"The British are coming! The British are coming!" cried Steve as he spurred his horse past his Uncle Gary and thundered through the pasture back toward the barn.
Uncle Gary soon caught up. "You must have learned about the Revolutionary War and how Paul Revere warned the colonists that enemy troops were coming," he said as they walked the horses the rest of the way.
Steve grinned and nodded. "I wish I could have lived back then," he said. "It must have been really exciting! Think about it! Riding at night to warn people about the danger, and always wondering if you'd get captured or not!"
Uncle Gary nodded slowly. "Exciting, maybe, but don't you think it sounds scary, too?" he asked. "How many of us would really have dared to do that?"
"I would!" boasted Steve as he dismounted and led his horse inside the barn to rub him down. "Somebody had to warn people or they might have been captured."
"Yes," murmured Uncle Gary thoughtfully, "but I sometimes fail in my job to warn people now, so I wonder if I'd have done any better back then."
Steve looked doubtful. "To warn people now?" he asked. "What do you have to warn people about?"
Rubbing down his horse as he talked, Uncle Gary explained. "God has given Christians the task of warning people that He's coming some day to judge the world," he said. "We need to tell them about God's provision of salvation through Jesus-and warn them that they'll spend eternity in hell if they don't accept Him as Savior."
"Oh!" Steve frowned. "Won't they think we're kind of weird?"
"Do you think Paul Revere worried about whether or not people would believe him or laugh at him?" asked Uncle Gary. Steve shook his head. "I don't think so, either," said Uncle Gary, "but we worry about such things, don't we? Our message is far more important than Paul Revere's, yet we often let the fear of being embarrassed keep us quiet. We need to show more courage and deliver God's warning." Steve didn't answer, but he was thoughtful as he worked.
Uncle Gary soon caught up. "You must have learned about the Revolutionary War and how Paul Revere warned the colonists that enemy troops were coming," he said as they walked the horses the rest of the way.
Steve grinned and nodded. "I wish I could have lived back then," he said. "It must have been really exciting! Think about it! Riding at night to warn people about the danger, and always wondering if you'd get captured or not!"
Uncle Gary nodded slowly. "Exciting, maybe, but don't you think it sounds scary, too?" he asked. "How many of us would really have dared to do that?"
"I would!" boasted Steve as he dismounted and led his horse inside the barn to rub him down. "Somebody had to warn people or they might have been captured."
"Yes," murmured Uncle Gary thoughtfully, "but I sometimes fail in my job to warn people now, so I wonder if I'd have done any better back then."
Steve looked doubtful. "To warn people now?" he asked. "What do you have to warn people about?"
Rubbing down his horse as he talked, Uncle Gary explained. "God has given Christians the task of warning people that He's coming some day to judge the world," he said. "We need to tell them about God's provision of salvation through Jesus-and warn them that they'll spend eternity in hell if they don't accept Him as Savior."
"Oh!" Steve frowned. "Won't they think we're kind of weird?"
"Do you think Paul Revere worried about whether or not people would believe him or laugh at him?" asked Uncle Gary. Steve shook his head. "I don't think so, either," said Uncle Gary, "but we worry about such things, don't we? Our message is far more important than Paul Revere's, yet we often let the fear of being embarrassed keep us quiet. We need to show more courage and deliver God's warning." Steve didn't answer, but he was thoughtful as he worked.
HOW ABOUT YOU?How are you doing as a "Paul Revere" for the Lord? God told the prophet Ezekiel to warn the nation of Israel because of their wickedness. The Apostle Paul also warned others of God's coming judgment and their need to accept Jesus as Savior. If you're a Christian, this is your task as well. Do you have the courage to tell others how important it is for them to trust Jesus as Savior? Ask God to help you give out His warning and tell people how they can be saved.
TODAY'S KEY VERSE:Hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me. Ezekiel 3:17
Posted by Andrew
