A Refuge from the Storm

By David Sargent

     Some students recall hearing the principal of Plaza Towers Elementary School telling them over the intercom to go to the cafeteria and wait for their parents.  But then the tornado alarm sounded and selfless teachers of this school in Moore, Oklahoma, frantically tried to secure their students’ safety.  The tornado struck the school.  Seven students were killed.  But many were saved due to the heroic efforts of their teachers.
     Rhonda Crosswhite, a sixth grade teacher at Plaza Towers, and several students, sought refuge from the twister in a school bathroom.  As the tornado tore through the building, she shielded three of her students with her own body.
     “It just started coming down so I just laid on top of some of them,” she said on NBC’s Today show.
     One of the students Crosswhite shielded, fourth-grader Damian Britton, said the tornado “sounded like a train coming by.”
     “A teacher covered us — Ms. Crosswhite,” Damian said on the show. “I told her we were fine because we were holding onto something. Then she went over to my friend Antonio and covered him. So she saved our lives.”
     “The whole time I just kept screaming to them, ‘Quit worrying, we’re fine, we’re fine,” she told the Today show hosts, adding that she was unsure if her attempts at reassurance could be heard over the twister.  Yet she kept reassuring them.  “We’re going to be fine, I’m protecting you,” Crosswhite recalled telling the students. “Then I said a few prayers: ‘God, please take care of my kids’ — and we’re fine.”
     The students shielded by Crosswhite were relatively unscathed. One student had a cut on his head. Crosswhite had cuts all over her back and feet — she was wearing sandals.
     Damian’s mom, Brandi Kline, said her home was destroyed — but she was grateful her family was okay.  “Everyone around us lost everything,” the 29-year-old mom said, referring to her devastated neighborhood.  “But we have our kids,” she added, tearfully thanking Crosswhite.
     Thankfully, we also have Someone to shield us from the deadly destruction of sin...
     As sin wrought havoc in the lives of all mankind, God, because of His great love for us, sent Jesus to our rescue.  He "shielded" us from the deadly blows of sin with His own body as He died on the cross for our sins.  “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24).  He died for us so that we might have forgiveness of our sins and receive the GIFT of eternal life (Eph 1:7; 1 Thess. 5:10).
     Jesus will save those who seek refuge in Him by: placing their faith and trust in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turning from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confessing Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  He will continue to shield  THOSE who continue to trust Him enough to follow Him (1 John 1:7).
     Many children are thankful for the heroic efforts of teachers like Rhonda Crosswhite who risked their lives to shield them from the storm.
     And ALL of us can be thankful that Jesus gave Himself for us to shield us from the eternal destruction of sin!
     By His wounds, YOU can be healed IF you will trust and obey Him.
     Won’t YOU?

* Information gleaned for “Oklahoma teachers hailed as heroes for selfless acts that saved kids” by Edgar Sandoval, Corky Siemaszko, and Stephen Rex Brown in the New York Daily News (5/21/13)

- David A. Sargent, minister for the Church of Christ at Creekwood in Mobile, Alabama, is also the editor of an electronic devotional entitled Living Water."  To learn more about this excellent resource contact David via their website: http://www.creekwoodcc.org

Backing Out

    Have you ever walked away form an incredible offer?
    Declaration of Independence signer Richard Stockton was imprisoned shortly after signing the historic document in 1776. If you know by heart all those who signed, you are probably wondering how Stockton was.
    Stockton represented New Jersey in the signing ceremony. But before the ink could dry, he was seized by the British and imprisoned as a common criminal. The intimidation worked. He quickly swore allegiance to King George III; and recanted his signature on America's immortal document.
    In another arena, there are others who renege. Jesus, while visiting our planet, presented a parable to his followers about a sower. The planted seeds of the sower represent the claims of God's Word. Jesus said, "(Seeds that fall) on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while but in time of testing they fall away." (Luke 8:13). Incredibly, even some who witnessed Christ and His miracles "turned back and no longer followed Him" (John 6:66), so take stock of your life to see if you've backed out on your commitment to Jesus.
    Remember: If you are "backing out," you may be "backing into" eternal disaster.

Source:
Pulpit Helps.

