JOSH..........WITH (THE PRAYERS OF)  Us  Added  =   ???????


YOU!   Yes,   YOU!  -  How important are you???

Are you as important as Josh???

But wait - let's not ask your opinion, nor my opinion  -  let's ask Jesus Christ   -   for you see...He paid the price for you, and for me, and for Josh.

Let me tell you a story - a true, personal story.

My wife Mary and I got married November 26, 1983.  For the first 15 or 16 years of our marriage,  we never had a flat tire on any of our vehicles, except for 1 or 2 flats...which happened in our own driveway!

In the summer of 1999, God called Mary and me to drive out to a prayer conference in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  But the most important part of the trip was before we arrived in Colorado.

In addition to attending the prayer conference, God had called us to drive through the American Indian Reservations located in Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota, and to pray for the men, women, children, and families that live there.  Indeed our Faithful Holy God blessed us with many wonderful, powerful prayer opportunities, in many different villages and towns..........and although we did not yet know it.....we were on our way to meet Josh!

Many of the villages and homes were in very remote places.  As I mentioned earlier, it was summer-----it can get very hot in South Dakota in the summer!!!

Remember  -  I said earlier that in the first 15 or 16 years of our marriage - we had  no flat tires except in our own driveway.........well, on a very hot afternoon in June, on a remote section of the highway - we had a flat tire!

By God's grace, I changed the tire with no difficulty, and we continued our trip.

Immediately, Mary and I began asking our Holy Lord God to guide us to the nearest place where we could get the flat tire repaired as soon as possible.  (Of course we were also praying that we would not have another flat before we got this one repaired!)

It was after dark when we reached the nearest town, and all of the stores, service stations, etc. were closed, so we spent the night there in Custer, South Dakota..

As we drove through Custer the next morning, praying and searching for help.....finally we spotted a sign  -  "We Repair Tires".  "Hallelujah!!!!!  Thank You Lord Jesus!!!!!!!  When we drove up to the service station, I saw a lady standing near the cash register, so I explained our problem to her.  She replied to me: "Josh does all of our tire work, I'll send him out to your car".

In just a moment, a very young boy walked up to our car, he said that his name was Josh, and that he would repair our tire.  As I opened the car trunk so that he could get the flat tire, I asked Josh: "How old are you, Josh?"  He answered, "nine years old".

Josh repaired the tire quickly and easily, and, as I watched him put the tire back on the car, and put the spare tire back into the trunk, it was obvious that Josh was indeed an excellent and experienced "tire repair man"!!!

When Josh was finished with our car, I went into the station, and paid the lady (Josh's Mother) for the repair.  I then looked around the station until I found Josh, I gave him some money for himself, and then I talked with him about how much "GOD LOVES HIM!!!"

So, "how important is Josh?"

Well,
First - Josh is so important to Jesus Christ that He chose to die on the cross ...to save Josh and forgive him for his sins - rather than to live without him!!!

*** Please read that (above) again.**

Second - Josh is important enough to God - that He would have Mary and me drive all the way from north Georgia to South Dakota (approximately 1,521 miles), so that we would have a flat tire in a remote area - within driving distance from Custer - so that we could meet Josh and tell him ...about God's love for him!!!!!!!

So, to "recap" (pun intended) my questions at the beginning of this message:

Are you as important as Josh?

Is every person as important as Josh?

The answer is "YES!!!  (Please read II Corinthians 1:20).

Jesus Christ paid the same price  (THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE PRICE!!!!!!!) for you, for Josh, and for me.....as He paid for Moses, David, as He paid for Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and for Paul (through whom He wrote much of the New Testament!!!)

Oh, and the title of this message -   "Josh---with the prayers of  Us  Added"..........

What does that mean?

In the Old Testament book of Joshua we see that Joshua led all of the Israelites into the Promised Land!!!  In the book of Numbers -600,000+ warriors are listed.  Add a wife, and (at least) 2 children per family.....and the total is 2 million four hundred thousand + (2,400,000 +)!!!

Since the day that we met Josh...Mary and I, and others, have been praying for Josh!


How many people will Josh (with the prayers of  Us  Added)-----  [JoshUA  = Joshua].....

How many people will he lead into HEAVEN!!!???!!!

God has the names written in the Lamb's Book of Life!!!!!!! (Revelation 21:27).


Jesus Christ has defined ONCE-FOR-ALL how vitally important you are to Him!!!


YOU!  Ask Jesus to save you!!!

YOU!,  BE HIS!!!

YOU, BE THERE IN HEAVEN!!!


AMEN.