get them in order.

Thank God for finger four and express your faith in Jesus as your Savior.