People who found Jesus

AT TIMES "God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform" in the saving of the lost. A young minister, in the prime of life, went down to a beach for a swim. Being a good swimmer and in fine form, he enjoyed his swim and made good headway directly away from the beach.

At length he stopped for a little rest, and to his surprise he found that he had already gone beyond the distance he had intended to go. So he turned back and struck out for the shore, but discovered that he was in a current that would take him out to the open sea. He struggled on till utterly exhausted and then gave himself up for lost.

He had ministered to a large congregation. But now, with death staring him in the face, he awoke to the fact that he was not prepared to die, for he found himself without hope of salvation. Terror seized him. What was he to do? The very waves seemed to be roaring into his ears the fearful condemnation of the scripture, "When I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." 1 Corinthians 9:27.

He felt that he had been preaching a Christ he had never truly known. So he turned away with horror from all his mere profession and turned his heart longingly toward God. Then with all his remaining strength he made a heartfelt appeal to be saved as he cried out, "Lord, save me or I perish, a vile sinner!"

Quickly there came into his mind the all-sufficient promises: "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. Whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." 1 John 1:7; John 3:16. So he humbly and gratefully drank in the words of eternal life and murmured with his last breath, "Lord, I believe that precious blood was shed for me." Then peace came to him, and he lost consciousness.

Later the son of the skipper of a fishing smack cried out over the water, "Father! Father! Look ahead! What is that on the water? Surely it’s a man!" The father looked and cried out, "Row for very life!"

The men put forth all their might. The body was seen to sink and rise again, and to do so the second time, but nearer the boat. "Bend to your oars for one last pull!" cried the skipper. The men did so, and the boat reached the body. Quickly it was lifted into the boat, and all efforts were made to restore life. At last, willing hands carried the restored man ashore, happily in the possession of both physical and spiritual life.

Was the conversion of the minister, who was near death, a true and thorough one? Most certainly, for a week later he was back in the same fishing boat, telling what great things the Lord had done for him.

He said earnestly to them, "When you saw me in the water that morning, could I help myself? I did not help you to save me. You did all the work, and I got all the good. Now, my friends, do you not see how it is with the Lord? He, the Sinless One, suffered in our stead. He took our place and offers us His place. Do you think, however long I live, I shall ever cease to carry about with me the feelings of love and gratitude for the men who did so much for me? And this is how it is with the Lord. When I know He has saved me at such a cost, I cannot go on just as I did, as though it were all nothing. I want my life to show out my gratitude and love and praise."

The hearts of some of those listening fishermen were touched at the wondrous story of how the minister had been truly converted, and they also sought for and found the same salvation in Jesus. Many others are likewise in danger of disaster, yet are without the salvation Jesus can so quickly give them. So in the providence of God some of them are led to see their lost condition and to cry out for deliverance, as did the drowning minister, "Lord, save me or I perish!" Then the same assurance comes home to their hearts also: "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." They are led to accept Jesus as their personal Savior and to say as did the minister, ‘I believe that precious blood was shed for me."

"Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!" =^..^=

Like the thief on the cross, there are many who have been saved just in time, some of them only at the last breath of life. Here is the story of one such case. A Christian worker had been handing out tracts and was nearing home when he met two young miners. Selecting two of his remaining booklets, he handed one to each young man.

They thanked him, and one of them stopped to read the title of his: "Just in Time." He was a fine, strong, handsome young man of about twenty-five. Looking into his frank, open countenance, the worker said with deep earnestness, "Yes, my friend, and God grant that you may be just in time for heaven!" And going home, he prayed, "Lord, save him!"

Two days later he had retired for the night when a loud knocking made him rush to open up the window and ask, "Who is there?"

"Sir, are you the gentleman who gave a young man a booklet on a recent afternoon called ‘Just in Time?’"

"Yes, I am," he said.

"Please come at once," the messenger called out.

Hastily dressing, he went out and was guided by the messenger, who told him that his mate had gone down the shaft that afternoon as usual, but had jumped out of the bucket before it reached the bottom and was caught and crushed, and that he was in terrible agony, unable to speak, just gasping for breath, and that life seemed to be fast ebbing away.

By the time the young man’s story was finished, they were at his home. There lay the victim, completely helpless. He tried to speak, but it was useless.

