Echoes of Grace: 2020

Do you know the fowl that flies faster than any other in horizontal flight? It may surprise you that it is not a species of eagle or a hawk. Raptors do hold the avian speed title for diagonal, downward dives, but the bird that deserves the crown for fastest flying horizontal flight is the small, relatively insignificant, fly-catching swift. These birds have many remarkable traits which we would benefit from considering.

Chimney Swifts

Swifts are always on the move making a long migration every year from North America to Central America before the cold of winter arrives. They spend their summers chasing bugs through the skies and raising young ones. Just before migrating, they gather in huge flocks numbering in the thousands before they begin their journey south. Different flocks tend to find the same resting places year after year. One such place is the high and large brick chimney of the Chapman Elementary School in Portland, Oregon. The furnace is turned off for the summer. In early September, swifts by the thousands gather in flight above the chimney. Then at dusk, just before all the light disappears, as if by some uncanny, invisible signal, thousands of swifts will start flying in a tight vortex above the chimney. So many swifts flying at one time, all in the same circular direction, makes it look like a mini-tornado hovering above the chimney. All of a sudden, the circling swifts begin diving into the chimney. Every few seconds several of the birds disappear down the flue of the chimney until the whole flock has found a roosting place for the night. The phenomenon is so predictable that local folks have made it an annual event to bring lawn chairs and blankets to the school grounds to make themselves comfortable in order to watch it when it happens.

Those swifts have a strong instinct to gather in great numbers and find a home for the night. God, their Creator, implanted this instinct in them. What can we learn from this? It can remind us that God has implanted an even stronger instinct in the hearts of men and women to come to know and love Him. This is exactly the reason why their hearts can never rest content until they find their rest in the God who made them. A great Christian writer once wrote, “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”

Home for the Heart

God is pure and infinite in goodness. There is none other like Him so excellent in all His ways. The greatest need of humankind is to come to know him. Deep in our hearts, each one of us knows we were made to love Him. However, since sin has entered the world, people have mistakenly sought to find the good that can only be found in God by seeking for it in lesser things — things that were never meant to satisfy our souls in a lasting way. For instance, the greedy man thinks the ultimate good is found in more wealth, the drug addict in his next fix, and the proud person in looking down on others. These are only a few examples; the list goes on and on. But no matter what those lesser things are that people may be seeking in place of God, He wants all men to repent and change their ways. We are such stubborn sinners that we find this difficult to do on our own. We need God’s grace and help.

So that grace might come to sinners, Jesus Christ, God’s Son, came to this earth. He loved us so much that He went all the way to Calvary’s cross where He gave His life. He lived a sinless life. Then His suffering on the cross opened the way to display His grace to every sinner who has ever lived in this world. “The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). By His grace He reaches out to sinners who have no just claim on His love, and He seeks to make them His own. Through grace sinners may come and receive the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life. Oh won’t you believe in Christ Jesus, the only Savior of sinners, that you might find a home in God’s love? Don’t go on foolishly and mindlessly loving lesser things as if they are the greatest good a person can obtain in this life. Those who do so will miss out on God’s love and grace. Remaining strangers to His grace in this life carries an enormous risk with it. When those who reject God’s grace die, they will be sent out of His presence for all eternity to a place called hell. Hell is the final resting place for the wicked. But it is a misnomer to call it a resting place. There won’t be any peace or rest in hell — nothing but torment and remorse. “The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked” (Isaiah 57:20-21).

The swifts, wise by instinct, gather by the thousands and find a home for the night. Won’t you give heed to that instinct inside you telling you there is something more to life and that you need God? And then by faith, come to God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ. He loves you and wants you to come to know Him. If you do, on some future day, you will be among the millions from every age that gather together to rejoice in His presence in heaven.

Find out more on this vital subject in Home.

Home

What a grand word it is!

Perhaps no single word in any language can generate more emotional associations than the word “home.”

An intense desire to have a home has been hardwired into the way we have been made. Perhaps you have never thought about it, but God wants us to look forward to a home in heaven. The most loving home down here is only a faint picture of what God’s perfect home in heaven will be like. “In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you,” the Lord Jesus told His disciples (John 14:2). The home given to believers in heaven will be a million times better than the best homes down here. Homes down here, even the best of them, can fail and disappoint. But those who make it to the heavenly home will never be disappointed. The heavenly home will be filled with bliss and incredible joy, because souls will be in the immediate presence of God. “God is love,” the Bible says, and His love will never fail nor disappoint.

God doesn’t want any soul to miss out on sharing His love in heaven. He wants all to come to His heavenly home so much that He sent His Son to be the Savior. “The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14).

The Lord Jesus left heaven to come down to earth. He made His home in a small town in the hill country of Judea. Then at the age of thirty He went about the countryside of Israel preaching the kingdom of God and performing miracles on those who were sick and diseased. The world had never seen such marvelous deeds before, nor had they ever heard such powerful words.

For the three and a half years of His public ministry He didn’t have a home of His own to sleep in at night. Once He told a young man who desired to follow Him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has not where to lay His head” (Matthew 8:20).

What a Savior! He was perfectly willing to endure every sort of hardship so that we might know how much God loved us.

At the end of this time He was betrayed by one of His followers, given a false trial, and condemned to death. God had come into this world in the person of Jesus Christ. He was perfect goodness moving about in the midst of evil. This world didn’t give Him a home that He might live among them.

No, just the opposite: It cast Him out and crucified Him. Out of this act of supreme evil, God brought out the greatest good the world has ever known, because it is by the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross that God has chosen to put away the sins of all those who believe.

This world gave the Lord Jesus a cross and a grave. They sought to trample His name in the dust that it might disappear forever. However, God had far different thoughts about Him. God raised Him from the dead and made His name higher than every other. Philippians 2:9-11 reads, “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; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

It is through faith in this name that sinners can be forgiven and receive the gift of eternal life. Acts 4:12 reads, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Only through faith in Christ can sinners be brought safe home to heaven.

Every living soul is on a journey to eternity. Those who repent and turn to Christ in faith are traveling towards heaven. What a home awaits them!

They will dwell in the light of His presence, while those who reject Him will end up spending eternity in the darkness of hell. They will be like “wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever” (Jude 13). They might have lived in mansions in this life with every earthly comfort, but if they die without Christ, they will be forever in the pitch darkness of hell, never knowing any of the comforts of home.

No living person has it in their power to make this earth their home for very long. One short lifetime is what God has given us. Won’t you come to the Savior of sinners and put your faith in Him that you might have a home in heaven when this short life is over?

Life is short. One More Chance shows God’s faithfulness all the way to the end — but there is an end.

One More Chance

The old man looked up quickly as the visitor entered his hospital room. Fully dressed, suitcase packed, he was waiting impatiently for his family to come to take him home.

The visitor offered him a little booklet to “show him the way to heaven,” but he shook his head. “No, no! I don’t want it. I want to be with my friends!”

Think of it! Eighty-five years old, standing on the doorstep of eternity, and choosing — deliberately choosing — to go “with his friends” to hell.

The visitor appealed to the old man not to throw his everlasting soul away, but still the only answer was, “I want to be with my friends.”

Sick at heart, the visitor went on to the other patients. As he left the hospital, a nurse came running after him. “Weren’t you talking to the old man who was going home today?”

“Yes, I was.”

“He’s dead! He just lay down on his bed and was gone before anybody could get to him! You were the last person to speak to him.”

What an example of the patience and grace of God! After eighty-five years of refusing God’s offer, still at the last moment before the door of the day of grace could close behind him forever, God sent one last message of mercy, one more chance to be saved. And he rejected it!

“The Lord is ... not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

But there came the last time, and the door was shut forever. Now there is nothing left for the stubborn old man but the “blackness of darkness forever,” in the place of “weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth.” What comfort then will his friends be?

“Turn ye, turn ye ... for why will ye die?” (Ezekiel 33:11).

Only Waiting

I am waiting for the morning
Of the blessed day to dawn,
When the sorrow and the sadness
Of this changeful life are gone.

I am waiting; worn and weary
With the battle and the strife,
Waiting when the warfare’s over,
To reach home, the land of life.

Waiting, watching, trusting ever,
For a home of boundless love;
Like a pilgrim, looking forward
To the land of bliss above.

Hoping soon to meet the loved ones
Where the “many mansions” be;
Listening for the happy welcome
Of my Savior calling me.

A Mystery Solved

Italian State Police were mystified. In 2005, they had found human remains and a few articles of clothing, along with other items. Who could this person be? The remains had been discovered in the Italian Alps, on the Matterhorn, more than 10,000 feet above sea level. The Matterhorn, one of the highest summits in Europe, is a breath-taking mountain symmetrically shaped like a pyramid that rises 14,692 feet into the air.

It wasn’t until 2017 that they were able to use new advances in DNA research to determine that the remains belonged to a man between the ages of 30 and 35. Experts also determined by the skis, belt, watch and eyeglasses that he must have died in the 1950s and was possibly French. Because the bits of clothing were not particularly heavy, they also assumed that he had died later in the winter or early spring.

A Clear Identity

The incredible complexity of DNA is still being discovered. It points to a Creator God who not only gave every one of us an identity, but who is also intensely interested in each one of us. In fact, the Bible tells us that He has numbered the hairs on our head — and He has our very breath in His hands! “Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Luke 12:7), and, “In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:10). But God is more than just intensely interested in each of us — He has an unbounded, sacrificial love for all those who will come to Him in faith. “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). The same God that gave us our unique DNA sent His Son Jesus to die and shed His blood on Calvary’s cross for our sins. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). When we admit that we are sinners and ask God to forgive our sins for Jesus’ sake, He will forgive us and give us eternal life. So great is God’s love toward each one of us!

Solving the Mystery

The findings of the Italian State Police were promptly posted on Facebook and other media outlets. They also passed on this information to their French counterparts. The story soon went viral and the media picked it up. Within a few hours a woman posted on an Italian State Police website that she knew the identity of the man.

Emma Nassem had heard of the story on a French program and said that her uncle, Henri le Masne had disappeared on the Matterhorn in the 1950s. Could this be the identity of the skier that had lost his life? Police decided to find out. They contacted Emma’s father, 95-year-old Roger le Masne, for a saliva sample. The results of the saliva sample proved that the dead skier was, in fact, Henri le Masne. They determined that he had died on March 26, 1954, on the day of his thirty-fifth birthday!

With a name and an identity, the Italian State Police were able to piece together his life. Henri le Masne had worked at the Ministry of Finance in Paris and was an avid skier. Though he had survived an accident on the Alps two years before his death, he still loved the mountains for their solitude and would often go hiking or skiing. He often told his brother that he was not afraid of the dangers that one could face on the mountain.

“We have been able to reconstruct the existence of a man who had been buried in our mountains for over 60 years,” said Italian State Police in their statement.

Eternity Is Forever

It took 64 years to identify Henri le Masne. That’s almost twice as long as he had lived! Dear friend, life is short; eternity is forever! Accept God’s loving gift of salvation today — He will make you His child forever. Then ask Him to help you to live for Him and serve Him for however much time He gives you. “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).

DNA can work as much for the presumed guilty as it might against the presumed innocent. Guilty or Innocent by DNA leads to the important topic of absolute certainty in the highest court of all.

Guilty or Innocent by DNA

DNA is found in everything on earth — plants, trees, animals and humans. It is your genetic code and is unique to each individual. No two people have the same DNA, except identical twins. It can be collected from your blood, hair, skin cells and other bodily substances. It is used as evidence in courts, to identify bodies, track down blood relatives and to look for cures for diseases. It can be obtained from a soda can, a partially eaten piece of pizza or even the tiny flakes of skin that fall off your body. It can even be used to convict or exonerate a person where the crime was committed before the age of scientific DNA development.

Such was the case of Joseph James DeAngelo, Jr., 72, who was living a quiet life in the suburbs of Sacramento, California. Over a ten-year span, from 1976 to 1986, he had terrorized California. He is believed to be responsible for 12 murders and also for brutally attacking at least 50 women. Many people were killed while he burglarized their homes. Because of these acts of wickedness, he earned the nickname of the Golden State Killer.

Caught at Last

How did he get away with it for so many years? Though the police collected all of the evidence from the crime scenes, it took many more years for forensic science to perfect DNA matches. Recently they used genetic profiles from genealogy websites and compared that with DNA from crime scenes, narrowing the field of suspects. Then, on April 18, they collected a sample from swabbing the handle of the driver’s side of his car while he shopped in a local Hobby Lobby. The day before he was arrested they searched the garbage can outside of his home and found enough DNA on a piece of tissue to match evidence from the crime scenes. He was arrested on April 24, 2018. He had been caught 32 years after his reign of terror, fear and slaughter!

Even though he was a former police officer, Vietnam veteran and mechanic, his wicked deeds caught up with him. He had worked as a police officer until 1979 when he was fired for shoplifting dog repellent and a hammer from a drugstore. He then spent the next 27 years of his life working as a mechanic, retiring just last year. Who would think that a quiet, reclusive mechanic would have such a violent past? Yet his DNA had found him out! When compared with the mountain of evidence at the crime scenes, law enforcement felt certain that they had gotten the right man.

Exonerated

Not only can DNA convict a man, but it can also free a man. Craig Coley had served 39 years in jail for a brutal crime that he didn’t commit. He was accused of beating and strangling his former girlfriend and smothering her 4-year-old son to death when he was in his bed. On Thursday, November 11, 2017, at 70 years of age, he woke up a free man. Governor Jerry Brown had given him a full pardon for this crime that had shocked Simi Valley, California, in 1978. During the investigation that eventually freed Mr. Coley, a former police detective, a police captain and a police investigator felt that Mr. Coley had been wrongfully convicted. They were of the opinion that the original detective either mishandled information or framed Mr. Coley. DNA testing had proven a “finding of factual innocence.” Supposedly lost DNA samples were found, and when tested on a key piece of evidence, they matched the DNA of another individual. Now, the case has been reopened, with investigators hoping to find the real criminal.

