by Jewel Wright

Beautiful girls dressed in alluring clothes—virile young men looking for a good time—are a part of Satan’s plan to present sin as something desirable and glamorous. He would have us see sin as beautiful, exciting and enjoyable with no consequence. But in one day, God brought very vividly to my heart that “…the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ….” Sin has great consequences and it does, indeed, lead to death.

Let me tell you about the consequences of sin as seen in Uganda. Sin results in being called out in the dark of night by a desperate sister pounding on our gate. Sin results in my stumbling and groping toward a glimmer of light in an overcrowded smoke-filled room. Sin results in my seeing a young lady lying on a cold, cement floor in a pool of her own blood with a dead fetus lying nearby. There is no glamour, there is no excitement, and there is no enjoyment as I set down my nursing bag, don rubber gloves, and try to help finish the delivery. There are grave consequences as I realize that if something is not done quickly the young lady stands a good chance of losing too much blood and dying there beside her child. Sin results in my taking her to the local hospital where there are people lining the hallways lying on mats and blankets, babies crying, and very little hope. As she lies on her piece of black plastic throughout the long night and on into the morning waiting to see a doctor, I wonder if she is thinking about the result and consequence of sin. Does she realize that the Bible is true and that the wages of sin is death? Where will the consequences of sin end for her?

That lady is still alive, but the same is not true for Margaret Abieto. Margaret had contracted AIDS. She was 43 years old when she died yesterday at ten in the morning. Her “husband” had come to the home of our fellow missionary to tell us that Margaret was dying. He wanted us to come and pray with her. But we were too late. Abieto Margaret had died. As we reached the mud hut where she lived, we saw many people gathered around outside. They ushered us inside and there on a foam mat covered with a white cloth lay Margaret. As they pulled back the cloth we saw her with eyes closed in death and a strip of cloth tied around her mouth. Even in the last stages of AIDS, Margaret was a beautiful woman. She had come to our church several months earlier, and we had the privilege of leading her to the Lord one afternoon as we visited in her compound. She came to church fairly faithfully for some time, but as the disease progressed we saw less and less of her.

During the last two weeks, she was so weak that she was unable to eat. So every other day our fellow missionary would take milk and juice for her. But yesterday, God called Margaret home. The family asked Marvin to conduct the funeral. They erected a shelter for the casket and for the family members to sit under. There were lovely flowers resting on the casket. Marvin was able to present the Gospel to those who had gathered to pay their last respects. When he finished, he gave an invitation to any who would like to accept Christ as their Savior. One lady responded to that plea! The leader of the clan then spoke for some little time about Margaret, her children, and her life. Then as we were preparing to go to the cemetery, her sisters from some distance away arrived. I cannot find the words to use to describe the weeping, wailing, and loud prolonged mourning of the sisters.

I could not help but contrast their conduct with the sermon I had just heard. In the sermon, Marvin mentioned that we weep not as others who have no hope, because we believe in Jesus and His resurrection. We know that we will see Margaret again some day in heaven. What a blessed hope! The casket was put into one truck; four jerry cans of water, several ladies and children, and the leader of the clan went with us in our truck to the cemetery. There were several graves there of other family members. Marvin again spoke about the Lord’s return and our going home to meet Him and again urged people to accept Jesus as their Savior. As the service ended, four men holding onto two ropes lowered the casket into the grave. Dirt was thrown in, water was poured on it and tamped down, and the people slowly drifted back to the compound. For Margaret, the wages of sin were death. But, praise the Lord, she had accepted the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord and is in Heaven today!

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

John 15:5 I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Jonathon & Mandy Crews -  BRAZIL
Joel C & Brooke Daku -  KIRIBATI
Paul W & Martha Daku -  FIJI ISLANDS