I WILL PROTECT THOSE WHO TRUST IN MY NAME. PSALM 91:14 NLT Divine protection!
On a chilly March afternoon before going home for dinner, Pastor Walter Klempel fired up the church furnace in preparation for choir practice. When it was time to return to church with his family they were delayed because his daughter changed clothes. At the same time student Ladona Vadergrift was struggling with a geometry problem and stayed home to work on it. Sisters Royena and Sadie Estes’ car wouldn’t start. Herbert Kipf lingered over a letter he’d put off writing. Joyce Black was feeling “plain lazy” and stayed home till the last minute. Pianist Marilyn Paul fell asleep after dinner and her mom, the choir director, had trouble waking her. Pals Lucille Jones and Dorothy Wood were late because of a radio broadcast. Every single choir member was late; something that’s never happened before nor since. Was it just a fluke? No! At 7:30 that night the West Side Church was flattened by an explosion from a gas leak ignited by the furnace…directly below the empty choir loft! God’s looking out for you when you don’t even know you’re in danger! As His child you ‘live within the shadow of the Almighty, sheltered by…God…He rescues you from every trap…He will shield you with his wings…His…promises are your armor…he orders his angels to protect you wherever you go’ (Psalm 91:1-11 TLB). The Bible says: ‘The Angel of the Lord guards and rescues all who reverence him’ (Psalm 34:7 TLB); ‘to trust in God means safety’ (Proverbs 29:25 TLB). You can call it coincidence, chance, fate, or you can call it what it really is – divine protection! On a chilly March afternoon before going home for dinner, Pastor Walter Klempel fired up the church furnace in preparation for choir practice. When it was time to return to church with his family they were delayed because his daughter changed clothes. At the same time student Ladona Vadergrift was struggling with a geometry problem and stayed home to work on it. Sisters Royena and Sadie Estes’ car wouldn’t start. Herbert Kipf lingered over a letter he’d put off writing. Joyce Black was feeling “plain lazy” and stayed home till the last minute. Pianist Marilyn Paul fell asleep after dinner and her mom, the choir director, had trouble waking her. Pals Lucille Jones and Dorothy Wood were late because of a radio broadcast. Every single choir member was late; something that’s never happened before nor since. Was it just a fluke? No! At 7:30 that night the West Side Church was flattened by an explosion from a gas leak ignited by the furnace…directly below the empty choir loft! God’s looking out for you when you don’t even know you’re in danger! As His child you ‘live within the shadow of the Almighty, sheltered by…God…He rescues you from every trap…He will shield you with his wings…His…promises are your armor…he orders his angels to protect you wherever you go’ (Psalm 91:1-11 TLB). The Bible says: ‘The Angel of the Lord guards and rescues all who reverence him’ (Psalm 34:7 TLB); ‘to trust in God means safety’ (Proverbs 29:25 TLB). You can call it coincidence, chance, fate, or you can call it what it really is – divine protection!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO PERSEVERES. JAMES1:12 NIV Keep persevering!
BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO PERSEVERES. JAMES1:12 NIV Keep persevering!
On June 1, 1965, a 13-foot boat slipped quietly out of Falmouth, Massachusetts. Its destination? Falmouth, England. It would be the smallest craft ever to make the voyage. Its name? Tinkerbelle. Its pilot? Robert Manry, a copy editor for the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper who felt that 10 years at a desk was enough boredom for anyone. Manry was afraid, not of the ocean but of all the people who would try to talk him out of the trip. So he only shared it with some relatives and his wife Virginia, his greatest source of support. The trip? He spent harrowing nights of sleeplessness trying to cross shipping lanes without getting run over. Weeks at sea caused his food to become tasteless. Loneliness led to hallucinations. His rudder broke 3 times. Storms swept him overboard. Had it not been for the rope around his waist he would never have been able to pull himself back on board. Finally, after 78 days alone at sea he sailed into Falmouth, England. During those nights at the tiller he had fantasized about what he would do once he arrived. He expected to simply check into a hotel, eat dinner alone, then next morning see if perhaps the Associated Press might be interested in his story. What a surprise! Word had spread far and wide. To his amazement, 300 vessels with horns blasting escorted Tinkerbelle into port. And 47,000 people stood screaming and cheering him to the shore. One of the great themes of Scripture is perseverance. No matter how great your calling, your talent, your cause or your goal, without perseverance you won’t make it. Hence James writes, ‘Blessed is the man who perseveres.’
