Captive Audience

 

My Daughter is in Nicaragua this week on a mission trip with their church.  She, her husband, and her daughter are using the CrossFit exercise program as a platform to reach the young people.  They use local translators (and pay them a little) to speak with students and adults.  These translators are not Christians, but as they are translating, they must listen to the Gospel, think it over in their mind, and “preach” it to the Spanish-speaking listeners.  And when the listeners have questions, again, the translator must communicate the question to the Christian while getting some of their own questions answered as well.  They are a “captive audience”, so to speak.  Reminds me of Peter in Luke 5 when Jesus came to his town.  The crowd was thronging Jesus such that He couldn’t be heard by all.  So Jesus improvised and used Peter’s fishing boat as His pulpit.  Jesus told Peter to “thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.” Luke 5:3  As Jesus’ voice carried over the water to the people, Peter listened too.  And like my daughter’s translator, Peter was a captive audience: as Jesus preached, Peter had to listen too.  And a few minutes later, Peter became one of Jesus’ converts!  Hey, today, give a tract to that gas station cashier who has to stay behind the counter trying to stay busy.  Hand a tract to the drive-thru girl, who may read it on her break.  Leave a tract at the lumber yard on a stack of 2X4’s for the night shift stocker to read.  They may learn of the wonderful Savior, Who has the power to save!  Hey, be a blessing to someone today ... and make Jesus proud of you!