LOST & FOUND: The Lord knows right where you are!

"But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.' And they began to celebrate."

Luke 15:22-24

Alan Murphy, was devastated; while on vacation in the United States, Murphy lost his digital camera. That loss would cost him all of his vacation pictures from the trip. Disheartened, Murphy, an Irish insurance underwriter now living in Australia, returned home to Sydney.

However, on his 34th birthday, not quite two weeks later, he learned he would be getting the missing camera and the photos back. "I was over the moon," he says now.

At dusk on New Year's Eve[, 2007], Erika Gunderson got into a taxi in New York City and entered a digital-age mystery.

Sitting on the back seat was a nice Canon digital camera. Gunderson asked the driver which previous passenger might have left it, but the cabbie didn't seem to care.

Thus began the saga of several amateur sleuths determined to unite an unknown individual with a camera lost and found in NYC.

Together the friends spent hours culling the digital images stored in the camera's memory, looking for and following up on minuscule clues as to the camera's owner. Lead after lead was followed to a dead-end when one last look by the last of the detectives revealed the interior of a NYC business not far away.

That final effort would put the Canon back in the hands of its owner.

We were lost, but now we're found; no amateur detectives were needed however. No, the Most High God who created us has known where we were all along. We may be lost to eternal life but God has a light on for us to follow home. Praise Him!

Christianity, Illustrations,
Lost & found, Religion

NEIGHBORS: Those Ninevites around us!

"Then God said to Jonah, 'Do you have good reason to be angry about the plant?' And he said, 'I have good reason to be angry, even to death.' Then the LORD said, 'You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?'"

Jonah 4:9-11

A couple attended a neighborhood wedding reception. While there they had a wonderful time conversing with a very polite young man. Eventually, he excused himself but was quickly replaced by a friend and neighbor. They apologized for not introducing the young man but admitted they didn’t know his name. “O’ that’s all right,” she said. “We already know him, he’s our son.”

This illustrates a problem of our time; frustrated with the sad state of our world we complain loudly yet insulate ourselves from our own neighbors. How can we expect our voice to be heard when we so uninvolved. This attitude is close to calling into question the very character of God (perhaps even his nature).

God has clearly told us to “love our neighbors as we love ourselves.” [Matthew 22:39] He also provided the parable of the “good Samaritan” [Matthew 10:30-37] for the same reason. God wants us to know our neighbors.

Only when we sincerely seek the redemption of our fallen neighbors, rather than their capitulation to our world-view, will we understand how God is “slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness” [4:2] toward all men!

Only when we serve God unconditionally will we ever understand how God is “a gracious and compassionate God” [4:2] toward all men!

Jonah was a normal, everyday human being, from a normal common in life; but he was RUNNING FROM GOD. God was just not doing things the way Jonah wanted them done.

Jonah was living his life pretty much as God asked him to; but these Ninevites? AARRRGHHHH!!!!!!

Christianity, Illustrations,
Neighbors, Religion

EVANGELISM: Forewarned is forearmed!

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone."

Matthew 24:36

The TV reporter was speaking in an excited, animated tone, obviously caught up in the unfolding catastrophe; smoke was drifting across the neighbors’ yards, as an orange glow shimmered on the advancing firefighters.

On the screen, to the right, a woman struggle fiercely with a policeman and a neighbor. She was trying with all of her might to free herself; to the left, several people were visibly shaken and grief stricken.

Why? Because all of the woman’s children were trapped inside the burning home. The mourners were the woman’s friends and neighbors. The commentator understood the gravity of the scene and was affected by it.

What is wrong with this picture? No one knew the fire would start in that house, on that night, at that time! The fire had progressed too far to expect anyone to save the children. And, besides, the children didn’t know what was happening; they most likely would sleep right to the end. But still, what’s wrong with this picture?

