Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Rescue the wounded from death

Tuesday 7-21-15 (Home Modesto, California)

Scripture reading:  2 Kings 18-19   2 Chron 32    James 5

S=Scripture O=Observation A=Application P=Prayer  SOAP for the soul.


S.  James 5:19-20  My dear brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back again, you can be sure that the one who brings that person back will save that sinner from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins. NLT


O.  What a way to end James’ letter!  James, like the Good Shepherd, Jesus, is concerned for lost, wandering sheep.  His words encourage us to go after that lost sheep.  Someone has left the pathway of truth, lost his or her enthusiasm for joining others in worship…is missing and… nobody cares.


A.  Perhaps I am too quick to scratch that name off the roster.  Maybe I give up on them too easily.  Someone slipped and fell.  Someone was offended and succumbed to discouragement.  His or her faith withered and hope was shattered.  Some were enticed by the opportunity to enter into a promising financial business deal.  Some were strong leaders, even preachers of the Gospel… but they have left their calling and are lost in the wilderness of riches.  Who will care enough to go searching?  Who will reclaim that backslidden sinner, saving them from death?


I don’t recall his name.  He was a young minister.  We were in the USA for our year of deputation visiting our supporting churches.  “Come with me!” he insisted with great enthusiasm.  “You’ve got to check this out.”  I went with him to a meeting in San Jose, not knowing what it was.  I soon discovered this was not a meeting to worship the Lord.  He had discovered a way to make thousands of dollars. 


Before the meeting started, someone ran to the microphone and yelled, “How do you feel?”  Suddenly almost everyone present jumped to their feet and screamed, “Great!”  This happened several times.  Next came the singing… songs about money… followed by testimonies.  One by one people took the stand to tell how they were now earning tens of thousands of dollars by joining this company.  Finally the big boss, a hair-lip who spoke with a heavy lisp, preached for most of an hour promising riches.  My minister friend showed me other ministers and Christians that were present.  He told me that I needed to come aboard.  “Look, you could be making $5,000 a month in 3 months!” 


I was heart-sick at what I saw.  If ever there was a worship service, this was it.  But these people were worshiping the almighty dollar!  They had been sucked into a new religion.  I felt that I had been in a demonic atmosphere.  But I could not convince this brother.  He must have left the ministry for I never heard of him again.  


P.  Lord Jesus, Good Shepherd of my soul, You are calling on me to care for someone who is weak… to reach out and steady them when they are slipping, hold their hand through deep valleys of discouragement, to warn them when danger is ahead.  And when they crash and leave the flock, wandering… lost in the wilderness of money, entertainment and purposelessness help me to seek them out and with Your tender love help me to save that lost sheep from certain destruction.  Amen.



Ralph

No comments:

Post a Comment