Echoes of Grace: 2019

We live in a world that is becoming more and more controlled by technology. Smartphones, computers and a host of other electronically controlled gadgets rule the day. Take, for instance, the “chip party” that a company in Wisconsin had on August 1, 2017. Three Square Market, a company that makes software for vending machines, offered to implant employees who volunteered with a microchip. The microchip, which is the size of a grain of rice, was implanted between the thumb and forefinger. The chips would allow employees to open doors, pay for purchases, share business cards, store medical information and sign in to their computers. All of this could be done with a wave of the hand! The procedure was quick and painless, and the company covered the $300 cost of the implants.

Harmless?

The CEO of Three Square Market, Todd Westby, made this comment: “Eventually, this technology will become standardized, allowing you to use this as your passport, public transit, all purchasing opportunities” and much more. It all seems so sensible, practical and ... harmless. But is that really the case? And how does this tie into future events?

There are considerable roadblocks to becoming a cashless society. There are the homeless and the very young and elderly who do not have bank accounts or credit cards. There are businesses that cannot afford the considerable cost of credit card transactions, because of the low-priced items that they sell. This would include cab drivers, small local retailers and restaurants, and any tip-based business, such as waiters and waitresses, hairdressers and valet parkers. What about those that don’t have Internet access or phones to receive a cash payment — in other words, the receiving end of the transaction? And, up to now, there has been an even greater barrier to microchip implantation — Americans have not been receptive to the idea.

Microchips are not new. Pets and cattle are microchipped. Shipments are microchipped for tracking purposes. But when it comes to implanting them in humans ... to date, most people resist the idea as being too invasive. However, Marlin Schneider, a Wisconsin state representative, made this statement: “Eventually people will find reasons why everyone should have these chips implanted.”

Connection to the Future

Again, how does this tie into future events? What does God’s Word, the Bible have to say about it? Should it even concern us?

Everyone wants to know the future. It excites the curiosity, tickles the imagination and stimulates the intellect. Authors have become famous after writing books that tell what they think will happen in this world in a very graphic and entertaining way. But as time goes on, many inaccuracies appear, and it becomes obvious that they were ... wrong!

But there is one Book that we can have total confidence in. It has been 100% accurate in telling the future, even though it was written over 2000 years ago. Not only does it tell us about the present day that we live in, but it also tells us what will happen in the near future!

How is this even possible? Its Author is God Himself! He alone can tell us the end from the beginning. Isaiah 46:9-10 states, “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.” There is a reason why God tells us the future: It is to exercise our consciences as to our standing before Him. He wants us to trust Him, love Him and live for Him while we can. He is not interested in merely satisfying our curiosity, imagination or intellect.

Last Days

What does the Bible say that the “last days” will be like? Though it was written over 2000 years ago, it describes the day that we live in to perfection. Here is the prophecy: “This know also, that in the last days perilous [difficult] times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent [of unsubdued passions], fierce [savage], despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more [rather] than lovers of God. ... Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:1-4,7). Who can deny that this is true, as we see rebellion, anarchy, violence, hatred, immorality and a despising of all that is good and right on every hand? The media and Internet add to it all by sensationalizing and glamorizing every wicked act. Then there are the talking heads that like to endlessly debate in the name of “hearing both sides” while never coming to a just and right conclusion. Clearly, we are living in the “last days”!

What is the very next thing to happen? Those of us who know the Lord Jesus as our Savior and have put our trust in His shed blood on Calvary’s cross for our sins are just about to be snatched away from this earth to be forever with the Lord. “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up ... in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Many Christians call this the Rapture. It will be a worldwide event — absolutely impossible to mistake! Those who do not know the Lord as their Savior will be left behind to face the outpouring of God’s judgment on this earth. “I will also keep thee from the hour of [trial], which shall come upon all the world” (Revelation 3:10). “I will also keep thee” refers to those who know the Lord as their own personal Savior, while “the hour of trial” refers to what we call the Tribulation. Which group will you be in?

Please don’t deceive yourself by saying, “Well, I won’t reject the gospel of salvation. I’ll just wait and see what happens. If the Rapture occurs, then I’ll know that it’s true, and then I’ll ask Jesus to forgive my sins and receive Him as my Savior.” The Bible tells us that you won’t be able to. All those who willfully refuse to come to the Lord Jesus for salvation will believe a lie, “because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2 Thessalonians 2:10). There is no second chance! Those who reject the Lord have already made their choice! “For this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12). The delusion is “strong” in order to silence men’s consciences as to the truth of their hopeless condition before God.

The Great Tribulation

The Bible tells us that after the Rapture, there is coming a terrible time upon this earth. Jesus described it this way: “Then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21). The Tribulation is a period of seven years, which is divided into two parts of three and a half years each. The first three and a half years are bad enough, and that’s just the beginning! Earthquakes, famine, disease and natural disasters, along with increasing moral darkness and civil unrest will cause men’s hearts to fail with fear. In hopeless desperation, they will cry out and say to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” (Revelation 6:16-17).

After this, things get worse — much worse! The Bible tells us that two exceedingly wicked men who are controlled and energized by Satan will rise to power in the Western world, including Israel. One man is called the Antichrist and the other man is called the Beast. Because of the strong delusion and lie that men believe, they will willingly worship the Beast and his image. In an even further act of Satanic wickedness, the Antichrist will attempt to have all men in the Western world and Israel receive the mark of the Beast, either in their forehead or on their right hand. When they do, they will have sealed their doom! “If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name” (Revelation 14:9-11).

Without this mark, people will not be able to buy or sell things. The Beast will have total control over commerce in the Western world and will have overcome all of the roadblocks for all of society being marked. Here is what he will do: “He causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Revelation 13:16-17). This wicked man simply uses some form of modern technology to achieve his wicked end. Whether it’s a microchip or a visible or invisible mark is not what God wants us to be concerned about. God has told us what is going to happen in the future because He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. We are free now to choose trusting Jesus to forgive us for our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). When the Lord comes for His own at the Rapture, the “day of salvation” will be over. God, in love, faithfully warns us what His choice will be towards those who reject His free offer of salvation. Come to Him now, while there is yet time!

After the Great Tribulation will be a time of peace when Jesus Christ reigns over the earth. Read about it in The King of Kings.

The King of Kings

The Persian Empire was the superpower of its day. Its vast domain covered all the territory from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Indus River in the east. The empire lasted from 550 B.C. until it was conquered by Alexander the Great in 330 B.C. Persepolis was the imperial city where the mighty kings of Persia such as Cyrus, Darius and Xerxes lived.

It was in Persia where the title “the King of kings” was first employed. The title was meant to describe the great power and irresistible might of the Persian rulers.

The Persian kings were the first to style themselves as “King of kings,” but the true King of kings and Lord of lords is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. “Which in His times He shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6:15). He died, rose again, and now is seated on the right hand of the majesty on high. “Being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth” (Philippians 2:8-10).

Some will, by His grace, bow to Him in this life. They do this when they repent of their sins and make Him their Lord and Savior. All those who come to Him in faith He forgives and sets on the road that leads to life. The Lord Jesus has promised to walk with those who love Him and keep His commandments and be with them all the way home to heaven.

Final Authority

But many will refuse His offer of grace. At some future time, they will be forced to bow the knee before Him when He judges both the living and the dead. He who died and rose again is coming back. All you who refuse to believe in Christ will one day meet up with His irresistible power and be forced to bow the knee in complete submission. The time for forgiveness, grace, mercy and long-suffering will then be past. The time for judgment will have come. “I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-15).

Make no mistake about it. There is none greater than the Lord Jesus Christ, and the most urgent business of life is the salvation of your soul. You are of far more value than all the wealth in the world. All the wealth and all the governments of the world will vanish, but you will exist for eternity. God values you so much that He did not spare His only Son that you might live through Him.

Will you bow the knee to the Lord Jesus in this life? He deserves all the allegiance of your heart. Or will you remain in your sins? Beware! The same One who gave His life that all might live will be the One who judges the unrepentant and delivers their final sentence. “Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).

Be wise, bow the knee before Him in this life and receive Him as your Lord. Jesus Christ alone is King of kings and Lord of lords.

In Heaven Exalted Now

Hear the Crucified One cry —
Wrath, revealed from heaven on high,
On Him your guilt does smite;
Sinner, see Him, stricken, die;
For God is light! For God is light!

Lo, in heaven exalted now,
Glory crowns His thorn-pierced brow!
Haste! wake not His wrath, but bow
To Christ thy God above,
While His pleading tones avow
Your God is love! Your God is love!

Judging from His great white throne,
God who spared not His own Son,
Rebel sinners, vile, undone,
In holy wrath shall smite:
Soul, too late you then will own
Our God is light! Our God is light!

Saved!

How My Walk on the Beach Turned Into a Nightmare

June, 1965. I am a 9-year-old boy who is not doing too well in his swimming lessons. But it’s not a big deal. I can remember the last day, walking flat-footed across the pool with my face in the water while pretending to swim. I’m sure the instructor knew, but nobody really cared. Swimming just wasn’t that big of a deal for an Iowa farm boy. I faked it.

January 19, 2015. It’s the day I take the real swimming test. My wife and I are casually walking the beach in Mexico, an area where the Ameca River runs into the ocean. It’s low tide and the river has divided into smaller streams cutting through the huge exposed sandbar. We stop and visit with a couple of ladies who have just crossed a stream and have returned with some interesting shells. My wife, Kim, encourages me to go across and get her a few. The water is running quite rapidly but appears to be only about knee deep. I take three steps and it feels like I’m stepping onto a landslide. The ocean had been eroding the sand bar and when I stepped on it, the sand slid into the ocean carrying me with it. I am immediately over my head in the Pacific Ocean, caught in the power of a rip tide and river current combination. My body panics as I take the first big gulp of salt water. But as my head surfaces, I see my wife on the sand bar and my mind seems relatively calm. I inform her that I am going to drown. She pleads with me to swim to her, but I know 50 years of faking is never going to overcome this current. My eyes scan the beach and confirm what I already know. There are only a few others on this end of the beach, and none appear capable of saving me. Another wave goes over my head. I remember thinking very clearly, “This is where it all ends.” Dying, especially drowning, was a lot easier than I thought it would be.

I’d been doing what many referred to as “living the life.” I thought I had plenty saved up to enjoy my early retirement with my wife. I had five fun grandkids. I was physically fit. But it was over. It was Jesus Himself who asked the question, “What shall it profit a man, if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36). I’d lived my life like most of us, with a sense of immortality. There was always going to be tomorrow. But instead there was another wave, another gulp, and I was unconscious.

My Favorite Word

I have had a favorite word for years. It’s a word that is very simple but carries a lot of meaning. The word is SAVED. I know I was separated from God, lost in my sins, and not capable, in myself, to ever earn God’s salvation. And the word that best describes what took place when I put my trust in the Lord Jesus Christ was that I was SAVED!

But to be saved, you must have a savior. Back at the resort pool, two young families were hanging out. Someone had told them that they should take their three boys down by the river where they might see stingrays. Although they were all good swimmers, they decided the boys should take their life preservers. They arrived to hear my wife pleading for someone to help me. Fifty yards away, one father had entered the water. He too was surprised at the sudden drop off and the strength of the current. He then heard his wife calling for help. His wife insisted that he take his son’s life preserver with him. By the time he reached me, I had been in the water for about five minutes.

Unexplainable

It’s five minutes I can’t explain. I was unconscious all of that time and have no recollection of it. Those watching said I bobbed up and down, the top of my head at about water level. It was like I was sleeping and having a terrible nightmare. I was fighting for all I was worth trying to force myself up and away and out of the darkness. It was like forcing myself to wake up. And I did. Then I got my first look at my hero, the man I know now as Stuart Swenson. But I immediately checked out again mentally and have no recollection of the next 15 minutes. Meanwhile Stuart’s mind was racing. I was full of water and much heavier than he anticipated. His first impression was that I was already dead. We were still relatively close, but getting to shore felt impossible. He considered his wife and son and was not prepared to perhaps die trying to save a total stranger. But how could he ever go back to them and explain how he abandoned a man to die? And so by using the child’s life preserver to help hold me up, he grabbed me by the waistband of my swimming trunks and we drifted away with the current.

Although unaware of it, Stuart had been training for this moment for a year, with the hope of doing an Ironman triathlon in the future. But first he was going to have to pass this test. On shore, our wives were left to watch, eventually not even able to distinguish whether there were two heads or just one, or were there any? Stuart’s wife, Andrea, held onto my wife and kept encouraging her by talking about the confidence she had in her husband’s ability and strength. The other father was waving his arms trying to attract the attention of a small fishing boat which was far off in the distance. The three boys, ages 8 to 10, were down in the sand praying. In their words, “We filled that boat up with prayers.” And although moving painfully slowly, the boat eventually turned and started coming toward us. My first clear memory is seeing the side of the boat about two feet in front of my face. I was so weak I could not lift a finger to save myself. But then my mind drifted again, and I have no idea how they got me into the boat. It reminds me of the helpless condition in which I found myself on the day of my soul’s salvation, February 2, 1974. How true I found the words of Romans 5:6 which tell us, “When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”

Fully Alive

I can vaguely remember my discomfort lying on the bottom of the hard boat as it smacked the waves as we headed for the dock at full speed. I can remember the coughing fits, when out came blood and water. But mostly I remember Stuart telling me, or more like demanding of me, that I “was not going to die today!” The emergency room doctor, however, informed me I was in very critical condition. For most of the next 10 hours, I was in a coma. I was hooked up to a machine to force air into my lungs to help expel the water. Surprisingly, in the morning I felt quite normal and ate a good breakfast. I asked the doctor how soon he thought I might be able to get out. He looked at me sternly and said, “I want you to know that although you’ve made a very dramatic recovery, you were extremely, and I mean extremely, close to death. Now just relax.” And so I did. Two days in ICU, over and over in my mind I replayed the incident. Where I was didn’t really matter much. I was just incredibly happy and thankful. I WAS ALIVE! I felt great when I left the hospital on Thursday, the only evidence remaining of the accident being a little water in one lung. In the words of my doctor, it was a miracle! I had been saved twice, and both times were only by the grace of God.

“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 2:8-9).

