By Rev. Larry W. Greiner
Some years ago a railroad wreck took a dreadful toll
of life and limb in an eastern state.
A train, loaded with young people returning from school, was
stalled on a suburban track because of what is known as a “hot-box.”
The limited was soon due, but a flagman was sent back to warn the engineer
in order to avert a terrible rear-end collision.
Thinking all was well, the crowd laughed and chatted
while the train-hands worked on in fancied security.
Suddenly the whistle of the limited was heard and on
came the heavy train and crashed into the local, with horrible effect.
The engineer of the limited saved his own life by
jumping, and some days afterwards was hauled into court to account for his
part in the calamity. A
curious discrepancy in testimony occurred.
He was asked, “Did you not see the flagman warning you to
stop?” He replied, “I saw
him. But he waved a yellow flag. I took it for granted all was well, and
so went on, though slowing down.”
The flagman was called, “What flag did you wave?”
“A red flag, but he went by me like a shot.”
“Are you sure it was red?” asked the lawyer.
“Absolutely,” replied the flagman.
Both insisted on the correctness of their testimony, and it was
demonstrated that neither was color-blind.
Finally the man was asked to produce the flag itself as evidence.
After some delay he was able to do so, and then the mystery was explained.
It HAD been red, but it had been exposed to the weather so long
that all the red was bleached out, and it was a DIRTY YELLOW!
Lives are lost because of preachers waving discolored
flags, preaching a gospel that excludes the blood of Jesus Christ.
Only the true red flag of salvation can save a sinner doomed to
death. “It
is the blood that maketh an
atonement for the soul” (Leviticus
17:11
)
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