Could it be that we’ve been warned of a fire to come? [Matthew 3:7] We don’t know which house the fire will pass by or which it won’t, but we know it will affect every unprotected house, don’t we? [Exodus 12:27]

Oh, we don’t know of the day or the hour [Mark 13:32], but we know with certainty it’s coming, don’t we? [Revelation 22:20] Haven’t we been warned?

So why aren’t we grieving before our neighbors’ homes? Why aren’t we on their front lawns, mourning the soon coming calamity? Why aren’t we earnestly contending with those who would prevent us from reaching our neighbors? [Jude 1:3]

Isn’t the smoke of Hell’s fire drifting across the green lawns of our communities? Isn’t the glow of Hades seen on the faces of all too many people we know? Once the fire starts, won’t it also be too late to save them?

Or could it be that we’re ignoring the smoke, don’t see the glow, and don’t care about the kids?

Christianity, Evangelism,
Illustrations, Religion

EVANGELISM: What do you expect from a male driver?

"But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have; 'THEIR VOICE HAS GONE OUT INTO ALL THE EARTH, AND THEIR WORDS TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD.'"

Romans 10:18

Many people get lost today, especially as the world gets smaller and increasingly congested. A few years ago I was told the San Mateo County (California) Convention & Visitors Bureau ordered 50,000 maps of the greater San Mateo area for visiting tourists. The driver of the delivery truck evidently got lost on the way to the bureau; he had to phone in for directions.

The world has had people like this for at least two millennia … the map is right on their coffee table, but they’re still lost and need someone to give them directions.

Christianity, Evangelism,
Illustrations, Religion

LIVING WATER - Drink and never thirst again!

DEHYDRATED SOULS AND SPIRITS! [Jeremiah 17:13; Other topics - Lost, Salvation, Sanctification, Satan, Thirst]

In a message on Ananias and Sapphira, Rev. Jim Henry, Pastor of First Baptist Church in Orlando, Florida, tells of how natives in Africa locate water during their all too frequent droughts.

The natives capture a baboon and feed him salt for a few days … when they release him he races to the nearest water hole in the forest. By following the baboon they are led to a source of water they didn’t know existed.

Satan has been feeding man lies (salt) instead of God’s word (bread) for centuries; because of this condition man has become desert parched.

The non-believer, once free of Satan’s grip, immediately races to whatever the world calls moisture (self-help, gurus, meditation, occultism, mysticism, false religions, whatever). In short order, the lost soul finds his thirst unsatisfied and so races on to the next stop on the devil’s treadmill … discovering again his parched throat is unappeased. [cf. John 14:13]

But the true believer (if ever trapped by a snare of the evil one), when freed from his bonds, races to the source of living water [John 7:38] for he is like a tree firmly planted by streams of water [Psalm 1:3]; the parched condition of his experience is never far from Satisfaction.

FAITH - Living or simple!

BEWARE TWO OF A KIND! [Matthew 7:14-27; Believers, Nonbelievers]

Driving down the street one night I saw a peculiar optical illusion: two identical cats were sitting on the sill in a lighted front window. At first, I thought they were statues; they were both coal black (the absence of light compromises color at night) and indistinguishable in size and shape … except they were facing each other.

Then the cat on the left turned to look at my truck as it drove past. That slight motion quickly told me the cat on the left was sitting on the outside sill while the other cat was sitting on the inside sill. Until there was movement by one or the other, I was incapable of distinguishing between the two; the glass separated the one from the other; preventing them from doing whatever cats desire to do together at night.

The crux of this tale is that in it we see the importance of a Christian’s public witness. Until there is movement by one or the other, believers are virtually indistinguishable from nonbelievers. The Bible clearly teaches that believers are known by their actions and not their words [James 1 & 2].

Some might say both must move in order to know one from the other. However, by default, we know both could be nonbelievers … for we are all sinners and have fallen far from the grace of God [Romans 3:23]. Only when one of God’s fallen accepts Jesus as Lord, does he become a new creation; then and only then, do we see his actions as those of a believer. The second party must be supposed a nonbeliever until some action on his part provides evidence of his faith in the God of our fathers.

