Study – Grow – Know

Greatest Need

June 23, 2021 at 3:46 PM 3 comments

I would hope you would agree that the greatest need every person has is to come to the point of acknowledging their need of a Savior and to embrace that salvation in the finished work of Jesus. There is nothing more important for each and every person who walks through this life.

Just recently, I learned that a friend of mine who lived in New York (as did I years ago, which is how I met him through our mutual love of music), passed away. He was 65 years old and is said to have died from complications from CV-19 this past February. Since he lives in NY, I’m sure everyone or nearly everyone who dies there dies from some type of complication from CV. Hospitals receive money from the government for that designation.

Bill was a homebody, meaning working out of his home. As far as I know, didn’t get out much because of all the music that he produced and his studio was behind his home. I’m not sure how he might have contracted CV-19.

The last time I communicated with him and heard back from him was December 2020. He had huge plans about his next CD. He was excited about it and promised that he would be starting on things soon and would send me music tracks and wanted to work with me on lyrics and theme.

As usual, I’d receive his music tracks via email, then record drum tracks for his songs. I’d return my drum tracks to him with another track showing where to place my drum track to align it perfectly with his track.

It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed creative outlet for my ability. My friend Bill, was always upbeat, low-key, and had a tremendous love for what he did. He was an excellent guitarist and his musical style was not of the norm.

Shortly after the new year began, I realized I hadn’t heard from Bill in a bit. I waited because I knew he had said how busy he was, not just with music, but with his new grandson. He was trying to get things organized around the house and he had also mentioned how it was another killer winter in New York where in one case, a storm had dropped 41″ of snow. I recall those days of my own living in New York with those winters.

Finally, on March 29, 2021, I decided the silence had been long enough, so I sent him a quick email asking how everything was going for him.

Bill,

How’s life these days for you?

Life’s been busy here.

Our daughter gave birth 10 weeks early via c-section to another son.

He’s in Neo-natal ICU and will likely be there for 3-4 weeks or more. He’s doing well.

Our son and his wife are a few weeks away from welcoming their daughter.

Seems like life is cruising by at high speed.

Things going well at your end?

Fred

I never heard back from Bill and started wondering why. One month later, on April 29, I sent him a quick link about something I felt he’d be interested in and again, heard nothing in return. Finally, on May 17, 2021, I sent my last email to him and also sent a note via Messenger.

Hey Bill,

Is everything ok? Doing all right?

Fred

You might be wondering why I just didn’t call, but I had previously asked Bill for his cell phone number and he told me he didn’t have a cell phone. I’m not sure how anyone would get along without a cell phone today (more power to him), but it left me with either emailing him or using Messenger for contact.

Well, I was talking about this with my wife this week and she suggested I check the Internet to see if he had died. Not a pleasant thought to be sure, but yesterday I did open a browser and searched to see if anyone by Bill’s name from New York had passed away. It took only a matter of seconds to learn that he had passed and had done so on February 21, 2021. So, my emails obviously were never read by him because he had already passed from this life to the next. Talk about shocking.

I’d known Bill on and off since the 1980’s. I have memories and pictures of me in his studio in Conklin, NY singing and laying down tracks for our first original single, “Goodbye Yesterday.” Since that time, for many years, there was no contact. We lost touch with each other after I left New York State for California.

However, several years ago, I came across Bill on Facebook and sent him a message. He had a page on there about his band, Anubis Spire. I listened to some of it and really appreciated Bill’s creativity and messaged him. He responded back asking me if I was still playing drums and if I’d be willing to lay down some tracks. I told him I would and just like that, we were back at it. In fact, the original bass player (also a Christian), was still also part of things though very busy with home and career and who now lived in Alabama.

Learning that Bill died is a bit of a shock, honestly. I recall over the years trying to talk to Bill about the Lord. He knew I was a Christian. I had never hesitated to tell him that. I also tried to work in details about the Bible and a person’s need for Jesus from time to time. When we’d email, if he had a situation he was dealing with, I’d always tell him I was praying for him.

Bill was the kind of guy most people liked. He was warm, funny and embraced people regardless of their political beliefs. He was extremely creative and talented where music was concerned and was seemingly always “up” about life. Bill was spiritual certainly. He understood that there was something outside of our dimension. He had an interest in New Age thought and much of his music reflected that although it was often done with a bit of tongue in cheek.

So, the last time I received any communication from Bill was December 21, 2020. He was excited about 2021. I’m not sure how soon after this he began to be sick with whatever it was. Could’ve been the flu, a bad cold, pneumonia or the dreaded CV-19. I have no clue and since the PCR tests are not accurate, there’s no way to know for certain, though as far as the hospital where Bill died at is concerned, he died from complications of CV-19.

I think of Bill now. I cannot help wondering of course if there was more I could have said or done to help him realize his need for Jesus. I am confident that God – who loves Bill far more than I ever could – has given Bill every opportunity he needed. Beyond this, God is the only righteous Judge and will judge accordingly, not just Bill, but all of us.

If I were to sit back and wonder why I am saved and how that happened given the fact that my family was not really solidly Christian, it simply makes me sit in awe of God. How does He reach down into a family and begin to save one person there and then others?

I believe my mom was saved long before she died. I believe hopefully that my father became saved right before he died. I know my sister was saved long before she died and in fact, it was due to her efforts that her husband became saved and then one by one, his brother, sisters, mother and father. It is absolutely awe-inspiring how God works to save people from His judgment and hell. We can quote all sorts of doctrine and Scripture and certainly, we should. But in the end, God loves the world and desires to save all people from perishing.

Unfortunately, most, as Jesus explains in the parable of the narrow and wide road (Matthew 7:13-14), will go to their graves fully rejecting the salvation that is offered to them. They may do so “nicely” or with “anger,” but reject it they will.

God wants us to receive His salvation and in order to be willing to do that, people have to be willing to accept and admit that they are sinful and in need of a Savior; One who is outside of themselves and can “lift” them up from the spiritual death they exist within.

Isn’t it sad how many will not do that? There but for the grace of God go I.

My friend Bill, is gone. It’s weird. Very weird, but I’m reminded that I’m getting older and have to get used to seeing friends and family leave this life. It will eventually happen with me too.

Oh Lord, may we learn to fear (offending) you to the point that we will tackle people if needed so they will hear of their need to receive your salvation! That is the greatest need every individual person has, whether they can see it or not.

Entry filed under: Atheism and religion, christianity, Cultural Marxism, Demonic, devil worship, Eastern Mysticism, Emotional virtue, eternity, Maitreya, new age movement, Religious - Christian - Prophecy, salvation.