March 22 - John Lundberg

If you were to die tomorrow, where would you go, heaven or hell? And why? This is one of the most frequent questions that I ask when sharing the gospel message with others. Like most others, I would have answered heaven, because I'm a "pretty good" person. This is a very dangerous line of reasoning, because when we compare ourselves to others rather than a Holy and Perfect God we tend to elevate our own worth, and we see no need for a Savior. I was raised an Episcopalian Protestant, but in reality, I rarely went to church, and once I received my confirmation at age 13, I rarely stepped foot in church or gave God a second thought. But outside of this I led a "pretty good" life. I did well in school, was a college athlete, was married at the age of twenty, became a physician, and by all appearances led a "pretty good" life.

In my fourth year of medical school, my mother was losing her battle with colon cancer. She was hospitalized in the hospital where I was attending medical school, and she was receiving pain medications and supportive care, but her death was imminent. She died the night before I was to take part 2 of my National Medical Board Exams. My father received the message of my mother's death but didn't want to upset me before my big test. But I stopped by the room just before the test and she was awaiting to be picked up to be brought to the morgue. Crying by her bedside a woman entered and did not mention any platitudes of her being sorry or my mother being in a better place. She simply put her hand on my shoulder and recited Psalm 23 in its entirety. I had never heard the word of God spoken out of love before. Two weeks later I asked the hospital chaplain for a bible and my journey began. I had never heard of Bible radio, Bible commentaries, or Bible based churches. But over the next two years I went through from cover to cover and the story not only took form but made more sense to me than anything else. Though I now believed that He was God, and believed the story, there was still one last thing that needed to be done. In my second year of residency, now once again feeling "pretty good" about my growth as a physician it hit me. It was after a surgery that I realized just how small and insignificant that I truly was. That He was the Healer, He was the Great Physician and that I was merely a vessel. I realized that I was not that smart, not that skilled, and that I wasn't "pretty good". I finally saw myself as the sinner that I am. I finally got off the throne of my life and repented of my sins and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

Now I was saved, or "Born-again". Many mistakenly see this as a finish line, but this is really the starting line for our walk in faith. We will continue to mess up, but He is patient as He lovingly illuminates our path. God prepares us for our walk and directs our steps into the ministries that He chooses for us. Around ten years ago, a couple of years after my son graduated college, he lacked direction. He agreed to Bible study with me. So, four to five times a week, around twenty minutes a day, over the phone we had a study. I prepared commentary for each day. As I was pouring into my son, God was pouring into me. The ministry that I lead, The One Year Bible Challenge, began in 2017 and grew out of what I did with my son. I have learned to approach God's Word with fear and trembling, as I wait for HIs direction which then comes forth in the daily commentaries that I send out. One verse that has resonated with me through the years is John 8:31-32, "Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”"