At one of his crusades Billy Graham said, “I assume everyone is lost until they confirm to me otherwise.” (my paraphrase) We should never believe anyone is a believer solely on the basis or his or her personal assurance.

“Whatever [a believer does] in word or deed, [he should do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus” [Colossians 3:17]; thus, his words and deeds are recognizable as a believer’s words and deeds.

Jesus clarified the importance of words over deeds in Matthew 7:14-27 when He specifically said, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.” He added, "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they?”

Care must certainly be taken not to prejudge everything sitting in a window as a statue, but greater care must be taken before we judge everything sitting in a pew a believer. Like the glass in the window, Jesus Christ separates believers from nonbelievers … a believer’s actions will distinguish him from his counterpart.

GOD WILL DO JUST FINE WITHOUT YOU! [Sovereignty]

One night when a diplomat and his valet were required to sleep in the same railcar, the valet noticed his boss having trouble sleeping. “Whazzzzup?” He asked (things have changed). “Oh, I have so many things on my mind; the responsibilities I have to bear.”

“Look, I want to get some sleep, so let me ask you: do you think God was governing the world okay before you were born and don’t you think He'll manage after you're dead and gone?” “Absolutely!” “Okay then, let’s get some sleep, cause He’s gonna do just fine while your alive … right?"

[Adapted from e-Sword Ministries - 2000+ Illustrations, "Faith"]

I SEE YOU! [Matthew 8:5-13]; other topics - omniscience, sight, trust]

A dad stood in the cellar looking up at his son standing at the edge of a trap door. He called up, “I’m right here son, go ahead jump down to me."

The boy hesitated, in uncertain fear. "I can't, dad; I can't see you." Up came the answer, "I know you can't, but I see you!”

We may not see our Father but He sees us!

SINKING IN A SEA OF SIN! [1 Timothy 2:5; Deliverance, Grace, Salvation]

The movie Titanic was a big hit in the last decade. One can almost see and hear the people struggle in the deadly waters of the frigid Atlantic.

Faith links man, who is sinking in a sea of sin, to God, who is our Anchor and our Hope. God uses this link to provide man a way of salvation (Grace); once the link is established, a relationship exists.

The drowning man doesn’t reject a rescue ship’s lifeline in order to grab a pallet which happens to float by ... why? Because the pallet offers only temporary deliverance, whereas the line connects the man to the ship offering deliverance from the jaws of certain death!

God offers the lifeline of faith (in His Son); promising to credit His Son’s righteous to us if we will but trust Him. Abraham did and was reckoned righteous in just this way.

Though faith seems a thin thread to many, in reality it’s an unbreakable cable held by the hands of Almighty God, whose infinite power slowly and surely draws all men to His heavenly shore. [a loose paraphrase of Spurgeon]

There must, of necessity, be a relationship between the drowning man and the rescue ship … the lifeline … or there is no hope of deliverance. Notice, however, it can’t just be a drowning man, a ship, and a lifeline; someone must be on board to pull the man from the water.

THE WINNER’S CIRCLE [1 Kings 3:15; Involvement, Love (of the Father), Parenting]

Gilbert was eight years old and a Cub Scouts for only a short time. Handed a sheet of paper, a block of wood, and four black plastic tires, he return home and gave it to “dad”.

Not an easy task, dad wasn’t real receptive to doing things with his son. But Gilbert tried. Dad read the paper and chuckled at the idea of making a pine wood car with his son. Gilbert’s “stuff” remained untouched for weeks.

Then mom stepped in and the project got underway. Mom had no carpentry skills so she simply read the directions and let Gilbert do the work. He did! Within days the block of wood was becoming a pinewood car; a little lopsided, but looking fine.

Gilbert was feeling quite proud of his “Blue Lightning”; a pride that came from doing something himself. Then came the big night. With his hand full of blue pinewood car hand and his heart filled with pride, he and mom headed to the big race.

