Brace for Impact
(With the horrific shooting attack in Las Vegas 10.01.17 it is easier than ever to see how fragile life can be. It is also clear that we should be spiritually prepared for eternity because we surely do not know what the future holds. We cannot see even a minute into the future, much less a day, or a year. Please pray for all those affected by this horrific attack in Las Vegas. – Ed Wrather)
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. – Revelation 20:11-15 NKJV.
The emergency landing today (2010) of Delta Flight 4951, with the flight attendant shouting “heads down” “stay down” over and over; while one wing scrapes along the runway with sparks flying, is scary even on the video. It also brings back memories of other landings that were close calls. The one that I think will always come first to my mind is the “miracle on the Hudson” landing piloted by then 57-year-old Captain Chesley B Sullenberger III. Julian Williams was one of the passengers on the flight who described it in this way, “I was looking out of the window and I saw one of the engines blow. The pilot started trying to turn around to go back, but then three minutes later he said, ‘Brace for impact’ and then we went down.”
Can you imagine the terror that fills the minds of the passengers as the pilot calmly announces “Brace for impact?” Although, on a lower level on the terror scale, we have all braced for impact with one thing or another. We may have braced for impact as our vehicle was soon to be involved in a crash. We may have braced for impact as we saw the economy nosedive and our employment became at risk. We may have braced for impact, as we sat in a doctor’s office and heard the dreaded news that we have cancer or some other disease, or must have some kind of surgery.
We know what it means to “brace for impact”; however, after we have “braced for impact” so many times facing physical dangers it is difficult for us to take seriously spiritual dangers. It is hard, because the spiritual dangers are unseen, and do not appear to be occurring in our immediate future. When you are struggling to make enough to keep your home or car from being repossessed, or fighting to hold your marriage together, or trying to keep your job when others are being laid off around you every day; it is hard to focus seriously on the possibility of unseen, and even unknown spiritual dangers.
Those spiritual dangers are very real and the Holy Spirit is speaking to your heart about them. The Spirit is not shouting like the flight attendant during the emergency landing today. No, the Holy Spirit is speaking in a still, small, calm voice warning you to “Brace for impact.” Is your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life? If not, your spiritual landing will be difficult as you crash into the Lake of Fire. Your spiritual crash landing may not be 50 years from now, it could be tomorrow, or even today. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2c).” If you have never received Jesus as your personal Savior; today is the time to do so, now is the time to turn from your sins and turn to the Lord. “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13).”
(We know what it means to “brace for impact”; however, after we have “braced for impact” so many times facing physical dangers it is difficult for us to take seriously spiritual dangers.)