Snatch them out of the fire

My wife and I recently joined a marriage discipleship group called Love and Respect.

This weekend(and next) the group is going to the theater to view a new film called "Fireproof". Its a movie about a firefighter who, while at work, always considers others' lives before his. When he's at home he's all about himself and is losing his marriage.

If you're married this would be a great date night movie.

That's not what I wanted to write about though (the movie and/or marriage). You see, the photo above is a snapshot from a dramatic scene in the film. In this scene the fireman has to act swiftly and "Snatch" a young girl, unconscious to her surroundings, out of a burning building. It's the classic fireman rescue scene where the victims are either trapped, asleep, unconscious, or often times willingly defying the fireman's help because of their attachement to possessions. This brought to mind a verse not commonly taught or practiced in modern evangelism.

Jude 1:21-23
21Guard and keep yourselves in the love of God; expect and patiently wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)--[which will bring you] unto life eternal. 22And refute [so as to] convict some who dispute with you, and on some who waver and doubt have mercy. 23[Strive to] save others, by snatching [them] out of [the] fire; take pity [but] with fear, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh and polluted by their sensuality.

Imagine a firefighter headed to a call of a burning building. He pulls up to the site but doesnt get out of the truck for 5 minutes because he's listening to a radio transmission on his headset, of a meeting back at the station. Out of a 5th story window, flames lick at a mother’s clothing. She's crying out in terror and ultimately falls to her death, still clutching an infant in her arms. Her Husband also hold's two terrified children as the massive flames engulfed him.

This firefighter just allowed 5 people to die.
What do you think would be fitting punishment for such a crime—probation? Two years in jail?
Twenty years? Life? Death? What sentence would you give the negligent firefighter? Please make a judgment.

Ok now imagine he's on trial and at the trial, the defense pleaded, “no contest,” but added
that the defendant had gone to great personal sacrifice to be a good employee and not miss the meeting, and he hoped that the judge would take that into account when passing sentence.

Do you enjoy worshiping God? Most people in the Church would say they do. Every Sunday all acr oss the country, auditoriums are filled with hand-raising, God-loving Christians singing their praises t o God. That’s understandable, because when the Holy Spirit dwells within us, it’s not hard to worship our Creator. May I ask you a personal question? When was the last time you shared your faith with an unsaved person? When did you last go out of your way to witness to a stranger? It's noted that only two percent of American churchgoers share their faith with others.That is tragic. If the love of God dwells in us, how can we not be horrified by the fate of the lost? Many professing Christians today are so locked into their religious cliques that they seem to give little or no thought to the fact that all who die in their sins will be cast into the lake offire (Revelation 21:8).

Did you know that if you allow another human being to die when it’s within your ability to save him, you are guilty of something called, “depraved indifference?” They are applicable words. “Depraved” means that it’ s as low as you can get, and “indifference”
means that y ou couldn’t care less . Think now of the terrible neglect of that firefighter. What sentence did you give him? Did you throw him in jail for two years? Did you think that
such a hard-hearted human being (someone who could be only concerned with himself) should be given the death sentence? Then judge yourself by the same standard, because if you are not concerned for the lost, then you are that firefighter. If you are not seeking to save them with fear, “snatching them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the
flesh” you are guilty of the serious crime of “depraved indifference.”

Am I saying that if we don’t evangelize, we’re not saved? Of course not. But if we would expect a firefighter to make saving lives a priority, are we honest enough to judge ourselves by the same standard? Are we doing all we can to rescue the lost, or are we sitting passively in the pews while people perish?

How many friends, family members, church members, and co workers do you have who are trapped by sin in their lives? These people may even be unaware (or unconscious) of their guilt, or so comfortable and happy with their lifestyle that they gladly rebel against God's Moral standards. THINK OF THEIR FATE IF THEY DIE WITHOUT CHRIST!!! Forget about what they'll think of you if you share your faith with them. Who cares if they get offended and their pride is hurt?! They are terminally ill and you have the cure! To worry about these (and other) things.. would be to not grab that woman in the 5th story window by her shirt because it's 100% Silk.

I know that what I am saying is hard to say without sounding harsh and judgmental, but I can’t think of any other way to say it. Please, don’t be offended. Stay with me. My purpose is not to offend, but to get your attention and present things as they really are, and they are not good. The story of the firefighter was fictitious, but what is happening in the contemporary Church is real. Think of it; only 2 percent doing what we are commanded to do. Worship is the highest calling of every Christian, and we can see in the book of Revelation that the Church will one day be consumed in worship before the throne of the Almighty. We are going to worship God for eternity. But when we look back at the book of Acts, we don’t find the Church consumed with worship. Instead, we find it was obsessed with reaching the lost, to the point that they willingly gave their lives to preach the gospel.

So, please, reevaluate your priorities, take off the earphones, unlock the doors, become equipped, and demonstrate the depth of your love for God by rescuing those who are about to perish.

Sin shades. Photo Blog Series 4

When "The Bible Highliter" (click if you missed it) fails... there's always a fresh pair of sin shades courtesy of the prince of the air himself.

1 Corinthians 2:14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 3....if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Topically speaking, satan has done a grand job pulling these shades down over the worlds eyes, and some of the church's too with regards to multimedia and entertainment; Namely music and movies.

So whats so wrong with listening to secular music that contains explicit lyrics and content, or movies full of immorality and that blaspheme our Lord in every other scene?

Paul exhorted the Philippian church in his letter to them saying:

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Doesn't this New testament principle also apply today...especially to what we listen to and look upon? In order for today's secular songs and movies to be excluded from this text it'd have to read : whatever is false, dishonorable, unjust, impure, without love, whatever degrades(antonym of commend), if there is any poorness or anything worthy of shame... think on these things. - - God forbid!

The devil has blinded so many and is working tirelessly to use the lives of celebrities to promote his agenda.

Let us pray for the repentance and salvation of those in Hollywood and the music industry who are doing Satan's bidding whether wittingly or unwittingly. Let us pray for those who have bought into Satan's lies and are living superficial lives for temporary and passing sinful pleasures at the expense of eternal life. Let us also pray for those among us, even ourselves, who have been deceived into thinking "its just music" and/or "its just a movie". Lord grant us recourse and re-route us back to the holiness you first called us to.

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ, He loves you dearly and promised that if you turn from your sin and follow Him in faith, He will forgive you and bring you into His Kingdom forever.