Once there, mom saw her son’s was most likely the only car made entirely by a child. All the other cars had cool paint jobs and sleek body styles, perfect for speed. Some children giggled when they saw Gilbert’s wobbly, homely vehicle.

Adding insult to injury, Gilbert was the only boy without a man at his side. A couple of boys from single parent homes at least had an uncle or grandfather by their side.

The race was by elimination. You kept racing as long as you didn’t lose. As you might guess, in the end it was between Gilbert and the sleekest, fastest looking car. As the final race was about to start, mom’s proud but shy eight year-old asked if they could hold the race for him to pray. They smiled at the request but held up the race. Gilbert kneeled in front of all, clutching his funny looking block of wood, and prayed. He prayed for a minute and then stood, smile and said, ‘Okay, I’m ready.”

The crowd cheered. The sleek car roared down the ramp while Gilbert’s wobbled but with surprising speed, reaching the finish line a fraction of a second ahead of the other car. Gilbert leaped in the air and shouted, “Thank you.”

In the “Winner’s Circle,” the Scout Master said, “So you prayed to win, huh, Gilbert?” The small lad answered loudly, “Oh, no sir! That wouldn’t be fair! I just asked God to make it so I don’t cry when I lose.”

Wasn’t it Jesus who said, “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it at all”? [Luke 18:16-17] And wasn’t it Solomon who asked God for wisdom to rule His people when he could have asked for riches or power? [1 Kings 3:5-15] And wasn’t it James who said, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures”? [James 4:3]

Perhaps we have something to learn from our children; maybe even how to be better fathers and role models ... at a minimum, better prayer warriors?

TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN [James 2:17; Other topics - Good News, Gospel]

An old preacher was fond of saying, “There are two parts to the Good News; the first is believing and the second is behaving.” The one who hears but does not do is the one James describes as having dead faith.

WITHOUT EXCUSE! [Romans 1:19-25; Common sense; Experience]

During WWII an American bomber, night flying over North Africa, was chased by an unusually strong tailwind. They weren’t buffeted or threatened, they were simply blown along much faster than they realized.

Unfortunately, the crew calculated distance traveled using fuel consumption and time in the air, ignoring their experience and common sense. This resulted in irrevocably overshooting a course change, which caused them to miss their landing site.

Eventually, they exhausted their fuel and crashed; years later the wreckage was discovered in the Sahara Desert. The crew died because they refused to trust what they had all been trained to trust … their professional discipline founded on experience and common sense.

We too are blown along by a blast, the tailwind of scientific and secular reasoning. Man calculates his position in this world by the things of this world [1 John 2:15,16], ignoring history and his own God-given common sense. This decision can result in an irrevocable journey. However, unlike the crew of the bomber we are terribly buffeted and threatened!

The Bible says, all men must make a course change in their lives [John 3:3] it also says “that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them” [Romans 1:19] and continues:

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

We must trust what God has given us, living by faith [Habakkuk 2:4] and not by sight!

TRUTH: Don't Leave Home Without It!

ALL TRUTH OR NO TRUTH! [Acts 4:12]

When you need a 24' ladder to rescue your family from a burning building and all you have is an 18' ladder ... well, you're short, deadly short! You might as well have no ladder!

Any truth which isn’t ALL truth is NOT truth at all!

The Lord Jesus made it clear He was “the way, the TRUTH and the life” [John 14:6a]. He said, “you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” [John 8:32] and greatly encouraged His followers with these words, “If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.” [36]

Jesus also said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Luke quoted Peter as saying, “there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.” [Acts 4:12]

The “ladder of success” the world is climbing is infinitely short of that needed to find what they are really after and really need.

IRRELEVANT EXPLORATION! [Various]

Someone searching for gasoline by digging holes in the ground will be horrible disappointed when he finds only crude oil … if he’s lucky.

If its gasoline you want, the ground is the wrong place to be looking … that’s why we have gas stations every few blocks.

The world needs to know their search for happiness and satisfaction is much like searching for gasoline in the ground.