I wonder if I have been left in this world to ask you a simple question. Have you ever had a day of salvation? Are you prepared to meet God? Or are you pretending to be a Christian, or ignoring the matter altogether? The Bible tells of One who went beneath the waves and billows of the wrath of God. There was no savior for Him, and it was my sins and yours that weighed Him down. It happened at the place called Calvary where the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified. The debt of MY sins was paid for when He made provision for whosoever by the sacrifice of Himself. Now I can say I have been saved twice: once from the sea, and once from my sins, once for this lifetime, and once for eternity. Are you saved?

Ever hiked in the beautiful outdoors? Lawrence Bishop suddenly discovered that he too needed a savior from his hiking disaster in A Daring Rescue.

A Daring Rescue

Hiking in the Sierra Nevada Mountains is a popular pastime for many people. It provides great exercise and often a beautiful view, along with a great sense of accomplishment.

However, if the hiker is not careful enough, it can be dangerous and even prove to be deadly. Lawrence Bishop, who was 64 at the time, was seconds away from death on a hiking trip that had gone terribly wrong. But for the bravery and courage of one man, he would have certainly died that day.

He and two other friends had taken the day to hike up the Dog Tooth Peak Trail, elevation 10,256 feet, which is in the Sierra Mountains National Forest. Since getting to the top requires scrambling over boulders, his friends decided not to go all the way. Lawrence, however, decided that he would go. Promising to take pictures and call out his friend’s names, he left his pack and water bottle under a tree and started off. Little did he know that his journey would last two nights and two days, and nearly cost him his life.

Dangerous

Shortcut

On his way down from the top, he saw a pile of rocks that he thought pointed to an easier way down. Starting that way, he immediately slid down the mountain, opening a gash in his head. Why didn’t he just go back up? He couldn’t. Over time, the wind and rain had polished the granite into a smooth, glass-like surface. Recovering himself, he saw a narrow drainage ditch between the rocks that he thought he could use to get down to a safer place. Immediately, he slid and flew down the mountainside, landing on a steep, exposed slab about 100 feet down. He had to use his hiking poles to wedge himself into a small indent. This is where he spent Thursday night.

Early Friday morning his friends started off on the 12-mile walk to the nearest phone. It was not until 1 p.m. on Friday afternoon that help was summoned.

About this time, Lawrence spotted a flat place in the granite below, and he thought that if he could reach it, he could lay down and wait for help to come. If he could just wedge his feet in holes ... but, again, he miscalculated, flying down the mountainside to 300 feet below where he had been. This time he landed on a ledge about six inches wide. But now he found himself in a desperate predicament. He couldn’t sleep or relax, because he needed to use his right leg to prop himself onto the narrow ledge. Without food, water and rest, how long could he last? He knew that if he fell another 300 feet to the bottom of the mountain, he would not live.

Deceived by the

“Easy Way Out”

How many of us are just like Mr. Bishop? There was a right way down the mountain to safety, but he thought that he saw another, easier way. Many people think that they can get to heaven their own way, instead of God’s way. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death [hell]” (Proverbs 14:12). Jesus plainly tells us, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father [God], but by Me” (John 14:6). We cannot work our way to God, or come to Him on our own terms.

Total Focus

There he lay, all through Friday afternoon and evening, through the night and into Saturday afternoon. By late afternoon, he had had it, being totally exhausted and dehydrated. He could feel himself shaking ... his leg was giving way! Just a few more moments, and he would be sliding down the final 300 feet of the mountainside. But wait, what was that? He saw orange jackets ... help had finally arrived!

It was almost too late. His leg simply could not hold him anymore, and with a moan, he began the 65-degree glassy slide down the mountain. But one of the rescuers, David Rippe, saw it too. In an instant, as if his feet were somehow magnetized to the face of the mountain, he raced up the 300 feet to Mr. Bishop and held him on the ledge, keeping him from falling.

Those that saw it were in awe of the rescue, as was Lawrence Bishop. “This guy would put mountain goats to shame,” said Bishop. “He just runs up and he puts his hand on me and he pushes me back into the rock.” When David Rippe, who was part of Richardson’s all-volunteer search and rescue team, was asked how he did it, he said, “I wasn’t focused on the climbing; I was focused on him. I saw Larry on the ledge and I saw he was starting to fall.” Both men were then lifted to safety by helicopter.

What were Mr. Bishop’s thoughts as he lay struggling to survive until help came? “How much do you want to live? is a question I’d never really asked myself,” said Bishop. “But all I’d thought of for two days and two nights, from every angle, every minute, was: How do I live? I really want to live.”

The Vital Question

Mr. Bishop’s question was a good one. Man has a God-given desire to want to live. But there is a question that is even more important and critical than the one that Mr. Bishop asked. It is this: How can I have eternal life? God tells us how, in His Word, the Bible. It has never failed one person yet. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). God loved ... God gave ... believe it and receive it in your heart and you will have eternal life. “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). One sin = death. The gift of God = eternal life — through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Do not wait until you’re in a moment of crisis to settle this question. Be wise, and accept God’s free offer of salvation today, while you may. You’ll have all eternity to thank Him for it!

They Learned by Experience

It really does matter what you believe. Not only does it affect you, but it has an effect on society as well. Some beliefs can be absolutely deadly, as the unfortunate couple in this story found out.

Jay and Lauren, both 29, worked in Washington D.C. and both had office jobs. Jay worked for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Lauren worked in the Georgetown University admissions office. They both decided that they were wasting the best part of their lives working. As Jay put it on his blog before he quit his job, “I’ve grown tired of spending the best hours of my day in front of a glowing rectangle, of coloring the best years of my life in swaths of grey and beige. I’ve missed too many sunsets while my back was turned. Too many thunderstorms went unwatched, too many gentle breezes unnoticed.”

And so, giving up their steady jobs, this idealistic young couple, who were in the prime of their lives, embarked on a trip to cycle around the world. They recorded their yearlong experiences on Instagram and also a blog they both contributed to. Jay actually wrote in his blog: “You read the papers and you’re led to believe that the world is a big, scary place. People, the narrative goes, are not to be trusted. People are bad. People are evil.”

BREATH-TAKING STATEMENT, BREATH-TAKING MOMENT

Then he made this breath-taking statement: “I don’t buy it. Evil is a make-believe concept we’ve invented to deal with the complexities of fellow humans holding values and beliefs and perspectives different than our own. ... By and large, humans are kind. Self-interested sometimes, myopic sometimes, but kind. Generous and wonderful and kind.”

For much of their yearlong trip, this is exactly what they had experienced. Strangers were kind, thoughtful and generous towards them. But they were soon to discover that there is true evil in this world, and it would be the absolute death of them.

They were biking through Tajikistan, a country that borders Afghanistan, which has a strong presence of terrorists, ISIS included. On July 29, 2018, as they were cycling, a car rammed them, knocking them to the ground. Then five men got out and stabbed them to death, including two other cyclists who were with them — one from Switzerland and the other from the Netherlands. It was a brutal and horrific end to an adventure of a lifetime. It was also very, very evil. One can only imagine the terror that those cyclists must have felt in their last moments of life.

BELIEFS MATTER

Those men that brutally murdered these cyclists had a belief too. A few days later, ISIS released a video of those same five men sitting in front of their black flag with the statement that they were committed to killing “disbelievers.” As these cyclists found out by bitter experience, these terrorists held a belief that is absolutely deadly and also a danger to society.

It is a fact that every one of us has a belief as to our natures (whether we’re good or bad), as to the existence of God and as to the afterlife. We also have a belief as to whether the Bible is the Word of God, whether Jesus is the Son of God or whether salvation is through Jesus Christ alone. It is critical that what we believe is the truth! Our eternal well-being and happiness depend on it. When Jesus stood before Pilate, Pilate asked Jesus this question: “What is truth?” (John 18:38). Then, not waiting for an answer, he turned and left the room. He really didn’t even care to know what truth is! Do you care? If so, when Jesus was praying to His Father before His crucifixion, He said, “Thy word is truth” (John 17:17). Those of us who know Jesus as our own personal Savior can say that the Bible is the truth, the absolute, infallible, literal Word of God.

Sadly, people are turning away from the truth of the Bible in greater numbers than ever. A 2017 Barna Group study reveals that only 14% of Millennials (those born between 1980 and 1994) believe that the Bible is the literal Word of God. They also found that one in three Millennials believe that the Bible is “just another book.” Going farther than just not believing, researchers found that both Millennials and Generation Z (those born between 1995 and 2012) are actually more hostile to the Bible than previous generations. There is a reason for this, and the Bible tells us exactly what it is. “The god [Satan] of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Evil and Its Answer

The fact that there is evil in this world is self-evident. Wars, bloodshed and violence, along with corruption and greed, cover the face of the globe. Jesus tells us that it is because our hearts are evil. “[Jesus] said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man” (Mark 7:20-23). But, you say, I’m not like that — I’m like the generous, wonderful and kind people that Jay and Lauren met on their trip! You may do good deeds, but in the sight of a holy, pure and sinless God there is none good, no, not one! “As it is written, there is none righteous [good], no, not one” (Romans 3:10). Because of this, “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

The truth is that our hearts are evil and that only faith in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ can cleanse them and make us fit for the presence of God in heaven. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). There is only ONE way to heaven — “Jesus saith ... I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father [God], but by Me” (John 14:6). Just as the evidence of evil is all around us, the evidence of God’s love is available to all who will receive it. God gives us the daily witness of creation and our consciences. There is the witness of His Word, the Bible. There is the fact of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Jesus died for our sins so that we could have peace with God. If you are truly serious about being made right with God, then this is what God has to say to you. “Ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). Prove Him, and you’ll see that it is so! “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

We can’t wish away evil and we can’t pretend everyone can decide right and wrong for themselves. Consider that fact in The Theory of Relativity.

The Theory of Relativity

In 1905, Albert Einstein formulated the Theory of Relativity. In this theory he hypothesized that “all motion must be defined relative to a frame of reference, and that space and time are relative, rather than absolute concepts.” According to this theory, the faster an object travels and approaches the speed of light, the more its mass will increase. Another thing that happens as things travel faster and faster is that time slows down. His theory of relativity made it possible for astrophysicists to better understand the nature of light, matter, time and gravity.

Einstein was a genius, one of the most brilliant minds of all time, and if you don’t understand his theory, don’t sweat it. You are not alone. Most of us, myself included, can only scratch its surface. But I would like to compare it to another principle that is much easier to understand and also more important to your well-being and happiness. This is the principle not of relativity but of relationship.

Relationship

This is the principle that souls need to come into a new relationship with God — a relationship of love and abiding friendship with their Creator. In order to do this, they need to pass from a state of sin and alienation from God to a new state of grace, love and favor. To make this passage from death to life, people need to renounce their sin, turn to God in faith, have their sins forgiven, and experience the grace of God at work.

You could also call this the doctrine of grace, and if the doctrine of grace sounds intimidating to you, you can just call it “grace.” It comes to souls as a free gift from God. It also comes at a great cost, for the Son of God came down to this earth from heaven and gave His life on the cross so that sinners might receive it.

If you are living in your sins, doing things that God hates, He doesn’t want you to continue in such a state. He wants, by His grace, to make you one of His sons and daughters for all eternity. You may do this by coming by faith to the Son of God. “Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26).

It is absolutely necessary to come into a new relationship with God because sin has destroyed any hope of getting into heaven without it. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Sin has closed the door forever of man obtaining salvation through his own efforts.

Relative Morals Don’t Work

Einstein’s theory of relativity may work well in the physical universe, and scientists may have confirmed it by observation, but when it comes to morals, relativity doesn’t work. God is infinitely good and absolutely unchanging when it comes to His eternal laws. Sin will always be sin in His sight, and righteousness will always be righteous. God provides absolute standards when it comes to human behaviors. There is not a person alive that has not broken those standards, and because of this, there is not a person alive that doesn’t need forgiveness. People may receive the forgiveness of sins when they come by faith to the Savior of sinners. “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

God not only has absolute standards of right and wrong, but He also has absolute love to souls. It was this love that brought Him to send His Son to die for lost sinners. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son ... ” (John 3:16). And it is this love that is seeking out sinners in this world today so that they in turn might seek after Him.

Don’t turn this One who loves you away. Bow your heart before Him, and tell Him you are sorry for your sins. Receive His forgiveness for you and He will make you one of His children through faith in Christ. Then live to love Him, for in loving Him, you return, in a small measure, the immense love He has for you.

Right and wrong behavior is not relative, that is, we don’t get to decide for ourselves about right and wrong. God is the One who has the final word — all of us have fallen short of His absolute standards. Because of this falling short, each one of us is headed to a lost eternity. But the good news is that God has provided a Savior through whom we can enter a new relationship with God. “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).

Mr. Einstein may have had an enormous intellect, way above most of us, but compared to the God who created the universe his intellect is less than a drop in the ocean. Surely each one of us should find it in their heart to love and trust the all-wise, all-knowing God.

Will you repent, believe in Christ and enter into the relationship that will bring you eternal life?

Not receiving the eternal life that God gives has consequences that don’t last for just a weekend. Find out more in “So They Tell Us!”

So They Tell Us

Two young men were in the sauna at a fitness center. After being there a few minutes, one of them exclaimed, “Whew! Isn’t it hot! If it is much hotter than this down below, we will not last long.”

A Christian nearby said in a low voice, “Forever.”

The young men laughed, and one said, “Ah, so they tell us!”

The Christian repeated the word “forever” and reminded them that the same book which reveals the future of God’s people and their happy existence forever and ever also tells us of the eternity of the lost — in the lake of fire — which is forever and ever.

Think of eternity and its unmeasured and unmeasurable ages. Sit down and face the fact. Ask yourself that solemn question: “Where will I spend eternity?”

Do not let another day, another hour, pass. “Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6).

Now He sits as the Savior, and whoever will may know Him, but He will soon take His place as Judge. There will be no mercy then, no salvation — nothing but judgment, nothing but sorrow. There will be no end to the wretchedness and sorrow of hell. But how different if you turn to Jesus now and accept the great salvation which has been purchased at the cost of His own blood. Then there will be no end to your joy. As the Word of God says, “In Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

Fix Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Would you lose your load of sin?

Fix your eyes upon Jesus;

Would you know God’s peace within?

Fix your eyes upon Jesus.

Jesus who on the cross did die,

Jesus who lives and reigns on high,

He alone can justify;

Fix your eyes upon Jesus.

Would you calmly walk the wave?

