It was nearly 4:30 a.m. our mission team just completed a ten day preaching and teaching work in one of the cities in Mexico. We are now headed home! No one but our caravan of cars was on the road; so we thought!
As we were driving out of town, a police car passes us with his siren lights on. We didn’t pay much attention to it because most of the police keep their siren lights on as they drive around town. All of a sudden, the police car turns his car to block the road. We slam on our brakes. When we stop, about five black trucks pull up beside us blaring music and out comes about twenty-five masked gunmen screaming to get out of the car, while pointing their AK-47’s at our heads.
Not knowing how to speak Spanish, I was totally reliant on our Mexican preacher to help me. But, the gunmen separated us. My friend Barbara was following behind us and they pulled her over, too. I couldn’t see what they were doing to her.
Is this the way my life is going to end? Are we going to die at the hands of someone who may think we have invaded their territory or have drugs? I’ve heard all the stories of the Mexican drug cartel and now we are experiencing it first hand. He asked for my I.D and Passport. Finally, there was an English speaking person, however, he wasn’t interested in chitchatting, but rather, interrogating me as to why I am in Mexico and why am I leaving so early in the morning.
I wondered, “How will they kill me?” “Will it be a bullet in the back of the head or a machete to take off my head?” I prayed, “Surely God, this isn’t the place where my life will end, is it?” I thought about my wife, Sondra and my two children, Roman and Tessa. I thought about where I put my life insurance policy. I thought about Barbara. I thought about my dad and my siblings.
As I stood there surrounded by masked gunmen, with their weapons pointed at my head, I was scared. I didn’t want to leave my family, however, I knew that if this was the place God allowed me to stand for the last time on earth, I will thank Him for the gift of life, but mostly, for the gift of rescuing me from sin and the home He will give me in heaven eternally.
The drug cartel let us go after nearly an hour of interrogating Barbara, our Mexican preacher, and me. I am grateful and give God all the glory for our rescue.
God is in the rescuing business. John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Romans 5:8 says that “God demonstrated his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
God’s love is deep. His forgiveness is limitless. His grace is abundant. His mercy is relentless. His salvation is free. God doesn’t make us accept his gifts, but when we do, it changes our destination for all of eternity!
Life is uncertain, but God isn’t. He is with us every step of our journey. No matter if it’s the drug cartel or hundreds of Christians surrounding us, God is present. It is by faith that we accept God and Jesus as Lord and Savior. Once we have accepted Christ as Lord, we see the value in:
Acknowledging our sin and our need for God’s gifts - A sinner is one who goes against God’s plan for their lives. Habakkuk 1:13 says that God “cannot tolerate wrong.” A person sins in many different ways: - I.e. Lying; telling dirty jokes or saying bad words; talking about others in a negative way. The Bible says in Romans 3:23 that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Even though we try to do things God’s way, there is no way we can ever be perfect and sinless.
Making changes by repenting - When a person repents, they make a change in their daily lives by living God’s way. Acts 3:19 says, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out….”
Connecting with God by being baptized - Baptism removes the dirtiness of our sinful life and makes us clean into a spiritual life. We are washed clean of our sins and raised to a new life in Christ Jesus. Peter said in Acts 2:38, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” It is the baptism that connects us with God, Jesus, and Spirit according Romans 6:1-11.
Baptism is our response to God for all he has done for us. Baptism is not a work to earn salvation as Ephesians 2:8 says, “For it is by grace you have been save through faith—and this is not from yourself, it is the gift of God.” but our connection into His glorious family! What a God rescue plan!
Remember, Be God Controlled!
Brian
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