Man in his search for meaning is looking in all the wrong places; searching the world for what comes from God alone is futile.

THE SOURCE OF ALL! [John 8:32; 14:6]

During the era of gold rushes in this country (USA), the cry was: GOLD! GOLD! Men from all over the world came to search, search, and search. But for the most part, their hard work paid off in traces, traces, and traces … signs, signs, and signs! They found trace (flakes and nuggets), they found sign (small veins), yet mostly they heard rumors.

Then there was "fool's gold" and "salted" mines (fakes). They re-mined old mines, some had been mined many times before; and they followed every rumor ever spoken by the lips of man. But search as they might, they never found the Mother Lode, the source of all the gold.

Likewise, men in every age, from all over the world, have rushed to and fro, here and there ... searching for truth; seeking the source of all truth. Two thousand years ago, Jesus resolved that issue forever, He said, “I am the truth.”

Once you’ve feasted on the sweetness of this Truth, you can’t avoid it. It’s as the memory of your mother or your first real love … a constant memory … it becomes part of your life … part of your living … part of the real you.

Once you’ve been set free by the real truth, you are free indeed, a freedom, like it’s twin sister Peace, that passes comprehension.

EVANGELISM - As the Father sent Him, so He sends you!

ALMOST PERSUADED! [Various; other topics - Outreach, Persistence, Soul-winning]

Every trip we make to one of our national parks someone in our family tries to feed a squirrel or chipmunk. In every instance the animal doesn’t trust us or any one else. Even though we leave a peanut for the animal again and again, it won’t trust us … again and again! The ingrate is never quite persuaded.

Inside, people are like these animals: wild, small, nervous, paranoid, filled with fears. But the writer of the song, “Almost Persuaded,” didn’t write it because he believed people were hopelessly lost. Rather, he wrote it because he knew it might be the next spiritual peanut which would persuade another sinner to receive what Jesus has offered … freedom from all their fears and life everlasting.

BEING SOMEBODY! [Proverbs 11:30; other topics - Soul-winning]

Lily Tomlin is supposed to have said, “I always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific.”

We all need goals, and the more specific the goal the easier it is to accomplish; and the easier it is to know when you’ve achieved it. To many people set vague goals and end up being what they do not want to be.

Christians are supposed to be Christ-like … to demonstrate the characteristics of our Lord. More specifically, we are to desire his communicable attributes (loving, goodness, kindness; gentleness, patience, truthfulness, justice, wisdom, etc.) … those characteristics which make Him who He is.

Unfortunately, soul-winning is like Bible reading: Barna reports 75% of Americans believe it’s important to read the Bible daily, yet only 13% actually read it daily.

FROM SAVING EYES TO SAVING SOULS! [Matthew 28:19, 20; other topics - Fruit Bearing, Sowing and Reaping, Witness]

Bob Reccord, president & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board, relates a story of an ophthalmologist Howard Hendricks thought was the greatest witness for Jesus Christ in Dallas, Texas.

It seems the good Dr. came under conviction when some students asked if he had ever led anyone to the Lord. Even though he had been active in his evangelical church for twelve years, he had not led anyone to the throne of grace personally. At the students encouragement he joined a training program and learned to share his faith; he became a fervent witness for the Good News.

Years later, when Hendricks visited a remote part of India, he used the story of this ophthalmologist turned evangelist to illustrate a point. He did not however use the Dr.’s name.

Later, an Indian doctor approached Hendricks and said, “You were talking about _______ ” (giving the doctor’s name). “How did you know?” Hendricks asked. “I went to medical school in Dallas, I went to see him about my eyes. He led me to Christ and discipled me.” The native doctor replied.

Today this Indian doctor is the only licensed neurosurgeon in his part of India. He has tremendous influence for Jesus as a result of an American eye doctor who overcame his indifference concerning witnessing.

When you truly comprehend the love of the One who gave His life while you were yet a sinner, you are compelled to tell someone about Him. Lovers introduce their loved ones to others.

