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The
Expedition
In
her book, Teaching
a Stone to Talk, Annie Dillard tells of a British
Arctic expedition which set sail in 1845 to chart the
Northwest Passage through the Canadian Arctic to the
Pacific Ocean
. Neither of the two ships the Erebus
and the Terror
-- and none of the 134 men aboard returned.
Captain
Sir John Franklin prepared as if they were embarking
on a pleasure cruise rather than an arduous and
grueling journey through one of earth's most hostile
environments. He packed a 1,200 volume library, a
hand-organ, china place settings for officers and men,
cut-glass wine goblets and sterling silver flatware,
beautifully and intricately designed. Years later,
some of these place settings would be found near a
clump of frozen and reportedly cannibalized bodies.
The
voyage was doomed when the ships sailed into frigid
waters and became trapped in ice. First ice coated the
decks, the spars and the rigging. Then water froze
around the rudders and the ships became hopelessly
locked in the now-frozen sea.
Sailors
set out to search for help, but soon succumbed to
severe Arctic weather and died of exposure to its
harsh winds and sub-freezing temperatures. For some
twenty years, remains of the expeditions were found
all over the frozen landscape.
The
crew did not prepare either for the cold or for the
eventuality of the ships becoming ice-locked. On a
voyage which was to last two to three years, they
packed only their Navy-issue uniforms and the captain
carried just a 12-day supply of coal for the auxiliary
steam engines. The frozen body of an officer was
eventually found, miles from the vessel, wearing his
uniform of fine blue cloth, edged with silk braid, a
blue greatcoat and a silk neckerchief -- clothing
which was noble and respectful, but wholly inadequate.
Historians
may doubt the wisdom of such an ill-prepared journey.
But more important for US are the following questions:
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Are WE prepared for the lengthy voyage we've embarked upon, that journey
we call life?
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Are WE also prepared for DEATH and the JUDGMENT to come?
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Have WE made ourselves ready for ALL that surely awaits us?
Because
of His great love for us, God has provided the means
by which we can prepare ourselves for life, death, and
the judgment to come. He
has given us a Map, the Bible, to guide us.
He has given us a Captain, Jesus Christ, to
lead the way through life and into eternal life in
heaven. Jesus
gave His life to prepare the way for us as payment for
our sins, which would cause our lives to end in
destruction.
THOSE
WHO: believe
in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance
(Acts 17:30-31), confess
Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized
(immersed) into Christ (Acts 2:38) have their sins
washed away. THOSE
WHO: continue to follow Him faithfully will
continue to have their sins washed away by His blood.
To
embark on a journey unprepared can set us up for
disastrous results....
But
the GOOD NEWS is: WE can still prepare for OUR journey
by trusting and obeying Christ!
Are
YOU ready?
--
David
A. Sargent,
Minister
Church
of Christ at Creekwood
1901
Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
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