Fix your eyes upon Jesus;

Would you know His power to save?

Fix your eyes upon Jesus.

Would you have your cares grow light?

Fix your eyes upon Jesus;

Would you have songs in the night?

Fix your eyes upon Jesus.

The Deception

A 14-year-old boy was arrested for impersonating a sheriff’s deputy in Victorville, California. According to surveillance cameras and residents’ reports, it seems that this pretend “cop” spent a very busy Monday evening!

Driving up to one home in a white Ford Explorer, outfitted with blue and red lights flashing inside the windshield, he strode up to the front door. He was dressed in the full uniform of a San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputy, complete with a holster and gun. When the homeowner came to the front door, he asked, “Is there a domestic disturbance here?” She promptly informed him that everything was fine. Then when the rest of her family came up behind her, he turned around and took off in a big hurry. Thinking the incident was very strange, she immediately called the Victorville Police Department.

But that wasn’t all that this pretend cop did that evening. He drove to another home, activating his blue and red flashing lights. When a 16-year-old boy came out of the home, he told him that he was inquiring about a report of domestic violence. The boy told him that he knew nothing about it, so he then drove away.

Surveillance cameras also showed him conducting a traffic stop, pulling over a lady in a red car. He then took her information, pretended to “run” it, and then told her she was free to go!

The next day, a local detective ran a real traffic stop when he spotted a white SUV matching the homeowner’s description. Inside was the registered 77-year-old owner of the vehicle and the suspect. It turned out that the driver was the 14-year-old boy’s great-grandmother. It also turned out that the boy was on probation. When police inspected their home, they found a pile of incriminating evidence. There was the sheriff’s deputy’s uniform that police believe the boy had worn the night before. There were radios, scanners and bullet proof vests. There were several different patches, along with a variety of replica firearms ... all of it was fake! Along with this fake arsenal was a pile of counterfeit money.

A Serious Crime?

Some might be tempted to think that what this boy did wasn’t really that bad. After all, he didn’t hurt anybody. But this is not the truth! First of all, he wasn’t even old enough to drive and did not even have a driver’s license. Second, it is a felony to impersonate an officer of the law. What about distressing all of the people that he interacted with? It is not a pleasant experience to be pulled over for a traffic stop, even if you are told everything’s OK. Finally, what if he had happened upon a scene of domestic violence or a situation where a real officer of the law was needed? His fake gun and badge would have been of no help to anyone then!

Yet people are deceived every day as to the true way to God and salvation. Satan deceives people into thinking that their good works will get them into heaven. Or that they can know God through meditation, drugs, yoga, contact with demons or even a spiritual experience through visions and dreams. Great confidence is put in the powerful feelings of love, peace, joy and acceptance that come from these experiences. But they are all counterfeit! Satan, as the god of this world wants to keep mankind under his control and far from the real truth. He is a liar and a deceiver. He will give you whatever enticing experience you want in order to keep you in his world, and far from the true God of creation and the true knowledge of His love, forgiveness and acceptance.

Solid Truth

So how can we know God and what the real truth is? By reading the Bible, God’s Holy Word, and by dependence on the Holy Spirit. John 16:13 says, “When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth.” When Jesus was speaking to His disciples, He said, “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth” (John 17:17). Jesus also said, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Free from what and how? We need to be free of our sin-debt towards God. The answer is found in “the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15).

God’s character is holy, spotless and pure, which means that He cannot and will not have any stain or hint of sin in His presence. God’s love was so great towards us that He gave His only-begotten Son, the Lord Jesus, to bear our sins on the cross and to die in our place. It is ONLY the shed blood of the Lord Jesus on Calvary’s cross that can wash away our sins. Not even ONE good work, thought or deed can possibly save us. It is literally impossible! This is because in and of ourselves we are dirty, helpless sinners before a righteous God. You could compare it to washing dirty clothes with dirty water! It simply won’t work. You need clean, pure water in order to get those clothes clean. Because Jesus, as God’s Son, was and is pure, holy and spotless, God accepts His payment on Calvary’s cross of our sin-debt. This is why God raised Jesus from the dead — the tomb is empty! The work is done, total and complete! Now all we have to do is accept it, individually, for ourselves. This is what the Bible means when it says, “Through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

Look for Authenticity

There were indications to tell that this “cop” was fake. First of all, his car was unmarked — there were no official county or state logos on the vehicle. Another big hint was that there were no license plates — they had been removed. If there is doubt, you can always ask for an ID, look at a badge for their name and number, or ask to call a watch commander to make sure of who they really are. There is no need to be fooled by Satan’s deceptions, a false gospel or our own ideas as to being made right with God. God has given us all the witness that we need to know the truth. First, there is His Word, the Bible. Second, there is creation. Third, there is the Holy Spirit to speak to our conscience, if we are willing to listen to Him. God’s sure promise is, “Ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

All you need to do is to talk to God simply. Admit that you are a sinner and that you want to have your sins forgiven. Thank Him for sending Jesus to die in your place and take the punishment that you rightfully deserved. The Bible says “that 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). Let Him control your thoughts, words and actions. This is the truth of God’s simple plan of salvation for everyone who will come to Him in faith.

Discovering the real truth is vitality important. Identity Theft presents the real truth about who we are in God’s eyes.

Identity Theft

Imagine waking up one morning, pouring a cup of coffee, and sitting down at the table. You take out your smartphone or iPad to check how your online investments performed over the last 24 hours. You’ve made it a habit to check regularly on these funds. After all, you have worked hard to build up this wealth. It represents your blood, toil and sweat over the years. You type in your security passwords and the balance of your funds pops up on the screen. These funds should someday allow you to retire in comfort. What you see causes a shock wave to your entire nervous system. Instead of the large amount of money you were expecting to see, the balance pops up as $0.00.

The words, “It can’t be true!” run through your head. On further inquiry, you find out it is absolutely true and there is nothing you can do about it. You have been the victim of identity theft. A clever thief working online stole your identity and your passwords. Using this information, they went on to steal your investments.

More Serious Theft

This happens far more than people think. But it is not the worst kind of identity theft.

This more nefarious kind of identity theft takes place when a person is robbed of knowing who they really are before God. Ever since the fall of our first parents, each member of the human race has run the risk of having their identity stolen and never having it returned to them. Losing sight of who they are in God’s eyes, they also lose sight of God who longs to repair the broken relationship.

How may you recover your true identity before God? The following truths will certainly help.

To begin with, one truth that may help you recover your true identity is to realize that you have great worth and value before God. In truth, you have so much value before God that He sent his only Son to come to earth and die in your place. “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). There couldn’t be a higher price God could pay to redeem you.

It might seem impossible that God could love you so much. If this is how you feel, look to the cross. By faith see the love of the One dying there. He did no wrong. He did no evil. On the contrary, no man ever did the good that He did. No man ever loved others like He did. Truly, the love that brought Him to die is far greater than any other love known to man.

Underestimating God

When we live at a distance from God, it is easy to underestimate His goodness and power. It is easy to say God would never love us so much that He would give His Son to die for us. Underestimating God is a huge reason why millions of souls are reluctant to come to the Savior.

You need Jesus Christ because sin is a problem way too big for you to deal with on your own. Because you are a sinner, you need the Savior. You need a Savior who can wash away your sins. “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18). You also need a Savior whose power is great. “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear” (Isaiah 59:1).

Such a Savior is Jesus Christ the Lord. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).

Sin steals a sense of what we really are, what our true identity is, before God. If people were only willing to accept how much damage sin actually does they would not hesitate to turn from it and ask for God’s forgiveness. “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

Ultimate Consequences

The ultimate lost opportunity is when a person dies in their sins, because then it will be forever too late to do anything about it. Hell is the final consequence of never turning to God and accepting His view of us as sinners and His gift of salvation. “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:17).

Human beings who reject God’s grace and truth will not be the only ones in hell. The devil and a great multitude of fallen angels, or demons, will also be there. “Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). That’s pretty miserable company to keep.

God doesn’t desire that any man or woman end up in hell. “The Lord is not ... willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Instead, He wants them to repent of their sins. “God ... now commandeth all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).

If you want evidence that God wants you to turn to Him, here it is — Christ’s death on the cross. His death can bring sinners who have wandered far away back to God. “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

Not until a person humbles themselves, repents of their sins, and says to God, “I am a sinner for whom Christ died,” will they begin to know their true identity. Until the moment they do so, they will be believing a falsehood about themselves.

Sinners who come to Him in repentance and faith become one of His children and enter into His family. “Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26).

This is what they were meant to be! A son or daughter of the living God! This is God’s will for them if they would only believe it. “As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:12).

Becoming one of His children through faith in Christ, they are entitled to receive an inheritance. How wonderful life in heaven will be! People in heaven will keep company with the Lord Jesus and with the angels of God. Joy will be the everlasting portion of all who come to Christ.

Come to Christ and find your identity in Him. He would love to hear a message such as this one being spoken from your heart: “I am a sinner for whom You died. Make me one of Your children that I might be with You forever.”

The Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor, often called the Congressional Medal of Honor or CMH, is the United States’ highest military award. After the War of Independence, the United States had no decorations. It was not until 1861 during the War Between the States that Congress approved the Medal of Honor, which was the only decoration until World War I.

In 1918 Congress restricted the Medal of Honor to persons who went above and beyond the call of duty in performing an extraordinary act of heroism. More than 3,427 medals have been awarded in the name of Congress since the first award on March 25, 1863. Nineteen men have been awarded the medal twice.

I was on the hill near Saga, Korea, on September 19, 1950, when Sergeant William R. Jecelin (RA 13277545, Second Platoon, “C” Company, 1St Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division) went above and beyond the call of duty and was awarded posthumously the Medal of Honor.

Heavy Fighting

After breaking out of the Pusan Perimeter on September 18, “C” Company led the advance with its Second and Third Platoons taking the hills to the left of the road while “B” Company attacked along the road.

Having reached our objective, we were digging in, but sniper fire from the ridge to our right front was harassing our efforts. The first platoon was assigned the task of clearing the ridge against moderate opposition and were ordered to remain in position. Just before nightfall, a large enemy force counter-attacked, resulting in hand-to-hand fighting. All of our squad leaders were killed and several men were wounded before the platoon was ordered off the hill to join the company. Our platoon was sent off the hill that night to guard some tanks on the road and reorganize. In the dark, we tallied our losses — five killed and seven wounded in the day’s action.

The next day, September 19, we rejoined the company and were ordered to attack the ridge with the second platoon. After an air strike, we attacked and secured the hill. During this action, an enemy solder concealed in a spider hole threw a hand grenade among the men of “C” Company. Without hesitation or consultation, Sergeant Jecelin covered the grenade with his body to save the men around him. Our platoon leader wrote the recommendation that Sergeant Jecelin be awarded the CMH. Many have never heard of the sacrifice that Sergeant Jecelin made, but I can speak for him because of the sacrifice he made for me.

Another Sacrifice

Let the writer speak briefly for another Man who sacrificed His life on a hill for me. Perhaps you have never heard of this Man. We read in the Word of God, “As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep” (John 10:15). “Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again” (John 10:17). “No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of My Father” (John 10:18).

While the death of Sergeant Jecelin secured life for me for a moment of time, the sacrifice of Christ secured eternal life for me. The sacrifice of Christ was voluntary (vs. 15), vicarious (vs. 17) and victorious (vs. 18) and has secured for me as one:

Who was guilty (Romans 3:19),

Forgiveness (Acts 13:38);

Who was condemned (John 3:18-19),

Justification (Acts 13:39);

Who was in bondage (Hebrews 2:14-15),

Redemption (1 Peter 1:18-19);

Who was alienated (Ephesians 2:11-12),

Reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-19);

Who was perishing (2 Peter 2:12),

Salvation (John 3:16);

Who was profane (1 Timothy 1:9),

Sanctification (Hebrews 10:10);

Who was corrupt (1 Peter 1:23),

New birth (1 John 5:1);

Who was dead (Ephesians 2:1),

Quickening (Ephesians 2:4-9);

Who was of the old creation (2 Corinthians 5:17),

New creation (Ephesians 2:10).

His sacrifice has also given to me and to all who have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as their own Savior this assurance: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one” (John 10:27-30). He has also given the promise of His coming. “I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:3).

Sergeant First Class C. C. S.

God has given us a very clear warning about what lies ahead. We need to listen. Pearl Harbor makes that point very clear.

Pearl Harbor

The fleet lay at anchor in the harbor on Saturday, December 6, 1941, and business was carried on as usual in the city of Honolulu. The sailors had their shore leaves, and the evening was spent as any other Saturday evening. There had been rumors that war might break out someday, but there was nothing special to cause alarm. Soldiers, sailors and civilians went to bed that night with a feeling of safety and security. True, the horrors of war were being experienced in other parts of the world, but in Hawaii everything was so quiet and peaceful that there was apparently no reason for concern.

However, about seven o’clock on Sunday morning, without warning, the harbor, barracks and city were attacked. War had not been declared; in fact, the envoys were talking peace. Nevertheless, war was there with all its realities. The first blows were struck with fury, resulting in considerable loss of life, bodily injury, and property damage.

Another Tragic Day

Many years before, there was another tragic day which caught the people wholly unprepared. That day was more disastrous than December 7 at Pearl Harbor because it was accompanied with almost total loss of life. There have been many sad disasters in the world’s history, but this one was the worst to date. The people had become very wicked, and God could no longer bear with them in patience; so He sent a messenger to warn them — Noah. The people did not believe the message, but Noah, believing it, knew that judgment was coming; therefore, he built an ark that would rise above the waters of judgment. None but Noah and his family turned to God in repentance or sought refuge from the coming storm. God tells us of the rest in these words: “As in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that [Noah] entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away” (Matthew 24:38-39).

In this case, the people had plenty of warnings as they listened to Noah’s preaching and saw him building the ark, but they went unheeded. At Pearl Harbor there was no warning, and the storm broke like a hurricane. Both instances, however, prove that trouble and even death can come unexpectedly. Eating, drinking, marrying, and all of the ordinary pursuits of life are no guarantee of safety.

What’s Ahead

Now let’s take a sane and sober look into the future. The judgment of God hangs over the world today because it is guilty of the rejection and crucifixion of His Son. Yet people today, as in the days before the flood, are living carelessly, while judgment approaches. Absence of worry or indifference is no guarantee that all is well. Every fisherman’s carefully baited hook proves that danger and death lurk where least expected. Lack of concern on the part of the victim does not make the sad end any more pleasant.