"Shall I read with you and pray for you?" the Christian worker asked him. He made a low hissing sound, the nearest approach to Yes he could make. The worker then said: ‘I read to him, ‘God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ I spoke to him of the love of God in desiring his salvation, of the efficacy of the blood of Christ to save him. I told him he was lost and ruined by nature, but that Jesus came to seek and to save the lost; that Jesus had been seeking him, wanting him, and having done the work by which sin could be put away out of God’s sight, He could now give the knowledge of the forgiveness of all his sins through His precious blood. ‘I read to him the story of the father and the prodigal (Luke 15), and also the brief prayers of the Pharisee and the publican in chapter eighteen, and repeated to him the verse ‘He that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.’ John 6:37.

"A change took place in the dying man. The expression on his face was different. He no longer looked despairing. A glorious hope lighted it up. He made a sign for a drink, and his wife held a glass of water to his lips. He drank just a little; and then, to the amazement of all present, he who had not been able to utter a sound beyond the low hissing, said in a clear voice, with his eyes uplifted, as though he beheld the One to whom he was speaking, ‘Just in time! God be merciful to me a sinner, for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.’

"Scarcely had he uttered the last word when his head fell back on the pillow, a shivering little sigh escaped him, and he passed to his rest in Christ."

So even in life’s last moments one can truly and fully give himself to Christ. What wonderful redemption! Have you taken the stand that young man took? Have you found refuge in Christ from all your sins? If not, let the same glorious hope lighten up your face and make glad your heart as you also declare that you now accept the mercy of God and His salvation, as you also say with all your soul, as did that young man, "God be merciful to me a sinner, for Jesus Christ’s sake." =^..^=

A long while back I read a story called ‘I remember Daddy’s Feet’, about how the emperor penguin fathers stand for weeks in the frozen Antarctic to hatch out the eggs their wives laid on their feet.

In the pages of nature, we find many cases where it is the father that either incubates the eggs, protects them, or even carries them with him. Some frogs carry their eggs in pockets on the father’s back; some fish even hold the eggs in their mouths, going without eating the whole time until the eggs hatch out.

I think God wanted us to see something about His love and sacrifice for us, as our Heavenly Father. We have the story also of human fathers, who have made great sacrifices for their children.

Once, on one of the back streets of Paris, a house was in flames. The top stories overhung the lower, so the topmost story was near to that of the next house, which was built in the same way.

On the top floor of the burning house a father was sleeping with his four boys. Awakened by smoke and flames, he sprang out of bed, rushed to the window, and leaped across to the opposite window of the next house. Then he turned, planted his feet firmly on the windowsill, and let the upper part of his body fall to ward his own window until he was able to grasp the windowsill tightly.

Then he cried out to his oldest boy, who was intently watching him, "Now, my son, make haste! Crawl over my body!" He did, and the second and third boys followed him. But it took considerable persuasion to get the youngest boy, only a little fellow, to do the same. As he was making his way across, the father cried out, "Quick! Quick! Quick! I cannot hold on much longer!"

Then when he realized that his little boy also was safe, he was unable to hold on any longer, and he fell to the ground and was killed. Love for his children led that dear father to bridge the gap between life and death with his own body.

Likewise, Jesus has bridged the gap between sin and salvation with His own body at the cost of His life. In the story, the boys also had to risk their lives in crossing over to safety on the body of their father. It was scary for them, but the only way to safety.

So also at times it is not easy for some to depend wholly on Christ for salvation, but those who choose to do this, succeed. They become true children of God and are safe.

Likewise, the heavenly Father gave His all in Jesus, through whom God had created all things; for we read, "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself." 2 Corinthians 5:19.

Christ willingly sacrificed Himself. We read of Him that He has the love of a father: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6.

How the heavenly Father makes His anxious appeal to His wandering children on earth: "Hasten, My son! Hasten, My daughter! Be quick to accept Jesus while you may! Oh, be quick! Be quick!"

Many a straying child of God, and many a deep-dyed sinner, has heard God’s loving call and has hastened to respond. The most important step is deciding to serve God, and this is made in a moment. There may be a long time spent thinking about it, but the decision to surrender to God takes but a moment. How wonderful it is that we may choose to serve God in a moment of time, and that God accepts us just as quickly when we do! =^..^=

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