Who Should You Tell?

As long as one is lost, there is work to do.  As long as one is in need, there is work to do.

Text for Today – Luke 16:27-28 – Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

Here’s the story; two men die, one rich, one poor.  The poor man goes to Abraham’s bosom (paradise, upper Sheol).  The rich man goes to hell (torment, Gehenna).  In torment, the rich man just wants a drop of water to cool his parched tongue.  But he also has in mind five brothers, and loves them enough that he doesn’t want them in the same torment he is suffering.  He begs Abraham to send someone from the dead to warn them.

I have a question for you today.  I know you’re not in the torment of hell, but who do you love enough that you would keep them from the torments of hell, if you could?  While the rich man’s prayer for a witness to go to his brothers was not answered, your prayer can be, and will be.  In fact, God stands ready to answer it.  Jesus commanded us to pray for it, and God will answer that prayer.

But there’s more.  You also need to be ready daily to be the answer to that prayer for someone else.  Oh!  And one more thing; that person about whom I asked you earlier – that special person you love enough to keep them from the torments of hell – go tell them today – as soon as possible.

You should have a daily time dedicated to prayer and communion with your heavenly Father.  Keeping in mind that God has already done all He can do for the salvation of the world, we can rejoice in the wonderful price He has paid.  Further, He has given us a two-fold assignment regarding the salvation of the lost.  First is your daily prayer.  During your prayer time, follow the instruction of the Lord, and pray that “the Lord of the harvest send forth laborers into that harvest.”  Secondly, He has commanded you to be one of those laborers; for you to go and preach the Gospel to the poor, sick, blind, halt, maimed, , and afflicted, as well as those who are healthy and wealthy.  Leave no one unreached.  While you may not be able to reach the entire world alone, you can pray for those who go where you cannot, and you can support that work through your giving to missions.  While you are praying for the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers, others are praying the same prayer, and you may be the laborer the Lord sends.  And who will you tell?  Tell everyone you can, wherever you can, whenever you can, however you can.

Manna for Today –  Matthew 9:38; Matthew 28:18-20;  Mark 16:15-20; Acts 1:8