Friend, your very enjoyments, occupation or family may be as the bait that hides the fatal hook. Anything that so occupies you as to make you indifferent to the judgment of God, is like a covering over the eyes as you approach the edge of a precipice. Stop! Listen!

“The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).

There is also another matter of deep concern for you. You may not live until the judgment falls on this guilty world, for you might not see many more days. Life is very uncertain at best and today it is more so. Even should you die first, you would not escape the judgment of God, for He Himself tells us, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

But there is a sure and certain way of escape from that judgment. You can without fail escape both the judgment that will surely fall on the world and the judgment that is after death. You can even be sure of it now. Frankly, now, would you not like to make your escape certain? The way is very simple and will cost you nothing. Here it is: “Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). He died for sinners. He, the sinless One, bore the whole storm and wrath of a holy God against sin in order that you might not have to meet it. All that He requires of you is to come to Him as a guilty sinner and believe that He died for you.

The incident of Noah in the ark should illustrate the way of escape. Those inside of the ark were safe, though the waters rose higher and higher, for the ark bore all the storm for them.

Will you not flee to Jesus Christ, the true Ark of safety today? He invites you to come: “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Please do not close your eyes to your peril, but instead be sure of your escape by taking the salvation that is offered free. It cost God the best Gift He had to make this way of escape possible. Be wise; take it now and thank God for it. Do not go back to a false peace on the brink of judgment, but find true “peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

Our substitute had to suffer. Find out more about Christ’s sufferings in The Purple Heart.

The Purple Heart

The Badge of Military Merit, the first United States Decoration, was established in Newburgh, New York, on August 7, 1782, by General George Washington to honor his soldiers for extraordinary bravery in the Revolutionary War. After the Revolutionary War, no more American soldiers received the Badge of Military Merit. Though others sought to have the medal reinstituted, it was General Douglas MacArthur who reopened the cause to have a new medal issued on the bicentennial of George Washington’s birthday. In 1932, the president revived the Badge of Military Merit as the Purple Heart. The War Department in 1941 reserved the award for those wounded in combat action, an individual decoration that does not require the individual to be recommended for the decoration. Instead, they must meet specific criteria to receive the award. Thousands of combat veterans are recipients of this award. Perhaps few, if any, have been shown any appreciation for being wounded in defense of their country or any gratitude for the hardship that followed.

Wounded for Me

Let me briefly tell you about the One who was wounded for me. “He was wounded for our transgressions” (Isaiah 53:5) and “His visage was so marred more than any man” (Isaiah 52:14).

Both prophecies were fulfilled when the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified on Calvary’s cross. Not only was He wounded for me, but He also died for me. When Jesus had received the vinegar, He said, “It is finished: and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30). Yes, He died for me, “for when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8). The Lord Jesus was wounded for me, He died for me, and, last of all, He is coming for me: “I go to prepare a place for you. ... I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:2-3).

“This we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18).

Wounded for Me

Wounded for me, wounded for me,
There on the cross He was wounded for me;
Gone my transgressions, and now I am free,
All because Jesus was wounded for me.

Dying for me, dying for me,
There on the cross He was dying for me;
Now in His death my redemption I see,
All because Jesus was dying for me.

Risen for me, risen for me,
Up from the grave He was risen for me;
Now evermore from death’s sting I am free,
All because Jesus has risen for me.

Living for me, living for me,
Up in the skies He is living for me;
Daily He’s pleading and praying for me,
All because Jesus is living for me.

Coming for me, coming for me,
One day to earth He is coming for me;
Then with what joy His dear face I shall see;
Oh how I praise Him—He’s coming for me!

Gang Violence in Chicago

There’s been a lot in the news concerning shootings, murders and violence in Chicago’s inner city. The number of deaths has increased dramatically. There has been a loud outcry against Chicago’s police force, against politicians and against Chicago’s mayor. No one seems to have a solution to the problem, and the stream of violence and murders seems to be unstoppable.

Why Gangs Form

One gang member, who grew up in the Henry Horner projects on Chicago’s West Side, explained why he joined the gang at a very young age. In an area known for gang violence, it was a matter of protection. Joining the Vice Lords, he was given a gun as a gift when he was just a pre-teen. In order to get to school safely, it was necessary to carry a gun and to be willing to use it, if necessary. This way, he and his friends were able to keep each other safe.

Another man, who would only identify himself as a Black Disciple, said the reason why so many join the gang is because they don’t have a mother or father, and the gang provides structure in their lives. He explained that many of their mothers were “crack heads,” “dope fiends,” “boosters” or “something.” It would seem to be a hopeless trap — like a bug being caught in a giant spider’s web with no hope of escape! But is this really the case?

Many gang members consider the gang their “family” and that they are like “brothers.” They look up to those with charisma, those who have sold drugs and have money, clothes, girlfriends, cars and food. They look up to them as their protectors. In spite of the many deaths from violence and shootings, they are willing to put their trust in this false security.

A longtime member of the Black Disciples said, “If I live by this gun, and I live by these drugs, this product that I’m selling, and I’m pushing in this neighborhood, it’s putting food on my table and food in my kids’ mouths and a roof over their heads, then I’m not going to put it down.”

A Worsening Situation

Older guys used to make the younger kids go to school, even though they were gang members. Now, there’s no one to make them go to school. Instead of the outward appearance of family and protection, it’s a bullet-ridden free-for-all, with gangsters trying to gain respect by proving how ruthless they are. Rashad Britt had this to say: “Kids only care about nice clothes, fast money and how many kills they can get. When they get a certain amount of kills or when they hurt a certain amount of people, they are feared. ... The kids nowadays in Chicago, that’s what they want.”

Satan’s deception is very clever. He is quite happy to have men fear and kill each other. But what does God have to say about this? “Fear God ... for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). God also has the answer for our safety. He says, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man” (Psalm 118:8). God does not intend for man to fight and kill each other, but to live and serve and please Him that it might be well with them. “Therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: that thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey His voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto Him: for He is thy life, and the length of thy days” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20).

Others on the street say that the violent gang life is for kids. If they can live into their 20s without being jailed, some have been able to walk away and get jobs. Tracy Cannon, once associated with the Vice Lords, summed it up this way: “You just get played out, man. If you ain’t rich by now, you ain’t gonna get rich selling drugs.”

God’s Solution

Man does not have the solution to this social problem, but God does. It is found in His Son Jesus, who suffered an awful death on the cross so that you and I could be saved. We deserve eternal punishment from a righteous, sin-hating God. Because God loved us, He sent His Son Jesus to take our punishment on Calvary’s cross. “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). When we come to God in faith, asking Him to forgive our sins for Jesus’ sake, He promises to do so. Not only that, He gives us a new heart and a desire to live for Him. He will take away the desire for drugs, violence and ill-gotten power if we are dependent on Him for our daily lives. He gives us the “peace of God, which passeth all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) in whatever circumstances we are in. When there is “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21), Jesus gives us “a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14)!

Juan Martinez Leaves a Gang for Christ

But, you say, how does this practically play out? Does it really work? What if you’re already selling drugs or dependent on them, using guns and heavily involved in a gang? Is it too late for you? Juan Martinez’ clear answer is “No!”

Juan Martinez’ parents divorced when he was 8 years old, so his perception of what a man should be was shaped by the movies and by looking at the outside world. He thought that to be a man you had to be the toughest one out there with the most money and girls. Joining himself to the older kids in his New Jersey neighborhood, he was soon introduced to drugs. By the time he was 13, he was both using and selling marijuana and cocaine.

Like many who join the gang, he felt accepted. The older ones taught him their trade, all he needed to know. He thought that if this is what it took, then he was going to be the best one at it. This was going to be his identity, who he was going to become. The Bible says, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12). Willfully and persistently, he was heading down a path that has led to the physical and spiritual death of countless thousands.

Years later, he moved to Texas determined to expand his territory and become one of the main distributors in New Jersey, New York and other states. Then he started to use and sell meth, with the goal of becoming rich. Knowing that most men are drinkers, he went to the suburbs and made friendships with those men, targeting the fathers. Once he got them hooked, he was invited into their homes. When the wife became hooked, he became their dealer and moved on to the next home.

Being high on meth and having his conscience and senses dulled, he was not bothered by the many lives and families he was destroying. In fact, he congratulated himself on a job well-done — he was finally achieving his goal of becoming rich and powerful by his hard work and cleverness! Everything seemed to be going according to plan — but God had his eye on him and was about to speak to him in a very personal way.

Awakening

Conscience

One day Juan was out on a delivery when he heard a voice he didn’t recognize.

“I’m hearing, ‘Why are you killing, stealing and destroying the very lives I’m giving people?’ For the first time in my life I felt horrible. I’m just weeping and crying, right? And then it’s like in a twinkling of an eye, everything stops. I still went and made my deliveries. But there was a thought every time I handed it to somebody, you know? So I would hand it to a woman and I was thinking, ‘Man, I’m ruining her life.’ I would hand it to a guy, ‘Man, I’m ruining his life.’”

In a very direct way, God was reaching Juan’s conscience and heart. Juan believed that it was the voice of God, but he didn’t know how to change. Shortly after this, he was arrested for meth possession and landed in jail with a 25-year sentence. He had finally come to the end of himself and hit rock bottom with nowhere to go and no one to turn to.

But God knew his need and was very gracious to him. A cellmate encouraged him to pray and read the Bible. Juan says, “Weeping, I got on my knees. I am repenting about everything. I’m literally going to that and thinking about things that I have done in my life. And I was like, ‘I’m sorry. God, I want You in my life.’ I want this Jesus, you know? I want this.”

Emptied and Filled

God heard Juan’s prayer and gave him a peace and joy that he didn’t have before. He lost his desire for drugs. He didn’t feel that he had to prove anything anymore. He felt that he was loved and accepted. His sentence was reduced to four years and he spent his remaining time growing in his faith. Today he is married and has a family. He now goes back to the very neighborhoods where he grew up and shares the good news of salvation with others.

Juan says, “Jesus filled every void. When I didn’t have a father, He was my father. Whatever void it is that has you empty, you can fill that void with Jesus. Jesus wants to give you life.” Jesus made this comparison: “The thief [Satan] cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

Find out more about freedom from sin and guilt in Can My Sins Be Pardoned?

Can My Sins Be Pardoned?

his is a great question, and the answer is only found in the Bible, God’s holy Word. It is the heartfelt question that the lady of this story asked, and we hope that she has found the answer. The answer is without a shadow of a doubt, a definite and certain YES! “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Kim Hyon-hui grew up in North Korea. Because of her language skills, at 18 she was recruited into North Korea’s army of secret agents. She was rigorously trained in the martial arts, shooting, radio communication and how to survive in the wild. She also spent two years learning Japanese from a woman that had been abducted by the North Koreans. Then she was sent to China to perfect her Mandarin. It was while she was there that she was suddenly summoned back to Pyongyang. It was November 1987. North Korea’s spy agency had decided that she was ready for a deadly mission —that of blowing up a Korean Air passenger jet!

“The mission was to block the upcoming 1988 Seoul Olympic games,” Kim said. She and a male partner travelled to Vienna, the capital city of Austria, where they were given the bomb. “The bomb was a small Panasonic radio. Behind that there were ... batteries. North Korea built it so half of it acted as an explosive with chemicals; the other half could be used as a regular radio,” she told CNN.

Then they travelled to Baghdad, Iraq, where they boarded Korean Air Lines Flight 858 to Seoul, South Korea, with a layover in Abu Dhabi. While going through security, officials confiscated the batteries to the radio — without which the bomb would not have worked. Though Kim was nervous, she picked up the batteries and put them back in the radio, and then turned it on. When the sound came out, she complained to the officials, saying that they were making too much of a fuss. They then allowed her to board the plane with the radio intact.

Kim put the bomb in a shopping bag in the overhead compartment above her seat. Then she and her partner got off the plane at Abu Dhabi, leaving the bomb behind. Several hours later, the plane blew up in midair over the Andaman Sea, off the coast of Myanmar, killing all 115 innocent people on board. In an instant, without warning or chance of survival, they were swept into eternity.

Serious Consequences

Kim later said, “For a moment, the thought of ‘these people will die’ crossed my mind. I was surprised when I thought that. I felt I was being weak. I was doing this for unification.” How clever Satan is! He loves to deceive us into becoming comfortable with our sins and our sinful nature. But there are always consequences to our sins and our disobedience to God if we do not repent before Him. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). God is clearly telling us that if we do not repent of our sins and come to Him, our end is in hell, eternally separated from God, without hope, without any chance of salvation.

In an attempt to escape back to North Korea, Kim and her partner tried to flee through Amman, Jordan. But there were problems with their travel visas, so they went to Bahrain instead. There, officials realized that their passports were forged. Realizing that they were about to be taken into custody, they bit into cyanide pills in an attempt to commit suicide. Kim’s male companion died, but she went into a coma and eventually recovered.

After being extradited to South Korea and put on trial, she received the death sentence. But then-President Roh Tae-woo eventually pardoned her, believing that she had been brainwashed and was a tool of the North Korean government. After her pardon, Kim made the statement: “I am guilty of a heinous crime. How do I dare to think of marriage? Being a culprit, I do have a sense of agony with which I must fight. In that sense, I must still be a prisoner or a captive — of a sense of guilt.”

Realizing our guilty sinful state is the first step towards God. “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). But being sorry for our sins is not enough! We must come to God His way. The Bible teaches that there is full, free and eternal salvation available for anyone who will accept it, even for the mass murderer. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). The Lord Jesus suffered, bled and died on Calvary’s cross for you and me. The gift of God is “eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). God’s way of salvation is to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). The power in the blood that Jesus shed on Calvary’s cross is so mighty that when we put our trust solely in Him, we have eternal life! “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand” (John 10:27-28).

Over 30 years later she asks this question: “Can my sins be pardoned?” Kim then added, “They probably won’t be.” This is why we can say to Kim and to others like her that yes, there is forgiveness and freedom from a burden of guilt and sorrow. There is no need to be held captive by our sins. “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

California's Fires

In the past two years, California has been waging war against incredibly powerful forest fires, many of them raging for days and causing a staggering amount of damage to property, land and the economy.

