THE PROVERBIAL FROG

 The Frog's Story

I suspect you. remember the frog's story. It is placed in a pan of cool water over a stove burner. It is quite calm since water is its environment. When the burner is lit, there is no immediate change in the temperature. As time passes, the water temperature gradually increases. At first, the frog ignores the change in temperature, in fact, it does so right up to the boiling point. Then comes the awakening, or it's end in other words!

Along the way, the frog's thinking is on itself. "I wonder where the insects have gone. I haven't eaten for a while. This pan isn't very comfortable; I can't find a comfortable lily pad or leaves to settle on. The bottom of this pond is slippery and I can't hop around. For some reason, I'm not able croak and send the alarm; something is wrong." And so, it goes for the rest of the story up to the boiling point and awakening! Not to life, but to death!

The Parallel with the Human Story

Wherever and whenever our story began, we were placed in a pan of water not of our choosing. The environment, initially at least, was generally pleasing. We were helpless but we were in charge! We usually got whatever we wanted, after appropriate crying and screaming of course. But as time passed, life became more difficult and it was much harder to get what we wanted. That devil, CONTROL, took over! First parents, then teachers, then religion and always the government! Rules brought rebellion, at least in our hearts, as we tried to get out of the pan of hot water. Although it appeared many people were escaping, when the water reached the boiling point, many found out they were still in hot water!

Our Choices

Really, there is only one choice: to live or to die. And the choice is ours. To stay in the pan or jump out as soon as we can. The reason many don't jump out is that it is comfortable in the pan, at least at first. We have a place, friends and our self-life. This self-life is a known thing; the afterlife may not be, at least as far as we are concerned. We know the CONTROL that exists as the water gets hotter, but since others seem to be tolerating it, we think we can too. In fact, if we just ignore it, we can maintain our comfortable place with our friends and self-centered life, right? This may be true.... until the water boils! Choice number one.

The second choice is to die now! Hold on. I'm not talking about physical death. Seeking to end the self-life is choosing death to self.  I remember a movie series called the Band of Brothers, about the second world war. The story focused on the military in Europe, and the sacrifices many people made to protect the freedoms of our nation. Several episodes portrayed the actions of one military unit as it fought to destroy the enemy, one battle at a time. There was gain, but at the cost of many lives. One lieutenant led most of the attacks on the enemy and lived, while he witnessed the deaths of many of his men. Eventually, one of his men asked how he could lead the assaults on the enemy and not get killed or injured. His answer was simple: "I was dead before I got here!"

The lieutenant died, and he lived! God has given us that choice in Jesus Christ. In fact, God has instructed us to choose life. He even has made the WAY.  Matthew 16.25: For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." To get out of the pan, we must die to ourselves before the water boils! Giving up what we want and trusting Jesus to keep us are our only choices! We have to die to live!

THE TIME IS NOW

I'm sure you've heard this before, "Jesus is coming!" He IS coming, likely very soon! The parable of the ten virgins is about to become prophetic reality (Matthew 25:1). If we are ready, if we are seeking to die to self, we will hear the midnight crier before the water boils!  WAKE UP! JESUS IS COMING!