B y Ron Reese 0 Sidebars by Lori Futcher
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et up! Get out of the house! The house is on fire!” It took Carolyn a few seconds to get her bearings. She was just about to reach into the closet to grab some clothes. “No! There’s no time to get your clothes!” warned her mother. “Get out before the fire burns the house down!” Carolyn ran out with her sisters. Mother stood outside holding 1-year-old Lamar. Father ran up behind them. As Carolyn turned back to look, part of the roof of their house was already caving in because of the flames.
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iley, their hired hand, had awakened Carolyn’s mom. He lived in a small oneroom shack next to their house. He could have gotten out some of his belongings, but instead he ran over and pounded on doors and windows until he finally woke up Carolyn’s family. Then he stayed to make sure everyone was out. By that time his small house had caught on fire, and he lost everything he had, just as Carolyn’s family had.
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| G U I D E | guidemagazine.org
A fire turned her life upside down, but Carolyn wasn’t alone.
Rescued There is one final death. It will come in the form of a fire. But just as Carolyn’s family was rescued by Riley, who gave up everything for them, we have a Rescuer who gave up everything to save us from that final death. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). God saves us from death!
