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Are we prepared to survive?
buildontherock
2021-08-292021-10-23

Somewhere in the Church there has always been those suffering intense physical persecution (II Thessalonians 1:4). For most of us it is more a gruelling psychological burden that we would like to shed, an ark that we are building in the middle of the desert, a bucket of water that we carry around like Christian idiots while struggling to run the race of life, when we could just drop it. Because of that bucket we are being unfairly put to hardship (I Peter 2:19) when the rest of the world seems to enjoy leisure and peace and speeds ahead.

II Thessalonians 1:4 [KJV] So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:
Hebrews 12:7 [KJV] If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
James 1:12 [KJV] Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
I Peter 2:19 [KJV] For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.

The pressure that we are under is no accident, I Peter 5:8 [KJV], Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. That bucket that we carry around is our portion of the Spirit. The bucket is actually light but there is a force targeting everyone with that bucket. Matthew and Mark tell us that it is only those that endure with that bucket of the Spirit until the end that will receive salvation's reward (Matthew 24 :13 ; Mark 13:13). Mark tells us that some do not have enough root (which also has to do with how much we have in that bucket) so when hardship comes we are offended (Mark 4:17) and give up.

Matthew 24:13 [KJV] But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Mark 13:13 [KJV] And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Mark 4:17 [KJV] And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.

Christ tells us that we need to fight now for His Spirit because, strangely enough, that bucket of water is what provides the strength necessary to reach the end, the sustenance that is necessary for eternal life (John 6:27).

John 6:27 [KJV] Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

In a personal letter to Timothy, Paul reveals a lot that we would try to say to our very own children, although in our case it is not death that we postpone, just that we would like to relax. Even though he preferred to die (II Timothy 4:6) Paul resisted death in order to help the Church (II Timothy 2:10). He knew that some of those whom he loved would stop trying and succumb to deception (II Timothy 4:3-4) and he wanted to minimize casualties. He told Timothy that it was like going to war (II Timothy 2:3) and that everyone who tries to live as a Christian will experience the same (II Timothy 3:11-12). He warned him to be alert (II Timothy 4:5).

II Timothy 4:6 [KJV] For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
II Timothy 2:10 [KJV] Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
II Timothy 4:3-4 [KJV] For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;  4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
II Timothy 3:11-12 [KJV] Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.  12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
II Timothy 4:5 [KJV] But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

In Revelation 2 and 3 it is repeated over and over that we must overcome. For those who do not put in the initial effort the same book warns, And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations, Revelation 13:7 [KJV].

There are many people who never survive a crisis. Situations come and they die. Sometimes they die in their sleep never knowing what happened, so one survival strategy is to be alert as Paul told Timothy. Some people do not want to recognise danger or simply never check to see. The writer of Hebrews tells us of survivors:  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, [2] Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. [3] For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. [4] Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin, Hebrews 12:1-4 [KJV].

So are we going to fight to survive, or be casualties to ease of life, or fear, or anything else? Nobody knows what dangers lie ahead but of course God does.

Ecclesiastes 8:6-17 [KJV] Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.  7 For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?  8 There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.  9 All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.  10 And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity.  11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.  12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:  13 But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.  14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.  15 Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.  16 When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:)  17 Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it. 

It makes sense to recognize our limitations and always consult Him.

James 4:13-17 [KJV] Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:  14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.  15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.  16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.  17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. 

Lake Nyos

Sources include:

http://www.dibussi.com/2006/08/the_lake_nyos_d_1.html, Scribbles from the Den, August 21, 2006, The Lake Nyos Disaster 20 Years After (II):Explaining Death by Toxic Carbon Dioxide Cloud

Youtube. World's Deadliest Lake in Africa Once Killed 1,700 People Overnight, and We Still Don't Know Why https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irTJznisVQY

At the time of the catastrophe Joseph Nkwain was about three miles away from Lake Nyos in Subum. It was about 9:30 p.m.on the Thursday, 21st August, 1986 and he was trying to help his young daughter with her studies. They both went to bed and fell asleep without any sign of the danger. He got up complaining that it felt like the heat before rainfall.

Then I fell back to sleep; I heard some sound, something sounded like an airplane. I heard the sound. It went and bounced like this: boom. It was as if I was in a dream, I heard that noise as if I were dreaming...

All of a sudden, my skin became very hot and I perceived something making some dry smell. I could not speak. I became unconscious. I could not open my mouth because then I smelled something terrible and could not speak. I just closed my mouth and remained silent.

