[Faith-talk] FW: [thefamilyoffaith] "A Rescue Mission" - Ron Hutchcraft

[Eric Calhoun]

Original Message: 
From: "thefamilyoffaith" <TheFamilyofFaith at tampabay.rr.com>
To: <thefamilyoffaith at yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [thefamilyoffaith] "A Rescue Mission" - Ron Hutchcraft
Date: 
Thu, 17 Nov 2011 11:21:07 -0500

     
        
     
     

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            A Rescue Mission 
            Thursday, November 17, 2011
            You know, for a number of years there's been a crusade going
on in America driven by mothers. There was a television movie a while back
that portrayed how one woman started an organization called MADD (Mothers
Against Drunk Driving) because her own daughter was killed. Now, drunken
driving was just a theoretical issue to her until then. And when her own
daughter was killed, she began the crusade that has actually begun to
really make a change in our country. I guess in every area of our life a
lot of us, well, we don't join a battle until someone we love is wounded in
it. And you might be in that position. There's a spiritual battle that has
all of a sudden become very real to you because someone you love is a
casualty.
            I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I would like to have A Word With You
today about "A Rescue Mission."
             
            Our word for today from the Word of God is found in Genesis
14:11-14. It comes from the life of Abraham; it concerns an incident with
his nephew, Lot. Now, he actually raised Lot pretty much as his own son.
Here's what it says: "The four kings of Sodom seized all the goods and all
their food, and then they went away. They also carried off Abram's nephew
Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom. One who had escaped
came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the
great trees of Mamre the Amorite, all of whom were allied with Abram. When
Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318
trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan."
             
            Okay, you see what's happening here? Abram's living in a nice
comfortable spot. In fact I have visited Israel and I've seen those trees
in Mamre, and what a nice shaded spot in the middle of the sunshine and
surrounded by the hills there. It's a great spot. Abram's got a wonderful
position, but now he's heard that someone he loves is in trouble, so he
calls out all the 318 men at his disposal and mobilizes them for the
rescue.
             
            Now, the fact is, and the principle of this passage of
scripture is that when someone you love is in trouble, you drop everything.
Just like that mother who started Mothers Against Drunk Driving. When it
hit her home, she dropped everything and she got in the fight. I wonder if
in a sense, just like Abram here, you have a loved one who's been carried
off. Not by a king somewhere, but perhaps by sin, maybe they've been
tempted, they've been lured away, maybe they're on a prodigal path. Maybe
they're wandering in some form or another. Can I urge you today; do what
Abram did when someone he loved was carried off. Use all the resources at
your disposal to fight for them.
             
            That means prayer of course. I don't mean, "Lord, bless the
missionaries" kind of prayer. I mean intensive, combat prayer where you
gather perhaps some loved ones together and you pray by name regularly on
behalf of that person and for their spiritual rescue. And give them some
extra time right now. Maybe they're withdrawing from you, but still do all
you can.
             
            Set aside whatever you have to in your schedule to be with
them. Change your datebook for them. If it takes money, if it takes you
going for counseling to work on your end of it, whether they'll go or not,
you go and find out what you can change to help them.
             
            Maybe it's an apology that's needed. Maybe you need to admit
that you were wrong. Whatever you can do, make sure that he or she knows
that they are loved. Write a letter if nothing else to tell them you love
them, the things you've prayed for about them, the things you're sorry for,
and how you wish things could be.
             
            God often uses the wandering of loved ones to actually make
us re-examine our own lives. And the good news, if you're willing to
mobilize all your resources, well, listen to what happened here. It says,
"Abram recovered all the goods and brought back his relative." Fight for
that loved one of yours with everything you've got, and God will bring them
home.
           
     

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