Wildfires are a natural phenomenon that California has always had to deal with. Californians know how to take precautions, such as not mowing the grass when there is extreme heat and prolonged drought, or not parking their car on dry, flammable grass. But there are other things that start a fire that no one can prevent, such as lightning storms or electrical wires blowing over in a severe wind and igniting the dry underbrush. There are also the Santa Ana winds, which blow off the Arizona desert and head west towards California. Often these winds exceed 50 mph and can last for days. High heat, dry vegetation, and powerful Santa Ana winds all make the perfect recipe for a destructive wildfire.

Wildfires can be a real challenge to get under control. Bulldozers that cut away dry, flammable vegetation cannot get into steep areas. Helicopters and planes that dump fire retardant cannot operate in winds over 30 mph. Embers from a central fire can be blown by powerful winds up to a couple of miles, starting other fires. In 2017, the winds were so strong that firefighters described them as being “unprecedented” in strength and duration. Millions of dead trees in northern California and chaparral — a shrub with fine stems and leaves which actually burns hotter than dead trees — are a ready source of fuels for the fires. In 2017 alone, California lost close to a whopping 10 million acres.

According to Wikipedia, the 2017 California wildfires were disastrous not only in terms of property damage, homes and businesses lost, but also in loss of life. Two firefighters and 45 civilians lost their lives. It was the worst year for wildfires in terms of property, homes and lives lost up until then. Until 2018, that is — but more on that later.

Proper Preparation

God is not singling out a certain people, country or religion for punishment. He is trying to reach all of us! When two shocking tragedies happened in Jesus’ day, some people asked Him about it, thinking that perhaps these men had been exceptionally wicked sinners. Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:5). Jesus was saying that there is something far more important than being concerned about our physical death. He was saying that we are all spiritually dead and need to repent before God in order to have spiritual life! To be spiritually dead is to be on your way to hell. To have spiritual life is to have eternal life and be on your way to heaven. All men need to have “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21). God tells us to repent of our sinful state before Him and to completely trust Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins. There is no other way — not our works, not our good behavior and not our own ideas as to how to get to heaven. He wants us to totally and completely yield to Him our hearts and our wills. Then we can be prepared to meet Him with confidence at a moment’s notice because God will never go back on His word to us!

Sudden Destruction

Many tales of tragedy and survival have come to us from these ferocious fires. The Tubbs fire was fierce, swift and destructive. It tore through Hemlock Street in Santa Rosa in the middle of the night, destroying most of the homes and property. One 76-year-old woman died in her home. One man realized something was wrong when he was watching videos on YouTube and his computer shut down. That’s when he noticed the house was full of smoke. Getting in his car, he noticed that the fire had almost reached the 101 Freeway, just blocks from his home. He and his family were among the first residents to get out. Their home was a total loss.

One couple was awakened at 1:30 a.m. by one of their dogs whining and pawing at the bedroom door. Opening the front door, they saw smoke and embers flying. Then it got so smoky that they couldn’t see across the street. It took them 45 minutes to get out because of the backup of cars. Thinking they would have a home to come back to, the husband took no extra clothes. When they came back the next day, they discovered that their home had been lost to the fire.

Another couple was awakened at 2:45 in the morning by their daughter knocking on their door. Within 15 minutes they left with their cat and a few personal items. They escaped with the clothes on their back and the three cars that they owned. Their house did not survive the fire. Another couple went to bed around midnight, after checking on the fires, which didn’t look close. They were awakened at 2 a.m. by a neighbor knocking on their door. Another neighbor called. They escaped because of the goodness and kindness of their neighbors. Their house also burned to the ground.

The sights and sounds were unimaginable. Embers shot through the air like flaming arrows. Bushes and trees didn’t just burn; they exploded. Trash cans that were full were hurled 20 feet into the air. A refrigerator was melted to the size of a microwave, and a six-person hot tub melted into the size of a twisted trash can.

Neighbors were in disbelief that such a thing could even happen. Luis Hernandez said, “We never thought about a fire. That was never in our minds. This caught us very off guard. It was the middle of the night. Everyone was asleep.” After all, California has always had fires up in the mountains and in the valleys, but they usually never came into the cities. It was definitely unthinkable that they would have a fire roar through their community without plenty of warning! There had been no robo calls, no sirens or fire trucks, and no evacuation orders. Shortly after 1:30 a.m. some residents spotted a police car racing down the street while an officer shouted through a megaphone to evacuate and “get out now!” But there was no siren, and one lady said the volume wasn’t very loud, and she wondered how many heard the warning.

Clear Warning

God has given us clear warnings as to where we will spend eternity if we do not come to Him in true repentance for our sins and seek His forgiveness. Jesus bled and died on Calvary’s cross to pay our sin-debt towards God. Now all we have to do is accept His wonderful and complete gift! Then ask Him to take complete control of your life. He (Jesus) is willing and able to help you to live for Him. Then, if death calls at a moment’s notice, you will be prepared, with joy and gladness, to enter into His presence forever. “He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18).

Our next story brings out the truth of “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1). As bad as 2017 was for wildfires, 2018 was far, far worse. As of this writing, the Camp Fire alone killed 86 people and destroyed over 153,000 acres, including 14,000 homes. To date, the Camp Fire is hands down, without doubt, California’s most destructive and deadly fire, far surpassing any previous wildfire ever recorded. Read about it in Running for Your Life!

Running for
Your Life!

The people of Hemlock Street were awakened in the dead of night to a terrifying situation, but most of them were able to escape in their cars. But the fire that destroyed almost 90% of the town of Paradise came so swiftly, it literally engulfed people in their cars as they were desperately trying to flee. Many people abandoned their cars, racing on foot to safety. But many others never made it out alive — they were found in or near their burned-out cars. One woman recorded her attempt to flee on a video cell phone, saying, “I’m surrounded by fire; I’m surrounded by fire right now. I don’t know what to do.”

The town of Paradise was founded in the 1800s and had grown to about 27,000 people. It had a 100-bed hospital, a school, a retirement development center and a main street that was crowded with mostly privately-owned restaurants and businesses. Most of its residents loved living in this peaceful, beautiful town.

How could a town that was used to dealing with wildfires every year be reduced to ash in one horrible, unforgettable day? As in many disasters, there were a number of contributing factors. Paradise was located on a ridge with canyons on either side and only one main road, the Skyway, leading to the valley on the west side. Though residents could opt into an alert system that would let them know of trouble by phone, text or email, it became unreliable when communication towers were knocked down. Also, their evacuation system was designed for an orderly exit out of town, depending on the area affected. But there were no plans on how to evacuate a whole town that was panicked at once.

Then there was the utility company, PG&E. They had been blamed for previous fires, including the Tubbs fire which destroyed Hemlock Street. Because of high winds and drought, sparks from equipment or a tree landing on the wires can start a fire. Though the company was aware of the danger, as of 10 p.m. the night before Paradise was destroyed, they had not made a decision about turning off the power.

A Different Sort

of Paradise

The day of November 8 arrived with increasingly powerful gusts of winds. At 6:30 a.m., a PG&E employee reported a fire on a transmission line near Pulga, a small community about 10 miles east of Paradise. By 7 a.m., the sky to the east had a red glow, but not to worry, the fire was still small. But by 8 a.m. evacuation orders had been given to the small communities to the east of Paradise. Then, things suddenly got much more terrifying. The winds picked up, propelling the flames down the mountainside at the rate of 80 football fields a minute. Calls to 9-1-1 poured into the police station as ash rained down upon Paradise. At 8:30 a.m., a fire was reported — in the center of Paradise. The wind was blowing flaming embers all over the town, starting fires in every direction. The firefighters could not keep up — and now the panicked exodus began.

With thousands of people trying to get out of Paradise at once, every avenue of escape quickly became blocked. Cars moved much slower than the fire. Homes and buildings burst into torches on either side of the road. A trip that normally took 20 minutes took over three hours. One man was blocked behind a line of cars, some abandoned, thinking that his end had come, when a bulldozer suddenly appeared and moved unoccupied cars out of the way.

Heroism

There were many acts of heroism. Ken Lowe, a Cal Fire chief, led a team of five engines back into town to try and save lives. In the north of town, near the Fastrip gas station, cars were catching fire as people abandoned them with nowhere to go. Thinking quickly, the firefighters directed around 100 people along with their cats and dogs to go to the center of the wide intersection. Then they moved their trucks into a circle around them and fought the flames as they went by. It was quite a scene: the sky pitch black, flaming embers flying, wires arcing and explosions all around. But the people and animals were saved.

A young mother had just given birth by C-section and was unable to move when evacuation orders were given for the Feather River Hospital in Paradise. Her infant daughter and husband escaped by car. She was certain that she would never see her husband and daughter again. She was put into an ambulance for evacuation, but about one-half mile down the road her ambulance caught fire.

This young mother and those around her, including those stuck in the ambulance behind hers, began calling loved ones to say good-bye. Then a pediatrician showed up and got her out of the ambulance on a backboard. Soon after, the Paradise Fire Chief showed up. They made the decision to put the young mother and other patients into the garage of the only house on the street that wasn’t burning.

Then everyone followed the Fire Chief’s orders. One person watered down the roof. Another person filled buckets with water. A nurse carried all the brush around the house out to the road. Someone swept debris away from the house. Despair turned into hope, as they all pulled together to save their lives and the house. Moments before they were certain they were going to die — now they fought for their lives. Their efforts paid off as the flames passed over their place of refuge and their lives were spared. Both homes on either side of them burned to the ground. You can imagine how thankful those people were, including the young mother who got to see her baby daughter and husband once again.

So fierce and intense was the Camp Fire that it took firefighters 17 days to gain control. The effects of the fire were disastrous. Over 90% of Paradise’s homes were destroyed. The loss of life was heartbreaking. Out of the 86 who died, most were from Paradise.

Reflect Before the Crisis

But even more heartbreaking and disastrous than this is a person’s loss of their soul. Jesus said, “What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36). There is no question that we must all face death, most likely sooner rather than later. Therefore, it is both logical and reasonable to seriously consider the matter now. In a time of crisis, you may not be able to stop and think and find peace with God. Be absolutely certain that you know the answer to these two questions: “How can I have my sins forgiven?” and “How can I know my sins are forgiven?” “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31) is the answer to how to have your sins forgiven. This is not just head knowledge. God wants those that are in earnest. Repent of your sins and receive the Lord Jesus into your heart. The Bible is very clear. God’s promise is, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may KNOW that ye have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).

Come Unto Me!

“Come unto Me!” it is the Savior’s voice,
The Lord of life, who bids your heart rejoice!
O weary soul, with heavy cares oppressed,
Come unto Him, and He will give you rest.

Weary with life’s long struggle, full of pain,
O doubting soul, your Savior calls again!
Your doubts shall vanish, and your sorrows cease —
Come unto Him, and He will give you peace.

O dying man, with guilt and sin dismayed,
With conscience wakened, of your God afraid!
Turn from your fears! Oh end the anxious strife —
Come unto Him, and He will give you life!

Rest, peace and life, sweet flowers of deathless bloom,
The Savior gives — not beyond the tomb,
But here and now, on earth, firstfruits are given
Of joys which wait beyond the gates of heaven!

Roman Roads

The ancient Romans were great builders. One thing they built exceptionally well was roads. They realized the value of high quality roads and built plenty of them — over 50,000 miles of paved highways. To reach a distance of 50,000 miles, you would have to crisscross the width of the entire United States 17 times. Pretty impressive indeed! I would like to share with you some truths about these Roman roads in the hope of making some far more important points about the need of finding Christ.

The Romans Dug Deep

The Romans knew how to engineer quality roads. No superficial treatment for them! They dug deep. After the roads were marked out, legionaries using shovels and pick axes would excavate the road bed to a depth of about 30 inches. Digging deep and laying a solid foundation to the roads would protect them from buckling due to frost, being washed away in heavy rains, and would also make them exceptionally durable year after year under heavy traffic. Digging deep and laying a good foundation made it possible for some of these roads to last thousands of years. Indeed, some of the roads are still in use today.

Digging deep is important for road building, but it is also important when it comes to spiritual life. After all, each one of us is a wayfarer whose travels will end in eternity. A lot of people are making the journey through life only looking at the surface of things. They are making tracks through life without asking any deep questions like, “What is the purpose of life?” “How can a person be truly happy?” “What happens after death?” If you haven’t asked any of these questions yet, you should know that God considers it your reasonable duty to do so. He has given you a mind and He expects you to make good use of it. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you,” the Lord Jesus said (Matthew 7:7). He didn’t say you “may find,” but “shall find.” Digging deep you will discover that God’s purpose for us is to come to know Him, that true happiness is found in loving Him, and that God desires your soul to share in the glories of heaven.

The Romans Built Straight

The Romans knew that straight roads and level roads made for the easiest travel. To mark out the roads before they were built, a Roman engineer would sight down a tool called a “groma.” This simple tool consisted of three straight sticks of wood about three feet long each. One stick was stuck into the ground so it stood upright. The other two pieces of wood intersected each other at a 90-degree angle to make a perfect “+”. Lead weights of exactly the same weight were tied by short strings to the four ends of the intersecting pieces of wood. The surveyor would balance this on top of the piece of wood sticking out of the ground. When it was balanced he could sight down the length of one of the sticks and have one of his helpers stake out exactly where the road was to be built. Using the groma, he could also get a reading on the height and depth of the road. Of course, there were plenty of times Roman roads were built to go around obstacles or follow the natural contours of the land, but whenever possible Roman roads were built remarkably straight.

John the Baptist, the prophet who immediately preceded the Lord Jesus, spoke about things getting leveled and straightened out. He said, “Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth” (Luke 3:5). This verse speaks of the coming of the Lord Jesus. The first time He came to earth, Jesus Christ came in humility and His life ended in crucifixion. The second time He comes to earth will be in glory and exaltation. At His second coming, He will judge the earth and all who live in it. Those who, by God’s grace, humble themselves in this life and look to the Lord Jesus for salvation will be filled. They will come to know God’s love, mercy and goodness in a wonderful way. Those who are proud and trust in themselves are like the mountains and hills which will be brought low. We may be brought low now by realizing how low we have fallen before God and looking to the Lord Jesus for salvation. “Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else” (Isaiah 45:22). Or if we persist in self-sufficiency and pride, we will be brought low in the final judgment. Those who never come to repentance and faith in Christ in this life will be sent away to the low place filled with misery and sorrow called hell. “Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder” (Matthew 21:44). As long as anyone is alive, it is not too late for them to humble themselves and come to the Savior of sinners.

