This "Comfort Zone" is dedicated to the memory of the Rev. Fred Canada who died February 25, 2007; a man of God who preached the Word for almost fifty years)

 

"RESCUE THE PERISHING,  CARE FOR THE DYING"

 

The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible. His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him in any way he could.
 
 One day the grandson asked, "Papa, I try to read the Bible just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bible do?" The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water."
 
The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked out before he could get back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, "You will have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again.
  
This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was "impossible to carry water in a basket," and he went to get a bucket instead. The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You can do this. You're just not trying hard enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try again. At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got far at all.
  
The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, "See Papa, it's useless!"
 

"So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket." The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket looked different.  Instead of a dirty old coal basket, it was clean.
  
"Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change you from the inside out. That is the work of God in our lives. To change us from the inside out and to slowly transform us into the image of His son." Take time to read a portion of God's word each day, and remind a friend by sharing this story.  [*]
  
 When Jesus came, the job was clear: rescue the dying, whatever it takes. " For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which  what was lost." [Lk.19:10]  God's Son came here to aggressively pursue and rescue lost people like those rescuers going into the wreckage of a building. The "save" word here isn't just a theological concept -- it's a rescue word as in what those rescuers did. If they didn't get to the people trapped in that building and save them, they would die.

Then Jesus says to us in [John 20:21], "As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you." Our job is clear, to rescue the dying people around us, whatever it takes. Paul makes our responsibility very clear when he says [2 Corinthians 5:20], "We are Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you (notice the passion and urgency) on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God."

That's why you are where you are -- in that school, in that neighborhood, in that organization, in that workplace. Jesus put you there to be His personal representative to that group of people. It's a divine assignment. How are you doing? He's put you there to do both, as they say in kindergarten, "show and tell" them about Jesus. You need to show them what Jesus is like by your attitude and your actions and your treatment of them. But you can't just show - you have to tell. They will never guess that Jesus died on the cross to pay for their sins just because you're a nice person. You have to tell them.

And it really is a life-or-death assignment. Sin carries an eternal death penalty which can only be canceled one way -- by a person putting their personal trust in Jesus, the One who paid that penalty for them. Jesus took their hell so they don't have to, but chances are, they don't know it. It's up to you to lovingly deliver that life-saving message. Your job is clear, rescue the dying, whatever it takes. It is easy to forget the most important mission of all.

Rescue people didn't forget their mission that day in Oklahoma City, because they knew the lives of dying people were at stake -- they dropped everything. And I think that's what we've forgotten -- that the people in hell will look just like the people we work with, we go to school with, we live near. They don't look like they're dying spiritually, but the sentence for sin is very clear. You have to ask Jesus to give you His broken heart for those people. His eyes to see what He sees when He looks at the people around you.

Churches forget what our life-or-death mission is and all of us rescuers tend to forget it and do what is easy -- just talk to the people who are already safe. But when you realize people's lives, people's eternity's, are in the balance, you put everything else on hold to save them. The job is clear, as the hymn reads: "Rescue the perishing, Care for the dying";  whatever it takes. Take time to read a portion of God's word each day, and remind a friend by sharing this story.
  
 "Live Simply,  Love Generously,  Care Deeply,  Speak Kindly, (*) Leave The Rest To God" - "Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save....".  (*Source Unknown)

><))):>  In "HIS" Service

            Bro. Roy