A True Shark Story–Large Print Tract

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A True Shark Story
In that playful marine acrobat, the porpoise, the shark has an enemy that will permit no intrusion on its feeding grounds. This fact came out in the course of a story told about themselves by two old and experienced Christian fishermen while conducting a fishing excursion off Swan Beach, New Jersey, many years ago. The story which appeared first in Harper’s Weekly was as follows: “Some ten years ago we were hard drinkers, swearers, wild surfmen and fishermen. We never entered a church, and cared neither for God nor devil.
“On a fine Sunday morning in August, we started at daylight for this very reef of rocks. With plenty of bait, we looked for four or five hundred-weight of sea-bass, flounders, and black-fish. At first we pulled them up as fast as our lines touched bottom; then we had not a single bite.
“Surprised, we looked up and around, preparatory to changing our ground. To our astonishment the water was alive with sharks. We commenced pulling up our anchor, when a savage fish rushed to the bow of the boat and bit the rope in two. Then we hoisted sail, but the moment we put the steering oar into the water, several sharks began biting it into pieces. So we were compelled to take in sail, and drift.
“We were in the midst of a school of sharks two miles long and half a mile broad. They were of all sizes, from six feet long to twelve or fourteen. They swarmed around our boat, and dashed it one third full of water with their tails. We had to bail, one with his hat, and the other with the bait pail. Every moment some big fellow would put his nose almost on our gunwale, while his yellow tiger eye glared ferociously at our pale faces.
“One shark dashed at the boat and seized one of the side planks, and almost shook us out of our seats. Fortunately his teeth broke off, and away he went with a bleeding jaw. In a moment he was torn into pieces, and devoured. Then the school returned to us again.
“We were in despair, and never expected to see shore again. We could not sail, we could not row, and were drifting out to sea. Finally Charley said: “‘Bill, we are in an awful mess. Let us see if God will help us!’ We knelt down, and prayed for help…and repentance. We had hardly finished before we saw a great school of porpoises. They hurled themselves out of the water, jumping twenty feet at a bound. Soon we were in the midst of them. The sharks started out to sea, but the porpoises were too quick for them. They bit and tore the sharks fearfully. Sometimes three porpoises would have hold of one shark. Then they jumped out of the water and fell heavily on those tigers of the ocean. The fight continued for miles. We were saved and rowed safely to shore.”
God’s promise in Psalm 50:15 is, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.”
In their “day of trouble” the two evidently doomed fishermen called on God. He answered by providentially delivering them from the sharks by means of the porpoises. Their life showed practically that God had sent His Son to save them from their sins (Matthew 1:21). And in their godly walk that followed that “great salvation”, the last part of the verse was fulfilled in their lives: “Thou shalt glorify Me.”

A Valiant Captain–Large Print Tract

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A Valiant Captain
A Valiant Captain’s Effort
The “Patrick Morris” was a large ferry boat which carried passengers and cars across the strait between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. The captain was justly proud of his boat which had made the trip safely many times.
One day while the ferry was in the harbor at Port aux Basques, a violent storm came up. The waves in the strait rolled high as the wind blew harder and harder. Rather than risk damage from the raging storm in the strait, the captain of the “Patrick Morris” kept his ferry in the quieter waters of the harbor, waiting for the gale to die down.
Suddenly, over the tumultuous waves came the cry of distress, a “Mayday,” from a boat in trouble out in the strait. The ferry boat captain was keenly aware of the urgency of the call and felt impelled to disregard the raging storm and speed to the aid of fellow-seamen. He gave orders for the ferry to move out into the strait, and soon the big vessel was churning its way out of the harbor and into the storm.
After plowing through the tossing waves for some time the labors of the crew were rewarded. A small fishing boat came into view foundering before the wind. The situation presented dangerous problems for both vessels, for the mighty powers of the sea could easily have dashed the small craft against the big ferry, crushing the little boat and perhaps badly damaging the large one. What should he do? The captain pondered the question, and decided to take the risk.
He ordered the big ferry to be maneuvered as close as possible to the helpless small craft, and very soon the “Patrick Morris” was in position, its huge loading and unloading door away from the wind and near the sinking boat.
“Open the door,” the captain commanded. The electrical equipment whirred as the crew hastened to obey. The great door slowly slid upward and opened. In this position they hoped they could more easily rescue the men on the little fishing boat. As the door reached maximum height, the electric current shut off, leaving the yawning mouth locked wide open.
At that moment the wind veered and a wall of water crashed into the huge open door of the ferry boat. The electric power generator, flooded by the in-pouring water, was knocked out and the crew could not close the door again.
How helpless they were as wave after wave washed up into the ferry! Soon it was evident that the big ship itself was sinking. The lifeboats were launched and about 28 men got safely to shore. Several fishermen were lost; and the captain, the first mate, and the chief engineer went down with the ship.
The captain had tried to save the men in the fishing boat. He made a valiant effort, but he failed. HE WAS NOT ABLE.
Only one—the Lord Jesus—”IS ABLE TO SAVE TO THE UTTERMOST.” The way is open to “THEM THAT COME UNTO GOD BY HIM” (Hebrews 7:25). Will you come?

A Blessed Blunder–Large Print Tract

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A Blessed Blunder
At a gospel meeting in Des Moines I had preached as clearly as I could the glorious Word of the Christ of the cross. Afterward, noticing a young man trying to avoid me, I went straight over to him.
After a brief conversation I persuaded him to come with me into a small adjoining room. I learned that it was through a “mistake” that he had “blundered” into the meeting.
The young man was a Jew and, as he thought, on his way to a concert. The brightly lighted gospel hall appeared to him to be the concert location. The preaching was just beginning as he found a seat, and leaving immediately would have been embarrassing. He decided to “tough it out” and escape as soon as possible.
As to the preacher’s message that night, perhaps little was heard. He was utterly indifferent to Christianity, and almost insulting in his attitude toward me. In my helplessness, I looked to the Lord for guidance. I knew that only He could give the right word.
“My word… shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing where to I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).
Taking a small Testament from my pocket, I held it out to the young man. I said: “If you will promise me that you will get on your knees this night and read this verse I have marked, I will make you a present of the Book.”
The verse was John 5:24: “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.”
Glad to be rid of me so easily, the young fellow agreed and was soon on his way.
Did he really get away?
It was several years later that a news item came to my attention: “Albert Nathan,” I read, “a converted Israelite, is holding Bible studies in…”
“Nathan”? That was the name of my Jewish listener! That night being a free one for me, I went to take the place of a listener. As I slipped into a rear seat, the announced speaker saw me. Hurrying down the aisle, he kept calling out: “I kept my promise! I kept my promise!”
As he grasped my hand, he exclaimed: “I got away from you, but I couldn’t get away from God. I kept my promise to you; and that night on my knees I read the precious words of John 5:24. Through it and through both my New Testament and the Old, the God of Jacob has by His Spirit brought me to know His Son Jesus as my Savior and my Lord. Going into that hall was the most blessed blunder I ever made.”