The Romans built their roads straight and our lives should be “straight” too. The problem is we are “crooked” on the inside. From our first parents we have inherited a nature that has been ruined by the fall. As a result of disobedience, our souls are crooked before God. It is only through the Lord Jesus that grace is shown to us and that which was once so horribly crooked is straightened out. His grace brings light into the darkness of our hearts so we can see the truth about God and ourselves. Once saved, His grace helps us to overcome temptations instead of temptations constantly overcoming us. And by His grace we can avoid serious sin. None of these things is possible in our own strength. We need God’s grace. Only the One who hung on the cross and arose out of the grave on the third day shows this grace to us. “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). “The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:11-12).

The Vitae Bonum Spread via Roman Roads

The extensive system of paved roads the Romans built helped them transport goods, services, their culture, armies, and the “vitae bonum” (the good life) across the empire. The Romans had an idea of what the “good life” looked like. It consisted of living a well-ordered life with peace and temporal prosperity. Paved roads helped stimulate the local economies and brought prosperity. Knowing that a Roman legion might come marching down the road at any time helped maintain peace in outlying areas. The roads helped spread the Roman ideal of the “good life.” The problem with this Roman ideal of the “good life” is that we are not good on the inside. We are sinners. Verses from the Book of Romans in the Bible read, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Romans 3:10,12).

A good life without dealing with the problem of sin on the inside just isn’t possible. For the problem of sin, people need the Savior of sinners. Are you looking for a “good life” without dealing with the problem of sin in your life? You are chasing after an illusion which will always escape you. You are trying to do the impossible, and if you don’t give it up, the inevitable result will be misery and anguish. “Unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile” (Romans 2:8-9).

Soon after the death of Christ, the good news of a risen Savior was carried into the empire via Roman roads. This message proclaimed that the Man, Jesus Christ, had suffered death on a cross but had come back to life three days later. Boldly the disciples of the Lord went forth telling all they could that faith in Christ justifies sinners, absolves them from their sins, and makes them suitable for heaven. The Apostle Paul said, “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses” (Acts 13:38-39). When the gospel message is believed, the Holy Spirit comes to live in the believer’s heart. Then, and only then, can a person come to know lasting peace, stability, tranquility and prosperity (being rich towards God) which are results of having the Holy Spirit living in your life. The Lord Jesus has not only the “vitae bonum” or “good life” to give, but also “abundant life” and “eternal life.” He wants to give them to you! Will you repent of your sins, believe on His name and receive these precious gifts?

Rome as a monarchy, republic and empire lasted over a thousand years. But that thousand years is almost nothing compared to eternity. Don’t let pride keep you from coming to Christ. Don’t be satisfied with superficiality. Don’t be satisfied with anything less than the Christ of Calvary. He alone can satisfy you. He alone has the true good life to give.

Find more about the vital road to life in The Crookedest Street in the World.

The Crookedest Street in the World

What is the crookedest road in the world? Two streets vie for this dubious title. One is Snake Alley in Burlington, Iowa. This street makes five hairpin turns and two quarter turns in a distance of 275 feet as it zigzags down a steep hillside. Another is Lombard Street in San Francisco, which has eight hairpin turns in a distance of 600 feet.

Both handle car traffic. Both can be driven. But you better have both hands on the steering wheel before driving them. Perhaps only after navigating both roads can a person make an intelligent judgment on which one is more crooked.

But when it comes to casting a vote for the crookedest street in the world, I know a street that is far more crooked than either of these two. I know it well because I travelled it for many years on a daily basis. I got so used to its crookedness that I thought it was normal. Looking back, I should have been scared stiff daily traveling it, but I wasn’t. I didn’t know any better. As I careened down it, my heart got pretty dinged up making hairpin turns and bumping into obstacles. It is only by God’s mercy that I didn’t have a fatal accident on this road.

You see, without a doubt the crookedest street in the world is the path a sinner makes for themselves when they live far from God. Isaiah said, “The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace” (Isaiah 59:8).

Crooked Paths!

These are what sinners travel down because their lives fill up pretty fast with lies. Visualize for a moment driving down a curvy downhill road. As soon as you’re out of one hairpin turn you have to spin the wheel violently the opposite way to stay on the road. The speed picks up with each turn. The hair on the back of your neck begins to rise. Deep inside you know it’s only a matter of time before you lose control and crash! This is the life of a sinner. Deep inside their hearts they know they are headed for a horrible crash, but they try to squash the voice of reason that tells them so.

At first they throw off constraint by lying to themselves, saying there is no God. “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm 14:1). This makes the descent easy. This is the first hairpin turn into crookedness. Then, how fast do they turn after that — from no God to no final judgment on sin; from no judgment to no right or wrong; from no right or wrong to doing whatever they please; from doing whatever they please to doing the base desires of their hearts; from doing base desires as long as they don’t hurt anyone to hurting others without compunction as long as they can get what they want. From one lie to the next they turn at breakneck speed. Without a doubt, the crookedest road in the world is the path of a sinner!

Deep inside, sinners know they are headed for trouble. The prophet Isaiah said, “Whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.” Those who continue down the crooked path of sin generate lots of troubles for themselves in this life, and they will face the terrors of hell at the end. It is only of the Lord’s mercy that any sinners have not yet been cast into hell, for they certainly deserve it. “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

So great is God’s faithfulness to sinners that He sent His Son to die on a cross. At the cross, the Lord Jesus shed His precious blood that sinners the world over can come to Him and be forgiven. The Innocent shed His blood for the guilty that the guilty might have their sins washed away. “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7). There is not a person alive who, if they came to Christ by faith, God wouldn’t save by His grace and make one of His children forever. God doesn’t want anyone to perish. He wants all to come to Him in repentance and faith that they might have life.

Are you racing down the crooked paths of sin? God is patiently waiting for you to stop, turn around in your tracks, and come to Him by faith so He can forgive you. Instead of living a life full of destructive lies, He wants you to come to know His truth. His truth is pure. His truth is gentle. His truth has the power to bring healing into our souls and set them free. “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” Jesus said. “No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6).

The Lord Jesus is the “way” to heaven. Hurtling down the crooked paths of sin, all we will find is heartache, emptiness, sorrow, and in the end the fiery punishment of hell. But, because Jesus died and rose again, sinners can leave the crooked paths of sin behind and get on the “way” to heaven. Jesus is that way, and He invites all sinners to come to Him. He is stronger than any chains that ever bound them. The crookedest road in the world is the path of the sinner headed away from God. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can set a sinner free and set them on the way to heaven. Oh, come to Christ and learn of His marvellous truth and love today!

The Blind Motorboat

Without an instant to spare, a fisherman and two passengers jumped into the frigid Columbia River to avoid being run over by a much larger motorboat. The whole incident was captured on their dash-mounted GoPro camera.

They had been out salmon fishing, sitting with their motor off. It was a beautiful morning and all was quiet, still and peaceful. Fortunately for them, they were all alert — suddenly, they noticed a large motorboat speeding towards them! Did the helmsman not see them? Standing up in the back of the boat, one of the men waved his arms and yelled “HEYY!” But the boat continued to make a beeline straight for them. Again, the fisherman waved his arms and yelled “HEYYY!” even louder this time. But the boat did not slow down, nor did it change its course. It came straight towards them, full speed ahead. Finally, in desperation, the fisherman stood up on the back of the boat, frantically waved his arms, and bellowed, “HEYYYYY!” Straight as an arrow, without hesitation, the motorboat bore down on them! With exclamations of disbelief, all three of them leapt for their lives, over the side of their boat into the icy water. A split second later, there was a tremendous BANG! as the motorboat landed completely on top of their boat.

Because they were all alert and aware of their surroundings, they were able to react in time, saving their lives. Had they been careless and not paying attention, they would most likely have died that day. Sheriff’s investigators wrote that if they had not jumped into the freezing water, they would most likely have suffered serious injury or death.

Instant Change

All was peaceful and calm at first. It was a beautiful day. What could go wrong? But then something did go wrong, in the blink of an eye. This is just how it is in many people’s lives today. They are busy with the daily cares of life, just going along as if nothing will ever change. But things can and do change, often in an instant, without a moment’s notice. This is why it is so vital that we are prepared to meet God. If your life should suddenly be taken, will you go to be with Him in heaven? “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). This is our standing before God, if we do not know the Lord Jesus as our own personal Savior. We cannot come into His holy presence with our sins unforgiven.

God’s love and compassion is so great towards us that He devised a marvelous plan of salvation. All we have to do is accept it. It is God’s gift to us. God sent His well-beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die on Calvary’s cross for us. He suffered agony for our sins on the cross. When we repent of our sinful state before God and ask the Lord to forgive us for our sins, we are “born again” and made a new creature in Christ. Then we are no longer a child of “wrath,” but a child of God! Why not settle the matter with “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21)? As a child of God, “there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). The Lord Jesus then gives us the privilege of living for Him. Then, if our lives should suddenly be cut off, we can be certain of the Lord’s promise: “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand” (John 10:28).

The Aftermath

After the crash, the 20-foot-long aluminum fishing boat was basically turned into scrap metal. It did not stand a chance against the fiberglass 31-foot-long motorboat. But why did the helmsman of the larger boat not see them? The 74-year-old man told investigators that he had been sitting down and therefore could not see over the dash. (He uses a motorized scooter while on land.) This had the effect of making his motorboat totally blind! His son-in-law also added that he had warned him to pay attention, but that he had been using his cell phone off and on all morning.

The local sheriff’s department was not impressed. The driver of the motorboat was cited and released for “Reckless Operation, 3 counts of Recklessly Endangering and 3 counts of Assault in the 4th degree.” Oregon law is clear about operating a boat without due care. The motorboat driver really had no excuse. We, too, have no excuse for ignoring God’s gift of salvation. God is also very clear about what will happen if we disregard His loving plan of salvation. He will have no choice but to say, “I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:23). Why not do the right thing, and come to Him today? Here’s His loving promise to you: “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).

The pilot in 148 Passengers Escape Disaster shows the opposite of the negligence of the motorboat operator.

148 Passenger's Escape Disaster

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 5:8). 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 9:27). 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 1:7). 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 2:8-9). 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 10:9).

God has spoken to each one of us in many different ways. “God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not” (Job 33:14). 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 1:20). 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 29:13).

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 27:1).

Negligence has a price tag that’s clearly illustrated in A Costly Mistake.

A Costly Mistake

It made for a graphic picture, and it certainly made the news. A transport driver had forgotten to adjust the top deck and lower it to the proper setting. It meant that when he went under a bridge, the top deck was too high, resulting in a new Range Rover Velar instantly losing its roof and becoming a convertible. The roof flew through the air, smashing through the windshield of the truck behind the transport, giving the driver quite a scare! Fortunately, neither the driver of the transport or truck was injured. A second silver Velar was damaged, but kept its roof on.

The Range Rover Velar model can go for as much as $99,838.50. How could the driver just “forget” to lower the top deck, resulting in such costly damage? Very easily, it turns out. He told police that while he was loading the new car onto the transport, he was distracted by a woman pushing a stroller who asked him to move. However, being in charge of moving these expensive cars from one showroom to another, he was fully responsible to see that the job was done safely and in the proper manner. The police reported him for driving without “due care and attention.”

Are you going through life without “due care and attention” as to your need of a Savior? The Bible tells us that if you are, the consequences will be “everlasting destruction.” “Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:9). As a warning, Jesus told us of the terrible torment and hopelessness of hell. But He also told us of a way of escape made available to everyone that will put their trust in Him alone. Jesus alone is the One who can wash us and cleanse us from our sins and make us fit for God’s holy presence. It is by “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21). Jesus suffered agony on the cross for our sins and shed His pure blood for our sins. Tell God that you know that you are a sinner and ask Him to forgive you for Jesus’ sake. He never turns anyone away, no one is too hopelessly wretched for Him to save. “Him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). It is a promise “which God, that cannot lie” has given to us (Titus 1:2). This is God’s wonderful plan of salvation — do not carelessly ignore or put off your soul’s eternal well-being — come to Him for salvation now, while there is yet time! “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Today the Savior Calls

Today the Savior calls:
O listen now;
Before the judgment falls,
To Jesus bow.

Today the Savior calls:
For refuge fly;
The storm of vengeance falls,
Ruin is nigh.

The Savior calls today:
Yield to His power;
Oh turn Him not away —
’Tis mercy’s hour.

Ship on the Rocks

On a dark winter night, many years ago, a steamship went on the rocks right near the village where Mac and Meg were later born.

The ship was called The King’s County and had sailed all the way from Norway, carrying wheat and coal and heading for a nearby port. Somehow on that dark and stormy night, they missed their way completely and turned in, not to a safe harbor, but to an unforgiving cliff. The rocks made a big hole in the ship, and it was battered by the waves and started to sink. The captain came on deck and stared in dismay at the jagged rocks and the foaming sea. He feared they could sink at any moment! He decided that they must abandon ship! Through the darkness he could just make out the cliff a few yards away, but how could they reach it?

A young sailor, Harold Hanson, said he would try. A rope was tied around his waist and he jumped into the roiling, freezing sea. His shipmates watched anxiously as he was dashed into the rocks and huge waves washed over him, but after 15 minutes he was finally able to reach the cliff and secure the rope to a large rock. The sailors were able to attach a bosun’s chair (this would look something like a young child’s swing seat that they can put their legs through) to the rope and all 36 sailors were able to make their way to the cliff in safety.

There was snow on the ground and not a light in sight, so they waited until daybreak before they climbed the cliff and found themselves in a patch of wood. After only a short walk through the wood (about a quarter of a mile), they came out to the village nearby and the home of Fred and Mina. Fred was doing early morning chores when, to his amazement, he looked up and saw a line of men emerging from the woods. The captain was able to speak English well enough to make Fred understand that their ship had run aground. Many of the men were poorly dressed, some without coats, and others in bare feet.

Fred and Mina had a large family and she had just baked 8 large loaves of bread. They welcomed the men into their home and gave them breakfast and a hot drink. Neighbors brought food too and offered shelter to the men. They were cared for until a bus could be sent from the city. They were eventually returned to their homes in Norway. Harold Hanson was hailed as a hero, and he was praised in the newspapers in Canada and in Norway.

