"I can’t impress this on you too strongly. God is looking over your shoulder. .., so proclaim the Message with intensity; keep on your watch. Challenge, warn, and urge your people. Don’t ever quit. Just keep it simple." - 2 Timothy 4:1-2 (MSG)
One day, a businessman walking along the beach noticed a boy hurriedly picking and throwing things into the ocean. Approaching the boy he asked, young man, what are you doing?" The boy replied, throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out, if I don't throw them back, they'll die". The businessman laughed at him and said, "Don't you realise there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish. Stop wasting your time, you can't make any difference". After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the ocean, then smiling at the man, he said, " I made a difference to that one". (The Starfish Story, Loren Eiseley)
The tide of this world has washed many people out of the ocean of God's enclave. There are many helpless and stranded starfish on the shore of life and heaven is looking for people with the little boy's mentality to go pick and throw them back into the ocean of God's love before they pass out. Unfortunately, many believers have developed that terrible businessman's mentality in the kingdom. They think the act of rescuing lost souls is a complete waste of time and resources. As Jamboree believers, they are of the opinion that what makes one a Christian is the array of designer dresses, shoes, wristwatches and dancing steps we display in church every Sunday. They believe any time or money spent for evangelism and follow-up is a waste. What a myopic mind-set! That is the businessman's mentality.
"Jesus sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge: “...Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons..... “Don’t think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign before you start. You don’t need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment,.."- Matthew 10:5-10 (MSG)
Beloved, you are God's equipment on the shore of this world. Yes, you are one of His anointed harvest hands. Trust you wouldn't disappoint Him. The fact that heaven rejoices over every single starfish we throw back into the ocean should encourage us to be steadfast on the shore (Luke 15:7 & 10).
Friends, are you one of those helpless starfish that has been washed to the sea shore by the strong tide of life?. Has your inordinate obsession for power, position, success and riches thrown you out of the fountain of grace and mercy? Then, please repent now and be thrown back into the powerful fountain that cleanses deeply. You will never regret that you did!.
Are you one of those people with the businessman's mentality around? Please repent now otherwise you will be held liable for every starfish that dies around you (Ezekiel 33:8). Are you one of those with the boy's mentality in this generation, I congratulate you. Please keep throwing those stranded starfish back into the ocean. Great shall be your reward when the Saviour returns.
God's heartbeat as we approach the end of age is summarised in one powerful poem titled "One More Day to Live". As we mark this year's evangelism weekend, may God empower us to pick and throw every stranded starfish on our path back into the ocean of His saving grace.
ONE MORE DAY TO LIVE (By Carol Ann)
If I had only one more day to live,
All love, praise, and glory to you I’d give.
I’d try my best to put a smile on someone’s face
To share with them your saving grace.
Why not live each day as if it were our last
Looking towards our future and forgetting the past
To be a Christian each day we live
And most importantly to always give.
May we truly live each day as if it would be our last on earth. And as we rescue starfishes for Christ on the shore of life, may we not miss out of the grand reception on the eternal shore in Jesus name, Amen.
Good day and God bless.
Maranatha!
Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo
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