Climb 'Til Your Dream Comes True

By Helen Steiner Rice

Often your tasks will be many,

And more than you think you can do.

Often the road will be rugged

And the hills insurmountable, too.

But always remember, the hills ahead

Are never as steep as they seem,

And with Faith in your heart start upward

And climb 'Til you reach your dream.

For nothing in life that is worthy

Is never too hard to achieve

If you have the courage to try it

And you have the Faith to believe.

For Faith is a force that is greater

Than knowledge or power or skill

And many defeats turn to triumph

If you trust in God's wisdom and will.

For Faith is a mover of mountains.

There's nothing that God cannot do,

So start out today with Faith in your heart

And "Climb 'Til Your Dream Comes True"!

Source:

The weekly bulletin of the Malden Church of Christ in Malden, MO, May 21, 1989, p. 2.

Lessons From Prison

By Alan Smith

     These are some of the frivolous lawsuits filed by convicted prisoners across the United States (which are subsidized by taxpayers).
~ An inmate, calling himself a sports fanatic, complained that, as a result of cruel and unusual punishment, he was forced to miss the NFL playoffs -- especially the "classic " between Miami and San Diego, San Diego and Pittsburgh, and Dallas and San Francisco. (Arkansas)
~ An inmate complained because his meal allegedly was in poor condition. He claims his sandwich was soggy and his cookie was broken. (Brittaker v. Rowland)
~ An inmate who murdered five people sued after lightning knocked out the prison's TV satellite dish and he had to watch network programs, which he said contained violence, profanity, and other objectionable material. (Jackson v. Barton)
~ An inmate sued to be given Reeboks, Adidas, Pony, or Avia hightops rather than the inferior brand sneakers issued by the prison. (Brown v. Singletary)
~ An inmate sued for not receiving his scheduled parole hearing, though he was out on escape when the hearing was to be held. (Young v. Murphy)
~ An inmate sued because he was required to eat off of a paper plate. (Procup v. Strickland, et al)
~ An inmate sued because he didn’t like his mail being stamped in a way that indicated it was being sent from a state prison (California)
~ An inmate who was a murderer sued for $25,000, claiming a "defective" haircut resulted in lost sleep, headaches, and chest pains. (New York) 
     We get quite a different picture of a prisoner in the New Testament by the name of Paul. While he wasn't afraid to demand his rights (Acts 22:25; 25:11), neither was Paul one to whine and complain and mope while in prison (and he hadn't even committed a crime!). Listen to this positive statement which came from Paul's pen as he sat in chains:
     "Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.  Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly..... And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice." (Philippians 1:12-14, 18b).
     This passage is an encouragement to me in those times when it seems that life is treating me unfairly. If Paul could maintain such a positive spirit and joy in the midst of such difficulty, surely I can do the same.  There is much to be thankful for!

Source:
Alan Smith, author of the popular "Thought For Today," and minister for the Fayetteville Church of Christ in Fayetteville, NC, may be contacted at alansmith.servant@gmail.com

Remember the Scars

By Alan Smith

    John Gordon was a respected general for the South in the Civil War.  After the war, he was running for the United States Senate, but a man who had served under him in the war, angry over some political incident, was determined to see him defeated.  Everyone knew this man would fight Gordon's bid to become a senator.
    During the convention, he angrily stamped down the aisle with his anti-Gordon vote in hand.  As he saw Gordon sitting on the platform, he noticed how his once handsome face was disfigured with the scars of battle -- marks of his willingness to suffer and bleed for a cause he believed in.
    The old soldier was stricken with remorse.  Overcome with emotion, he exclaimed, "It's no use; I can't do it.  Here's my vote for John Gordon." Then, turning to the general, he said, "Forgive me, General.  I had forgotten the scars."
    What a difference it makes in our lives when we remember the scars!  With so many things to distract us, we don't often take time each day to reflect on what Jesus went through on the cross for us.  But, when we are tempted to stray, it is a remembrance of Christ's sacrifice that has the power to draw us back to him.
    "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)
    May I encourage you this morning to take a moment to pause and "remember the scars".
    Have a great day!

- Alan Smith, author of the popular "Thought For Today," and minister for the Fayetteville Church of Christ in Fayetteville, NC, may be contacted at alansmith.servant@gmail.com