Gave, Not Risked, His Life

Harold Hanson risked his life for his fellow sailors, but I want to tell you about One who gave, not merely risked, His life for you. This One is the Lord Jesus Christ who came to this earth knowing that men would hate Him and nail Him to a terrible cross. He died on that cross for you and me, and now all who come to Him and confess their sins can be forgiven. The Bible says, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and, “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Mac was born a month after this event. A few years later Mac and Meg would follow a path through the woods and sit on the cliff. Their father had shown Mac the rock to which the young sailor had tied the rope. Mac pointed this out to Meg and at low tide they could see the top of the mast pole sticking out of the water. There were photos at home showing the ship partially submerged, and Mac and Meg were very curious about the sinking.

In spite of the captain’s fears, the ship did not sink right away, but stayed above the waves for several days. Many came from far and near and trekked through the woods to see the wreck. Some local fishermen even climbed aboard and took home some treasures as mementos.

Remembrance

Years passed, and even the mast pole disappeared beneath the waves. The brave young sailor and the men of The King’s County were all but forgotten. Then one day 50 years later, the newspaper in the city received a letter from far away Norway. It was from one of Harold Hanson’s sons saying that their father had died, but that he and his two brothers would like to come to Canada and see the place where their father’s ship had been wrecked. He said they grew up reading about what a hero their father was in their school books. Would there be anyone who remembered The King’s County and where it went aground?

The newspaper contacted the village and the answer was: “Yes!” Mac knew exactly where the ship went down and would be happy to take the brothers out in his fishing boat and show them the spot. So arrangements were made and the brothers and their wives arrived a short time later. The whole village welcomed them and had a special day in their honor at the community center. Many told stories of what they remembered about that fateful day. Gifts were given to each of Harold’s sons: Leif was given the ship’s bell. Helge was given some of the captain’s china and Thor was given a fancy glass, all taken from the ship those many years ago. Best of all, one of the daughters of Fred and Mina, Audrey, gave each of them a lovely scripture text. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). Yes, their father was a hero, and they read about him in their school books. But there is a far greater hero than Harold Hanson. God has given us a whole book about Him. Do you know that it says three times in the Bible, “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but My words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33)? The Lord Jesus spoke these words and His wonderful book, the Bible, tells us all about Him. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).

The brothers stayed for several days and Mac and his brothers, Cecil and John, took them to the place where the ship had sunk. They pointed out the rock where their father had tied the rope. They welcomed them into their homes and entertained them and even visited them in Norway sometime later. We do not know whether Harold Hanson’s sons accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior or not, but they heard about Him and the wonderful salvation He offers. He wants to save us, not from a watery grave, but from eternal hell. His love for us was so great that He died to redeem us. Won’t you come to Him and be saved today? “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

Another shipwreck has lessons for us today, as The Titanic makes clear.

The Titanic

A little over a hundred years ago, on her maiden voyage, the engineering marvel called the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank with a horrible loss of life in the North Atlantic. If the cruise ship line had made a few common sense safety precautions, the loss of life might have been prevented or at least greatly reduced. The following is a list of simple precautions that might have saved many:

1. The ship might have carried enough lifeboats for the number of people on board.

2. When notified there were icebergs in the area, the ship might have slowed down.

3. Lookouts on the bridge should have been equipped with binoculars.

4. The Titanic might have rammed the iceberg head-on instead of attempting to turn away from it at the last second.

5. A cargo ship called the Californian might have come to the assistance of the Titanic when it heard the SOS call.

Do you know that each one of us is making a great and grand journey? This journey is not only our maiden voyage, but also the last one we will ever make. This journey can end in great happiness and bliss, or tragic sorrow like the Titanic. You don’t have to buy a ticket to start this journey. You started it the moment you were conceived in the womb. And the journey will not be over until the moment you die. This is because each person alive is on a journey to eternity. On this journey it is possible to make some of the same types of mistakes made on the Titanic. These mistakes will end in tragedy if we are not careful to avoid them.

1. The Titanic carried only enough lifeboats to accommodate approximately half of the number of people on board. What was the other half supposed to do if they had to abandon ship? How unlike God our Savior this is! He knew all mankind would fall into sin. To make the way possible for each member of the human race to be saved, He sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. “The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14). His death on the cross means so much to God that every living soul who places their trust in Him will be saved. “Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:15). The suffering and death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross can bring salvation not to half of mankind but to everyone. Because of the cross, all mankind can be saved if they will only believe. There is a seat in “God’s lifeboat” waiting for every member of the human race, if they would only take it.

2. The Titanic was notified by radio that icebergs were in the area. They should have slowed down, but instead they continued at full speed ahead. How many people are living like they have nothing to worry about when it comes to judgment to come? When we hear that God is going to bring each person into judgment for what they have done in this life, it should cause us to slow down too and ask God, “What would You have me do?” Instead, we like to cruise full speed ahead as if there is no danger ahead. Don’t make the same mistake as the Titanic. Slow down. Reduce your speed. Give yourself time to think about eternal things. The consequence of unforgiven sin is eternal death. Trust Christ now to avoid that horrible consequence.

3. Lookouts on the bridge of the Titanic were not equipped with binoculars. Binoculars would have extended their range of vision. Perhaps they might have had enough time to change course if they had spotted the iceberg sooner. We need to have long-range vision when it comes to God’s truth. That is, we need to be able to look far ahead to see beyond this life. Sinners need to look far enough into the future to see that if they don’t repent, they will end up in hell. This life is not all there is. It is only a small part of the big picture. There is life after death: a hell for those who remain in their sins, and a heaven for those who repent and believe in Christ. How many people go through life never considering that there is anything more to life than trying to make themselves as happy as possible on earth. Don’t make this tragic mistake. Open your eyes. Ask yourself, “Where will I spend eternity?”

4. The Titanic might have stayed afloat if it had rammed the iceberg head-on. Instead, when it turned, a giant gash was torn in its side and the ship was doomed. In a head-on collision the ship would have been damaged, but it in all likelihood would have stayed afloat. You are on a collision course with God. You can meet Him head-on by repenting of your sins. Repentance means renouncing your sins and turning to God. Repentance often has an element of pain with it because we realize how wrong we have been. Only repentance and faith in Christ will bring salvation to our souls. However, if we turn away from God in this life and try to avoid Him, He will have no choice but to bring us into judgment for our sins. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). So much damage takes place when people think they can live apart from God. The damage they do themselves will eventually sink them into the depths of hell. Don’t try to run away from the God who made you. Instead, run to Him. Come directly to Him and tell Him you are a sinner for whom Christ died, and ask Him to receive you and give you eternal life.

5. The cargo ship, the Californian, ignored the radio call for help sent out by the Titanic. If they had immediately gone to the site of the disaster, they might have saved many from death. Unfortunately, people can fail each other in abysmal ways. People can let other people down. It is only God who never fails. For this reason, each one of us has to put our trust and faith in the living God who alone can save. You have it in your power to call out to Him today and He will answer you. Romans 10:13 reads, “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Will you continue to make some of the same sorts of mistakes which were made on the Titanic as you journey on to eternity? Or will you be wise, repent, and call out to the living God who by His grace and mercy has made a way for every person to be saved?

Social Media Suicide

It should never have happened.

Isaiah Gonzales was found hanging in his bedroom closet, having committed suicide. Nearby was a propped-up cell phone, which his family believes he had used to livestream his suicide. He was only 15 years old and was just entering his sophomore year in San Antonio, Texas. Family members described him as happy and kindhearted.

His parents and older sister believe that he had become involved in a social media group game called “Blue Whale Challenge,” or simply called “Blue Whale Game.” The game is believed to have originated in Russia, and it was written off as a hoax by many experts. Hoax or not, it seems to have cost young Isaiah Gonzales his life.

The game itself is a 50-day challenge, where you are given a task to complete for each day. Many of the tasks are nothing more than psychological control by the administrator, and they progress to harming yourself (self-mutilation, such as carving a number on your hand or arm), finally directing you to commit suicide on the fiftieth day. If you fail to complete a task, you are sent threatening messages.

Isaiah had sent pictures of himself completing different tasks to his friends, but they just brushed it off as a joke. What a tragedy that they did not realize the danger that he was in! Meeting a challenge can be addictive to some people, and cyberbullying is evil and can end in death for some impressionable young people. No doubt it all seemed harmless at first, but that quickly changed. The grieving Gonzales family didn’t consider it to be fun and games — they had lost a son and a beloved brother. Now the Gonzales family is warning everyone about this dangerous game so that other tragedies can be avoided.

Two Tragic Deceptions

One school district in Alabama issued a warning to parents about this dangerous game. The game is spread on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. Wikipedia states that two people have been arrested in Russia in connection with this game. One person claimed to be the originator of the game for evil purposes, and the other person had set up a “Blue Whale” group inciting children to self-harm and eventual suicide. Many deaths around the world are supposedly linked to this game, though it is hard, if not impossible, to prove.

Who are you listening to? Isaiah Gonzales listened to the wrong voice, and it cost him his life. The Lord Jesus tells us who is behind lying and murder. He gives us a clear warning about Satan. This is what He says: “He [Satan] was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44). Who we listen to and what we believe will determine our eternal destiny, for good or for bad.

There is a tragedy that is taking place all over the world today. People are dying without having found the peace God offers. They do not know God’s way of salvation. Instead, they go out into eternity, separated from God forever. In John 6:47, Jesus says, “Verily, verily [truly, truly], I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life.” Our sins separate us from God. Because God loves us, He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, to die on Calvary’s cross for our sins. Jesus has paid our sin-debt towards God. It is God’s gift to us! All we need to do is believe it and receive it for ourselves. When our hearts are reached, we realize what a sinner we are before a holy and righteous God. When we repent of our sinful state before God and accept His gift of Jesus’ death for our sins, He promises us eternal life. It is perfect redemption! “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).

Read The White Rose, which clearly shows, even on the brink of suicide, that God’s love and peace can be found.

The White Rose

The late summer twilight had tinted the narrow, gentle Thames River as I walked slowly along the riverbank toward the place where I was to preach. A strange reluctance had slowed my steps, and I stood for a moment looking down into the slow water, thinking back on the centuries of history and drama its banks had witnessed. I wondered how many of the thousands that had walked along these banks had known the peace of God.

I turned to go, but my attention was suddenly caught by the movement of a young woman who had risen from one of the benches near the water and was approaching the edge of the riverbank in a purposeful way. Something in her attitude put a chill in my heart, so I walked toward her.

“Excuse me,” I called quietly. She turned nervously and looked wildly around as though looking for an escape. Her eyes, filled with depths of sorrow and disillusionment, startled me, though I was accustomed to meeting life’s derelicts every day in a mission hall in London.

“Forgive a stranger’s speaking to you,” I said, “but I am a preacher, on my way to the Gospel Hall around the next corner. You are distressed and troubled. Would you come to the service tonight? There you can find rest from your trouble in One who is ready to be your Friend.”

At my mention of the word “preacher,” her face fell, and she said indignantly, “No, I don’t want to go to your meeting. Leave me alone.”

Earlier in the afternoon, my hostess had presented me with a perfect white rose. Though I would not have chosen to wear a flower, I had felt that I should take it and wear it. Now, acting on an impulse I did not understand, I took the rose from my lapel and held it out to her. It was a strange gesture, but I dared not disobey what I felt to be the leading of the Spirit.

“Will you accept this white rose?” I asked gently. “Perhaps it will remind you that there are friends who want to help you if you will come.”

“No — oh, no,” she gasped. She drew back as though I had struck her. Mixed emotions struggled in her face. Then, she reached out and grasped the rose, and I saw there were tears on her face. I had to go, but invited her once more to come.

About Face

As I finished speaking that evening, I saw, back in the corner, the young woman to whom I had spoken beside the river. She suddenly rose to her feet, walked forward and began to speak, apparently unaware of the curious gaze of the congregation.

“I’ve been listening to the invitations to ‘come to Jesus’ and I want to come. Do you think He could save such a sinner as I am?” she asked brokenly.

“I was going to end it all tonight in the river because I couldn’t go on any longer in the life I’ve lived for five years. I was just ready to jump when that gentleman there spoke to me and asked me to come here. I rudely refused him. And then he gave me this white rose. I didn’t want it at first, but then I had to take it. It was like the rose my mother gave me when I left home five years ago. It was her favorite flower.

“As I took this rose tonight, I heard again her voice as she told me good-bye. ‘Ellen, my dear, you are leaving your mother much against her wish, to go into a sinful world and, I fear, into a sinful life. When you are far away and you see a white rose, remember that your mother’s parting gift to you will be followed by prayer for the return of her child. Neither day nor night will I cease to pray that God may bring you home again, saved.’

“This pure, white rose brought me to my senses tonight. I knew I had to find the way, if it is open to me. The preacher said there was One who would help me. Do you think He would accept a sinner like me?”

It was not difficult to answer her question. “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow.” “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (Isaiah 1:18; John 3:16).

She listened attentively as we gave these and other verses, then bursting into tears she dropped to her knees, repented to God and trusted the Lord Jesus as her Savior. She stood up as a new creature in Christ. Her first desire was to get home to her mother. The years have passed, but this young woman, snatched from the very jaws of a suicidal death, is still rejoicing in Christ and is always eager to tell others of the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Sometimes mere neglect can lead to death or even worse. The Dangers of a Sedentary Lifestyle clearly presents the need to move in more than just physical ways.

The Dangers of a Sedentary Lifestyle

People, in general, aren’t moving as much as they have in previous generations. Perhaps it’s due to the profusion of electronic entertainment — YouTube, cable TV, video games, and social media, to name a few. We all know what the non-glamorous idiom of “couch potato” means. But this lack of moving is causing serious problems. The number of cases of obesity, diabetes and heart disease is on the rise.

No Movement Toward God

People aren’t only becoming more sedentary in their physical lifestyles, but also in their spiritual lives. In our present generation, it seems like fewer and fewer people have any “movement” in their hearts towards the true God. More and more people are becoming completely sedentary when it comes to God their Maker. They express no heartfelt desire in prayer to come to know Him. They have no gratitude moving their hearts to thanksgiving. They have no sense of awe for the Almighty moving their hearts to worship. In short, they live like God doesn’t exist.

