Pastor's Perspective - Rescued!

This post was posted on Pastor Steve's blog - his personal perspective on the circumstance that held these men captive for 70 days. It's worthy of a re-post here. I admire his gut level sharing. I personaly don't know Steve - just blessed to have found him in blog-land - just like all of you that I've come to know and cherish. Enjoy Steve's perspective...... Patrina <")>><

"As I peck this, the rescue of 33 trapped Chilean miners continues. Last night I sat emotionally transfixed watching each miner emerging from his tomb of seventy days! The joy, elation and reuniting continues to be an international human interest event that none of us can ignore. After the initial cave-in back in early August, there was no word of any survivors for seventeen days. Then a note came from below informing the world that they were alive. For two and a half months these men kept their hopes alive and took amazing care of one another, sacrificing that they all might live.

As a pastor this story is rich with spiritual significance. At one time in all of our lives as Christians we were all trapped in the darkness of sin. Unlike the situation in Chile, our situation was not an accident, but deserved. Hopeless and helpless we wandered in the darkness, alive but in all reality, dead. Then a light shined into our lives. The note we received indicated that a rescue had already taken place in Jerusalem a long time ago, and that although we were dead, our divine Rescuer was alive, well and able to deliver us!

Another inspiring reminder from this event down in South America, is the way these men have taken care of one another. Some were older and weaker, but the stronger helped the less viral, ensuring that they all emerge alive together as they have. Over the course of seventy days, hope at times must have waned. Yet, they encouraged the floundering that help was on the way, that they could make it, and that better was just ahead. In other words, these miners did an exceptional job of reminding us in the church what it means to be the church.

Lastly, we as modern-day believers in Christ are reminded that like these miners we have each been set free.

Where were you when Jesus came to your rescue?

He came to me in despair, divorce, cancer, infidelity, infertility, rejection, isolation, depression, and trial. We don’t lack for deep and ominous mines do we?

Are you in any of those mines right now?

Maybe you’re trapped in addiction, grief or disillusionment.

Jesus knows where you are and He can rescue you, if you’ll let Him. No matter where you are and how long you’ve been trapped there, Christ wants to bring you from the darkness into His marvelous light!"

Pastor Steve Kiefer from a Pastors Perspective