On September 28, 2018, a massive earthquake and tsunami hit the mountainous Central Sulawesi area in Indonesia. The provincial capital of Palu, which was 45 miles from the epicenter of the 7.5 magnitude earthquake, experienced tremendous devastation and loss of life. Minutes after the earthquake, underwater landslides triggered a 10- to 20-foot-high tsunami that swept up the long, narrow bay into Palu, washing away many homes and entire villages in the surrounding areas. Over 1,300 people lost their lives in the total carnage that struck them on that fateful Friday afternoon. There had been no warning and certainly no time to prepare.
Special Direction
But God knew what was about to happen. He was going to use one of His children to save the lives of 148 people. Captain Ricoseta Mafella, a Batik Air pilot, told this story in Jakarta just two days after the earthquake.
Flying into the Palu airport on Friday, Captain Mafella felt uneasy in his spirit and sensed that God wanted him to worship and praise Him. Normally, he just hummed worship songs in the cockpit, but on this day, he felt the need to sing aloud. “God seemed like He was saying, ‘Just praise and worship Me.’ ”
Approaching Palu, he did not see anything unusual except for unusually strong winds that prompted him to make a split-second decision to circle around before landing. Palu is squeezed between two mountain ranges and some pilots refer to airports like this as “valleys of death.” Because of this, Captain Mafella felt the need to be extra careful with the landing. This delay caused him to be nine minutes late.
Warning
As passengers left and he prepared for his next flight, Captain Mafella felt he heard the still small voice of the Holy Spirit, “Be quick, get out of this place. Depart early.”
Not sure whether it was his imagination or something else, Captain Mafella instructed his crew to take a shorter 20-minute break and made the request to the control tower to leave three minutes ahead of schedule, receiving approval from air controller Anthonius Agung.
Imagination or no, Captain Mafella obeyed what he had heard, even to the point of taking over some of the copilot’s responsibilities in order to speed up their departure. The time came for takeoff, and the plane sped down the runway. As they gathered speed, the massive earthquake hit Palu! Both pilots felt the plane sway noticeably to the left and right. Taking off three minutes early was the difference between life and death and total disaster.
Captain Mafella marveled at their narrow escape. He recalled, “The quake started at the Donggala area at 5:55 p.m. I pushed back at 5:52 p.m. The highest 7.7 and 7.4 magnitude hit exactly after my liftoff!”
Collapse on the Ground
Just after the plane became airborne, the roof of the control tower started to collapse because of the powerful earthquake. In the split seconds that followed, air traffic controller Anthonius Agung, 21, was trapped and was forced to jump from the fourth floor. In the jump, he broke both legs, arms and ribs. He died on the way to the hospital from internal injuries.
Not only was the control tower in bad shape, but so was the runway! Just after liftoff, the earthquake caused deep, 2-meter cracks to split the runway. Under the cracks was liquefaction. Their escape had been very narrow indeed, and Captain Mafella is thankful not only to Anthonius Agung for approving their early departure, but above all, he gives God the glory and praise for saving their lives on that terrible day. He will be forever thankful that he obeyed the voice of God. “I don’t need to prove that God is alive. God is real! I have seen it, and that is enough for me.”
Enough for You?
Is it enough for you? Satan would love to distract you with the thought, “Oh, so God would save the life of one Christian, but allow 1,300 other people to die! How fair is that?” But this is a total lie. It is Satan that wants to destroy man and not God. In fact, God loves us so much that the Bible tells us, “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)). I am certain that the 148 passengers on that plane were most thankful that Captain Mafella listened to the voice of God! The absolute and total truth is that both the Christian and non-Christian must all die in one way or another. None of us are guaranteed tomorrow. God is faithful to warn us, “As it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27)). It is critical for our eternal well-being to be prepared to meet God at a moment’s notice!
There is only ONE way to be saved. Do you know that you are saved and on your way to heaven? It is a historical FACT that Jesus lived and walked on this earth, was crucified, died and rose from the dead on the third day. God’s Son, the Lord Jesus, shed His precious, pure blood on Calvary’s cross to cleanse you from your sins and to pay your sin-debt towards a pure and holy God. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from ALL sin” (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)). The work of redemption is complete, finished, DONE! All we have to do is believe and receive it by faith in Jesus. “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-98For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8‑9)). God wants your heart — not just a belief of certain facts in your head. He wants you to repent of your sins and acknowledge your sinful state before Him. He wants you to receive the Lord Jesus into your heart as Lord and Master of your life. Read the Word of God, the Bible, and honor Him in all you do and say. “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou SHALT BE SAVED” (Romans 10:99That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9)).
God has spoken to each one of us in many different ways. “God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not” (Job 33:1414For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. (Job 33:14)). There is the “voice” of creation which speaks to us every day. Because God’s presence, power and wisdom are shown so clearly in creation, God says of man, “They are without excuse” (Romans 1:2020For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (Romans 1:20)). There is the pricking of our consciences as to right and wrong, good and evil. There is within us our spirit, the God-conscious part of us, that tells us that there is a God and that there is life after death. Because God has spoken so clearly to us, we are responsible to search out the truth for ourselves. “Ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:1313And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)).
Have you listened to the voice of God? He is not willing that any should perish — come to Him today and yield your heart to Him. This may be your last chance! “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:11Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. (Proverbs 27:1)).
Negligence has a price tag that’s clearly illustrated in A Costly Mistake.