Actor Dennis Hopper - In Heaven or Hell?

Actor Dennis Hopper just died of prostate cancer at the age of 74.  Anytime someone's death makes the news, I immediately ask myself, Is that person in heaven, or are they now screaming in torment from hell?
The truth is, only the Lord knows for sure if he is in heaven or hell.  I do not know if he ever received Jesus as his Saviour. 
Did some Sunday school teacher reach out to Dennis when he was a small child, and lead him to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, or did he die and go to hell for all eternity?
Did a concerned neighbor reach him in time with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or is he in hell for all eternity?
Did a faithful pastor visit Dennis and tell him about the free gift of salvation that is available to all who put their trust in Jesus Christ for heaven, or did Dennis die in ignorance and go to hell for all eternity?
Did his mom or dad tell him about Jesus when he was a little boy, or did they let him grow up only to die and spend eternity screaming from hell?
Was Dennis Hopper given opportunities to receive Jesus, only to mock and reject the offer of free salvation, and end up screaming in torment from hell?
Did Dennis ever believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and get saved, or did he think he would take care of that some other day, only to die and spend eternity burning in hell for his unbelief?
If Dennis Hopper did die without Jesus, it is eternally too late for him, but it is not too late for you.  If you are reading this, you have the opportunity to be saved.

Understand what the Bible about salvation:

Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 6:23a For the wages of sin is death;
Revelation 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Romans 6:23b ... but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.  Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Romans 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Yet Another Great Blessing

God has given me yet another great blessing - the privilege of getting to know missionary Scott Holcomb.  Scott and his family arrived in Croatia on December 31st.  I had only briefly met Scott in passing during his visit to Trinity Baptist Church, so I knew very little about what to expect of him.  What I have found has truly blessed my heart beyond all expectations.  Brother Scott Holcomb is a man with a kind and gracious spirit, a burden for souls, and a gift for everything needed on the mission field.
He is a soul-winner, preacher, teacher, musician (sings and plays guitar), handyman, driver, and a master on the Bar-B-Q grill. Take a look at some photos of my friend, Scott Holcomb - Servant of God.

Making his point during a lesson.

 Singing the special for the day.

With gospel tracts in hand, Scott is on the hunt for someone to share the gospel with.

 Lending a hand to get my furniture put together along with Bro Johnny.
(I was operating in a supervisory capacity.)

Doing his best to feed all of us one Friday evening.

Getting ready to enjoy one of our favorite Croatian specialties - mixed meat and potatoes. Mmmmm!

 

Sharing the gospel in the streets of Zagreb (Croatia's Capitol)

Praise the Lord for Scott Holcomb!  It is a privilege to serve the Lord with him.

God has provided again

I finally have a car of my own after two months in Croatia and I a thrilled with it!  Now, I can go anywhere in the country and stand up for Christ in the streets.  When I arrived in Croatia, the vehicle that I was first attracted to because of its apparent practicality is a Citroen Berlingo.  It is a great economy vehicle and very versatile because of its unique design.  It is similar to a minivan, but without one row of seats, and with a little more cargo room in the back.

Wouldn't you know it?  Just when the time came for me to purchase a car, there was an immaculate Citroen Berlingo available at a very reasonable price, and it is only seven years old.  I thought I might have to spend $7,000 to get a reliable vehicle, but this one was priced at $6,000.
In  addition, it has an air conditioner, which is not all that common here in Croatia - especially in an economy car.
Praise the Lord for His provision.

Look out Croatia!  Here I come.

Catching Up

Praise the Lord!  I am glad to report that I have received a Visa and ID card!  These all-important documents represent a milestone.  I have been in the country for seven weeks now and just received my visa last week, enabling me to sign a contract for internet and mobile telephone service. It seemed a little strange being somewhat isolated from contact for a few weeks, but that is certainly a small price to pay for the privilege of living my dream and doing the work that God put me here to do.

The first seven weeks have been very busy with soulwinning, setting up an apartment, and starting language school (Croatian is a fascinating language).
I have also learned that I can now walk farther than I ever imagined!  I have spent many hours walking through town and witnessing in the streets. (Most Croatians learn English in school nowadays, so I can easily witness to most people under the age of thirty.)  The center of town is 2 miles from my apartment, and I walk that distance regularly.  One day I walked it twice - 8 miles total!  And, I did it without the use of my walking cane.  This is the Lord's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.
I have had the incomparable joy of leading 12 Croatians to Christ since I arrive on 3/27.  One young man's name is Goran,  and God in His infinite mercy caused my path to cross with Goran's and now Goran is gloriously and eternally saved.  (Let's all stand and shout Hallelujah.)
To my great delight, the elderly are even receptive to me.  Although I cannot converse much with them because of the language barrier, some things transcend language.  They seem to understand that someone cares about them. (We think they respect my gray hair too!)  Praise God for gray hair.
I am full of great joy and anticipation for what God is doing and will do in this country as we stand in the way of those headed for an eternity in hell.  But, at the same time, I have a broken heart for the young and old alike as I see them each day coming closer to their eternity.
Within a week or so, I'll be purchasing a car and then the entire country will be within my reach.  We will be developing a plan to reach every city, village, rest stop, gas station, sidewalk, and parking lot with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Thank God He is still on the throne and still has the power, desire and grace to save!
We are expecting Croatia to be turned upside down for Christ.

Praise the Lord!