Two Trains

In Musing #82 I wrote about “The Long, Black Train” sung by Josh Turner.  I wrote about the challenge in the song to “not go riding on the long, black train” and to “look to the heavens …you can find redemption staring back into your eyes.”  The song urges people to “burn your ticket for the long back train” but to “cling to the Father” for there is “vict’ry in the Lord.”

The truth is that we are all born on that long black train driven by the devil and destined for Hell.

The truth is that since almost everyone else is in the same train “coach” (their little corner of their world), a man does not give much thought that there is even an option.  The truth is that all on the long black train destined for Hell are in need of being saved by Almighty God.

I then wrote about getting a ticket to Heaven which is only offered by God.  The problem is that the cost of the ticket is beyond payable.  But Jesus, as sinless and God, could and did pay the price and offers a ticket on another train destined for Heaven.  To accept the ticket means a person realizes they are a horrible sinner and completely undeserving of such a gift.  To accept the ticket is to acknowledge that Jesus is God, sinless, and died a horrible death in their place.  To accept the ticket is to publicly grieve over sins, confess Jesus as Lord and the only Savior, and desire to live for God’s glory and follow Him and His word.

In November 2019 I set up two toy trains on the baptismal tank deck.  One had black coaches behind a steam engine and the other had a little blue Thomas engine with a couple of bright coaches in tow (this is posted in a 5 minute video).  I used these to present a salvation message:

1. There is no means to avoid the long black train for it is the very world that each and every person is born into.
2. Each coach is like a person’s little corner of the world. Each coach has its own quick stop or three, a health clinic, a box store or two, a school, church, a Walmart, and neighbors.  Each person riding along in their coach, thinks all is normal and all is good.
3. Occasionally the long black train is passed by a little childish train going another direction.  The little train is full of happy people calling out to the people on each coach of the long black train inviting them to join them on their “Thomas” train going to Heaven and God.

Since the trains are moving in opposite directions, it is impossible for those on the long black train to leap across to the little train bound for glory.  But God is not indifferent to those on the black train but uses the testimonies of the transformed passengers of the little train along with their shout outs of Scripture, their joy, and their unity and love (John 13:26, 17:21) to call out to those on the long black train telling them they are on a death train and in need of a rescue.  God is also attuned to the prayers from the little train for the salvation of those on the long black train.

God also allows pain, loss, and suffering on the black coaches to draw people to their need.  When they cry out for mercy and salvation, the Holy Spirit graciously lifts them from the long black train and places them on the little childish train chugging for Heaven.

Josh Turner is right, “Don’t go riding on that long black train!”  Accept Jesus as Savior and Lord and by His power be moved over to the little train chugging toward Heaven – and do so today!