Excuse me, your house is on fire!

Excuse me your house is on fire!

Excuse me, your house is on fire!
I am sorry for waking you, but your house is on fire.
I just thought you should know before you go to sleep forever,
Before the flames burn your skin and you cry out in pain.
And the smoke chokes off your breath of life and you regret the slumber.
I thought you and your family might just want away to escape death.
It is going to get very hot in here and you’re going to want cool water.
I know a much better place to live than here.
My Father has a big house and there is room enough for all.
Please hurry before it is too late to change your mind.
I know we don’t know each other but we would have time to learn.
Excuse me your house is on fire and you ready do need to get out.
The building, the furniture, the computers, the TV, the clothes, and the Money can all be replaced but you cannot. You are special.
It would pain me if I stood by and did nothing and let you burn.
I could not live with myself, so please listen to me and choose life.
It really is the best choice and you will not regret it.
Excuse me your house is on fire and you ready do need to get out, now!

It sound silly that you would have to stand and argue with someone that they need to get out of a burning house, but do we not do the same with God. We are headed for Hell and we don’t want to know it real. He knocks on our door and said there is a way out, we don’t have to die. We just pull the cover back over our heads and go back to sleep grumbling don’t bother me now. Go knock on someone else door.

I am working for the census and the excuses I hear with it are just like the ones I hear people give to God.

1. I would have filled it out but I never got the form. I did not know it was coming and I did not know anyone that could tell me where to get one. I would have been saved but no one ever told me how. How was I suppose to know the answer was in the Bible or that people at church could tell me how? Really, shouldn’t God leave heaven and come down here and tell me himself.

2. How could anyone be expected to fill this out? It is way too long and complicated. Living the Christian life is just too much work I am waiting for a better way that requires me to do nothing, or better yet lets me do whatever feels good without a cost. I don’t want to think or make a choice.

3. I know I should have done it but I just do have time. You always come when it is inconvenient. I need to let the cows in it is about to rain and the boys need to go to their baseball game. Strange we mail the form, send a reminder, I have come by your house three times and left a note with my phone number saying I was trying to get the information. I would have thought at some point there would have been a painless time. We do the same with God. I can’t go to church today it’s my only day to sleep in. I can’t walk the aisle today I am busy I do it next week when things are not as pressing it will be better then. The cross does look that comfortable to me but Christ filled it anyway.

4. Are you sure you did not get it? I know I sent it. It had all my information. I when to church, I walked the aisle, I bought fire insurance was that not enough. Are you sure, my name is not written in the book of life? What I was supposed to know Jesus not just about him? You don’t mean, He really wanted to get to know me?

5. I can’t fill out this form. It just some new idea the government has to get all our money and information. I don’t know about you but the census is only every ten years and the IRS finds me every April 15. It is not a new idea the government has been doing it before the birth of Christ. At least now we don’t have to travel every year back to the place of our birth. I might not should say that to loud the business people might revive it. We do the same with church and preachers. The church only wants our money, our time, and our souls. It is easy for the preacher, he is called for it. God never ask anything of him. It his job not mine to do this work. Why should I do it? I mean it work.

6. One of the houses I went to had weeds in the driveway that came to the bottom of my van’s windows and the house door was covered with cobwebs. According to the neighbors, someone lived there although I never caught him to get him to fill out the forms. Sometimes our lives just get grown over with so many worries and care of life that we miss the one that could save us from the weeds. He knows how to mow them down and send them packing. He knows how to grow good seed.

7. One of the apartments I went to had music blaring, I knock and knock but no one came out. I left a note in the door and they took it out. While I was at the neighbor’s door, they came out and walked by me as if I was not there. I said. “Hi” and they acted as if they could not hear. Some of us have heard and ignored God’s knock so long that we cannot see Him or recognize His voice. We need to be careful because He will not always knock. Just like with the red light special there are only certain times that you can get the deal. If you can still here the call the time to answer it is now.