[Adapted from: “Beware of rabbit-hole Christianity,” On Mission; Vol. 2, No. 3, July-August 1999, 7]


HARVESTING CHURCHES! [Mat. 28:19-20; other topics - Soul-winning]

Jesus said, “Follow after Me, and I’ll cause you to be fishers of men.” [Mark 1:17; my translation] Jesus intends for us to be fishers of men; He intends for us to be actively fishing; He intends us to bring in the catch!

In an article in NEXT magazine, Geo. Hunter III catalogues what he found as common denominators in harvesting churches: [Current Thoughts & Trends; January 97, p.17; #11753]

1.) Harvesting churches are rooted in God’s Word - through sound preaching, teaching, and small group studies!
2.) They target the lost and unchurched; and care about them!
3.) They are pro-active and expectant in prayer!
4.) They are committed to the Great Commission!
5.) They share a rich vision of what individuals can become in Christ (i.e., fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ)!
6.) They learn the language and culture of the unchurched!
7.) They minister to the “life concerns” of the lost and the unchurched (e.g., health, parenting, relationships, etc.)!
8.) Their message is relevant across generational lines!
9.) They emphasize lay ministry according to giftedness!
10.) They recognize “shepherds do not make new sheep; sheep make new sheep”!
11.) They’re not content with their ranks swelling with nominal Christians!

Harvesting churches recognize it’s “always” harvest time for those who follow Jesus; they are willing to get in the field and pick the fruit. Key for these churches is the realization, by their people, that understanding of one’s faith grows as one regularly explains it to others!


HELP ME, I'VE FALLEN! [Matthew 25:40; other topics - Witnessing]

You’re walking down the street at night following a late business meeting; in fact it’s after midnight. You’re on your way to a public parking lot and pass several rather dingy bars. Near a dimly lit intersection, just a few feet out in the street, between two parked cars, you see the figure of a man crumpled up on the pavement. It’s a bum, a drunk; a man too blighted to know he’s fallen, too sloshed to get up even if he did.

There’s no traffic on the street but you hear the sound of vehicles on those nearby. It’ll only be a matter of time before a delivery truck or a cab speeds down the road. They won’t see the guy until they hit him. The man isn’t asking you to get involved; there’s no, “Help! I’ve fallen and can’t get up.” In fact, at the moment the boozer could care less. But, if the poor soul knew what was about to happen to him, don’t you think he would plead for help? What should you do?

Most, if not all, true-believers would go to his aid; they would take the time to lend assistance.

Mankind is lost and dead in his trespasses; he’s too sin-filled to know what has happened to him, too carnal to care. There he is, lying in the path of destruction, in need of assistance.

Lost people aren’t going to ask you to get involved; in truth, based on experience, I’d say most of them want you to leave them alone. But, if those poor souls were to know what was about to happen to them, don’t you think they would cry out to be pulled out of the way of God’s coming judgment? At least to be shown how they could be saved from it?

Witnessing is not like breathing, it’s like eating. The former is done absent-mindedly, out of necessity; the later is a deliberate act, requiring a certain amount of preparation and a conscious desire to act.


MULTIPLICATION GARDENS! [Luke 8:8; other topics - Church Growth, Fruit Bearing]

In a friend’s garden is what my friend calls “multiplying” onions. I love onions more than my wife wishes, but these I especially love.

Where most onions have just the bulb in the ground, these have them on the stem ends as well; each onion has three or four onion bulbs on each mature stem. It is a very peculiar plant.

Then again, so are the children of God; each is to be planted in the good soil; each is to bear fruit … a hundred times. We are to be multiplying Christians.

NO "PLAN B"! [Psalm 68:20; other topics – Lost, Salvation, Sovereignty or Will (of God)]

Mall managers all over the world are concerned about teens using their centers as hangouts. In some malls, hundreds of teens are present at the same time for no other reason than that "There’s nothing to do." How do you keep them from congregating in annoying packs?

