Rev. A. J. Ogden

A few weeks back I rode my four-wheeler to the back of our property. We join the 16^th section for a long stretch before bordering with the Smylie estate. This is a part of the land seldom explored unless hunting or logging. And since our property is inherited from my wife’s mom and dad, much of that section of our property remains unexplored by me. It was a rather cool but beautiful sunny day so I decided to look it over.

I rode the four-wheeler as far as I could, then began walking. As I walked I came upon a path. While trying to figure out exactly where I was, I saw a post which indicated the boundary with the 16^th section. The path is on that side of the line and is a four-wheeler path for a hunting club which has a hunting lease on the 16^th section.

I decided to walk the path to the end of our boundary which is a pretty good walk, up and down some good hills. When I came to the end, I decided to follow the line to the point where the 16^th section joined the Smylie estate. I found that point after several minutes of walking. The last point of reference which I wanted to see was where the boundary between my brother-in-law’s land and my land connects to the Smylie estate.

I then tried to walk to the Smylie-16^th section connection. That’s where I ran into deep uncut woods and undergrowth. I thought I was following the correct path back to my four-wheeler, which I desperately needed by then. I must have walked another 15 minutes. After rambling around on parts of the Smylie estate, the 16^th section, and my land, I stopped.

I thought! Now would be a good time to cry for help. But nobody could hear me. I didn’t tell anyone where I was going. My wonderful, modern wireless phone was back at the house. Sure could use a sip of water by then.

I decided to back tract. After more walking I came to a fork in the path. “Well,” I thought, “I’ll try this direction.” Guess what! I was only 50 yards from my four-wheeler when I took the wrong turn in the path. I thought to myself, “How stupid.”

Sure was nice to sit down on the four-wheeler. Then I began to laugh at myself. My first thought was don’t tell anyone that I got lost so near home. But then the thought occurred to me. My only mistake was going left instead of right. But that one wrong decision moved me away from home and my transportation which would safely ride me to where I really wanted to go.

There is a passage of scripture in Acts which paints a horrible picture of mankind’s wrong spiritual decision. Paul the Apostle stood before King Agrippa and was allowed to give his Christian testimony which was a witness to Jesus Christ. When finished, the king said to Paul, “Are you going to persuade me to become a Christian so easily?” I like the way the KJV translates this verse in Luke 26:28: “Almost, thou persuaded me to become a Christian.”

Literally thousands of individuals will this week attend church, enjoy the gospel singing and hear the gospel preached. Most will go away almost convinced but still lost, still making the wrong turn which leads away from Heaven’s home.

The old invitation hymn, seldom sung in our churches today, says it well. “Almost persuaded now to believe; Almost persuaded Christ to receive; Seems now some soul to say, Go, Spirit, go Thy way, Some more convenient day, On Thee I’ll call.” And that day never comes!