Called to Save!

‘Some poor fainting, struggling seaman you may rescue, you may save!’

“The Lord calls for volunteers who will take their stand firmly on His side, and will pledge themselves to unite with Jesus of Nazareth in doing the very work that needs to be done now, just now.”

As the years pass, …2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 – and now 2017!! All the more the reality that this world is NOT OUR HOME we are just a passing through should be realised as we draw nearer to our heavenly home. I wanna go home friends AMEN?! There’s a work to be done, there are souls to be won… let us now put forth undivided efforts to seek and save the lost sheep!

“Let the Lower lights be burning, Send a gleam across the wave, some poor fainting struggling seamen you may rescue you may save!!”

The words of this song are very fitting to the work we are called to do. Here is an illustration of importance and need for earnest work.

In June 2016, an experienced sailor by the name of Steve accompanied a skipper and her husband, as part of the crew, on a race from New Zealand to Fiji. Steve was an experienced seaman and well acquainted with the dangers, as well as joys of sailing. The expedition seemed to be going just fine – the crew had sailed about half way from NZ to Fiji, and had been successfully sharing the shifts. Steve had just finished his shift one morning, and had gone down into the galley to have breakfast, so he removed his gear. Just at that moment as he was preparing to eat he heard an ear-piercing scream! Steve in a moment was up on deck assessing the situation in a spilt second, realising what had just happened he screamed to the skipper, “DUCK!” she immediately obeyed as the boom which had come loose swung over her, having already knocked and killed another crew just minutes before. Just moments later after saving the skipper’s life, Steve was washed overboard. Without his gear, he couldn’t last terribly long in the open sea, so he raised his hand as he struggled in the waters – “some poor fainting struggling seaman” – desperately seeking for help as there were still 4 crew members on the yatch; the skipper, her husband and two others. Yet NOTHING was thrown out to Steve, no efforts were made to save Him! – “you may rescue, you may save” – he waited, watched, waving his hand and then without a rescuer the fainting struggling seaman – was buried beneath the ocean waves – and drowned.

Later an investigation was taken into this incident – and they discovered that despite the hull on the yatch not working, the yatch circled around Steve 3 times! The boat was going around and around, and no one, NO ONE saved him!

This story puts a different perspective on the words the old hymn – “Some poor fainting, struggling seaman, YOU may rescue, YOU may save!”

This is my life’s mission – to rescue and save some poor fainting struggling seaman!  There is a great work to be done. “Are you doing all you can to help? God has given us a commission, which angels might envy.” {MM 131.2} 

“There is nothing that the world needs so much as the manifestation through humanity of the Saviour's love. . .” {AG 128.3} 

NOTHING! This should be our mission – to manifest to the world the Saviour’s LOVE, and save some poor fainting, struggling seaman.

God bless and Go bless!

Ash