Having 40 years ripped out of his life was not easy for Mr. Coley. He had had life in prison without parole to look forward to. Not only that, he sorely missed not being at the funerals of his parents. Being very bitter and angry at first, he eventually turned to faith and trust in God, staying away from gangs and violence. He led an exemplary life, to the point that Governor Brown said, “The grace with which Mr. Coley has endured this lengthy and unjust incarceration is extraordinary.”

Mr. Coley summed up his newfound freedom in one word, “Sweet.” Then he compared what it was like to be free to what it was like in prison. “In prison, you realize what you took for granted. By that, I mean, you can’t get up and go get a cup of cold water. You can’t go to the refrigerator and get a glass of milk, if you choose to do so, or just step out on the porch and take a couple of breaths of air.”

These two men were proven guilty or innocent by their DNA. The Bible tells us that when we stand before God, we will be proven SAVED or LOST by whether our names are written in the “book of life.” If our names are found written in the “book of life,” we will be saved to spend eternity with God in His holy presence forever. There will be no more pain, sorrow or suffering there — only worship, praise and glory to the One who saved us from our sins by His grace alone.

Absolute Certainty

But if your name is not found written in the “book of life,” you are LOST and your sentence is certain and terrible indeed. The Bible describes this fearful and solemn scene — what a picture it presents to us! “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 whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:12,15). Notice that those whose names were not written in the “book of life” will be judged by “those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” The same God who gave each of us our unique genetic code has recorded every sin, wicked deed, thought or imagination of every heart, and He will judge us for every one of them if we do not come to Him for salvation. It is unavoidable. No matter where you die or how you have been buried (or cremated), God will know exactly how to raise your body so that you may be judged. “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” (Revelation 20:13).

Don’t deceive yourself by thinking that you can outsmart God. The writer knows of a person who was cremated and directed that their ashes be sprinkled in four different places, declaring that God wasn’t going to raise his body! But thousands of years ago, God declared: “Thine [God’s] eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect; and in Thy book all my members are written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them” (Psalm 139:16). “All my members are written” “when as yet there was none of them.” God is telling us that He knew our substance and bodily design even before we were conceived!

God’s power is displayed in creation. His wisdom is shown out in how He designed man. His love is made known in that He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, to die on Calvary’s cross for our sins in order that we might be saved. “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). He is just to judge those who do not receive Him as their Lord and Savior and do not love His holy name. Now is the time to put your faith and trust in Him while you still have the chance! You will be eternally grateful that you did!

A Stunt Gone Terribly Wrong

They were both young and had bright hopes for the future. These hopes included plans for stardom on YouTube, with the kind of fame that goes viral. Along with stardom and fame would hopefully come cash, hopefully lots of it! But it would all end in irreversible tragedy for him and a prison sentence for her.

Pedro Ruiz III was 22, and his girlfriend Monalisa Perez was 19 years old at the time. They had started a new YouTube channel and had prepared their first stunt. It was going to be a daring one, but it would supposedly be a safe one. After all, Pedro had tried it before, but with a different book.

Holding up a thick encyclopedia to his chest with a black bull’s-eye drawn on the front, he told his girlfriend, “OK, let’s do this!” But she hesitated, instinctively knowing that if things went wrong, it would change her life forever. Her plea was caught on video. “I can’t do it, Babe ... I’m so scared ... Babe, if I kill you, what’s gonna happen to my life? Like, no, this isn’t okay.”

Just as Monalisa instinctively knew that this stunt could end badly, mankind instinctively knows that there is a God and that they are going to meet Him one day. This is the God-conscious part of us. “The spirit of man is the candle [lamp] of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly” (Proverbs 20:27). This is why we are told to “prepare to meet thy God” (Amos 4:12).

But Pedro was quick to reassure her. Looking straight into the camera, he told everyone that there was no one he trusted more than his girlfriend. All she had to do was hit the book and he would be just fine, even though she was just a few feet away from him. His force of persuasion and the lure of fame and hopefully riches were too much, and they overcame her doubts. With nearly 30 people watching, including their 3-year-old daughter, she pulled the trigger of the .50 caliber handgun. Even though she had never fired a handgun before, she made a good shot, nearly hitting the center of the bull’s-eye. But the bullet travelled through the encyclopedia, killing Pedro on June 26, 2017.

Consequences

Obviously, this was not the intended outcome! Monalisa had no intentions of killing her boyfriend. But taking a life is serious in God’s sight, even if it is unintentional. It’s also serious in the eyes of the law. She pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter and was sentenced to 180 days in jail. The sentence is to be carried out in 30-day increments each year for six years. It will be a painful reminder of that tragic day for some time to come.

How many people don’t intend to end up in hell but do. They know that there is a God. Conscience tells them that they are not fit for His presence. But they will listen to any feel-good message instead of God’s Word. They will allow friends to persuade them that “oh, don’t worry about it; you’re as good as anybody else!” (or, at least, “no worse than anybody else!”). And so they rush through the business of life, giving God and eternity no more than a casual, passing thought. The Bible says of these kinds of people that “the simple pass on, and are punished” (Proverbs 22:3).

This is what Pedro did! He explained his casual, ho-hum beliefs of God and eternity to his viewers. “I may fail, but if I fail, I want to die trying. We’re all going to die anyways — it’s just a matter of how and when.” Though this statement is true, it does not tell the whole story. Yes, we’re all going to die sooner or later, BUT ... what then? The Bible says, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

Who Are We Trusting?

Just moments before his untimely death, Pedro further stated his views on the afterlife. “So if I’m going to die, I’m pretty much ready to go to heaven right now. If I die, I’ll be ready for Jesus. He probably won’t accept me into the pearly gates because of how stupid this is, but I have confidence that my girlfriend will hit the book and not me.”

Misplaced confidence and wrong ideas on how to get to heaven will end in your eternal destruction! A stupid action or our good deeds have nothing to do with whether we get into heaven or not. The Bible clearly tells us, “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). What are we to believe? “That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15), and, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

What we do need to do is realize that we are sinners before a holy God. It’s called repentance and involves our hearts. God is right and we are wrong. True repentance involves pain because we realize how deeply we have sinned against God and what it cost His Son, the Lord Jesus, to die on the cross to redeem us to Himself. God’s message of love is this: “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). Believing the facts of salvation in your head is not enough; there must be repentance, a deep work in your heart — “God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13).

If you prepare to meet Him now, you will not be one of those who simply “pass on and are punished.” The lady in our next story wanted to live, but her life was suddenly ended in an unusual way. Be wise and prepare for eternity now!

Bye, Miami!

Four young ladies who were good friends had decided to spend their spring break in South Beach, Florida. After three days of sun and fun where they were also celebrating one of the lady’s birthdays, the ladies were heading back to Chicago in their rental car.

They were just minutes away from the Miami International Airport when the unimaginable happened. Being young, vibrant, full of fun and life, Mariah Michelle Logan, 23, who was “hanging out” of the right rear window fell out of the car, landing on the busy Interstate highway. The driver of a Range Rover was unable to stop and ran over her, killing her instantly. Though he stopped briefly, he then took off, fleeing the scene of the accident.

How could such a thing happen? The driver of the car had switched lanes suddenly, apparently causing her to lose her balance. Her grieving friends said that she was smiling when she said her last words, “Bye, Miami!”

Mariah was just like so many other young people: having spontaneous fun without thinking of the danger of what she was doing. Her plans were to get on the plane to Chicago and go back to school, her job and her boyfriend. Her boyfriend summed it up this way: “She was just being silly. She loved life.”

Her family, friends and boyfriend all had high praise for her character and personality. Her sister commented, “They went to have fun; they did have fun. I saw so many pictures and things. It just didn’t end the way it was supposed to.”

Now, Not Later

This is exactly why the Bible says, “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). If we’re honest, those of us that are older can remember times when we took chances doing something crazy, stupid or dangerous. Our lives could have ended in a moment, just like Mariah’s did, propelling us into eternity. Do you know for certain where you would be? John 20:31 Says, “These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name.”

When we break the laws of common sense, there are consequences. This is why the Bible says, “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” (Matthew 4:7). Read about it in “Popping a Wheelie in Traffic” and “Selfie Absorbed.”

Popping A Wheelie in Traffic

He was 36 years old and certainly should have known better. Tristan Valez was riding his motorcycle on a public road at night when he decided to pop a wheelie. When he did, his headlight was pointing into the air, so that the driver of the car coming in the opposite direction could not see him. The driver pulled out of the left-hand turn lane directly in front of him.

Tristan was thrown off his bike and into the car. His injuries were severe and he later died at the hospital. The driver of the car sustained only minor injuries, and no criminal charges were filed against him.

Motorcycles can be hard to see in the best of circumstances. This is why the law states that a motorcyclist must have their headlights on at all times, even in broad daylight. It also helps to wear bright clothing and have a bright helmet on.

Tristan’s death was totally preventable. Our spiritual death is totally preventable as well, if we have “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21).

As if drawn like bees to honey, too many people find a way to foolishly risk their lives unnecessarily. A very common way is to take a selfie in a dangerous place. A surprising number of people have lost their lives in this way! See “Selfie Absorbed.”

Along the River of Time

Along the River of Time we glide,
The swiftly flowing, resistless tide,
And soon, ah, soon, the end we’ll see,
Yes, soon ’twill come and we will be

Floating, Floating, Out on the sea of eternity!

Along the River of Time we glide,
A thousand dangers its currents hide,
And near our course the rocks we see,
Oh dreadful thought! A wreck to be

Floating, Floating, Out on the sea of eternity!

Along the River of Time we glide,
Our Savior only our bark can guide,
But with Him we secure may be,
No fear, no doubt, but joy to be

Floating, Floating, Out on the sea of eternity!

Selfie Absorbed

There is a beautiful cliffside at Diamond Head Bay in Vaucluse, New South Wales, Australia, where tourists are flocking to take selfies. Though it is breathtakingly beautiful, it is just as dangerous as it is gorgeous. On August 17, a 27-year-old woman fell to her death while taking a selfie on the cliff’s edge. Not to be deterred, a mere few hours later more tourists were taking selfies on the cliff’s edge!

The only way to get to the cliff’s edge is to deliberately climb over a wire fence with large signs posting warnings of the danger ahead. The warnings are impossible to miss: “Unstable cliff edge,” “No access beyond this point” and “Danger, Keep Out” are clearly marked.

Just how dangerous is it? One resident, Rona Kahn, said to Australia’s Nine News, “A wind or a stumble or anything [and] that’s the end of them because it’s sheer cliff down.” A motion by the Waverly Council stated, “There is an ongoing and justifiable concern that visitors are irresponsibly endangering themselves and others by crossing over fencing and boundary lines and positioning themselves on the cliff ledge.”

More people have died from taking selfies than you would think. A Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care study shows that between October 2011 and November 2017 there were a total of 259 deaths around the world related to selfies. A majority of the deaths were those between 20 and 29 years of age.

Rebellion or Ransom?

We live in a “look at me” society, where people are absorbed with themselves. Not only are we absorbed with ourselves, but we definitely don’t want to be told what to do, or not to do, either. Our human natures naturally rebel against all authority, including God’s. The Bible describes us this way: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6). If we don’t come to God in repentance, He tells us what our end will be. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death [hell]” (Proverbs 14:12).

The simplicity of salvation is beautiful and is available to all. “God our Savior; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave Himself a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:3-6). When we put our faith and trust in Jesus “who gave Himself a ransom for all,” we discover God’s forgiveness for our sin and rebellion against Him.

Help From the Fuse Family

The Fuse family is a very old and large Italian family that traces it roots all the way back to the ancient Roman Empire where Latin was spoken. Just about each member still living today is well-suited to conveying the truths of the gospel to souls who are thirsting for something more than what this world has to give. This hard-working family is loaded with relatives. Perhaps you already know some of them. But do you know how adept they are at carrying the good news of God’s love to lost sinners?

Let me introduce this delightful family. But don’t expect names like Luigi or Alphonsus, because this is not a family of people, but a family of words based on the root word “fuse.” Relatives include suffuse, diffuse, profuse, refuse, confuse, effusive and defuse, and as you will see, they are very useful.

To begin with, the family name “fuse” means “pour.” Do you know God wants to open the windows of heaven and pour out great blessing on you the moment you repent and renounce your sins and turn to Him in faith? It’s true! The moment you believe in Jesus Christ, He will show you His forgiveness of sins and pour out His grace into your life so that it can be truly said that you have passed from death to life. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24).

Infuse

Another way of saying God pours grace into a heart is to say that He infuses it into the heart. Infuse means to “pour into.” Those who die having had their sins washed away in the blood of Christ will enter into the presence of Jesus Christ. Their portion will be everlasting joy. Those who die in their sins will be lost forever in the sorrows of hell. That is why it is so important to know Christ as Savior.

Profuse

Salvation from sin! What could be a greater blessing than this? For such a blessing God deserves great thanks and praise. Another relative in the fuse family that might help describe such praise is “profuse.” Profuse means that which is “abundantly poured forth.” God deserves all the profuse praise we can possibly give Him for what Christ did on the cross.

