JESUS SAVES
I must have been 8 or 9 when my dad, my older brother Mike and I were on our way to a high school football game in Port Byron, New York. That was a town that drew its name from being on the Erie Canal in Upstate NY.
It is about an hour or so west of Syracuse.
In one of the hamlets on the way to the game there was a small country church with a sign in the front that had just two words on it, “JESUS SAVES.”
I was in the back seat of the car and I remember distinctly asking just what that meant.
To this day I do not remember exactly what my dad’s response was but it seemed that he was either unresponsive or did not know enough about it to give me a solid answer. That remains a bit of a mystery. At that point my dad was a Mason and later became a member of the Shriners.
As a family faith wise we went to a Northern American Baptist church until I was about 11 or 12 and then we switched to the Episcopol church in our small town.
Neither of the above churches talked about, “JESUS SAVES.”
As time went by I remember going to a youth Episcopol retreat on the beautiful Cazenovia Lake. I remember one teenager there who might have been a minister’s son. This also was not a place where I got any explanation.
At 18 I went into the Navy and became a Submarine Cook. By this time I had lost all interest in matters of religion but still remember going to a church service on the boat that was being led by the Supply Officer.
So now as a sailor, I started to get a better idea of what I needed to be saved from.
My sin.
One of the greatest stories I ever heard that exemplified how sin can kill is the story of the snake owner who always wanted to purchase a python for his circus shows which highlighted all sorts of different types of snakes.
In the beginning he brought the snake into his show and the younger python would wrap himself around the handler’s arm and the audience thought it was quite cute so the man continued to allow the snake to be a part of the show wrapping itself around the man’s leg as it grew older.
Finally the man allowed the full grown python to wrap itself completely around the snake trainer’s body, so that no one could see the man. The crowd was totally enthralled by the magnificent show. Then the huge reptile would unwrap itself from the entertainer to the awe of the adoring audience.
One day after months of outstanding circus entertainment, the circus patrons were especially concentrating on the snake slowly wrapping itself around the snake handler, but this time right when the snake had made the man disappear from sight something dark began to unfold.
The Crafty Creature tightened itself and an ear curdling scream was heard from inside the cage that the black thick snake had created. Just about every bone in the man’s body had been broken and then with one final jolt of the snake’s power the man’s ability to breathe was cut off!
Sin usually starts off with seemingly innocent practices, but soon it can have control over its captive and unless there is some sort of intervention the snake of sin will eventually crush all who get ensnared by its cunning and evil lures. The Bible reveals that all have sinned and are under its influence and destructive power.
The intervention that I found and you can too is the CROSS of CHRIST.
The good news is that sin’s power was broken. GOD’S SON went to die on Calvary for all of our sins.
Also the defeated devil lost the battle for good concerning the fear of death that he had tried to hold over mankind. This Victory was marked once and for all when JESUS rose from the dead.
If you have been blinded by the defeated devil concerning your need to receive JESUS and follow Him. That can change by asking Him to open your eyes so that you can see your need for Someone to save you from your sin.
Why not ask Him now?
Because I have found that it is true… that JESUS SAVES.
davidallport 