THE MILLIONS
The Call
    You are walking down the street. You look over and you see a panic-stricken child behind a closed window in an upstairs bedroom. Smoke is starting to seep out of the roof of the house, and you see flames flicker in the background of the room.
    Must you have a "special call" to do something to help, or do you just drop what you are doing and go to the rescue of that child? You just drop what you are doing and go, don't you.
    This is the same type call that it takes to go to the mission field at home and abroad: There is a need. You have what they need. You make the necessary preparations and arrangements. You go meet that need in the capacity of your ability.
    If you see the need and just say, "...be ye warmed and filled", and you "give them not those things which are needful", the Word of God says your faith is dead (Jas.2.14-17). "But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him" (1Jn.3.17)?
    "But it takes a 'special call' to go to the mission field," you say.
    Yes, and you have a "special call" if you have the Light to realize the "child" needs help. That call is confirmed in a special book called the Bible. In this, God gives you a clear set of guidelines on how to carry out that "special call" so that "child," so the millions, can be rescued.
    How special is that call? It is as special as the shed blood of Jesus Christ. It is as special as the life of that "child" in the burning house. That call is so special, that if you and I don't work together to carry out that call, the "child" perishes, and the blood of Jesus is spilled for them in vain.
   Jesus Himself makes this "special call" to each person:
    "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations...and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matt.28.18-20).
    "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature...and they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following" (Mk.16.15-20).
    "Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you" (Jn.20.21).
    "Wait for the promise of the Father...For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence...you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me...unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1.4-8).
    On the day of Pentecost, the promised Holy Spirit moved into this whole church age in a new way. Believers were individually baptized in the Holy Spirit and spoke in other tongues with joy and praises to God. That day, through the agency of the church, the gospel began to be spread by individuals in a supernatural way, touching about sixteen different regions of the world (Acts 2). World evangelization had begun in a new way.
    Jesus, in the flesh, had gone back to heaven, but He was now with the church in an unlimited dimension. He was now with the world-wide church, through the person of the Holy Spirit, to enable the church to carry out her "special call" of "rescuing the child," of telling the millions about Jesus. This was being carried out by each individual follower receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and going with supernatural power and telling others the good news of Jesus Christ .
   When you are called into military service, you leave your "old life" behind, and you are submitted to a whole new "kingdom" of authority and training. This is all to carry out the "mission" of obtaining and maintaining freedom for all. When you are in the military, does it take a "special call" or feeling, to do what your commanding officer tells you to do? No, it is understood by all, that you just do what you are told to do. In the same way, we are to accept this "call" and "mission" from our commander, our Lord Jesus Christ, for the rescue of that "child" in the window.
    When you enroll in college and the professor gives the whole class an assignment, do you need a "special call" or a special feeling to do that assignment? No, it is understood, you are there to carry out the assignment. Individually, each person of the class fulfills their responsibility of doing the assignment.
    In the same way, the church has a "special call" to take the gospel to every creature. It is understood that every "member of the class" has the individual responsibility to carry out the assignment. Every member of the church has that "special call" to "go" and take the gospel to "every creature" at home and abroad.
    Local and world evangelization is accomplished as everybody does this.

