The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Acts 20:7-12, “And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to depart the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight.

8 And there were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together.

9 And there was a certain young man named Eutychus sitting on the window sill, sinking into a deep sleep; and as Paul kept on talking, he was overcome by sleep and fell down from the third floor, and was picked up dead.

10 But Paul went down and fell upon him and after embracing him, he said, ‘Do not be troubled, for his life is in him.’

11 And when he had gone back up, and had broken the bread and eaten, he talked with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed.

12 And they took away the boy alive and were greatly comforted.”

The situation with the Thai soccer players trapped in a cave has been all over recent news. The lives of many rescue teams from many countries have been involved in helping to extract them from a huge and dangerous cave. Thus far, one rescurer has died, while a few of the boys have been saved.

Preaching, too, is serious business. Emergencies sometimes occur during preaching. I remember a lady passing out during a service when I was about 15 years old. A man had a seizure during my preaching,

and everything stopped until he could be properly attended. These are not easy situations with which to grapple.

In our passage above, Paul preached longer than usual. His intended departure the next day required it.

Eutychus was sitting where he could get some fresh air, although the air was likely warm. He fell asleep and fell out the window to the ground below. Some few raced to help him, thinking he was surely dead. Paul’s examination, however, revealed that the boy was not dead, and he then resumed his preaching until daybreak.

What Eutychus encountered was not sufficiently serious as to terminate Paul’s message. It might well be viewed as having been a Satanic endeavor to interrupt what the LORD had put on Paul’s heart to share. There are no “accidents” in God’s economy. The situation might also be viewed as having been allowed in the presence of Christian people, who would be concerned for the boy’s welfare.

We cannot always be fully prepared for medical emergencies. But we can help prepare others for spiritual emergencies that will come their way by sharing the Good News of Jesus and His love. I’ve witnessed to people I’ve encountered only once. What subsequently happened to them, I have no idea. That’s why we need to say and do what the Holy Spirit leads us to do at the time. Our job is to share Christ’s “rescue message”; the Holy Spirit alone can draw them to Christ in saving faith.

Remember that you are a vital rescurer in God’s eternal plan. Lovingly share the news of His salvation rescue! It just might be the last opportunity someone has to respond.

Praying for you daily,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”