As many of my readers know, I drive a school bus, among other things, for a living. The benefits are great, the pay is okay, but the schedule really works for a guy like me who is always doing something else with his time. I have grown to love these students and I pray for them every day. I sometimes wonder what kind of lives they are living outside of my bus; what their home is like, what their decision making abilities are like for them in this crazy youth culture of ours. It breaks my heart when I hear how some of them talk with each other. I get the sense that they not all saved, or worse, not ready for the Rapture.
I can only do so much as a bus driver to be a good witness; but I do what I can. They know that I am a minister in this community. Some of them know that I have a blog. They know that I care about their safety and do my best to get them too and from school safely; even in inclement weather. The High Schoolers are quiet for the most part. The middle schoolers are a bit more rambunctious, and the elementary kids are endearing. They, like all students, and all people, are precious in God’s sight. All people, everywhere, are loved by the Lord. He created them and He is able to save them should they choose to receive Christ’ atoning gift of forgiveness.
That’s the real dilemma, we all have to choose the Lord for ourselves. I can’t choose for them no more than they can choose for me. It’s a personal and critical choice, with eternal consequences. My wife and I watched Charlie Kirk’s memorial service on Sunday. It was as powerful as it was timely. I was thinking about all of the young people whose lives Charlie influenced. This young man was cut down in the prime of his life; but God has a purpose in everything. As bad as it was, God was glorified in that memorial service. Ericka Kirk forgave the man who murdered her husband in front of millions of viewers. What a powerful testimony of God’s faithfulness. Each of us must choose for ourselves to also forgive those who have offended or hurt us in some way. It’s as if this was the last global altar call for the world just before the Rapture.
Each of the students who ride my bus, as well as all students and all people everywhere, are just as able to receive Jesus as were those who came to faith as a result of this memorial service. It was a personal choice for them just as it’s a personal choice for all. Everyone needs to be saved by God’s grace through our faith in Jesus.
We all must choose for ourselves to be saved. We need to repent of our sin and ask God for His forgiveness and for Him to cleanse us from our unrighteousness. Only Jesus can save us, only Jesus can redeem us. Joshua said it best, “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!” (Joshua 24:15)
As a school bus driver who cares and prays for all of his passengers, I should like to say that every person, young, middle-aged, or elderly, needs Jesus; but they must choose for themselves to receive His free gift of forgiveness and redemption by His grace. The Bible is chalked full of stories and instruction from the Lord on how to receive Jesus by faith and to live for Him each day. It’s never too late to choose Christ and choose life, eternal life. In John 3, Jesus gives us a great example of His great love for us and how we can be born again.
We will have a Rapture soon; it’s pretty obvious. We can’t be sure how soon, but very soon is most likely our reality. Even after the Rapture, when things are crazy, people can and will call out to God for their salvation. The Lord will be just as faithful to forgive them then as He is now. My thought is this, why put off till tomorrow what you can do today. Today is the day for salvation; especially this close to the Rapture.
Maranatha!
Encourage Men 