Refuse

When God is so ready to welcome repentant sinners back to Himself, why does anyone end up in hell? We’ll use another relative in the fuse family — refuse — to answer. If “fuse” means “pour,” then “refuse” means to “pour out again.” When some people hear the good news about obtaining the forgiveness of sins through faith in Christ, they pour it right back out at God and say they don’t want it. The only reason souls end up in hell is because they refuse the grace of God.

In this life, they should have refused the idea that they could sin with impunity. They should have refused the idea that God doesn’t care for them. They should have refused the idea that they could fly in the face of His commandments. But no, they submitted to these false ideas and, instead, refused to submit to God’s truth. They refused the overtures of the blessed Savior who came to earth and went all the way down into the dust of death that He might bring sinners to heaven. When God is so good and generous, what a shame that anyone would say “No” to His offer of grace.

Diffuse

Another question you might ask is, Why would God want to share His goodness with human beings? After all, this is the world where His Son, Jesus Christ, was cast out and crucified. So why would God want to bother with it? To answer this question, let’s employ another relative in the “fuse” family by the name of “diffuse.” Diffuse means “pour throughout something.” It is the nature of goodness to diffuse or share what it has with others wherever they are found. God is infinitely and perfectly good. Is there evil in the world? Yes, and God hates it. Does anyone deserve God’s blessings of eternal life? No. “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). So no one could ever deserve such an immense blessing. Then why is God so ready to give the gift of eternal life? The answer is because God, who is pure goodness, is so ready to diffuse His goodness among the creatures He has made. Through the death of His Son on the cross He has made a way to bring salvation to lost sinners. “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).

Although God’s goodness is so great that we can only begin to understand it, we should never presume upon it. A verse in Romans reads, “Or despisest thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” (Romans 2:4). His goodness should never make anyone comfortable in their sins, but should have the opposite effect of leading them to change their thoughts about God. Isaiah wrote, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:7). Sin needs to be forsaken because it dishonors God. Sin says the greatest good is in some created thing or pleasure, whereas the greatest good resides only in knowing and loving God. Sin says seek pleasure and you will be happy, when really it is leading away from happiness towards death. “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:15).

Confuse

The prefix “con” means “thoroughly.” So the word “confuse” means to “thoroughly pour too much.” Our hearts and minds were made to love and serve God. When we love created things more than God, it is like we thoroughly pour these other things into our hearts, and the inevitable result is confusion and disorder. They promise happiness, but when they displace the love of God, they lead to misery. To escape the confusion of sin, we need to receive the new life that God offers as a free gift — a life that hates sin. Only then will joy and peace replace the confusion. Sin always brings on confusion, and ultimately leads to hell, which is the place where confusion reigns forever!

Suffuse

Finally, the last member of the fuse family I would like to draw your attention to is the word “suffuse.” The prefix “su” is just an abbreviated form of the prefix “sub” which means “under.” Suffuse is the idea of something greater and higher pouring into something beneath it and filling it, like, for instance, brilliant sunlight filtering through the canopies of tall trees and suffusing the forest floor beneath it with beautiful light. This world we are passing through is very beautiful, but it’s also a world of tears. It is, at best, our temporary home. Heaven or hell will be our permanent residence. In heaven, pain, suffering and crying will be forever done away. God’s goodness and love will fully suffuse the atmosphere of heaven. People in heaven will no longer need faith because they will see the face of God. Seeing God will fill each heart with so much joy that words can only begin to describe it. “As it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Here on earth we need to walk in faith, but in heaven we will walk by sight, and faith will no longer be needed. What glory it will be to be in heaven where God fully suffuses His goodness and love. It surely is a place to be sought at all cost!

Whose Family Do You Belong To?

I hope members of the “fuse” family, such as infuse, profuse, refuse, confuse and suffuse, have been of assistance to you. I hope God pours out great blessing in your life, infuses grace into your heart, and you find reasons to profusely thank Him. I hope you do not refuse the grace of God, but instead refuse the lie that God doesn’t love you. I hope you put your faith in Christ and turn away from the confusion of sin. Then when it comes time to die, you will leave this world and be where the very atmosphere is fully suffused with His wonderful love and where you will see the Lord Jesus Christ!

The history of language certainly holds some interesting lessons. But so does the history of the world. Explore a vital lesson in “The Biggest Swindle Ever?”

The Biggest Swindle Ever

On May 24, 1626, Peter Minuit, an agent for the Dutch government, purportedly purchased the island of Manhattan from a band of Native Americans for beads, buttons and other trinkets worth a total of $24. The same real estate today would sell for billions, and maybe even trillions, of dollars.

The deal, at best, was very unethical because the Native Americans who sold the island probably had no concept of land ownership. Also, it is highly likely that Peter Minuit made this deal with a band of Native Americans which were only temporarily passing through and were not permanent residents of the island. This band of Natives probably thought they hit the jackpot with the Europeans giving them trade goods for nothing in return. They probably thought they were swindling the Dutch and not vice versa.

So, was the deal Peter Minuit made to purchase Manhattan Island the biggest swindle, when it comes to real estate, to ever take place? I don’t think so.

The Biggest Swindle

I think there is a far bigger swindle going on all the time, and for your sake you should know about it. In this swindle, a low-life, high-stakes swindler is convincing men and women to give up all thought of heaven by convincing them that earthly trinkets are far more worthy of their attention. What is a place in heaven valued at? It is so valuable that all the money in the world isn’t sufficient to purchase a square inch of it. The only way for sinners to get possession of it is through the blood of Christ. His blood is of more value than all the silver and gold in the world. The value of heaven is infinite because those who will be accounted worthy to live there will experience the unspeakable and unending joys of heaven.

In that wonderful place they will enjoy the presence of the Son of God who loved them and gave His life for them. The blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross means so much to God that all who believe on the name of Jesus will receive an everlasting inheritance in heaven. The Lord Jesus sent the Apostle Paul “to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me” (Acts 26:18).

The biggest swindle in the world comes to pass when Satan convinces men and women to turn down the offer of God’s grace because the things of this life are far more important. What an awful mistake this is, because when souls die in their sins, they will be sent away to the outer darkness of hell from which they will never escape. They can’t take any of the wealth they amassed in this world with them when they die, and if they could, it wouldn’t be able to purchase a moment’s rest from the terrible suffering of hell. With what worthless trinkets does the devil successfully persuade men and women of all races to sell their souls to him!

He is a crafty one, the Devil is. If you are living apart from Christ, you are under his power and on a course to be swindled out of the most precious thing you possess — your never-dying soul. The Lord Jesus asked, “What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:37). The answer to this question is a big emphatic nothing, nothing — nothing even comes remotely close to the value of a soul. Your soul is the most precious thing you have, and if you are living apart from God, you are on course to lose it for all eternity. Men and women will be lost forever when they die in their sins.

Don’t Get Swindled!

Please be wise! Don’t let Satan swindle you out of heaven for the things of earth that you will be shortly forced to give up anyway. Come to Christ. He is the great giver! He has grace, forgiveness and eternal life to give you.

The Devil — what does he have to give? He makes many promises, but in the end, all he has to give is deceit, sorrow, heartbreak and eternal loss.

The sale of Manhattan Island wasn’t the biggest swindle ever. The biggest swindle has been going on since the dawn of time. It takes place when Satan convinces people to throw their souls away for the meagre, paltry, temporary trinkets of this world. Don’t let this crooked dealer swindle you out of an eternal inheritance that could be yours by coming to Christ in faith.

Going to the Bank

We make many choices in our everyday life. In the Bible we are told that God sees everything that we do, both bad and good. “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). The three people in this story were faced with a similar choice. According to God’s standard, one person was right and the others were wrong.

A bank in Wichita, Kansas, filed a lawsuit against one of its customers because she refused to return money that was not hers to keep. It was discovered that the bank’s ATM machine was very generously handing out $100 dollar bills instead of $5 bills. When the bank realized the problem and asked Christina Ochoa to return the extra money, she “wholly refused to do so,” the lawsuit stated.

Lots of Excuses

The bank’s lawsuit tells a revealing story. Christina’s mother Christy was also named in the lawsuit because she was the one who drove her to the bank. Once Christina realized the ATM was malfunctioning, she and her mother made over 50 trips to the bank to withdraw money! Over a five-day period, 38 of those treks were made in the middle of the night, between the hours of midnight and 4:08 a.m. Instead of returning the extra money, they capitalized on the situation, making many withdrawals within minutes of each other. This is a good example of why the Bible says, “Men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19).

The amount of money taken was not small change. Instead of the $1,485 that Christina should have received, the ATM gave her $14,120. During her many visitations to the ATM, records showed that she also deposited $1,928. Where did that money come from? Not to worry! When contacted by the Wichita Eagle, Christy Ochoa said that it was from casino winnings from a recent trip.

Christy had more answers to give out. They claimed to have only received the money requested without any $100 bills. And they had all the transaction receipts to prove it! Why did they make over 50 trips to the ATM? They needed a lot of $5 bills to make a money cake for a friend who had just had a baby. She said that they couldn’t type in the number of fives that they wanted, so that’s why they had to make so many transactions. But they couldn’t remember how many fives it took to make the money cake or on what day they had given it to her friend.

The bank also discovered that during the time the ATM was malfunctioning, the Ochoas had put a $3,000 down payment on a minivan and a truck, all in $100 bills. Now the bank was tasked with the job of trying to recoup their losses. They started by keeping the money in Christina’s checking account and filing the lawsuit. They also wanted to confiscate the minivan and truck.

Would the bank be successful? They were demanding the return of $11,607.36 plus interest. Christina and her mother thought that they had crafted plausible reasons for their actions and weren’t about to give up the thousands of dollars that they had collected from the ATM.

Truth in the End

So many people today think that they will have a plausible answer as to why they refused God’s gift of salvation. They are deceived into thinking that they can live a life of sin and deception, confident that they will somehow wiggle out of the consequences when they stand before God to be judged. They think that because God is love and forever in hell is just too awful to even think about, God will relent and forgive them anyway! But God’s Word is clear and He has given mankind a fair warning. “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Society wants to normalize lying and many other types of sin, but the Bible tells us that “all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone” (Revelation 21:8).

In the end, the Ochoas didn’t stand a chance. About a month later they agreed to pay back what they had taken, plus interest and all expenses related to the lawsuit. The tab came to $12,643.49. In the consent judgment that they signed, they agreed that the bank could have proved with “clear and convincing evidence each and every” charge against them, had the case gone to trial.

We too have sin-debt toward God. Unlike the Ochoas, we cannot possibly pay it back or make it right with God on our own. Because we are all sinners, we all need a Savior. The good news is that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). This is why Jesus died on the cross. “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

When there is true, genuine “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21), we find that Jesus is “faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). True repentance means that we agree with God that we are hopeless sinners and deserve His judgment. We come to God for His forgiveness. It is then that we discover that God is “faithful and just to forgive us our sins.”

But far too many people don’t realize that they are sinners. They are kind, generous and morally upright. They are like the person in our next story, “An Unexpected Gift.”

An Unexpected Gift

Bobby Puryear got a surprise when he drove up to a drive-through ATM in Modesto, California. Someone had left $500 in the cash dispenser! He could have just taken it and nobody would have known, but he didn’t do that. Instead, he drove around to the front of the bank and told the teller what had happened. She refused to take the money and called the manager over. But he did not want to take the money either! He said to Bobby, “What do you expect me to do with it?”

At this point, many people would have felt perfectly justified in keeping the money, considering it their lucky day. After all, he could honestly say that he had done his best to do the right thing! But Bobby wanted to make a real effort to find the owner of the $500, so he suggested to the manager that they try to find out who the last person was who had used the ATM.

The next day, Bobby got a call from the bank. On a third line was a 92-year-old lady named Edith. She was the rightful owner of the money and explained that she had withdrawn the $500 for rent money. Out of the $500, she had $20 left over for the rest of the month. She wanted to offer it to Bobby as a reward. But Bobby declined the offer and wished her a good day.

Then he got to thinking. Twenty dollars wouldn’t go very far for the rest of the month. He called the bank and asked the manager to transfer $200 from his account into Edith’s account. A coworker heard what Bobby was doing and said that he would transfer $100 into Edith’s account. An hour later the manager called to tell Bobby that when he told the other tellers what Bobby had done, they collected another $300 for Edith’s account. What a generous and wonderful gift for Edith!

God’s Righteousness

Many people would have chosen to take the $500 without saying anything, just like the Ochoas took money that didn’t belong to them. But there are many people who are just like Bobby —they are kind, thoughtful and upright. The first group are obvious sinners; the second group are not-so-obvious sinners. But God tells us that we are all sinners, nonetheless. “There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 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).

No, not one, good or righteous person is a no-doubt-about-it assessment of our standing before a holy God. God tells us this because He loves us and does not want us to be eternally separated from Him. “The Lord ... is long-suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

God tells us how we can come into His presence pure and with our sins forgiven. “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). Confessing the Lord Jesus comes as a result of faith and believing in our hearts on the work and suffering of the Lord Jesus on the cross for our sins. Salvation is a gift from God that we cannot possibly earn. “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). Have you received God’s free gift of salvation?

Many that don’t look to be fulfilled with money are searching for that fulfillment some other way. Find out what truly satisfies in “Five Things That Are Not Enough.”

Five Things That Are Not Enough

Fame is not enough. You can win the acclaim of millions, but if you don’t win the approval of the God who is the judge of all, what is the fame worth? Nothing. Are you seeking for fame? It is not enough.

Wealth

Wealth is not enough. “What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world but lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36). Not a thing. “The redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth forever” (Psalm 49:8). With wealth you can buy almost anything under the sun (except genuine love and peace of heart), but all the money in the world can’t redeem a soul from eternal death. Wealth is not enough.

