January 10

“Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. 29 And Paul said , I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost , and altogether such as I am , except these bonds. ” — Acts 26:28-29

My mother used to tell me often, “Son, almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.”

The pages of history are littered with accounts of what might have been. Accounts of “almost” that nearly changed the world. Few people have ever heard the name Lyman Cutlar, but he, a single bullet, and a pig nearly changed the outcome of the Civil War.

Cutlar was a settler who, in 1859, lived on San Juan Island in Washington State. Due to ill-defined borders, both the U.S. and the British claimed ownership of the island.

What’s known as “The Pig War” began when Cutlar shot and killed a trespassing pig belonging to an Englishman. Cutlar said, “It was eating my potatoes,” and he had already warned the pig’s owner to keep it out of his field. The Englishman said, “It is up to YOU to keep your potatoes out of my pig.” So Cutlar did what any reasonable person with pig-eaten potatoes would do — he shot it in the head.

Before long, things escalated. The British threatened to arrest Cutlar, so the U.S. called for protection — the 9th Infantry. The British responded by dispatching three warships to the area. The U.S. sent in more ground forces, and the British sent in more ships.

By the time the escalation reached its peak that August, the U.S. had 461 troups in the area, and the British had 2,140 troups and 5 warships. The real issue was who owned the island.

For the next 12 years the U.S. and the British were in a standoff that could have changed our country forever. The British were sympathetic to the Confederacy, and could have used this opportunity to give them military backing, thus changing the outcome of the Civil War. Imagine the world we would live in. It was almost different because of a hungry pig in a potato patch.

Almost.

Paul had been turning the world upside down with the Gospel. Because of this he was arrested, tried, appealed to the governor, faced an assassination attempt from 40 men, and finally transferred to the king for judgment. When Paul reaches the king he testifies about his encounter with Jesus and gives a powerful and stirring defense of his beliefs.

Agrippa, listening to Paul’s passionate presentation says, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”

Too often we hear what we know is truth, we’re presented with the facts in such a clear way that our heart knows EXACTLY what we must do, and so…we don’t do it.

Paul said, “I wish that you weren’t almost, but altogether. You and everyone here today, just like me, except for these chains.” Paul lived to preach on, but he lost what he was really after that day – the battle for the mind of the King.

Don’t be almost. Be hot. Be cold. But don’t be lukewarm. You may have to trade Agrippa’s crown for Paul’s chains, but I can promise you — it’s worth it to be able to look back over your life and not have to say “almost.”