They may be busy making their lives comfortable and expending all sorts of energy to advance in this world, but they expend no energy and take no meaningful thought for God.

What will be the sad result of leading such a sedentary spiritual life?

Fat Hearts

One dire result is that hearts will become “fat.” Fat is accumulated when a person doesn’t exercise and eats an unhealthy diet. Our hearts were made to feed on God’s goodness and grace and not the things of this life. When they only love the things of this world, it is as though they become enclosed with a layer of unhealthy fat. We are never in a state of spiritual health until by God’s grace we share in His life through faith in Christ Jesus. King David painted a not-too-rosy picture of those whose love of God took a second place to their love of material wealth. He wrote, “They are inclosed in their own fat” (Psalm 17:10). The prophet Isaiah said about the same thing when he wrote about those who refused to acknowledge God’s truth. He wrote, “Make the heart of this people fat,” and he went on to say, “and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed” (Isaiah 6:10). It is a dangerous thing to have a heart that has no use for eternal blessings. It results in a dullness where people lose the ability to perceive the value of the gifts God has to give. Praise God, He is in the converting business, and hearts that have been made fat by an inordinate love of this world’s goods may yet be converted if they use their eyes to see His truth.

Dark Minds

Another sad result of those living a sedentary lifestyle towards God is that their minds will be darkened. Romans 1:21 reads, “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” God has given to each one of us a mind so that we can think true thoughts about Him and come to understand His goodness. But when people never use their mind and heart to seek Him, a darkness settles over these faculties. In this darkness it gets harder and harder to see God’s truth. Isaiah wrote, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20). This calling evil good and vice versa is going on in epidemic proportions in today’s world. In this darkened state God will allow people who insist on doing their own will to pursue their own shameful lusts. It gets to the point where they don’t even see the evil of what they are doing. Don’t let this happen to you. Exercise your heart and mind towards God. Repent and turn away from your sins. Pray that you might come to an understanding of God’s love shown through Christ.

Lastly, when people pass out of this world with no genuine movement of love or faith toward God in their hearts, they will be completely sedentary in the death to come. People who never come to repentance and faith in Christ, when they pass out of this world, will be sent to hell. Hell is a place to be avoided at all costs.

This is because hell is the opposite of heaven in every way. Heaven will be full of light. Hell will be full of darkness. Heaven will be full of pleasure of the highest sort. Hell will be full of pain of the worst kind. That is why sometimes it is referred to as the prison house of hell.

The danger of living a lifestyle where the heart has no motion in the form of faith and love toward God is that souls will be cast into hell where they will never move toward God.

Answers to Deep Questions

So that this doesn’t happen to you, get off the couch of spiritual sloth. Use the heart and mind God has given you to seek Him. Ask serious questions such as, What is the purpose of life down here? Where will I spend eternity when I die? What kind of life do I need to live to please God? How do I get my sins forgiven? Keep asking until you find the answers. The Lord Jesus encouraged people to ask such questions when He taught, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Matthew 7:7).

The answers to life’s deepest questions are all to be found in Christ. Oh, that you would come to Him for salvation, and then keep coming to Him in faith and love every day for the rest of your life until He brings you home to heaven!

Come Unto Me, and Rest

Brother, are you worn and weary,
Tempted, tried and sore oppressed?
Listen to the word of Jesus,
Come unto Me, and rest!

Oh, He knows the dark forebodings
Of the conscience-troubled breast;
And to such His word is given,
Come unto Me, and rest!

To the Lord bring all your burden;
Put the promise to the test;
Hear Him say, your burden-Bearer,

Freak Accidents

Sometimes things happen in life that you just can’t plan for. As much as we like to have control over what we are doing, strange things can happen beyond our imagination or anybody else’s foresight.

An Idaho father, Justin Firth, 43, was installing a fence when a hay bale spear fell off a truck that was parked nearby. (A hay bale spear, or tine or spike, is used to pierce and move heavy bales of hay, which can weigh as much as 800 to 1,500 pounds.) Suddenly, Justin was knocked to the ground as the spear pierced through his back and exited through his stomach. Coworkers immediately called 911 and used a heat torch to completely detach the spear from the machine.

Though Mr. Firth felt no pain and there was no outward bleeding, being pierced by a 40-pound spear was a horrific, life-threatening injury. He was immediately flown to a medical center where doctors performed a four-hour surgery to repair the internal injuries. His life was literally spared by centimeters! The spear had missed his spinal cord, aorta and the tube connecting his kidney to his bladder by less than an inch — that’s how close he had come to being paralyzed or to being killed instantly.

Mr. Firth had nothing but thanks and praise for the many people who had helped him that day. He plans to keep the spear as a reminder of his narrow escape from death.

Narrow escapes from death come in many forms. It could be an illness that you survived for which medical science has no explanation. What about the bullet that somehow missed you? Many people have survived fires, tornadoes and drownings that can only be explained by the hand of God. This is God’s voice speaking to you, for the Bible declares, “God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not” (Job 33:14). Each one of us has been given a chance, actually many chances, if we’re honest, to seek God and to find peace with Him. This is why God says, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Death is the final end to the “accepted time” and the “day of salvation.”

Tragic Bathroom Break

Margaret Maurer, 21, was enjoying her spring break with a few friends. They were planning on hiking in Georgia. It was early March, and she was really looking forward to graduating from college in May. It never entered their minds that one of their lives would end in tragedy and death while doing something so common and ordinary as stopping to use a bathroom at a rest stop!

After using the bathroom, the ladies were walking back to their car when Margaret was instantly killed by two tires that had flown through the air after falling off an 18-wheeler that was passing by. They were bolted together and their combined weight of 500 pounds was a deadly force. It all happened so quickly that there was nothing her traumatized friends could do to help or save her.

Friends and family were stunned by such a freak accident. Her grieving mother had this to say about the tragedy: “I really want to be angry at somebody, but I can’t be. It just happened. It’s absolutely a random, freaky thing. It’s not right. There’s so much that’s wrong about this, but it’s just random.”

The Bible tells us that there is “a time to be born, and a time to die” (Ecclesiastes 3:2). Just as narrow escapes come in many forms, so does death. It may be sudden or slow, freaky or common, but it will come. This is why we are commanded to “remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). No one will be able to stand before God and say, “But it’s not fair! I was so young!” or, “It was so sudden. I didn’t have time to think about You!” What about the hours, days, months and years before you were taken in death? God is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Such is the love of God for your soul that He gives every one of us the chance to come to Him.

Being Ready

In the stories above, one person was given a second chance at life, while another wasn’t. It is certain that we all must die — but we do not know when we must die. This is why God says, “Prepare to meet thy God” (Amos 4:12). We must all stand before Him one day after we die. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

None of us can predict when the line will be crossed between life and death. “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1). After death, your eternal fate is sealed, based on the choice you make towards God while here on earth. God says that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Because we are all sinners, God says, “The wages of sin is death; BUT the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Why is this great gift “through Jesus Christ our Lord”? It is because “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

God wants you to repent of your sins and to ask Him to forgive you. You must believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and that God raised Him from the dead. You must own Him (Jesus) as your Lord and Savior and ask Him to help you to live for Him. This is how we prepare to meet God. This is how we have salvation and eternal life!

If you open your heart’s door to Jesus, you are ready to live for Him today, and you are also prepared to die, even if it is in a freak accident.

Read on and find out how Sneaker Waves shows yet another surprising and sudden danger

Sneaker Waves

Andrew Machi and his family were vacationing in Northern California, celebrating his thirty-ninth birthday when he lost his life to a “sneaker wave.” The family had gone to Luffenholtz Beach where Andrew was fishing when a wave came in, sweeping him off the rocks and pulling him out to sea. His wife jumped in to try to help him, but the surf kept pushing her back into the rocks. Even though help arrived by helicopter within ten minutes of being called, it was too late for Mr. Machi. A coroner told the family that he believed Andrew hit his head on the rocks and was knocked out.

The very next day, about 400 miles up the coast on Manzanita Beach, a woman was seriously injured when the log she was sitting on was hit and lifted by a “sneaker wave.” Rescue personnel described her as being “crushed.”

Sneaker waves are deadly, dangerous waves that catch the unwary person off-guard. The surf could be calm with the waves coming up only so far for a good 10 to 20 minutes, and then suddenly, without warning, a wave much larger and stronger than the rest will come crashing in, coming up the beach far higher than the rest. This is where people get caught. The sneaker wave comes in with a pile of sand, gravel and water that fills a person’s clothes and then drags them back out to sea. Then there is the added danger of freezing water temperatures and strong currents, which can kill a person in moments.

This happens to quite a few people, far more than you might think! The National Weather Service states that, “For much of the West Coast, sneaker waves kill more people than all other weather hazards combined.” They go on to say, “Survivors all say the same thing: They thought they were far enough from the surf to be safe. They never saw the wave coming.” They go on to warn, “Never turn your back on the ocean.”

Countless millions of people are just like those who sit on the beach, not paying attention, an easy prey to the “sneaker wave” of death. They go through life busy with work, pleasure and the pursuit of happiness, never giving a thought that one day the God whom they must face will say, “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee” (Luke 12:20). Why does God use such strong language? Because only a fool would not use the time they had before death to seek and to know God.

Anyone who really wants to can find peace with God. It requires coming to Him His way, and not the way we think is best. God has given us creation so that we can know there IS a God. He has given us the Bible so that we can know HOW to come to Him for forgiveness of our sins and our eternal salvation. He promises that if we truly, earnestly seek Him, we will find Him. “Ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

Time is short. Our lives pass in the blink of an eye, so to speak. Death will claim each one of us; we just don’t know when. If you should die today, are you prepared to meet God? “That if thou [you] shalt confess with thy [your] mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine [your] heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou [you] shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9). Know for certain that your sins are forgiven and that you have made peace with God today!

Some harrowing happenings have happy endings. God Spared Their Lives gives one of them.

God Spared Their Lives

The spring of 2019 was a particularly bad year for tornadoes. In March, the residents of Paducah, Kentucky, were going about their daily business when they were hit with an EF-2 tornado. A day care with 40 preschoolers and 10 staff members was in full swing at the Mt. Zion Baptist Church. With the sirens going off as the pressure mounted and the roof being sucked off the building, the staff hurried the children into the innermost room of the building. It is not hard to imagine just how frightening this must have been for the children!

It was later reported that the children and staff trusted in God’s protection by singing songs such as “Jesus Loves Me” and “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” Did God hear? Yes, He did! Not one child or staff member was injured, even though most of the roof was torn off and every room in the building showed damage except for the one they were sheltering in. Staff and church members were quick to give glory and thanks to God for His protection.

“The almighty hand of God has provided safety to our community,” Sheriff Matt Carter told the West Kentucky Star. “The destruction path is approximately five miles long.” Only three homes were ruined and another half dozen suffered moderate to severe damage.

“This could have been an extremely high fatality rate, and we’re very fortunate and blessed to only report ... one minor injury,” Carter added.

God is all-powerful to save; it doesn’t matter whether it’s storm, fire or even death, as our next story will show. “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear” (Isaiah 59:1). It is His delight to answer a sincere call for help in time of trouble. It is easy to recognize our need in times of disaster, but what about our need to be delivered from certain separation from God and spiritual death for all eternity if we don’t call out to Him in true repentance for our sins and rebellion towards Him?

God says of each one of us that our need is desperate and only He can save us. God says “all have sinned” (Romans 3:23), that there is “none righteous [good], no, not one” (Romans 3:10), and that “all our righteousnesses [good works] are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). When we cry out to God in true repentance, “God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13), then God is faithful to forgive us. “The Lord is nigh [near] unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit” (Psalm 34:18). God has determined our eternal destiny by the choice we make towards Him and His plan of salvation. He has in plain words told us what it will be. “God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:17-18). Oh, be careful with the choice that you make — it is THE most important decision that you will ever make in your life!

Saved From Death gives one more demonstration of God’s mercy.

Saved From Death

Charles Rainey had just run the less-than-a-mile distance to his local gym to work out. At the same time, Megan Crawley decided to go to the same gym for her morning’s exercise. And it just so happened that Ryan Ruff, Megan’s fellow nursing student, was working at the front desk. Little did the three know it, but their lives were just about to cross in an unforgettable moment of time.

Charles, 67, had just walked in the door when he collapsed onto the floor and stopped breathing. He had suffered a cardiac arrest! At the same time, Megan walked in the door to hear frantic yells for help. She immediately ran over to help and found that not only had Mr. Rainey stopped breathing, but he was already turning blue and had no pulse. She quickly began CPR while her nursing classmate charged up an automated external defibrillator.

After dozens of chest compressions and one defibrillator shock, Mr. Rainey “came back to life!” By the time medics got there, he was alert and talking. He was taken to the local hospital where they ended up installing three stents. What an experience for two first-year nursing students!

The Bible tells us that we were all “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). This is our standing before a holy God. A dead person is powerless to save themselves; they need help just like Mr. Rainey did! Because God loves us, He took pity on us and sent His beloved Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. When we repent of our sins, and accept God’s gift of salvation through the shed blood of Jesus on the cross, we have forgiveness and eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Think of it! If there was any way that we could possibly save ourselves, why did Jesus have to die on the cross?

When there is true repentance before God and faith towards the Lord Jesus Christ, the Bible says, “You hath He quickened [made alive]” (Ephesians 2:1). Now God sees us as no longer dead in our sins towards Him but alive with a new nature that wants to love, live and serve Him in everything we do and say. Are you dead or alive before God today?

Echoes of Grace: 2019

Table of Contents

The Future Foretold!

The King of Kings

In Heaven Exalted Now

Saved!

A Daring Rescue

They Learned by Experience

The Theory of Relativity

So They Tell Us

Fix Your Eyes Upon Jesus

The Deception

Identity Theft

The Medal of Honor

Pearl Harbor

The Purple Heart

Wounded for Me

Gang Violence in Chicago

Can My Sins Be Pardoned?

California's Fires

Come Unto Me!

Roman Roads

The Crookedest Street in the World

The Blind Motorboat

148 Passenger's Escape Disaster

A Costly Mistake

Today the Savior Calls

Ship on the Rocks

The Titanic

Social Media Suicide

The White Rose

The Dangers of a Sedentary Lifestyle

Come Unto Me, and Rest

Freak Accidents

Sneaker Waves

God Spared Their Lives

Saved From Death