All of a sudden, I heard my daughter snoring in a terrible way, very abnormal. So I forced myself to stand up from the bed, I was already weak. I tried to see what was happening with my daughter and find out really what was smelling in the house. Id did not really know what the smell was, the smell was terrible. So just when I stood up, I fell. When crossing to my daughter's bed, in the middle of the floor, I collapsed and fell. I fell, I remained there, I didn't stand up. I was there till nine o'clock in the morning, Friday morning. I don't know whether I was sleeping, I don't really know.Scribbles from the DenThe Lake Nyos Disaster 20 Years After (II):Explaining Death by Toxic Carbon Dioxide CloudScribbles from the DenWEBAugust 21, 2006

He awoke at the sound of a friend banging on the door. He described his pants as looking red and had some stains like honey. There was a white powder on his body and he had some circular scars on his forearms and face. When he opened the door he was unable to speak even though he tried and his breath was abnormal. He drank some milk and water around 11:30 a.m. and fell back to sleep until till it was 4:30 in the afternoon on Friday. He slept with his daughter, not knowing that she was already dead. When he recovered it was like a dream. Outside everywhere was quiet, The neighbours were all dead.

He went by his friend and saw him listless as well. According to his friend, those who survived were all asleep. When he went back home he realised that his daughter was dead. He had no other relatives there so he decided to leave. He got his motorcycle and left with his friend. When he left Subum, passing through Nyos, He didn't see any sign of any living thing. According to Scribbles from the Den, at Nyos, 600 died, 6 lived.

At the Lake Nyos crater lake disaster in Cameroon, West Africa, more than 1,700 people were killed. Nobody knows for sure what happened but scientists now believe that it was a cloud of carbon dioxide. Lake Nyos is a crater lake and they normally have high levels of carbon dioxide but these gases dissipate as the lake water turns over. This did not happen at Lake Nyos. Scientists have found that more than 5 gallons of carbon dioxide were dissolved in every gallon of water in the lake. One proposal is that a landslide caused debris to fall to the bottom of the lake creating instability and causing the trapped gas to escape. The lake would have exploded in what is known as a limnic eruption, sending a fountain of water hundreds of feet into the air simultaneously belching hundreds of thousands of tons of carbon dioxide traveling at 60 miles an hour, suffocating people up to 15 miles away.

My question is can you guarantee that you would you have survived? Sometimes there is nothing we can do to survive a catastrophe once it has started. The problem here was knowledge. Only God knew what was at the bottom of that lake. If scientists had been aware of the possibility they had loads of equipment that could take readings leading to forecasting the problem. They did not have a clue. They did not check with the One who knew. We live in an age where there is pending disaster and there is no way to escape once the disaster starts, but people are unaware because they will not read their Bibles and their teachers feed them a lie. They don't know because they don't check with the one who knows. We need to check the Bible.

We have the example of Joshua and the Gibeonites. The full story is found in Joshua 9 and I will take a few excerpts.

Joshua 9:3-6 [KJV] And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai, 4 They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up; 5 And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy. 6 And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us.

These Gibeonites feared God and cooked up a ruse to escape. Look what happens next.

Joshua 9:14-16 [KJV] And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD. 15 And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them. 16 And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them.

Because the Israelites did not ask God they started a series of events that had long term evil repercussions. You might ask yourself so what could God have done? II Kings 6 brings out how wonderful it is to have God as your adviser. The chapter has several stories about Elijah but there is one in particular that makes the point.

II Kings 6:8-12 [KJV] Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.  9 And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down.  10 And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.  11 Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel?  12 And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.

God knows what is hidden and He can reveal it to His servants. The first thing that we need if we are to survive is advance knowledge of danger. That way we can simply avoid it. There is no better source than God.

Victory in Christ

In this world we will have trials and for some people they will be severe.

John 16:33 [KJV] These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

The first and most critical survival strategy is to have someone powerful on your side. You find in every situation that survivors depend on some powerful person or organisation. In most cases it is at least the search and rescue team.

I Corinthians 15:57 [KJV] But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

When we are in danger we are thankful that there is a policeman or hospital or better yet someone to lead us to completely avoid the danger. A few of us are thankful that we have God but most people are ungrateful. It is the natural heart of men. The fact that Christ has suffered so much for you and me has little impact on how some of us live our daily lives. The support system should be Christ first, followed by true Christian brethren. If we cannot find the time to pray and form a relationship with God or give thanks for His benefits; If we are strangers to Bible Study; If we don't even know His will to take it into consideration; how then will we survive without that support system?

Revelation 3:21 [KJV] To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

This next verse does so much to encapsulate the principles of spiritual survival. The {comments} are inserted by me.