Pleasure

Pleasure is not enough. People may enjoy “the pleasures of sin for a season” (Hebrews 11:25). But that season is soon over. Then where will those who were “foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving diverse lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another” be? They will have gone to their eternal consequences. Pleasure is not enough.

Power

Power is not enough. “There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it” (Ecclesiastes 8:8). There have been many powerful men who were able to move nations, peoples, and multitudes, but when it comes to redeeming their own souls, they were as helpless as babies on the day they were born. Power is not enough.

Beauty

Beauty is not enough. “Thou makest his [or her] beauty to consume away like a moth” (Psalm 39:11). One week in the grave and every vestige of beauty will have disappeared. And the grave is never satisfied. It never lets go of those who fall into it. It is forever saying, “It is [not] enough” (Proverbs 30:15-16).

Christ Is Enough

What is enough to satisfy the human heart and deliver it from the death sin so richly deserves? The answer to this question is not a what but a who. It is the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He came from heaven to redeem men from their sins. His perfect, blameless life is enough to fill our hearts with awe, wonder and love. By His death on the cross, He made the way for every man, woman and child to be forgiven and to receive an inheritance in heaven. “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins” (Acts 13:38).

Christ is more than enough!

As sinners we need Him more than we need the air that we breathe and the water we drink. Only in Christ can we find the spiritual food and drink that we so desperately need. The Lord Jesus said, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).

Without Him we are on our way to hell. Without Him we will forever be trying to satisfy our hearts with things that are just not enough. Nothing in this world besides Christ is enough.

Will you turn from your sins and believe on His name so that your faith, hope and love might be in God?

“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).

Jesus Christ Our Savior

Who came down from heaven to earth?
Jesus Christ our Savior;
Came a child of lowly birth?
Jesus Christ our Savior.

Sound the chorus loud and clear,
He has brought salvation near;
None so precious, none so dear:
Jesus Christ our Savior.

Who was lifted on the tree?
Jesus Christ our Savior;
There to ransom you and me?
Jesus Christ our Savior.

Who has promised to forgive?
Jesus Christ our Savior;
Who has said, “Believe and live”?
Jesus Christ our Savior.

Who is now enthroned above?
Jesus Christ our Savior;
Whom should we obey and love?
Jesus Christ our Savior.

Who again from heaven will come?
Jesus Christ our Savior;
Take to glory all His own?
Jesus Christ our Savior.

The Duck That Failed to Swim

The news that gripped the nation that summer was both shocking and heartbreaking. A duck boat had sunk on Table Rock Lake near Branson, Missouri, during a violent thunderstorm that seemed to erupt out of nowhere. Of the 31 People on board, 17 lost their lives. One lady lost nine members of her immediate family — her husband and three children, including her 1-year-old baby, her in-laws and others as well! A father and son perished while the 14-year-old daughter somehow managed to survive. The experience was so traumatic for her that afterwards she could not say how she had escaped. Several couples also lost their lives. The tragedy was so great that it was almost beyond comprehension.

Duck boats are popular tourist attractions in many waterfront parts of the United States. They are amphibious vehicles, which means that they can be driven both on land and on the water. The driver drives the vehicle on land, and the captain takes over when the boat enters the water. Duck boats have been around since World War II, when they were popular for transporting troops and supplies over land and water. However, they have been the cause of some deadly accidents, with heavy loss of life. Many professionals consider them to be extremely dangerous and have even called them “death traps.”

Plenty of Warning

There are valid reasons for this. In rough weather, water can get into the exhaust systems, flooding the motor and causing it to stop working. This, in turn, causes the hull to fill with water because the pumps are unable to operate. This is one reason why they are not supposed to be on the water when winds exceed 35 miles an hour. Also, the canopies are a real danger. If the boat should sink, they have been known to trap people inside, preventing their escape. These were all known hazards before the tragedy that took place on Table Rock Lake on that fateful evening of July 19, 2018.

Earlier in the day, the National Weather Service had issued a severe thunderstorm watch for the area. Then, at 6:32 p.m., another warning went out, specifically mentioning Table Rock Lake. Both warnings said that winds could reach 70 miles per hour! Why were these warnings not enough to prevent the duck boat from sinking with such tragic loss of life?

Warnings are given for a reason and are not meant to be ignored! They are given to prevent bodily harm, or even death. This is why God faithfully warns us, “How shall we escape, if we neglect [ignore, put off] so great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3). Our situation is a desperate one: hopeless sinners, unable to save ourselves, and on the way to eternal punishment in the lake of fire!

But the love of God is so much greater than our sin and rebellion. “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). The Lord Jesus did all of the work that was necessary for our salvation on the cross by suffering and dying for our sins there. “God commendeth [shows] His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). God wants us to admit that we are lost sinners and ask Him to forgive us our sins. This is what is meant by “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21).

Final Moments

Here is where decisions were made that affected so many lives forever. The timeline of events that followed were captured on video and tell the story.

6:27 p.m. — Captain and driver board the duck boat.

6:28 p.m. — Someone tells the crew to take the water portion of the tour first, which is a 20-minute boat ride. Normally, the land portion would be done first, but not this time!

6:29 p.m. — Passengers board, and captain refers to looking at the weather radar.

6:32 p.m. — Severe thunderstorm watch mentioning Table Rock Lake issued.

Around 6:55 p.m. — Boat enters the water. The captain had already pointed out where the exits and life jackets were and how to use them, along with where the life rings were. The water was so calm that in the next five minutes the captain allowed four children to sit in the driver’s seat.

Just after 7 p.m. — Whitecaps appear and winds pick up. The driver lowers plastic side curtains.

7:01 p.m. — Captain makes a comment about the storm.

7:03 p.m. — Captain makes a call on handheld radio, but it was unintelligible.

7:04 p.m. — The bilge alarm sounds. A minute later it appears to be turned off.

7:05 p.m. — Captain makes another call, also unintelligible. Water is now splashing inside the boat.

7:07 p.m. — Bilge alarm sounds again. The hull of the boat was filling with water!

7:08 p.m. — The video stops while the boat is still on top of the water.

What a terrifying scene! How frightened those passengers must have been! And yet, the real tragedy is that it didn’t have to happen at all! That vicious storm didn’t just come out of nowhere. There were two very clear warnings given, and in plenty of time too! They had taken a chance, hoping to beat the storm. Worse yet, none of the passengers had life jackets on. Some of the survivors stated that the captain had said that they wouldn’t need them, so they didn’t put them on. By the time they did need them, it was too late.

You may not Have a Final Moment to Decide

Will you listen to God’s warning and accept His offer of salvation? Do not think that you can live your life for pleasure and self and then come to faith in Jesus at the “last moment,” when you know you’re going to die anyway, thinking that you can have “the best of both worlds!” First of all, you have no idea of when your “last moment” may come, and, second, when it does, you may find that there is no time to get right with God! Seventeen people who got on that duck boat had no idea that their “last moment” was fast approaching, while fourteen people would have a second chance at life. None of them got to pick and choose which group they would be in. Right now, you do have the chance to choose to accept or reject God’s loving offer of salvation. Which will it be?

Sudden disaster isn’t limited to boats at sea. “The Duck That Fell Apart” clearly shows that trouble can strike a duck boat on land just as easily.

The Duck That Fell Apart

Not only can these duck boats fail to swim, but one of them literally fell apart as it was travelling over a bridge to the waterfront. It happened so quickly that no one had a chance to react or to get out of harm’s way. Five young university exchange students were killed and dozens of others were injured and severely traumatized.

In Seattle, September 24, 2015, a Ride the Ducks boat was crossing the Aurora Bridge on its way to Lake Union when it suddenly swerved into oncoming traffic, crashing into a charter bus full of exchange students. Eleven people were ejected from the duck boat, seven of them injured severely. In total, there were 69 people that were injured. The duck boat had been travelling at about 40 miles per hour when it lost control. It appeared that the whole front wheel assembly had fallen off the boat — one lady reported seeing it lying in the middle of the bridge.

Carelessness

As always, there was an investigation. The NTSB found many violations, some of them obvious and glaring. Ride the Ducks International had been aware of the axle problems as far back as 2004. The company tried to fix the problem in 2005 but was unable to. Then, in 2013 the company sent out an urgent service bulletin informing its operators of the axle housing problems. Ride the Ducks Seattle got one but did not fix the problem. Investigators found the bulletin in the office after the accident.

Another glaring problem was that the duck boat did not have seat belts installed. Also, the report stated that the seats themselves were “severely deformed.” Along with mechanical failure, poor maintenance and a failure of Ride the Ducks International to register with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (which would have provided better oversight), it was an accident waiting to happen. It was just a matter of time until, sure enough, it did happen.

Another duck driver had driven this particular vehicle just four days before the accident. When she crossed the Aurora Bridge, she said the duck behaved “weird” as it went over the bumps on the bridge. So strong was the feeling that something was wrong that she said it “made the hair on my back stand up.” After crossing the bridge, she stopped the tour and called for mechanics to come and look at the duck. But they couldn’t find anything wrong and intimated that they would have to wait until something broke before they could fix it. She later recorded in her driver’s daily inspection report that there was “something up” with the duck. “This thing is riding rough,” she wrote.

Unresolved known problems, poor maintenance and waiting for something to happen were some of the issues that led up to this disaster. Both Ride the Ducks International and Ride the Ducks Seattle have since resolved many of these problems, involving considerable time and cost. Many people still consider them to be exceedingly hazardous — especially on the roadway. They are eight and a half feet wide — but seem larger, even though they are smaller than a garbage truck and are within the legal limits to be on the road.

Waiting too Long

Human nature does not change. People put off preparing to meet God, even though their consciences and spirits tell them that there is a God and that one day they must answer to Him for their sins. Often, it takes an accident or an emotional upheaval or a catastrophic event for God to catch people’s attention. For some, it is suddenly TOO LATE, as it was for those five university students if they had not accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. God tells us in His Word “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow ... and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11).

The Bible puts every man, woman and child in two categories: “condemned” and “not condemned.” “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). Salvation is only through faith in Jesus — faith that He can and will forgive you for your sins if you trust in Him. Do you believe this? Have you repented of your sins and received His forgiveness, giving Him complete and total control of your life? He is waiting for you to trust Him today, if you will. “God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17).

If death can’t be scheduled, life can’t be hung on to for long. It flits in and leaves just as quickly, as “Life Like a Bird” suggests.

Life Like a Bird

Hundreds of years ago a conference of Saxon chiefs was called to consider if they should permit certain new Christian teachers to address them.

One old chief spoke: “Life to me is as though we are seated by the cheerful board in the bright firelight, with storm and darkness outside. Suddenly a bird flies in at the window. For a few minutes we see it in the firelight, and then it passes out into the darkness.

“So is our life. We see it for a short time, but know not whence it comes nor whither it goes. If these preachers can tell us this, let us hear them.”

To every one there comes, at times, quiet thoughts on life and death — the same solemn thought as those old chiefs had so long ago. How vital, how priceless the words of Christ to whosoever will hear Him: “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).

The Cholera Outbreak of 1854

A cholera outbreak hit the Soho District of London in 1854. The disease caused several hundred deaths. A council of medical officials was convened to discuss what might be done to stop its spread.

Should they evacuate that part of the city? Or perhaps put that part of the city under quarantine? In 1854 the origins of the disease were not fully understood. It was mistakenly believed that cholera was spread by breathing the atmospheric vapors that arise over unclean and polluted water.

The doctors decided that the disease simply needed to run its course and it would go away as mysteriously as it had come. This satisfied everyone on the council but one man, a doctor named John Snow. He decided to take matters into his own hands and to continue to search for the cause of the cholera outbreak on his own.

He collected all the information he possibly could. He interviewed the victims’ families. On a large map of London, he marked down the locations where the people had died. In his research, he discovered that one thing the people who died had in common was that they all got their drinking water from a public square at the intersection of Broad Street and Lexington Avenue. This public square had a water hand pump with a long handle on it. The water from the pump came from the nearby Thames River. London, at this time, had many open sewers which emptied directly into the Thames River. Cowsheds and slaughter-houses also deposited animal waste into the river.

Dr. Snow convinced authorities to cap off the well and the cholera outbreak ceased. Capping off that pump and having the people find a different source of drinking water saved many lives.

Drinking clean, pure water is absolutely essential for health and well-being. We should never take clean drinking water for granted.

More Than Physical Thirst

Do you know that each one of us has a spiritual thirst as well as a physical thirst that must be satisfied? Many people in this world are trying to get their spiritual refreshment from unclean sources that are full of contaminants which cause spiritual death.

Let me explain. This thirst in our souls needs to be quenched with clean, flowing refreshment from a pure source. “As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country” (Proverbs 25:25). This cold, clean water originates in the “far country” of heaven and comes down to our souls when we believe the good news from God.

It flows down from God to our souls when we repent of our sins and believe the good news of a Savior sent from heaven. Repentance, or accepting what God says about our sins instead of insisting on our own opinion of them, is absolutely essential. Without it we will forever be drinking from contaminated sources which bring disease and death to our lives. Drinking from the wells of this world which are contaminated with lusts, pride and selfishness lead to what the Bible calls the second death.

“The fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8). The second death occurs when unrepentant sinners pass out of this world and are cast into the lake of fire. Those who died from cholera died a painful death, but this temporary suffering doesn’t begin to compare to the pain and agony of spending eternity in the lake of fire.

The Lord Jesus said, “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14).

Not until people start drinking the living waters that the Lord Jesus has to give will they find spiritual life and well-being.

To bring living waters to our souls, Jesus Christ came into the world and gave His life at the cross.

One Man’s Death

How could one man’s death make such an immense difference for the rest of the world?

