One summer morning in 1959, a routine delivery of explosives turned into a sad disaster that affected many residents of the town of Roseburg, Oregon. This is a story of a warning that was unheeded. The truck driver, George Rutherford, had parked his truck with a cargo of 13,000 pounds of dynamite and other explosives in a downtown area next to a building supply, and he felt it would be safe to leave it parked overnight while he slept in a nearby hotel. What seemed to be such an innocent act made national news when a fire broke out in the adjacent building in the middle of the night and ignited the cargo in the truck. The resulting explosion leveled seven city blocks and did heavy damage to an additional twenty-eight city blocks in the downtown district. The crater formed by the blast was fifty-two feet in diameter and about twenty feet deep! Fourteen people died and over one hundred were injured. In today’s economy, the damage done would be over one hundred million dollars!
What most people did not know when they heard of the “lack of wisdom” in parking such dangerous cargo in a downtown area was the fact that, two days prior to the blast, its driver and the powder company who owned the truck had been issued a warning never to allow their loaded trucks to park in congested areas, nor were the drivers to leave them unattended.
Like many true stories of disasters that could have been prevented, this one reminds us of ignored warnings in the lives of many people who have turned a deaf ear to the faithful warnings in the Word of God as to their having offended God by their sins and deserving eternal punishment.
We read in the Word of God how “God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not” (Job 33:1414For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. (Job 33:14)). We also read, “God now commandeth all men everywhere to repent: because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man [Christ Jesus] whom He hath ordained” (Acts 17:30-3130And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:30‑31)). These warnings found in the Bible are of a far more serious nature than all of the damage done in Roseburg. God’s warnings have eternal consequences but also have your very best interest in mind.
We can well imagine the driver saying to himself after the blast, “Look what you’ve done!” What remorse! While he felt terrible, he was powerless to change the history of what took place. Think of how God felt in placing man on this earth with the intention that people would enjoy fellowship with Him and the blessings He has in store for those who love and obey Him. But mankind has sinned and turned their backs on the God who loves them. Yet it is wonderful to read in the Word of God what He has done to bring us the offer of the forgiveness of sins. God the Father has sent His Son to become a man so that He could be the Saviour of the world. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). Today God wants you to turn to Christ and believe that He died on the cross of Calvary to bless you with the forgiveness of sins and a wonderful salvation.
There was another warning during the Roseburg incident, but it was a warning that was unnoticed until it was too late. That warning was found in the large words on the side of the truck that said, “Explosives.” The firemen and policemen at the scene of the fire were too busy to notice this truck with its plain indication of what was inside, for their attention was focused on taking care of the fire. George Rutherford also had good intentions when he was awakened by the fire truck sirens, and he headed for his truck to see if it needed to be moved away from the fire. Sadly, he was too late to do so and received injuries from the blast.
As you read this account, you are responsible before God as to your response to His loving offer of mercy. For you, it is not too late to put your trust in Christ as your own Saviour. It would be sad if you allow this message of glad tidings to go unnoticed. The God who created you loves you more than you can imagine, and He is pleading with you to be wise and consider your latter end. The Lord Jesus Christ said that “him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:3737All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37)). May you heed God’s warnings and be forever blessed!
The ice on the Baltic Sea off the east coast of Sweden looked splendid: clear and flat, unspoiled by ridges and fissures for as far as the eye could see. It looked like the kind of ice that a good skater could fly across. And fly the young Swedish couple in their thirties did. Long-distance ice skating on the frozen ocean is a type of extreme sport in Scandinavia that is growing in popularity. The two skaters, rhythmically swinging their arms and legs, put many kilometers behind them through the hours of the early afternoon. They enjoyed the scenery of low-lying snow-covered hills and the solitude of being out on the expanse of ice alone. By three in the afternoon the shadows were lengthening, and the sinking sun filled the gloam with an eerie golden yellow light that is peculiar to the northern latitudes.
The husband and wife team of skaters were a few kilometers from shore enjoying the almost ethereal beauty when, unknown to them, further out to sea a powerful ice breaker ship was clearing a path so that the shipping lanes might remain open. The ice breaker, battering the ice at a high speed, shattered the ice for several kilometers on either side of its path. What had once been a solid piece of ice broke up into thousands of pieces each about the size of small city lots. It was as if a giant pane of glass had been smashed by an equally giant hammer. Rifts of open water quickly formed between these small islands of ice. From above, at a bird’s eye view, the frozen sea, which had looked as smooth as a mirror seconds ago, now looked like great pieces of a jigsaw puzzle all laid out with a gap between adjacent pieces.
The skaters felt and heard the ice buckle and snap beneath them. They instinctively stopped their forward motion, which saved them from tragedy. If they had continued for a fraction of a second longer, they would have skated into the frigid water which had opened up as if by magic before them. They turned away from the frail edges of the broken sheet of ice and carefully skated to its center where it seemed safer. But neither of them was under any illusions of security. The ice beneath their skates felt like it might break up at any moment and send them to their watery deaths. Straightaway they realized that they needed help urgently.
Fortunately, one of the pair carried a cell phone, and on it they placed a call to the Coast Guard. Using landmarks on the distant shore, they described their position as best they could and then hoped the rescue helicopter would be able to spot them before the darkness of night settled in. Twelve minutes after making the call a helicopter arrived, and, lowering a basket, it was able to rescue them off the ice. It was not a minute too soon either, for shortly after evacuating the pair from the ice it broke up into smaller pieces.
