Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Position Lost; Purpose Regained

I started a new Bible study yesterday called "Follow Me: Becoming a Lifestyle Prayerwalker" by Randy Sprinkle. Today had a really great story and I thought that I would share it here:

Cameron's story of the Titanic also missed what was perhaps the greatest human story of the tragedy. Fourtantely it was not lost to history. And the story is greatest because of its tie to the greatest story ever told.

On board the Titanic was a widowed Scottish minister named John Harper and his 6 year old daughter. When the ship began to sink, Harper, traveling second class, handed his daughter to an officer on an upper deck who put her in a lifeboat. He then began helping those on his deck. Others were doing this as well, but Harper's assisatance was unique because of his instructions, hear over and over during the chaos.

"Women and children and the unsaved into the lifeboats first. Women and children and the unsaved into the lifeboats first."

John Harper recognized the moment as the threshold of eterenity. He was ready to face God, but he knew that many on board were not.

As a minister, Harper's lips had often declared God's love for the lost. Now his life declared it in a ultimate act. When he came upon a man without a lifejacket, John Harper took off his own and putit on the man.

Later, floating in the emptiness of the dark chilling waters, a survivor came within sight of a man struggling to stay afloat. It was John Harper. Rather than asking for help, Harper called out to the man, "Are you saved?"

"No," came the answer.

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."

The man's reply was one o silence and they drifted out of sight of one another.A little later, the man spied Harper again and again Harper called out to him.

"Are you saved now?"

Again the answer , "No, I can't honestly say that I am."

And again the refrain, weaker but still clear, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." Then there was a silence as John Harper slipped below the surface- and into the arms of God.

Later in a meeting in Ontario, Canada, the survivor stood, telling this story and closing with these words: "Shortly after he went down; and there, alone in the night, with two miles of water under me, I believed."


Romans 5:6~You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.


This story is a remarkable reminder that we should have no fear in death. Jesus' arms are always surrounding us. Holding us. Comforting us. Renewing us. Even in the darkest times of our lives, there is hope and truth that Jesus gave us. He died for all of us.

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Ahoy! Thanks for stopping by. Sometimes life should be an open book and here you will find that true. My mind is always on full speed and I will be heading over many waves. I hope this journey is as much of an adventure for you as it is for me~ ~Mindy