This is how. He is more than just a man. He is also co-eternal and co-equal with God the Father. Because of the greatness of His person, His death has the power to remove sins. “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

The Savior died that we might live through Him. This life freely flows to sinners when they repent and place their faith in the name of Christ.

“Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17). No matter what your past may be, God now invites you to take the water of life and drink freely. He wants you to drink not once, not twice, but always. Christ alone has the living water to give. He has it in abundant and never-ending supply. Will you drink it by believing in Him?

Three Bad Companies

There are many “companies” in this world that claim to provide clean drinking water but which, in truth, are full of contaminants which bring spiritual death!

Let me name a few of these companies. If you are quenching the thirst of your soul at any of them, I hope you decide to cap them off and never drink from them again.

There is one company that claims to purify putrid water and make it suitable to drink — The Carnal Entertainment Refreshment Company. People who get their water from this company think that the satisfaction for their spiritual thirst comes from indulging their lusts, desires and passions. The company makes all sorts of false claims about how healthy their water is, when, in truth, it carries death and destruction. “To be carnally minded is death” (Romans 8:6). Don’t be deluded by the false promises this company makes. You are a spiritual being. If you ignore the needs of your soul, you do far more damage to yourself than you would to your body if you drank dirty water. Ignore the needs of your soul and you will inevitably be enmeshed in a destructive situation from which you may never be free.

Another company that is pumping unclean spiritual “refreshment” out to millions is the Progressive Water Company. This company self-proclaims that they have the most knowledgeable experts working for them. They claim the drinking water of most of our ancestors was sadly polluted and that they now have discovered what is good for people. Sins such as abortion, divorce, euthanasia, and all other kinds of deviance once thought unclean, they now loudly proclaim to be perfectly safe.

What a company this is! The water they are pumping out has bits of death dissolved in it. Furthermore, this company declares every person has the privilege to determine for themselves what is good or evil. But this is as ridiculous as saying drinking water laced with the bacteria vibrio cholerae is pure and good to drink just as long as you choose to call it wholesome.

Finally, a third company claiming to deliver spiritual refreshment to the masses is the Who-Needs-God Water Company. This company insists the water they deliver is absolutely the purest available. But they leave the everlasting God out of the picture. This will never do because we were made to live by faith in God. God is the source of all goodness that has always been and always will be. Our souls thirst for Him. The problem is, people often mistakenly try to quench the thirst of their souls by turning to lesser things, and they leave God out of their lives. Not until God is sought first and foremost can any person truly satisfy the thirst of their soul.

The Only Reliable

Refreshment Provider

These companies contradict the truth that only through faith in Christ can our deepest thirst be quenched. “Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).

The nobility and beauty of the life of Jesus Christ shows forth that He is the one and only Son of God. He was not as other men who tripped and stumbled in their efforts to live righteously. He was perfectly right, good and loving, living in the midst of human suffering. Because He suffered, sinners on their way to eternal death can stop in their tracks and look to Him for the salvation of their souls. “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

Imagine somebody catching cholera and getting sick to the point of death. Imagine if they were told that they didn’t have to die, that there was a remedy available that never failed and it was free. Do you think they would pass it by? Of course not. But this is exactly what great numbers are doing when it is pointed out to them that the wages of sin is death and that the only remedy is faith in the Savior. Instead of coming to the Savior, they pass Him by. They don’t take the remedy for sin and death that God in love to us has provided. Don’t make the fatal mistake of passing Christ by until it is forever too late!

Will you come to the Lord Jesus Christ and believe in Him? If you do, you will find that both in this life and the future to come you made the best decision possible. You will find eternal life: “This is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent” (John 17:3).

Find out more about nasty, hidden disease in The Spread of the Coronavirus.

The Spread of the Coronavirus

The coronavirus was first diagnosed in Wuhan, China — a city with a population of 11 million people. The coronavirus spread so fast that soon the entire city was put under quarantine. Travel to and from the city was banned. Streets were even bulldozed to prevent people from entering or leaving.

Unfortunately, the quarantine didn’t work. The disease continued to spread. As of this writing, the coronavirus has spread to almost every corner of the globe and has claimed the lives of thousands.

How it will spread in the future and whether a remedy is found for it, only time will tell.

ALERT! Another deadly epidemic has spread widely and is claiming the lives of millions. This epidemic has entered the world through the life of one person and through that person has spread to millions of others. It is far deadlier than the coronavirus.

The scary thing about the coronavirus is that even seemingly healthy people may be carriers. There may be no tell-tale signs of those who have it. Just get in the vicinity of someone who has it, and it is likely you will be infected with it. But this other epidemic is much more widespread. You can be sure the stranger you see walking down the street has it. You can be sure the loved ones in your house have it. You can be sure the person looking back at you in a mirror has it. This other epidemic isn’t caught through the air we breathe or by coming into contact with germs. This other epidemic is passed down to us through our parents, and from their parents before them, and all the way back to the first parents of the human race.

The Sin Problem

“As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12).

This above verse describes how sin and death entered the world. Since then sin and death have wreaked havoc for all.

The first parents were innocent. They had no inner inclination to sin. As long as they obeyed the simple command not to eat of a tree of the garden, they would live forever. Sin and death would not touch them.

Death

However, the first parents disobeyed God. The human race has been inundated with troubles and sorrows ever since. After they sinned, they would eventually die. Also, because they rebelled against God, they became susceptible to turbulent and unruly passions. All of their descendants would be born with the same fallen nature. They would be born with the propensity to sin and the necessity to die.

Not maybe die, but surely die. This death would involve more than meets the eye. Death is a double separation. It is the separation where the union of body and soul is broken. This is the part we can see. The other separation is far more dreadful. In this life we can’t see it, but we can learn of it by the testimony of God’s Word. It is the separation that takes place when a person dies without trusting in Christ and is sent to hell.

“I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear Him, which after He hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear Him” (Luke 12:5).

Deliverance

Who can save us from such a terrible fate? Can scientists or politicians or moral teachers? No! Only the Son of God who came from heaven can save us.

Isaiah 53:4 reads, “Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.” At the cross He gave His life for sinners. Now those who deserve death and hell have a way to be made right with God and their sins blotted out.

No cure or remedy has yet been found for many diseases, but a remedy has been provided for sinners. Christ is that remedy. When sinners place their faith in Him, He gives them the gift of eternal life. “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life” (Romans 6:23).

When sinners believe in Christ, God pours the love of God into their hearts. This love is like a healing balm that brings health to their sin-ravaged hearts.

Will you believe Christ is the Son of God who gave His life for sinners? Or will you go on in unbelief until you pass into a lost eternity from which there is no escape? The choice is yours. You can’t avoid the fact that you have caught the contagion of sin and death. A moment’s genuine reflection on your own life will confirm the fact that you’ve caught it. It won’t do any good to deny it.

God in love has made a way for you to be saved through the death of His Son. Will you see your great need and come to the Savior of sinners?

White as Snow

What! “Lay my sins on Jesus?”
God’s well-beloved Son!
No! ’tis a truth most precious,
That God e’en that has done.

Hallelujah, Jesus saves me;
He makes me “white as snow.”

Yes, ’tis a truth most precious,
To all who do believe:
God laid our sins on Jesus,
Who did the load receive.

The Year Without a Summer

Most people can remember at least one powerful volcanic eruption during their lifetime. Along with the explosive release of hot lava and gasses, black ash and rocks, there is often the loss of animal and human life. But volcanoes not only kill with their initial blasts; they can also kill in many other ways, such as by volcanic mudslides, tsunamis, lava flows and pyroclastic flows. A pyroclastic flow is a dense cloud of extremely hot gasses mixed with other matter that rolls along the ground at a high rate of speed, killing and destroying everything in its path.

But there is another way a volcano can kill, a far deadlier way that can reach around the world, affecting the lives of millions of people. It has already happened at least once in recorded volcanic history. This is where the story of Mount Tambora and “the year without a summer” comes in. It played a big part in U.S. history, as you will see.

Mount Tambora, April 1815

Most people have heard of Mount Vesuvius, Italy’s famous volcano that erupted in A. D. 79, burying the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in several feet of volcanic ash and killing about 30,000 people. But not many know about Mount Tambora, the most powerful eruption on the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) in modern times. Just as hurricanes and earthquakes are measured on a scale, so are volcanoes. Tambora’s eruption measured a 7 out of 8 on the VEI and was far more powerful and deadly than Krakatoa or Mount St. Helens!

Mount Tambora is located in modern-day Indonesia and is inside what is known as the Ring of Fire. It was thought to be an extinct volcano, but about three years before it erupted, it started to rumble and come to life. Even when the volcano began to erupt, people thought it was the sound of cannon being fired!

Then it happened. On the evening of April 10, 1815, Mount Tambora blew her top off. A witness 15 miles away later described seeing three columns of flames shooting into the air. Another witness 10 miles away said the entire mountain appeared to turn into “liquid fire”! Fierce, violent hurricane-like winds swept the island, snapping trees and tearing houses from their foundations, propelling them into the sea, along with people and animals. Tsunamis from the Tambora eruption swept up nearby islands, wiping out settlements and killing tens of thousands of people. The entire culture of Sumbawa was wiped out. Those that survived the eruption faced an even worse fate, that of slowly starving to death in the following months. Tambora’s direct death toll is estimated to be about 92,000 lives.

When Tambora blasted away a third of her 12,000-foot peak, a giant mushroom cloud of volcanic ash and gasses powered high into the stratosphere, rising to a height of 25 miles. The worst was yet to come, and people had no idea that it was connected to Tambora’s stupendous eruption.

Why?

Many might ask, “Why does God allow such terrible natural disasters that cause such suffering and loss of life?” First of all, the Bible tells us that God is in control of the weather. The oldest book in the Bible tells us, “By the breath of God frost is given. ... Also by watering He wearieth the thick cloud: He scattereth His bright cloud: and it is turned round about by His counsels: that they may do whatsoever He commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth” (Job 37:10-12).

Next, God tells Job why He allows changes in the weather. “He causeth it to come [weather changes], whether for correction, or for His land, or for mercy” (Job 37:13-14). God, who is both righteous and holy, gives Job the answer that so many people ask when disasters occur! For CORRECTION — God wants to turn men from their wicked and self-serving ways to seek after Him. For His LAND — God can use natural disasters to bless or curse the earth. The flood was a curse. Many volcanic eruptions can cause the ground to become very fertile! For MERCY — God knows what weather the earth needs in order to bring forth rich harvests.

The Year Without a Summer, 1816

The winter and the onset of spring 1816 after Tambora’s eruption were normal. But then the temperatures seemed to go backwards! Abnormally cold weather, killing frosts, torrential rains and withering drought spread throughout Europe and North America. Powerful thunderstorms with fierce lightning and high winds were frequent throughout the world, resulting in total crop failures. In many places, the sky appeared to be permanently overcast. There was also a persistent red fog, which neither rain nor sun would dissipate, that disrupted shipping.

The lack of sunlight caused a much rainier than normal summer in Ireland, causing them to lose an entire potato harvest, resulting in widespread starvation among the poor of the land. France and England reported grain shortages due to crop failures, resulting in a shortage of bread and grains for cattle and horses, let alone people. People became desperate due to the widespread famine and starvation. In Switzerland, the weather was so gloomy, cold and rainy, with fierce thunderstorms, that three friends challenged each other to write the best horror story, resulting in the creation of the famous novel, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley.

The United States experienced its own bizarre weather. The entire eastern seaboard from Georgia to Quebec, Canada, was affected. Summer simply never came! On June 7, parts of New England woke up to see nearly a foot of snow on the ground, and more falling from the sky! This, of course, killed all of the crops that they had planted. There were hard frosts every month of the summer, and ice formed on lakes and ponds. The ground froze, making it impossible to plant anything. For people who depended on everything that they could grow from the ground to feed themselves and their cattle, this was a disaster of unimagined proportions!

The impossible weather conditions of 1816 precipitated one of the greatest migrations in the history of the U. S. Tens of thousands of families migrated to Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. So many people fled to Indiana that it became a state in 1816, and Illinois became a state in 1818. Those that migrated west to Ohio found the ground to be richer and more fertile than New England’s rocky, hard soil.

Not only did tens of thousands die from Tambora’s eruption, but hundreds of thousands more died from starvation afterwards. But that was not the end for them. God tells us what happens after death! God has given man a never-dying soul. “Then shall the dust [our bodies] return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7). Time on earth will cease to be, as our spirits return to “the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy” (Isaiah 57:15). Are you prepared to meet Him now?

Find out how the mysteries of Tambora were unraveled by reading A Mystery Solved.

A Mystery Solved: Mount Pinatubo 1991

When Tambora erupted, it took months for the news to reach Europe and the United States, as news travelled by slow sailing vessels. By then, it didn’t have much meaning — after all, it was half a world away! It would be well over a century before scientists finally figured out what really happened and why. It would take the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines for the mystery to be solved.

On June 15, 1991, Pinatubo violently erupted, becoming the second-largest eruption in the twentieth century, measuring a 6 on the VEI. The ash cloud rose to a height of 22 miles into the stratosphere, and for the next three years slowly journeyed around the globe, dropping the average temperature by 1°F. The ash cloud was made up of nearly 20 million tons of sulfur dioxide, which mixed with water vapors, forming a dense shield between the sun and the earth’s atmosphere, blocking much of the sun’s rays. Scientists used satellites to watch the volcanic cloud’s travels as it circled the earth, and used computers to measure its effects on the weather. It is now believed by most scientists that the eruption of Tambora was the cause of the year without a summer.