The pair of skaters had been in a life-and-death situation and needed help urgently. Not all of us are interested in extreme sports that may put us in the way of bodily harm, but all of us are in a life-and-death situation because of our spiritual condition and are in urgent need of God’s grace. Sin has put all persons at imminent risk of a lost eternity. The depth of the sea surrounded the skaters on their small ice island, and the depth of a lost eternity surrounds those who have not yet come to Jesus Christ for salvation. Ever since the fall of man, the spiritual environs of man have been shattered, and no amount of human fixing can remedy the situation. The unity that once existed between God and man when man was created has been irreparably broken, leaving a gulf between them and a holy God.
Only One is mighty enough to help you find salvation, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 10:1313For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13) reads, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” The Lord Jesus can save all who call on Him, because He gave His life at Calvary. His death as the “lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:99Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:9)) is the one sacrifice that God will accept for sin. God will not leave any soul in danger who trusts in His Son for salvation, but He will keep them safe for time and eternity so that they never perish. Faith in Jesus Christ is the way for a sinner to be restored to a relationship with God the Father. “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” the Lord Jesus said. “No man cometh to the Father, but by Me” (John 14:66Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)).
Where will those who don’t know Christ be when God’s judgment against sin overtakes them? It is wishful thinking of the worst type for a person to entertain the illusion they will not come into judgment for their deeds. “The Lord is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed” (1 Samuel 2:3). In eternity each individual will get their full and proper due from “God, who will render to every man according to his deeds” (Romans 2:5-65But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6Who will render to every man according to his deeds: (Romans 2:5‑6)).
Can you say you have continued patiently in doing good throughout your life? Of course not! That is why you need the Saviour of sinners. The blood He shed on the cross can wash away your every stain of sin. And as the Victor over sin and death, He is able to help those who believe in Him so that they may walk as children of God.
Not only does God judge individuals, He is coming back sometime soon to judge the entire earth and set it right. With irresistible power He will shatter everything and everybody that is against Him. The time is coming when what is described in the following verses will surely come to pass: “The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).
The first time the Lord Jesus came, His enemies nailed Him to a cross, and He was rejected. The second time He comes, He will overcome His enemies with irresistible power, and He alone will be exalted. Their defenses and all the things they trusted in will be irrecoverably shattered. All those who know not God and obeyed not the gospel call to repent and believe will be punished with everlasting destruction. Everlasting destruction doesn’t mean annihilation where the soul has an end of existence. What it really means is that souls who reject Christ will spend eternity in the miseries and darkness of hell, where all is in a never-ending state of destruction.
As sure as the Lord Jesus came the first time and died and rose again, He is coming the second time to judge the earth. We don’t know when His second coming may happen, but we do know it will come like a snare or a trap on the face of the earth, and millions will not be ready for it. “As a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth” (Luke 21:3535For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. (Luke 21:35)).
Between His two comings He is calling people out of this world to believe on Him and receive the gift of eternal life. Through the preaching of the gospel, God is inviting all men and women, no matter what their background may have been, to believe on His Son. “Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:1616For 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)). Won’t you respond to this invitation and come to the Lord Jesus by faith and be saved? Only by so doing may you find safety and security for your soul and escape the judgment that must fall. “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:33How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (Hebrews 2:3)).
The school day was finished. The children, ranging in age from six to fourteen, under the watchful eye of the bus driver were boarding the bus for their usual ride home. The bus driver closed the door, and the bus began its trip to take the children home.
In the other end of the city, another vehicle was being loaded, but not with children. Very carefully it was loaded with high explosives. Then the driver gave his load one last inspection. Satisfied, he stepped into the van and started off down the highway to meet the bus.
Alongside this highway on a small hill sat a jeep with two soldiers in it. Like policemen, it was their duty to protect and preserve those who used this highway. From their vantage point, they could see the drama that was taking place right in front of their eyes! Without any hesitation or thought for their own lives, they drove straight for the van that was loaded with high explosives.
This suicide van driver had every intention of ramming the bus and killing every child on it, including the bus driver. But the soldiers who were on guard had every intention of stopping a tragedy like this.
The jeep, with the two soldiers in it, smashed into the suicide van. There was a tremendous explosion! Parts of the van and the jeep were found everywhere. Even the side of the school bus was blackened.
Every child on the bus was saved! The suicide driver was instantly killed. Miraculously, one soldier survived. When the children eventually arrived home, they would have a frightening story to tell their parents! “Mom and Dad, a suicide bomber tried to kill us today, but two soldiers saved us all!”
Did these children know the name of the soldier who died for them? No, but I’m very sure that they would try to find out who he was, so that they could somehow show their love and thankfulness to his family for the ultimate sacrifice he made to save the children.
Friend, like you, I was not on that bus, but I was on the wide way that leads to death and then the lake of fire. Like those children on the bus, I did not realize the fatal position I was in. Then someone carried the sweet sound of the gospel to my ears. That gospel message reached my heart, and I was saved!
Now, like those children on the bus, I have a wonderful story to tell, and that is, “Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:66For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)). Those children did not know the name of the soldier who died for them, but, thank God, I know the name of my Saviour who died for me — it is the Lord Jesus Christ. “There is none other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:1212Neither 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)).