On June 1, 1965, a 13-foot boat slipped quietly out of Falmouth, Massachusetts. Its destination? Falmouth, England. It would be the smallest craft ever to make the voyage. Its name? Tinkerbelle. Its pilot? Robert Manry, a copy editor for the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper who felt that 10 years at a desk was enough boredom for anyone. Manry was afraid, not of the ocean but of all the people who would try to talk him out of the trip. So he only shared it with some relatives and his wife Virginia, his greatest source of support. The trip? He spent harrowing nights of sleeplessness trying to cross shipping lanes without getting run over. Weeks at sea caused his food to become tasteless. Loneliness led to hallucinations. His rudder broke 3 times. Storms swept him overboard. Had it not been for the rope around his waist he would never have been able to pull himself back on board. Finally, after 78 days alone at sea he sailed into Falmouth, England. During those nights at the tiller he had fantasized about what he would do once he arrived. He expected to simply check into a hotel, eat dinner alone, then next morning see if perhaps the Associated Press might be interested in his story. What a surprise! Word had spread far and wide. To his amazement, 300 vessels with horns blasting escorted Tinkerbelle into port. And 47,000 people stood screaming and cheering him to the shore. One of the great themes of Scripture is perseverance. No matter how great your calling, your talent, your cause or your goal, without perseverance you won’t make it. Hence James writes, ‘Blessed is the man who perseveres.’
Saturday, March 28, 2009
THERE IS A WAY THAT SEEMS RIGHT TO A MAN, BUT…IT LEADS TO DEATH.’ PROVERBS 14:12 NIV What are you depending on?
THERE IS A WAY THAT SEEMS RIGHT TO A MAN, BUT…IT LEADS TO DEATH.’ PROVERBS 14:12 NIV What are you depending on?
There is a broken rope on display at the Alpine Museum in Bern, Switzerland. It is associated with a tragic story. Some climbers who scaled the Matterhorn roped themselves together for the return descent, but one slipped and dragged three others with him into an abyss. The other climbers braced for the shock on the rope that linked them together, expecting it to halt their companions’ fall. The tug came, but then to everyone’s horror the rope snapped, plunging their four friends to their death. Nobody knows why an inferior rope was used for such a hazardous venture, but they do know it wasn’t genuine Alpine Club rope which was guaranteed and distinguished by a red strand running through it. Just as reliable equipment is crucial in preparing for the life and death adventure of mountain climbing, it is even more essential in preparing for the most important journey you will ever make; the one from here to eternity. And an ‘anything-goes’ attitude…loose connections to the church…casual claims that you’re doing your best…and fuzzy notions about God’s indulgence, won’t suffice. Solomon said, ‘There is a way that seems right to a man, but…it leads to death.’ (Proverbs 14:12 NIV). And Peter says: ‘ “Jesus is the only One who can save…“ ’ (Acts 4:12 NCV). Assurance of a place in heaven comes only through accepting Jesus as your personal Saviour, believing that He died for your sins and rose again to give you everlasting life. No more will be asked; no less will get you in. Today Jesus is waiting to save you – will you let Him?
There is a broken rope on display at the Alpine Museum in Bern, Switzerland. It is associated with a tragic story. Some climbers who scaled the Matterhorn roped themselves together for the return descent, but one slipped and dragged three others with him into an abyss. The other climbers braced for the shock on the rope that linked them together, expecting it to halt their companions’ fall. The tug came, but then to everyone’s horror the rope snapped, plunging their four friends to their death. Nobody knows why an inferior rope was used for such a hazardous venture, but they do know it wasn’t genuine Alpine Club rope which was guaranteed and distinguished by a red strand running through it. Just as reliable equipment is crucial in preparing for the life and death adventure of mountain climbing, it is even more essential in preparing for the most important journey you will ever make; the one from here to eternity. And an ‘anything-goes’ attitude…loose connections to the church…casual claims that you’re doing your best…and fuzzy notions about God’s indulgence, won’t suffice. Solomon said, ‘There is a way that seems right to a man, but…it leads to death.’ (Proverbs 14:12 NIV). And Peter says: ‘ “Jesus is the only One who can save…“ ’ (Acts 4:12 NCV). Assurance of a place in heaven comes only through accepting Jesus as your personal Saviour, believing that He died for your sins and rose again to give you everlasting life. No more will be asked; no less will get you in. Today Jesus is waiting to save you – will you let Him?
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