Fortunately, volcanologists had forecast Pinatubo’s eruption, saving at least 5,000 lives. But a typhoon coincided with the eruption, mixing heavy rains and winds with volcanic ash and debris. The heavy, wet ash landed on thousands of rooftops, which caused them to collapse, killing about 800 people. The landscape was changed forever by enormous pyroclastic flows which roared down Pinatubo’s sides, filling deep valleys to a depth of 600 feet. Then they self-sealed, retaining much of their heat, so that five years later they still had temperatures of 900°F!

An early warning of coming danger, if listened to, can save lives. God cares for each and every one of the people He has made. He’s sent each of us a warning of coming danger and a way to escape from it. “God our Savior; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4). What will you do with His warning?

Some volcanic eruptions are very hard to predict. Find out why in Hydrothermal Volcanoes.

Hydrothermal Volcanoes

Whakaari/White Island, New Zealand, December 9, 2019

Modern science has come a long way, and volcanologists can usually predict when there is going to be a major eruption. But not always! There is one type of volcanic eruption that scientists cannot possibly predict, no matter how badly they might want to. It is the hydrothermal volcano; rather than having magma flow, or lava eruptions, they have steam eruptions. The ecosystem under these volcanos is so delicate that the slightest change, such as a small drop in the water level, can cause a sudden release of superheated steam at any time. Most of these eruptions are not very big, but you definitely don’t want to be anywhere near them when they do go off!

White Island is New Zealand’s most active hydrothermal volcano, and it is a very popular tourist site that sees over 10,000 visitors a year. For a once-in-a-lifetime experience, you can actually walk into the easily accessible crater to view the sulfuric steam vents and the bubbling lake inside. But it’s also a highly risky venture, as they can suddenly erupt at any time without a warning. When they do erupt, you have from mere seconds to a few minutes to escape.

Forty-seven tourists were on the volcano one Monday afternoon when it suddenly erupted. A webcam showed several people walking on a path in the crater only one minute before it erupted. Thirty-eight of the tourists were from a cruise ship which had planned to be in port for one day. One of the tourists who had been on the volcano just 20 minutes before it erupted was on the tour boat and filmed the eruption. You could hear the tour guide telling people to go inside to escape the hot ash that was falling from the sky.

Two commercial pilots 30 miles away saw the plume of ash and decided to fly their helicopters to the island, hoping to rescue people. Flying 200 ft. above the crater, they could see several people that needed help. They described conditions after finding a safe place to land; the air was full of fine dust, so it was very hard to breathe. Ash formed a thick carpet that made it feel like they were running through “talcum powder.” One of the pilots told The Guardian, “The burns were horrific. A lot of the people could not talk. It was pretty quiet. The only real words were things like, ‘Help.’ They were covered in ash and dust. We were picking them up and skin was coming off in our hands.” Between their two helicopters and another private one, they managed to rescue 12 People.

Though the eruption was small, registering a 2 on the VEI, 21 People were killed. Twenty-six were injured, many of them with severe burns covering 30% of their bodies or more. As of this writing, tours on White Island have been cancelled, while authorities rethink the wisdom of having tourists so close to an active, unpredictable volcano.

Only Two Possible Destinations

For 21 People, their time on earth had ended as they entered into eternity. God clearly tells us that we will go to one of two places, heaven or hell. Where we go depends on what decision we make about the Lord Jesus Christ who died and shed His precious blood on the cross for our sins. We must have “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21), for “how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3). Repentance and faith lead to salvation — to reject or simply neglect leads to damnation.

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36). The choice is “everlasting life” or the “wrath of God.” What will your choice be?

Can You Change Your Age?

A 69-year-old Dutchman made headlines around the world because he decided that he wanted to legally change his birth certificate to state that he was born 20 years later than he actually was. Apparently, this was not just wishful thinking or a prank — he was serious enough that he actually took his case to court!

He had reasons for his attention-grabbing thinking. He noted that changing his age was no different than when a person changes their name or their gender. “Because nowadays, in Europe and the United States, we are free people,” he said in an interview with the Washington Post. “We can make our own decisions if we want to change our name or if we want to change our gender. So I want to change my age. My feeling about my body and about my mind is that I’m about 40 or 45.”

As to the pension that he was receiving, he said that he was willing to give it up. He reasoned that this would be a good move for the government. He would simply wait until he reached the eligible age again!

As a trainer and life coach, it would help him to increase his clientele among the younger crowd who want someone closer to their age group. It would improve his dating prospects on Tinder if he could list his age as 20 years younger than he really is. He claims his friends told him to just “modify” his age, but in an amazing twist of logic, considering his bid to legally change his age, he said, “But I don’t want to lie. If you lie, you have to remember everything you say.” Incredible! As if a changed date on a piece of paper would actually change his age!

There were other advantages to be had. He could buy a larger house with a mortgage or buy a more expensive car. At 49 years of age, there was a better possibility of paying off a mortgage or a loan than there would be at 69 years of age, for obvious reasons.

Absolutes

Needless to say, he did not win his court case. The court ruled that there are various rights and duties attached to a person’s age, such as the right to vote and the duty to attend school. If a person could change his age, these rights and duties would become meaningless! They also rejected his argument on the basis of free will, stating that “free will does not extend so far as to make every desired outcome legally possible.”

In short, he wants to be young again! No matter how reasonable the advantages to being young again might sound, there are also real and harmful dangers to such an idea. There are absolutes in life that cannot be ignored or changed. One of them is the steady advance of age. You cannot simply delete years off your life by imagining them away. Another absolute in life is gravity. You cannot jump off a ten-story building and imagine that you will fly. Yet another absolute is mathematics. Two times five will always equal ten.

But the most important absolute for all of us is how to be eternally saved! So many people are deceived into thinking that they are Christians and have eternal life, but they are absolutely wrong! Here are some ways that people are deceived into believing that they are true Christians, but in reality, they are on their way to a lost eternity!

The “Miraculous Event” Christian

These people’s lives are going in a wrong direction, and they know it. They are depressed, addicted to alcohol or drugs, or critically ill and near death. Suddenly they have a miraculous vision or near-death experience, and their life is spared! They are sure this powerful experience is from God; some will even say from Jesus. Delighted by the feelings of peace and love that overwhelmed them, they gratefully spend the rest of their lives in well-doing without fear of death or the afterlife. But God says, “No marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14).

The “God is love” Christian

These are the people that hear a feel-good gospel of “God is love.” They hear how God wants nothing but the best for them and how He can give them prosperity and the desires of their heart if they follow His ways. They hear of the forgiveness, meekness and kindness of Jesus, and how, in the end, because of His great love, He will not turn any away! With great emotion and fervor, they do their best to be kind and loving, for this will surely change the world! They hear that Christ died for them because of His great love for them, but they hear nothing of their need as hopelessly lost sinners in need of a Savior. But God says, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

The “Born Into Christianity” Christian

These people are born into a family that belongs to a certain faith, religion or denomination. As an infant, they are christened or baptized into their belief system. It is their family’s heritage and the culture that they were born into. It becomes a part of them at birth! They are religious and may even go to church on a regular basis. If not, they at least observe the important days and rituals. But God says, “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).

The “Culturally Correct” Christian

These are the people who have been taught all about Jesus — that He is the Son of God and that He died for their sins, was buried and rose again from the dead. They learn the prayers, hymns and spiritual songs that belong to Christianity. They learn how to act morally, to have proper family values and to speak and behave towards others as Jesus would — in short, What Would Jesus Do! They have the Christian teachings in their heads and the Christian walk and ways in their feet and hands. They do not have the Lord as their Savior in their hearts! But God says, “Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? ... and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:22-23).

The “Political” Christian

These are the people who have been brought up to fear God and have a respect for God’s Word, the Bible. They consider the Bible to be the moral standard against a “do what is right in your own eyes” standard. They want to bring the country back to its Judeo-Christian roots, thereby making the country “Christian” again. But God says, “The god of this world [Satan] 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).

The Christian With a New Life From God

These people have come to the end of themselves and realize that their hearts are hopelessly wicked and that they are unfit for the presence of God. They realize that no amount of religion or works will save them and that they deserve God’s judgment. Through repentant faith, they accept God’s way of salvation through His Son Jesus, who gave His life as a ransom for them, and died and rose again to be their Lord and Savior. They realize that this is by the grace of God alone and that they have passed from Satan’s control and domain over to the kingdom of God. They are truly born again of water (the Word of God) and the Spirit of God, and can now be certain of eternal life! “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life” (John 6:47).

Please do not let an experience, no matter how dramatic, keep you from realizing your need of a Savior. Do not believe in a feel-good, “everything’s going to be OK” gospel, that will only doom you for eternity! Feelings, no matter how strong and powerful, do not change what is certain and real. Do not let the security of a formal religion or a cultural faith or the idea of well-doing deceive you into a lost eternity! “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

Life really can be shockingly short. But what comes after this life certainly isn’t. Find out more in Jupiter and Its Four Moons.

Jupiter and Its Four Moons

My son set up the new telescope in the middle of our backyard. Using the small finder scope with crosshairs in it that was attached to the barrel of the larger, more powerful telescope, he pointed it towards the southern night sky and focused it on what looked like the brightest star in the sky. Only it wasn’t a star; it was the planet Jupiter.

After a few micro-adjustments he said, “Here Dad, quick, look; I’ve got Jupiter in view on the telescope.”

Careful not to bump the telescope which was on a tripod, I looked through the eyepiece and saw the huge planet Jupiter and its four visible moons, the same moons the astronomer Galileo saw nearly 400 years ago.

Jupiter looked like a circle of light maybe a quarter of an inch in diameter. It was mostly shades of gray, but mixed in the grays I could see the faintest hints of color. The moons were clearly visible too. They were much smaller little orbs circling the planet.

I had only looked for a few seconds at the planet before it moved out of the field of vision.

“Wow! That moves fast,” I told my son. “I only had a few seconds to look at it and it disappeared from view.”

“That’s because the planets are travelling incredibly fast through space,” he said.

Using the spotter telescope, he got the planet in view a few more times for some good looks for both of us.

Before my son showed me, I never realized that this bright speck of light was not a star but a planet. The amazing thing about seeing Jupiter and its four moons was how fast they travelled. I guess it was no more than twenty or thirty seconds before the planet disappeared off the field of view of the telescope. This was surprising, because when looked at with the naked eye, the planet doesn’t look like it’s moving at all.

Life Is Short

Looking at Jupiter in the telescope got me thinking about the shortness of life. You know when you are caught up in the moment, time almost seems to stand still. Remember what it was like to be a kid at the end of the school day, and how slowly time moved? But someone who views things from a distance would say time moves much faster. I suppose if it were possible and you were to ask a person who is in eternity how fast life on earth went by, they would probably say it raced by. They may even say life on earth seemed no more than a few seconds before it was over and eternity began.

The prophet Isaiah knew about the shortness of life and wrote, “Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6). He knew after this life was over it would be forever too late to seek the Lord, and those who never sought Him would be sent away to a lost eternity.

Time flies. Don’t put off getting right with God. If you do, you may find it is forever too late.

How many people in hell at this moment are there because they thought they had time enough to repent, only to discover that time moved more swiftly than they thought.

Like the planet Jupiter and its moons swiftly passing out of the field of view of the telescope, our lives will quickly pass out of this scene and into eternity. Where will you be? Will you be with the Lord who loved you and gave His life for you? Or will you pass out of this life and go into the darkness of a lost eternity along with all those who remained in their sins? The choice is yours, but know this: You don’t have endless time to make that choice! Don’t delay. Choose Christ!

Why Do You Wait?

Why do you wait, dear brother,
Oh, why do you tarry so long?
Your Savior is waiting to give you
A place in His sanctified throng.

Why not? Why not?
Why not come to Him now?

What do you hope, dear brother,
To gain by a further delay?
There’s no one to save you but Jesus;
There’s no other way but His way.

Do you not feel, dear brother,
His Spirit now striving within?
Oh, why not accept His salvation,
And throw off thy burden of sin.

Why do you wait, dear brother?
The harvest is passing away;
Your Savior is longing to bless you;
There’s danger and death in delay.

A $30 Million Inheritance

Carl Sabatino was attending the deathbed of an aunt whom he dearly loved. Faithfully, he stayed by her side as much as he could until she passed on. Just three days before her death, she whispered a final message to her nephew: Don’t forget, Carl, to look under the sewing machine.

What did she mean by that? Carl didn’t think much of it at first, as he was busy with funeral arrangements and other things after his aunt passed on, but after a while he remembered what she had said and became curious. He decided to look under the sewing machine.

At first, he didn’t see anything of value. Just a stack of old newspapers dating back to the 1950s. But then he realized there was something hidden inside of the papers! Carefully peeling the papers back, he found a painting. But was there any real value in his aunt’s gift? He remembered seeing this painting hanging in his aunt’s home during his childhood days when he would come over to her house to play. He had called it “the woman in the fuzzy hat.” Her husband, who had an eye for art, had purchased it from a London vendor for 10 euros (about $30) during World War II.

But then he got to thinking — his aunt had thought it important enough to hide it away and to make a point of mentioning it just before her death. Obviously, she saw great value in it. He also noticed that the signature of the artist was “Picasso.” Was it really Pablo Picasso, whose original paintings sold for millions or was it just a copy? He knew a little bit about art and knew that the painting was not Picasso’s usual style. Maybe its value was just sentimental! To satisfy his curiosity, he decided to have an art expert look at it.

The local expert that he took it to studied it for a while and then came to a conclusion — the painting was definitely a fake! Enormously disappointed, Carl collected his painting. Then he began to think ... the “expert” had been too quick to dismiss the painting as an original! He wanted a second opinion. He wanted someone who would spend more time with the painting and check it out thoroughly. Following his instincts, he took the painting to another expert.