8. One told me that they got my note. They were just hoping that if they ignored me I would just go away and they could forget about the census as if it never existed. Do not people do the same with Christ? If we do not talk about a real heaven and real hell then I don’t have to worry about them and they will just go away. Not! If you don’t believe me just try that with your bills. Both will find you out in the end.

9. One lady told me that she would not fill out the census because we list unmarried partner as a choice under relationship so we were supporting gay rights. I have found several unmarried partners but no gays yet. Some of us don’t want to come to God because at some point we have to call sin, Sin. The form it takes does not matter. They are all bad enough to deserve death. We just don’t want to admit that we can’t have things our way. We don’t want to submit to someone else rules. We don’t want to ask forgiveness or grant forgiveness to someone else. We want to pretend that we are God and the rules do not apply to us.

10. One lady apologized for not inviting me in from the heat because her house was a mess and she was not dress for company. She had five small kids. I told her it was ok that it would only take a few minutes and she had not seen my house it looked just as bad. Some of us think that we have to clean ourselves up before we can come to God. The trouble is we can’t. We are cleaning with filthy rags. Jesus knew what my house looked liked before He came knocking on my door and chose to come in anyway. He did not condemn my lack of cleanliness just said, “Let me help you get this place in order.” I am glad that God look at the desire of my heart to do right and not the mess that I am wearing because I failed to do so.

11. I am not going to fill out the census I don’t trust the government to do what it says. This one I understand a little better not everything in the census goes as planned nor is perfect. Some people don’t trust God. At times, I have been one of them. It is hard to trust when the bills are due and the paycheck is late or the job is lost. It is hard to trust God when your daughter is on life support or you’re putting a love one in the grave. It is hard to trust God when you are going through divorce and all your friends leave. It is hard to trust God when you said I want and He says, but you don’t need. There is a reason they call it faith. It was hard for Him to take my shame and walk up that hill to Calvary. He too had to trust His Father. But His promises are true and He is ever faithful.

12. One of the houses I went to had a sign, “Dog bites, Don’t Enter.” Some people have been hurt, abused, shunned by the Christian that are suppose to love them and have a big ”Keep Out” sign. So, we don’t enter, but they still need us and God. Sometime they just need to know they count.

13. And then there was lucky number 13 person. His neighbor told me that he had won the lottery and that this was his second home. He was away and would not be back for some time. I really need to speak to him to find out how do I get those winning numbers? Some of us get so caught up in making money, or spending money that we don’t have time to stay home and spend time looking for God. We are so busy He can never find us home willing to sit, have a cup of tea and chat.

14. Why should I be counted? What good does it do and why does anyone need to know? First it is the law that you fill out the census. Second it is used to determine how many votes your state has, how many new school we expect to need, shows what areas of the country are growing fastest. This country is in the biggest mess that I have ever seen, but I am still of the opinion that it is still the best country that ever has been and I am glad to be counted as an American. I am still glad to be called a Christian and want my name on that heavenly roll book and at the end of my days; I want my life to count. No one will remember that I was a biller, teacher, office help, sales clerk and census worker. Some may remember that I was a wife and mother. But, the greats complement will be, “I am in heaven in part because of you.”

15. And then there was man I caught unaware. He was taking an afternoon nap when I knocked. The wood door was open and just his screen door was between his dog and me. His boxer made a dash for the door, fortunately he just wanted to play. The guy was grabbling with one hand for his dog because he did not what her to frighten me and trying to put on his boxers with the other. I told him the dog and I was cool to take his time I could wait. I could wait but one day God will not. No one ever get up as said I think I died today. We all know that it will come, but always think we have just one more minute, one more chance. Will you be caught unaware with your pants down by God?

Excuse me your house is on fire and you ready do need to get out, now! Hell is not the vacation home that you want to retire to one day. You need to get out while you can.
Kathy Barnes
Copyright 5-17-2010