A Man Fell In A Hole

A man fell in a hole, and he couldn't get out.  A traveler passed by:  He told the man to meditate to purify His mind and when he reached nirvana, all his suffering would cease.  The man did as he was told, but he remained in the hole.

Another man appeared at the top of the hole:  he explained that the hole didn't exist, and neither did the man, it was all an illusion.  However, the man who did not exist was still stuck in the hole that was not
there.

Another visitor arrived, he instructed the man to perform good deeds to improve his karma, and though he would still die in the hole, he 'might' be reincarnated as something magnificent.

Another man looked down from above, he taught the man to pray five times a day facing Mecca and to follow five important pillars.  If he was faithful, one day, "perhaps," the Allah would set him free.  You will never know what Allah will do to you until you die.  Hope for the best. The man prayed as best he could, but he was losing strength, and in the hole he remained.

Two other visitors calling themselves elders appeared at the top of the hole with nice ties on and riding bicycles:  They instructed the man to be baptized and join their church, do good works, and 'maybe' when he died he would become a god and escape hell, but just as before the man was still stuck in the hole.

Two other men visited the man:  they told him to attend five meetings a week where he would be taught from their literature.  To gain salvation he must also 'witness for Jehovah' door-to-door and distribute literature, acquire donations, and forward all monies to their headquarters.  He must study their material for at least six months and answer numerous questions before a panel of elders.  You must do good works, but you will never get out of the hole.

A few days later, another man arrived at the top of the hole.  He told the man in darkness below, just repent, believe, be baptized for the remission of sins, and endure to the end and you will be saved.  You have to be baptized in my church or your sins can never be washed away.  You will never know 'for sure' if you're going to get to heaven until you are actually dead.  You also must take communion at my church weekly.  So just pray and hope for the best.  He did all the things this man commanded but he still remained in the hole.

A man in a black suit with a collar on backwards appeared at the top of the hole:  He instructed the trapped man to be baptized, join his church, confess his sins, pray the rosary, do good deeds, pray to Mary, give to the church, and 'maybe' you will get out of the hole when you die, after you spend time in purgatory.  Nevertheless, the man remained in his misery at the bottom of the hole.

Then some other Man appeared; there was something different about Him, He called down to the man in the hole and asked Him if wanted to be free.  This Man threw a rope into the hole, lowered Himself down into the pit, took hold of the man, and carried Him into the light.  And the man in the hole that
could not get himself out was Saved by the power of this merciful Man.

The man trapped in the hole in this story is a Sinner.  The hole is a picture of Sin. The different people that visited him were from different 'religions'.  There are two types of religions in this world - DO and DONE.  The DO religions ask you to do, do, do and leave you hopeless and doomed.  The DONE religion - Salvation and free forgiveness of sins through the Lord Jesus Christ's blood and righteousness alone, gives you true assurance of eternal life and peace from God.  Jesus DID it all when He died for us, and was buried and rose again the third day. "It is finished!" was the cry of Jesus from the Cross.  Jesus built a 'city of refuge' for us at the Cross, all we have to do is flee to Him at Calvary's Cross and hide there from the wrath of God.

The final Man that visited him and carried the sinful man out of the horrible pit was the Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of sinners.  This man receiveth sinners.  Jesus only receives sinners, no one else.  We are all trapped in the hole called Sin, but worldly religions can never rescue us from Sin.  Religions only can make vain conjectures about what you should do to escape the hole.  You cannot climb out of your sinful condition on your own through religion.  As a matter of fact, the harder you work to attain salvation from sin, the more weary and miserable you become and the hole you're stuck in just grows deeper and darker every day.  Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.  He is visiting you today in the hole of Sin through this message.  Just call out for help, send out a distress call, and Jesus will save you by His grace.  Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:13

Psalm 40:1-3 --  I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.