A Deeper Look

Many people are just like the first “expert.” They don’t make diligent search, or take seriously, the meaning of life and why we are here. They don’t care to know of their accountability toward a holy God. They casually dismiss the Bible as the Word of God, and they merely admit that Jesus was a “good man,” not realizing their need of a Savior and that Jesus is the Savior of sinners. Passing into eternity, they lose every blessing and joy that they could have had, only to suffer the consequences of their neglect with unending regret and torment.

The second expert examined the painting with the care that it deserved. Pablo Picasso was not only a famous painter, but he was also a talented sculptor, play writer and stage designer, along with ceramics and mosaics. His circle of friends was famous — Hemmingway, Fitzgerald and others. If the painting was indeed an original, its value would be enormous, but how to prove it?

Slowly, the clues began to emerge. The biggest clue was a partial fingerprint on the edge of the canvas. If it was Pablo Picasso’s fingerprint, it would go a long way in proving that the painting was an original. Fortunately, Picasso’s fingerprints were on file. This is where we have a story within a story!

Pablo Picasso (b. 1881, d. 1973) was born in Spain but spent most of his adult years in France. It was during this time that the famous painting of Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris. It turns out that the thieves were good friends of Picasso, so as part of the investigation Picasso’s fingerprints were taken. They have been on public record ever since this unusual event. The partial fingerprint proved to be Pablo Picasso’s, determined by forensic specialists!

The next big clue was in the paint itself. A sample was sent away for testing. It turned out to be gum bichromate, a paint that Picasso had experimented with in the 1930s. The expert believed that Carl’s painting was actually a recreation of a famous painting named “Woman With a Cape,” which is now hanging in the Cleveland Museum of Art. Picasso had created this painting in 1901 when he was just 19 years old. There was no doubt now that Carl’s painting was authentic!

A Deeper Truth

Because the second expert made a careful and critical examination of Carl’s painting, the truth was revealed. Anyone who makes an earnest and honest examination of God’s Word, the Bible, will find the truth. “Ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). The Bible tells us that we are sinners, hopelessly lost and rebelling against a pure and holy God, each one of us having turned to our own way and heading for the judgment of God because no sin can enter into heaven.

The Bible, too, has a story within a story! Not only does it tell of man’s fall and hopeless degradation before God, but it also tells us of God’s plan of salvation for mankind. It tells us of God’s love for each one of us, and how He sent His only begotten Son to die on Calvary’s cross as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. It tells us that when we repent to God of our sins and put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, our sins will be forgiven and we will go to be forever with the Lord in heaven when we die. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). When we realize our desperate need of a Savior, and there is “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21), then it is true “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).

The Deepest Gift

The next step was to establish the real value of the painting. Carl was thrilled when an expert who specialized in Picasso’s art signed an appraisal stating the painting was an original, which is now entitled “Undiscovered in Blue.” It has since been valued at $30 million! His aunt, who had hidden the painting for 70 years, had given him a wonderful gift and an enormous inheritance! Carl’s experience was so unusual that he wanted to share it with others, and he wrote a book about it, detailing his 13-year journey with the painting after his aunt’s death in 2004.

Everyone who puts their trust in Jesus through faith is given a gift of far greater value than $30 million. “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). Jesus Himself said, “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). Are you one of Jesus’ sheep? Choose to follow Him today, no matter the cost, and you will inherit eternal life. Neglect or reject Him and you will experience the eternal wrath of God!

God really does delight to give and to bless. Find out more in Bene Decere.

Bene Decere

Bene decere is a Latin phrase (the language spoken in the ancient Roman Empire) meaning “Speak good.”

Bene decere in English is translated “Bless.”

Do you know that God wants to speak good to you and bless you as only a God of infinite power and love could? To bring blessing into your life, God, in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, came to this earth and gave His life at Calvary.

In a world full of disobedience, selfishness and malice, which is the world we live in, Christ’s death on the cross reveals the immense love of God as nothing else ever could. Love looks out for the blessing of others. And this is what the Lord Jesus did at the cross. He worked for the good of others.

At the cross He voluntarily offered up His life as the sacrifice for sin. It is true, cruel men took His hands and feet and nailed Him to the wooden beams, but He let them do it. He could have called legions of angels at any time to come and deliver Him, or He could have come down from the cross under His own power, but He never did.

His willingness to give all He had for others means that sinners who have deeply offended God can have their sins forgiven. It means that those dead in sins and trespasses can find a new life in Him. It means none need to perish in their sins and end up in hell’s fire, but that all have the opportunity to go to heaven through Him.

God’s Good News

The good news that God wants preached to the world is that Christ died for all. “He is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for ... the whole world” (1 John 2:2).

Through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, the door to heaven is now opened for ruined sinners. “I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved” (John 10:9).

His death and suffering means so much to God the Father that by it everyone can be saved. “The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11). The reason some men are not saved is because they refuse His love.

God wants to “speak good” to you and bless you with His grace. “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” Grace is God’s favor given to those who haven’t earned it. God’s grace helps souls avoid evil and enables them to live a life pleasing to God. Those who believe on Christ receive real life from God. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24).

He doesn’t want you to go on in your sins until you eventually end up in hell. He wants you to repent and enjoy His company. Though you have loved sin and excluded God from your life, He wants you to repent now and believe in Him. You will be given a brand new spiritual life that delights to please Him. How great is God’s goodness in receiving sinners back to Himself!

God is willing to help you every step home to heaven. Oh, that you would have ears to hear how much God wants to bless you — to speak good to you — and come to Christ today!

True, deep, lasting peace is worth finding out about in The Peace of God: Do You Enjoy It?

The Peace of God: Do You Enjoy It?

There is an old saying that goes, “Good fences make good neighbors.” We understand that kind of peace even if it is rather cold and distant. We might even live for decades this way and think we’re getting along just fine with our neighbor. But all we’re doing is minding our own business. The “peace preached though Jesus Christ” is altogether different.

The peace the Bible speaks of is not an uneasy truce, a peace involving distance or mere toleration, but the very opposite. It is a caring and enjoyable relationship. It is the result of God finding a solution to the root cause of our fractured relationships.

The Bible explains that peace with God is the starting point to true change in mending our fractured selves, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Think of it as the picture on the puzzle box top that shows how the various puzzle pieces of life come together.

God’s intention is that mankind would be at peace with Himself. He demonstrated how serious He is by the coming of Jesus Christ into the world. The angels announced, “On earth peace, good will toward men.” We need to be right with God above all else.

Jesus Christ entered our broken world and interacted with our broken lives. He saw the broken promises, homes, minds and lives that characterize us. Like scattered jigsaw pieces, peace and wholeness elude us. The Bible tells us that this problem is a result of the intrusion of sin into God’s perfect creation.

Into the broken pieces of our lives the message of peace has come in the Person of Jesus Christ. He has done something about our sin, something that we could never have done. On the cross Jesus exhausted sin’s penalty. As a result, peace is extended to us freely and graciously.

God is not interested in building fences. He did not create us to be at a distance from Himself. It is sin that did that to us. God wants you to get to know Him and to experience His love and peace. He wants to pick up the puzzle pieces of your life and make something beautiful.

“By Him to reconcile all things unto Himself,” “having made peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:20).

A Time to Pause, A Time to Consider

We live in most unusual times, with whole countries being on lockdown because of an Invisible Enemy named COVID-19 or the coronavirus. People are being told to stay at home and not to go out unless absolutely necessary. Large gatherings are forbidden, including gatherings for worship. The whole entertainment industry has been shut down, including Hollywood, movie theaters and sporting events. Whole sectors of the economy have been reduced to a trickle, including the cruise line and airline industries. Unemployment numbers have skyrocketed with people being unable to work. Many people are filled with anxiety and fear, not knowing what is going to happen next.

You might well wonder, “What is going on?” God’s Word gives us instruction for navigating these difficult days. The Bible does not have to be readjusted several times like the models that were being used to predict the amount of deaths from COVID-19! God tells us exactly who He is and gives us every reason to trust Him. He tells us about Himself in these words: “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” (Isaiah 46:9-10).

Over 2,000 years ago, Jesus told His disciples what signs to look for that would signal the beginning of the last days before His return to reign on this earth. He who knows “the end from the beginning” told us exactly what to expect. Jesus said, “Ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers [different] places. All these things are the beginnings of sorrows” (Matthew 24:6-8). These days lie just ahead following close on the heels of the return of the Lord Jesus for His own.

Current Warnings

Meanwhile God is showing people how misplaced their confidence is in thinking that they can make a better and better world by clever effort and hard work. Many who claimed that there is no God thought that they could create utopia on earth, such as Joseph Stalin, Karl Marx, Fidel Castro and others. But since World War II, there has been one major war after another. The Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War, Afghanistan War, Iraq War, conflict in Libya, attacks by ISIS, war in Syria ... and the list goes on and on. This does not even consider Israel’s wars, genocide in Rwanda and countless other African wars. As recently as 2016, North Korea was threatening to start a nuclear war that had many world powers on edge.

What about famines? Just since the year 1998, Wikipedia lists eight major famines, some of which are still going on now in Yemen and South Sudan, Somalia and Nigeria. On top of that, there is a plague of locusts in the billions that are swarming through East Africa and the Middle East, even reaching into India and crossing into China. It is no exaggeration to say that these locusts are a plague of Biblical proportions. These swarms literally fill the sky and can cover an area as large as a small city! They are both an awesome and a frightening sight to see.

These locusts bred by the millions because of very unusual circumstances. Off the coasts of Yemen and Oman there is a desert region which never gets rain —except for last year! First to come were torrential rainfalls. Then two cyclones tore through the area, dumping a colossal amount of rain. The African countries that are facing food shortages now are especially threatened, such as South Sudan, Kenya and Somalia. There were estimates of up to 18 to 20 million people facing food shortages before the locust plague — this will only make it worse. Even a small swarm of locusts can devour enough crops to feed 35,000 people a day!

The news of the locusts first came out in February, but it was quickly overshadowed by COVID-19. But by mid-April, there was news of a second, deadlier wave of “young adult” locusts that were more voracious than the first. Worse than that, some of the swarms were up to 20 times larger! Many African farmers say that they are facing a danger far worse than the coronavirus. This type of devastation has not been seen for the past 70 years, and yet the world’s attention seems to be entirely focused on the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Bible mentions “pestilences.” This word can also mean plague, disease, epidemic or virus. Think about it. First there was HIV/AIDS (1981-present), which still kills thousands in Africa. Then there were SARS (2002-2003), Swine Flu (2009-2010), MERS (2012-present), Ebola (2014-2016), and now COVID-19 (2019-present). This doesn’t even include the 60,000-80,000 Americans that die of the flu each year. Each time an epidemic starts to circle the globe, people seem to react with more fear and panic than before.

What about earthquakes? They’ve just about become commonplace by now, unless they’re really big and destructive. Forty-eight significant earthquakes of 3.6 to 7.7 have taken place all over the globe during 2020 alone, as of this writing. Twenty of them have taken place in the U.S., including eight in Puerto Rico. Yet they’re barely mentioned in the news because of the coronavirus.

Lost in the rearview mirror of most people’s minds are the forest fires that tore through much of Australia in 2019-2020. They got so out of control that it seemed like all of Australia would burn down. It took a heavy rainfall in mid-January and a torrential downpour in mid-February to finally quench the fires that had been raging for months. It is estimated that more than a billion animals perished, along with nearly 3,000 homes, not to mention huge tracts of farmland and agriculture.

More to Come

But the current events are just warnings. There will be even more intense events immediately following the Lord Jesus’ return to take His bride home to be with Him. But even with these more intense disasters, Jesus tells us that when those things happen, “the end is not yet,” and “all these things are the beginnings of sorrows.” Like birth pangs, natural disasters and world upheavals will increase to the point that people will be totally overwhelmed and will be completely unable to cope with or overcome God’s judgment. That means that things in this world will get worse and worse, to the point that Jesus said, “Then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved” (Matthew 24:21-22). God gives us much more detail in the Book of Revelation as to just how much people will suffer and how they will react to God’s judgment upon them. What is happening today is just a small foreshadowing of what’s coming to this world.

What Should We Learn?

What are we to make of all of this? The “shelter at home” mandate has brought many people’s busy lives to an abrupt halt. In love and in mercy, God is giving us the unique opportunity to pause from our sports, business and pleasure to consider our destiny, our eternal well-being. Will you be in heaven or hell when you die? Do you know if your sins are forgiven? Do you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior? God wants you to pause and consider all of these questions. It’s just as if God had to use these drastic measures to get our attention.

The Bible tells us, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Just because it has been thousands of years after God said He would judge this wicked world does not mean that it won’t happen. God’s promises always come to pass. But He is “long-suffering,” not “willing that any should perish.” The first step towards God is repentance. It means acknowledging that God is right when He says that we are sinners and deserve to be punished for our sins.

A Way of Escape

God has provided a way of escape for each one of us before He pours out His wrath upon this earth! He loves you and does not want you to perish in your sins. This is what He says to each one of us: “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). The way of salvation is simple; all we have to do is believe it and accept it. Here are three verses that tell us how to be saved from our sins. “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). This verse tells us that God loves us so much that He sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins. When we put our trust in Jesus, God forgives our sins and gives us eternal life. Our next verse is: “If thou 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). We confess with our mouth what we believe in our heart. When we tell God of our trust in the Lord Jesus, He promises to save us. It is as simple as, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). It’s as simple as saying, “Lord, save me!” when you put your faith and trust in Jesus.

