From the Pastor's Desk to Your Heart

In the days before technology made it possible to keep food fresh in a refrigerator or to keep ice in a freezer, people would gather ice from ponds and rivers to protect their food from spoiling.  The story is told of a farmer who was in his small boat gathering chunks of ice from a river.   Thinking that his boat was tied securely to shore he set about the task of gathering ice for his ice house.   Without warning a large mass of ice struck his small boat and broke the rope which was fastened to a tree on the bank.  The boat was set adrift on the swollen river, amidst the churning ice.   Someone, seeing his danger, mounted a horse and rode swiftly downstream, calling for helpers.  Many hastily got ropes, went out on the bridge downstream, and suspended a line of dangling ropes from the bridge across the river.  Presently the farmer was seen standing in his boat which was half filled with water.  He was wet and cold and frantic.  Then he saw the dangling ropes.   When the rapid current brought him to the bridge, he seized the nearest rope and was drawn to safety!  Though there were many ropes lowered to the farmer in his precarious position, only one rope saved him.  This is the message of God's Word, the Bible.   There may be many ropes of religion and philosophies of a life to come, but there is only one rope of salvation.  God's only begotten Son, Jesus Christ has lowered a rope of salvation to anyone who will accept His power to save them from their sin.  By the sacrificing of Himself upon the cross on Calvary's hill, Jesus Christ has paid the price for your sin and made it possible for you to be eternally saved.   Have you ever accepted His gift of salvation?   Have you ever been pulled to eternal safety by confessing the name of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour?  If not, why not?   The farmer in his little craft on the swollen river of ice recognized that he was in great danger.  He was grateful that a rope was lowered so that he could be rescued.  Almighty God has given His precious Son, Jesus Christ so that you might be saved from your sin.  You can be saved, today, right now even as you're reading these words.   "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation"  (Romans 10:9-10).