A Tale of Two Men

By Greg Quinn

May 12th, 2011

On April 29th, 2011, a great man died.  A couple of days later, on May 1, 2011, a horrible man died.  One spent his life working for good, and the other spent his life working for evil.  One man did everything for his family, the other sacrificed even his family for his personal interests.  One man promoted the Lord Jesus Christ, the other promoted himself as God.  One man followed peace, the other endorsed war.  One man worked to save others, the other worked to kill others.  One man tried to show the light of God through his words, the other used his words to promote destruction, death, and anti-Christian sentiment.  One man was among the best men I have known, and the other among the worst of men of whom I ever heard.  Today, according to the truths in the Holy Bible, one man is with God and Jesus in Heaven, and the other is beginning his eternity in the torments of Hell.  Each is now receiving his just reward.

The good man is J.P. Quinn, my Dad.  The evil man is Osama Bin Laden.

You know Bin Laden.  Bin Laden was the mastermind behind 9/11, the leader of Al Qaeda, an evil leader who led murderous rampages against any who disagreed with his ungodly beliefs.  Osama Bin Laden was the “public enemy number one” according to US and British governments.  Bin Laden will go down in history among the likes of Adolf Hitler as a person of such unbelievable evil and malicious intent that it’s hard for us to imagine their way of thinking.  Osama Bin Laden was killed Sunday evening by Navy Seals who shot him in the head during a raid on his compound. 

The same Bible that Bin Laden discarded will execute judgment on him now that he is departed from the earth.  The same Jesus that he mocked will say to Bin Laden, “Depart from me, ye worker of inequity, for I never knew you.”  Those evils that Bin Laden enacted upon mankind will be answered for through judgment and eternal punishment.  The darkness of Bin Laden’s evil eyes will reflect the flames of eternal torment.  Bin Laden is receiving his reward.  No hundreds of virgins; instead, legions of demons who share in his destruction.

"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" -

It’s a good chance you don’t know the other fellow, J.P. Quinn.  In this world of evil and self-serving people, we know those who are bad and not so good.  We often don’t hear of the true heroes, the good people who live their lives for God and others.  Allow me to introduce you to one of those heroes, my Dad, J.P. Quinn.

Dad was born in 1937.  He was born within a proud family that didn’t own much in earthly possessions, but that were rich in love and family relationships.  Dad had 9 sisters, all older than he.  As the baby and the only boy, of course he was spoiled.  Dad and his sisters were raised on a farm, they walked to school, they worked before and after school, and worked hard.  They went to the small community Baptist church every Sunday.  One of the greatest pleasures is hearing Dad and his sisters, my many aunts, talk about their days growing up in the rural hills of Tennessee. 

J.P. Quinn married his hometown sweetheart, Lorene Kent.  They had 4  boys: Greg, Jeff, James (Boge), and Anthony.  Dad and Mom had celebrated their 55th anniversary the day before the stroke that took Dad’s life.

As a young boy, Dad accepted the free sacrifice of Jesus Christ and asked Jesus to come into his life.  As a young man, Dad surrendered his life to the call of God by entering the Gospel ministry, and became a preacher.  Not expecting the small church to pay his bills, Dad continued working in his profession as a glazier.  These days we call that “bi-vocational”; to Dad it was the right thing to do to take care of his family.  Dad ended up working for Jesus for some 50 years, with more than 40 years as a Pastor of several churches throughout Tennessee and Kentucky.  In his 50+ years of ministry, Dad no doubt opened the door to eternal salvation for hundreds of Christians.  In his many years of ministry, Dad conducted many weddings, funerals, and revival meetings.  Because of the sacrifice of my Dad, there are no doubt countless people who will one day join him in Heaven because of his words from within and without the pulpit.

Last May 3rd, I conducted the funeral services of my Dad.  While very difficult, Dad had previously made me promise I’d do it, and I was honored to be able to conduct the final sermon on behalf of a great man who had given his life for Christ and his family.  While we miss Dad here on earth, it was easy to talk about his accomplishments as a servant of God.  No doubt Dad received a hero’s welcome into Heaven, as a warrior of God for some 50 years.  I never heard my Dad preach a sermon without providing an invitation for someone in the audience to accept Jesus Christ as their savior and Lord.  I extended the same invitation on his behalf during his funeral.

According to the truths of God’s Word, the Holy Bible, Dad is enjoying the benefits of Heaven. He’s been reunited with his family gone on before him; his mom and dad, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, good friends, and several sisters. He has his mansion, he is walking the streets of gold, he’s sat by the crystal sea. He has no doubt talked with the apostles of our Lord, and the patriarchs of the faith that went before him. And, most importantly, J.P. Quinn got to meet Jesus, whom he had been preaching about for some 50 years.

J.P. Quinn and Osama Bin Laden met God within a couple days of each other.  Each heard the verdict of their location of eternity based upon decisions made while here on earth.  Each received their just rewards as promised within the Bible.  J.P. Quinn was welcomed by King Jesus into Heaven for an eternity of peace and joy and happiness and life in the presence of God.  Osama Bin Laden was thrown into Hell, a place created for the demons and those that lived a life on earth against God, and a place of eternal torment and punishment and burning fire. 

As a reader, you will notice the great difference in the parallels of their lives.  Mr. Quinn lived for God and for good. Mr. Bin Laden lived for Satan and for evil.  They were justly rewarded based upon how they lived their lives.

The question for us all is this.  Whose life are we more closely following?  A life of personal satisfaction over that of others like Bin Laden?  Or a life of personal sacrifice like Reverend Quinn?  A life of evil, or a life of good?  A life where you do the right thing to do, or a life where you do what feels right at the time?  A life where you turn your back on God and Jesus Christ, His son, or a life of sharing with others the benefits of becoming a child of God?

It’s doubtful that any of us are as evil as Bin Laden.  It’s doubtful that a great many of us are as good as my Dad, J.P. Quinn.  Most of us fall in the middle somewhere.  As God is no respect of persons, He will deliver to us our eternal judgment based upon the decisions we make in our lives here on earth.  Being good or bad isn’t all there is.  The decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior, asking Jesus to guide your life, is the first step in a life of peace on earth, and eternity with God in Heaven.

This was a tale of two men who lived very differently, who made very different choices, but who died within a couple days of one another.  Each had to face God at their hour of death on earth.  Their eternity is based upon their choices while here.  Each of us must make a similar decision.  Where will you and I spend eternity?  The answer is found in the Bible.  Examples are indicated within this brief article.  We can choose to spend eternity with my Dad in the wondrous joys of Heaven, or with Bin Laden in the torments of Hell.

The choice is yours.  Choose wisely.

Greg Quinn