Those of us who know the Lord as our Savior have a bright future awaiting us. One day the Lord will snatch His own away from this earth to be forever with Him. We call this the rapture, which is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 and 1 Corinthians 15:52. But those that do not know the Lord as their Savior are “condemned already” (John 3:18). They are under the influence of an invisible enemy far worse than the coronavirus. This enemy’s name is Satan; the Bible describes him as “your adversary the devil” who “walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Do not be deceived! Accept God’s gracious offer of salvation today, while there is yet time. Choose life, and live. Those that reject God’s way of salvation “shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:9).

Before the judgment comes, God has a wonderful way of deliverance. Read about it in Black Friday.

Black Friday

Get ready! Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is coming. This day will be the best shopping day of the year! If you are willing to face jam-packed parking lots, jostling crowds, and rubbing elbows with frenetic shoppers — assuming the stores are even open — you may be rewarded with terrific savings. However, be prepared to move fast. Many items will disappear off the shelves if you don’t hurry.

Do you feel the urgency to get out there and shop? What if I told you that you didn’t have to wait for Black Friday to get the best offer ever made? What if I told you this offer covers the most urgent need you have?

It’s true. On a Black Friday 2,000 years ago, a Man hung on the cross so this offer might be made to you. Although He did no evil, He was taken like a common criminal and nailed to two pieces of intersecting wood and left to die. What a black, black Friday that was! It was so black that for three hours while He hung on the cross a supernatural darkness hovered over the land. In all the history of the world, no day was blacker than this. Men meant this act for evil, but God overruled it for good. By this terrible act of injustice, God has brought about the means of bringing the greatest blessing man could ever receive. So much blessing has come into the world through the death of God’s Son that the day on which He died has come to be referred to by some as “Good Friday.”

Because Christ died for sinners, God can justly offer to every man, woman and child the gift of eternal life. This is a gift you urgently need, because without it you are on the way to a lost eternity. “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 3:23).

COSTLY FREE OFFER

What does this offer cost? Hundreds, millions, billions? No, it cost far more than all the combined wealth in this world. It cost the precious blood of Christ. When we sinned, it was as if we dragged an ink dripping rag across our hearts, which left a terrible stain. Only the blood of Christ can wash away the stain of sin. The price to ransom sinners was the lifeblood of the Savior. “Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).

Every second a person remains apart from Christ, he runs the risk of losing his never-dying soul. Time like a rushing river is swiftly flowing by. Do you know the hour of your death so that you can prepare to meet your God? No, of course, you don’t. But every passing moment brings you closer to the time when you must pass out of this world and enter into judgment for your sins. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Therefore the sensible thing to do is to come to Christ right now. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Right now is the time God wants you to repent of your sins, believe on the Lord Jesus, and receive His offer of eternal life.

Shoppers on Black Friday might find a lot of good deals and save a lot of money, but the greatest saving doesn’t involve money. The greatest saving takes place when a sinner turns away from their sins, comes to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, and then is brought home to heaven. This salvation, offered free to all, is by far the greatest blessing any man, woman or child may ever receive. Receive it and thanksgiving will surely follow.

The day you find the greatest saving will not be on any day you go shopping, but it will be when you come to Christ. The need is urgent. What is holding you back?

Precious Blood

The blood has always precious been;
It’s precious now to me;
Through it alone my soul has rest,
From fear and doubt set free.

Oh, wondrous is the crimson tide
Which from my Savior flowed;
And still in heaven my song shall be,
The precious, precious blood.

I will remember now no more,
God’s faithful Word has said,
The follies and the sins of him
For whom My Son has bled.

Not all my well-remembered sins
Can startle or dismay;
The precious blood atones for all
And bears my guilt away.

Perhaps this feeble frame of mine
Will soon in sickness lie,
But resting on the precious blood
How peacefully I’ll die.

Escaped by the Skin of Your Teeth

An idiom is a figure of speech which, if taken literally, doesn’t make any sense, but adds a little zest to everyday language. “Raining cats and dogs” is an example of an idiom. Several idioms from the Bible have made their way into our common speech. Here are a few of them.

Escaped by the Skin of your Teeth

This idiom is found in the Book of Job. Job is a person who goes through extreme difficulties that push him to the limits of his endurance. “I am escaped with the skin of my teeth,” he said (Job 19:20). When someone uses this idiom today, it means having barely escaped some calamity by the narrowest of margins.

Imagine a drowning man who has enough strength to reach out and grab onto a lifering thrown out to him just before he sinks beneath the angry waves. This would be a picture of someone who had a near brush with death and was saved by the skin of their teeth.

Do you know God sees people drowning in their sins and wants them to reach out and take hold of the Savior? He knows that apart from Christ they are in immediate danger of perishing in hell. Those who have reached out to the Lord Jesus in faith and taken hold of His salvation will be brought home safe to heaven. They realize their sins were deserving of hell, and they know they have escaped the calamity of hell by the narrowest of margins. They see so many others proceeding carelessly towards a lost eternity and know that they themselves have barely escaped by the skin of their teeth. Will you see your need for the Savior and lay hold of the salvation He offers?

Feet of Clay

The expression “feet of clay” has come to mean the glaring weakness of any person, undertaking or plan that eventually results in failure. The term was used in the Book of Daniel to describe a statue seen in a dream by King Nebuchadnezzar. The statue was made out of precious metals except for the feet, which were made out of clay mixed with iron. The “feet of clay” symbolized the idea that, at the end, the governing powers of the world would be weak and ready to crumble.

Are you making plans for your life? Do you know that without Christ in your life those plans will always have “feet of clay”? Without Christ every dream in the end is bound to turn to dust because only the things done for Christ will last. Everything else will crumble and have no lasting value.

Wits’ End

Have you ever found yourself at wits’ end? Have you explored every possible option to solve some pressing problem and none of the options seem to work?

The idiom “at wits’ end” comes from the Book of Psalms and describes the predicament of a sailor passing through a severe storm when it feels like the ship can’t possibly stay afloat much longer. “They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.”

Perhaps the average person finds themselves at wits’ end several times a day! I know there are days I do. But I also know I don’t ever have to face the problems of life alone. When I came to the Lord Jesus by faith, He promised that He would be with me forever. “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Because He is with me, I know I can count on His help in difficult times. “In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and He heard me” (Psalm 120:1).

Because He is with every believer, they no longer have to face life’s problems alone.

Is death a problem? Oh yes, it is a problem that brings people to their wits’ end. But because Jesus died and rose again, He promises to bring every believer safe home to heaven. Those who believe can look forward to the resurrection of the just.

Are you a parent trying to raise a family? Are there issues about raising a family that bring you to wits’ end? Oh yes, there certainly are. But those who come to Christ do not have to face those problems alone. They may cast their care on the Lord and count on His help. The Apostle Peter encouraged believers, “Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

Are you someone who likes to think deeply about life? Maybe you have questions in your mind like the following: What is the purpose of life? Why is there evil in the world? How can people be so cruel? These questions and many more like them might have you stumped. They might have you at wits’ end. But these questions are not too hard for the Lord Jesus. “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). Those who seek the answers to life’s difficult questions will surely find them answered to their satisfaction when they search for them in Christ. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Matthew 7:7).

We may all be at wits’ end at many points in our lives. This seems unavoidable. But we don’t ever have to be there alone. If we trust in the blessed Savior, He will help us. Will you believe in Him that He might be with you forever? Wouldn’t it be worth trusting Him as your Savior to know that you would never have to face life’s problems alone again?

A Drop in the Bucket

This idiom is used to describe something which seems great but really is small and insignificant when it comes to the big picture. It was first used in the Book of Isaiah. “Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, He taketh up the isles as a very little thing,” he wrote (Isaiah 40:15). In his day, the nations in the Middle East were about to be invaded and carried away into captivity. In the people’s mind, these nations were very great. But in God’s mind they were only a small part of the history of the world. They were no more than a drop in the bucket.

Do you know that when compared to the destiny of a single person, all the nations and governments of the earth are but a drop in the bucket? This is because a person will never go out of existence. We will continue on forever, while nations exist for a relatively short while, and then they are gone forever.

Have you come to Christ so that you can live with Him forever? It is far more important to trust in God for the forgiveness of sins, that you might have an inheritance in heaven, than to spend time worrying about an earthly inheritance. The heavenly inheritance will last forever, while an earthly inheritance will soon be over.

It is far more important to lay up treasure in heaven than to seek earthly riches. Treasures in heaven will last for eternity, while earthly riches quickly pass away.

Earthly riches and life are soon over. They are nothing more than a drop in the bucket. Are you trusting in the Savior so that the things of lasting value might be yours?

Can the Leopard
Change His Spots?

This idiom has come to mean that it is extremely difficult for a person who is set in their ways to change. It comes from the Book of Jeremiah. “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil” (Jeremiah 13:23).

Somebody once observed that we are all creatures of habit. This is so true. Habits exercise a lot of power over what we do. When you were a kid, did you ever, with a bunch of other kids, make a current in a swimming pool by all walking in the same direction around the edge of the pool? Remember how once a current was created you could just lie down and float and the current would carry you along? It was a lot of fun. But when you live in this world that doesn’t want God, you make habits for yourself and those habits can carry you along in much the same way. Sadly, the habits most of us have formed have led us away from God who is the source of all good. That is what the prophet Isaiah meant by the phrase “accustomed to do evil.”

The leopard can’t change his spots. That’s impossible. But every man who has been “accustomed to do evil” must experience a deep change of heart towards God. If they don’t, they will never find the new life God has for them. So strong is the current of evil running through this world that they can’t do this in their own strength. They can only do it with help from above; that is why faith in Christ is so important. When we believe in the Lord Jesus, God in His grace gives the strength to overcome sin. The deep change in attitude toward sin is known as repentance. Ezekiel wrote, “If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all My statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?” (Ezekiel 18:21-23). These verses from Ezekiel can give those who are “accustomed to do evil” great hope. Because of God’s work, those who are “accustomed to do evil” do not have to go on in their sins until they die and pass into a lost eternity. With the Lord’s help, a sinner who is “accustomed to do evil” can find a new life in Christ.

I hope that looking at these five idioms will get you to think of the Lord Jesus and the incredible things He does for those who come to love and trust Him. Above all, I hope you look to the Savior for your salvation from sin and its consequences.

Ignoring the warnings and settling down sleepily in the habits of life can have surprising consequences. Caught by the Tide illustrates that fact well.

Caught By the Tide

I grew up in Southern California and spent many happy times at the Pacific Ocean. One particular beach was my favorite — Laguna Beach. As a child I loved to build sand castles there, hunt for starfish in the tidal pools along the ocean, and, of course, collect sea shells. I have many shells in a glass case from those many happy times spent at the Pacific Ocean. Later on, I enjoyed sitting on one specific rock at Laguna Beach and doing my studying when I was in college. It was a beautiful atmosphere — always a beautiful breeze, cooler than it was inland, and the sound of the waves was so relaxing as they shattered on shore.

I worked two part-time jobs to pay my way through college, so I was especially tired one day when I went to my favorite rock to study. I decided that after I finished writing out my essay, I would take my books and papers with me and go down and lie close to the water and relax a bit. I soon fell fast asleep on the hot sand that was cooled by the ocean water just barely tickling my toes. I had my books and papers next to me, securely under the beach towel I was lying on.

I slept on, lulled by the waves and the sound of the seagulls overhead, as they swooped down to catch their dinner in the ocean. The beautiful sunset was the last thing I recall seeing before I fell asleep. How beautiful is the creation our Lord God has created for us to enjoy!

Rude Awakening

Suddenly I felt like I was being swallowed! As I struggled awake, I thought of Jonah and the great fish that swallowed him up! I realized I couldn’t breathe, and I jerked awake to find I was under water! High tide had come in while I slept! My papers were gone, out to sea — all my homework was gone! My book was floating where I could save it, but all my hard work was gone!

I had not prepared for high tide. We are told to “prepare to meet thy God” (Amos 4:12). The consequences of my not preparing were to stay up most of the night and do my homework over again, but the consequences of not preparing to meet the Lord Jesus are far greater. Our Lord and Savior died on the cross and shed His blood so that if we believe on Him, we will be saved and spend eternity in heaven with Him and everyone else who has prepared to meet Him. By not preparing, by not believing on Him, the end will be eternity in the lake of fire! Please trust in the Lord Jesus to forgive your sins. It is the best decision you will ever make in your life, as it will give you eternal life with our precious Lord Jesus who loves us more than anyone ever could. Please close your eyes, where you are now, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ so that you will be saved (Acts 16:31).

Echoes of Grace: 2020

Table of Contents

Home for the Night

Home

One More Chance

Only Waiting

A Mystery Solved

Guilty or Innocent by DNA

A Stunt Gone Terribly Wrong

Bye, Miami!

Popping A Wheelie in Traffic

Along the River of Time

Selfie Absorbed

Help From the Fuse Family

The Biggest Swindle Ever

Going to the Bank

An Unexpected Gift

Five Things That Are Not Enough

Jesus Christ Our Savior

The Duck That Failed to Swim

The Duck That Fell Apart

Life Like a Bird

The Cholera Outbreak of 1854

The Spread of the Coronavirus

White as Snow

The Year Without a Summer

A Mystery Solved: Mount Pinatubo 1991

Hydrothermal Volcanoes

Can You Change Your Age?

Jupiter and Its Four Moons

Why Do You Wait?

A $30 Million Inheritance

Bene Decere

The Peace of God: Do You Enjoy It?

A Time to Pause, A Time to Consider

Black Friday

Precious Blood

Escaped by the Skin of Your Teeth

Caught By the Tide