The Cause
    The question arises, "What about the millions of people who have their own religion, who have never heard of Jesus Christ? Do they all go to hell?"
    Paul told the religious people at Athens, "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead" (Acts 17.30,31). Why would God command all men everywhere to repent, if their religion was sufficient to give them escape from hell and a home in heaven?
    How can it happen that so many can have a religion that is not of God?
    Paul explained to the Roman church that God had given all people an understanding of the things of God. They "knew God" in some capacity, but instead of yielding to that Light, they turned the revelation and understanding that God had given them, into powerless religious concepts, idols, images, and practices. This powerless religion, passed on to family and friends, then gave rise to all kinds of evil practices.
    Paul said these religious people were "without excuse", that they had no way of escape, so they needed to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. Why would Paul, by the Spirit of God, have a "debt" or "responsibility" to go tell these people the good news, if their religion was sufficient to give them escape from hell and a home in heaven? (Rom.1.14-32).
    The Apostle John tells us that Jesus is the "true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" (Jn.1.9). God gives Light to every person that comes into the world. If a person reduces that Light into some mere natural reasoning and concepts, and some empty religious practices, and teaches others the same perversions (instead of pointing them to the power of God), then in time you have generations and millions of people following a false way.
    This is why the wrath of God burns hot on the "unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness" (men and women who promote an unholy, powerless religion--Rom.1.18). Through the agency of these false religious ways of men and women, innocent people are deceived, giving them a false peace, leading them into an eternal separation from God. That's hell. (For more about false religious practices, see the article entitled "One Way Or Many?")
    If a person accepts the Light that God gives them, then God is faithful, He makes provision to bring more Light to them. Therein lies the responsibility of every follower of Jesus Christ. WE ARE GOD'S PROVISION TO BRING MORE LIGHT TO THOSE WHO ARE NEEDING MORE LIGHT.
    God is doing His part. Now it is up to each believer to be doing their part in getting the Light to those who are in darkness. God will be with us as we go, but it is up to us to make the decision to go. ONE REASON THERE ARE MILLIONS WHO ARE OF VARIOUS POWERLESS RELIGIONS, IS BECAUSE PAST BELIEVERS HAVE NOT CARRIED OUT THEIR INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENTS TO CARRY THE MESSAGE OF THE GOOD NEWS TO EVERY PERSON. If every believer TODAY will carry out their individual assignment, the world will be evangelized in relative short order.
    "For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad...Knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men...For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that IF ONE DIED FOR ALL, THEN WERE ALL DEAD: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again" (2Cor.5.10-14--all caps are mine).
    Here, we see that the love of God constrains Paul with the realization that if Jesus died for all, that means all are dead. Paul realizes that he is responsible to persuade all people with the gospel, and that he is accountable to God for fulfilling this mission. He realizes his life is not his own, but is totally at the disposal of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The same applies to us.
   God has made full provision for all people to be saved through Jesus Christ. Right now, He is interceding. He is presently doing His part. IF THEY GO TO HELL, IT IS BECAUSE WE ALLOW THEM TO GO TO HELL, BECAUSE WE ARE TOO BUSY DOING OUR OWN THING, LIVING BY OUR OWN LUSTS, INSTEAD OF CARRYING OUT THE ASSIGNMENT GOD HAS GIVEN US, THROUGH HIS CONSTRAINING LOVE FOR ALL PEOPLE.
    There are millions, praying and waiting for more Light. There are millions, waiting to hear the message of Jesus.
    You might angrily reply, "So, you are saying God is sending millions to hell because they haven't even heard of Jesus?"
    No, I'm saying that if you and I are passing by the house, and WE SEE "the child" trapped in the flames, and WE DON'T WORK TOGETHER to do something about it, then YOU AND I are the ones who are sending millions to hell.
    "So, you are saying every person is to be a missionary?"
    Jesus commissioned every believer to be a missionary, going everywhere, at home and abroad, spreading the good news. Every person is responsible and accountable to God, to carry the good news to others. If every believer will do their assignment and carry out the mission, millions will be saved for all eternity. Whole countries will turn to Jesus.
    And if we don't carry out this commission, is there a consequence?
    Paul thought so. He taught "publickly, and from house to house", and witnessed both "to small and great", so that when he left Asia, he said "I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men" (Acts 20.20,26; 26.22). He had a realization that had he not carried out this assignment, he would have to give account to God for those who he did not reach.
    You say, "Well, that was Paul's call."
    Paul said, "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ...I beseech you, be ye followers of me...Brethren, be followers together of me...And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord...so that ye were ensamples to all..." (1Cor.11.1; 4.16; Php.3.17; 1Thes.1.6).
    No, the call is for all. The truth is, we just read the scriptures through dark, religious, glasses distorted by our our own selfish, religious desires, instead of with a single eye to do the will of God. If our eye is not single, then our whole body is full of darkness (Matt.6.22-24).
    Jesus said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" (Matt.7.21). He told the parable of the servants who were given the responsibility of the talents. The one who was afraid was judged a "wicked and slothful servant", having knowledge without corresponding actions. This "unprofitable servant" was cast into outer darkness where there is "weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matt.25.14-30).
    It is time to wake up out of our blind, religious, slumber and see past our distorted, self-centered religious opinions, and realize that our lives are not our own. We are bought with the price of the blood of Jesus, and we are commissioned by our Lord and Commander to work together to go and rescue the perishing, and, that there are dire consequences if we do not do the will of God.
   Will you just walk on by the burning house and allow the fear-stricken "child" to perish in the flames? Or, are you going to take your responsibility and fulfill your "special call" and help that "child" get out to safety?
    That "child's" life, his blood, is on your hands. You are responsible for millions.

The Conclusion
    The grandfather and grandson were walking by the seashore. Millions of little starfish had washed ashore, as far as the eye could see. The boy, moved by a heatfelt concern, was very busy picking them up and throwing them back into the ocean as they walked along.
    The grandfather said, "Son, there are so many, you can't make any difference in them."
    The boy stopped, looked at his grandpa, stooped over and picked one up, and tossed it as far out into the ocean as he could. He then looked up to his grandpa, and with a gleam of determination said, "I made a difference in that one."
    YOU CAN make a difference.
    WE WILL reach The Millions, IF EACH ONE OF US will reach one person at a time as we go out to the beaches of the world, both at home and abroad.

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