The Warrawong Westfield mall in Wollongong (yes, there is really a place by this name south of Sydney, Australia ) arrived at this original solution: they play Bing Crosby music, loudly, over the mall’s public address system. And it works (or at least we’re told it works).

Being good business people they have a Plan B in the event Plan A doesn’t work: lighting that amplifies facial blemishes will be installed.

Fortunately, God doesn’t need or want a Plan B. His Plan A has always been certain of success; it has always been to seek and to save that which was lost [Luke 19:10]. When all has been said and done, there will be no one in Hell who can wag his finger at Heaven and proclaim, "There’s been a mistake; I don’t belong here!"


NOTHING CAN RESTRAIN! [Matthew 28:18-20; Soul-winning; Witnessing]

A Haitian mute preaches the gospel in his small village. "There is something quite amazing about this young man," a church planter in the village told Christian Aid Mission. "Even though he cannot hear or speak, he is sharing the gospel with the people around him."

The young man uses pantomime in acting out the story of Jesus Christ. By refusing to let his handicap stand in the way, he is provoking others to be more evangelistic.

What can we say? We know what God will say to this young man, right after his tongue is restored, “Well done, My good and faithful servant.”

TELL THE WATCHMEN – IT AIN'T OVER TILL IT'S OVER! [Ezekiel 3:16-21; other topics - Overcoming, Perseverance, Watchmen]

It’s a strange feeling, being a Christian: when is our work finished? A painter knows a house is finished when all the areas needing painting are painted. An author knows his book is done when it goes to publication. A coach knows the game is finished when the final whistle blows. A driver knows the race is over when the checkered flag is waved. A general knows the battle is over when the enemy surrenders. An audience knows the concerto has reached its end when the orchestra stops playing and the conductor turns to take a bow. A heart surgeon knows his treatment is over when his patient sends him a photo of himself surfing the Pipeline in Hawaii.

Until then they keep painting, writing, exhorting, driving, fighting, enjoying, and treating.

Yogi Berra said, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” Well, when is it over? Not until the Lord says it’s over. Until then, we just keep on watching and warning.

Those of us who serve as watchmen often feel no one hears our warning cry. We see the sheep in the pew but know most of them are not hearing the warnings. They come to hear a “good talk” or be entertained or be inspired or be seen … but there is nothing in what we say that is “talk,” and we certainly don’t entertain … and only the Lord inspires and we are seen, just as we are! [Hebrews 4:12, 13]

Until it’s over we must keep on keeping on … there are enemies in the camp, there are enemies outside the camp, still we must keep on warning.


TO SEEK AND SAVE! [2 Corinthians 3:3; Other topics - Good News, Salvation, Witness]

An Internet company named Napster has been in the news a lot this year. They offer a program which allows its clients to obtain free music on the Internet. Like many webbed-based businesses their success has been phenomenal. Most record companies and rock bands don’t share their enthusiasm, however. Many organizations are taking to the courts for legal and financial protection.

Why is that? It’s because Napster enables you to locate your favorite songs on other computers, download, catalog, and share them with friends. The format (MP3) allows users to store near-CD-quality re-cordings, copyrighted or not.

The issue of copyright is confusing is not clear on the Internet. Artists should have control over their work; after all, it's the way they make their living. The related issues are far from resolved.

In the same sense, salvation is also available for download, at any time – the connection is always open – without copyright restrictions. God offers eternal life through Jesus Christ free to anyone who believes. You can't buy sal-vation anyway; God’s only Son paid the price.

Jesus is seeking lost human "hard drives" for saving. God has opted to use Christians to share the Good News, sort of like browsers (the interface software between a computer and the Internet).

If you have a personal relationship with God through Christ, chances are someone downloaded the Good News to you for free. Why not do the same for someone else today? You won't get into any legal trouble, His message was designed to be shared!

Source/Attribution: Love for Jesus Org., Hesperia, CA, 24 February 2001