I Thessalonians 5:1-14 [KJV] But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape {trouble can come unexpectedly}.4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober {we need to stay awake and we need to be alert}. 7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do {we need to work together with our true friends and our parents and family in the Lord, not isolate ourselves and act in secret} . 12 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; 13 And to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake. And be at peace among yourselves. 14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

Check verse 3 - trouble can come unexpectedly. Notice verse 6 - we need to stay awake and we need to be alert. Verse 11 - we need to work together with our true friends and our parents and family in the Lord, standing boldly, contending for our faith, not being silent, or on the fence.

God gives us what it takes to survive. Faith is necessary to receive God's help.

James 1:2-8 [KJV] My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

But God is not only ready to help but will even supply the faith to believe if we ask.

Mark 9:23-25 [KJV] Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. 25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.

Having received that faith we can receive the wisdom to cope with any situation. God will give us the victory over any situation.

I John 5:4 [KJV] For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Now I am going to present some more people and it is not my intention to indicate that the state of their spiritual lives is what delivered them, but to simply show that their situations demonstrate Biblical themes necessary to spiritual survival.

Harrison Okene

I found several places that carried the story. One account was on the Guardian Website,

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/12/nigeria-sailor-survive-air-pocketNigerian sailor 'a phenomenon' for surviving in air pocket for 60 hours, By Monica Mark in Lagos, Wednesday 12 June 2013 17.23 BST

Another account was found on the Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/nigeria/10115919/Nigerian-cook-tells-how-he-survived-for-three-days-trapped-under-sunken-ship.html,Nigerian cook tells how he survived for three days trapped under sunken ship, By Harriet Alexander 3:00PM BST 12 Jun 2013

This one has a picture of the tug.

It began at 5am on May 26, 2013 when the Jascon 4 - a tug owned by a Nigerian subsidiary of a Dutch contractor was caught up in heavy swells. It was towing a Chevron tanker in the Gulf of Guinea. Harrison Okene was in the bathroom when the tug began to capsize in heavy seas, 20 miles off the Nigerian coast. His 11 colleagues, who were all locked in their rooms for safety against piracy, all perished in the incident but Mr. Okene was able to locate an air pocket and wait.

He said, I prayed about a hundred times, he said. When I was tired, I started calling on the name of God. I was just calling on His name for divine intervention.

Mr Okene told Nigerian newspaper The Nation: I was dazed and everywhere was dark as I was thrown from one end of the small cubicle to another.

He left the toilet groping in pitch black and made his way to the engineer's office. Hungry and cold he waited, 30 metres under the sea. When water began rising in the cabin he sat on two mattresses which he took from the beds to remain afloat. He became aware that he was not alone on the boat, then he heard loud noises as what he thought could be barracuda or sharks, started thrashing around, fighting over what he assumed were the corpses of his shipmates. He armed himself with a plank.

At that point I was very scared, he said. I said: So this is how I am going to die? What would happen to my wife? So she will become a widow? I don't even have a child yet. What about my mother and everybody I love so I will never see them again?

A search and rescue team quickly found ten of the 11 bodies, and were not expecting to find anything more. The Nigerian company eventually called off the search for the remaining crew member.

Then I heard a sound like anchor dropping again, Mr Okene said. I also heard sound of paddling and divers craft moving around the boat. I heard a hammering sound from afar.

With tools he found in the room he stripped the wall of the cabin until he got to the steel body.

I started using the hammer to hit the wall to attract the divers. I heard them moving about. They were far away from where I was. I did that for some minutes and stopped. After a while, the sound died.

Hope that he would be discovered had died so when Mr Okene heard the rescuers return he jumped into the water, swimming through the ship, fighting to attract the attention of the diver.

I touched his head and he was shocked. He was searching and I just saw the light, so I jumped into the water. As he was shocked, he stretched out his hands.

When he came out and saw stars Mr Okene said he thought he must have been in the water for the whole day. In fact it had been over two days.

Revelation 2:2-3 [KJV] I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my names sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
II Timothy 4:5 [KJV] But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

He was the cook, not one of the elite ones, but he used his brain. We read earlier in James 1:2-8 that God will give us the necessary wisdom. All of the smart people on the boat died. The one that God showed mercy to was probably the least important person by human standards. He did not say that he quickly made all the engineering calculations, he said that he prayed really hard.

Romans 12:12 [KJV] Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

He knew that even being buried under metres of water could not separate him from God and His love.

Romans 8:38-39 [KJV] For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

He was patient and waited for deliverance without giving up hope.

Hebrews 10:36-39 [KJV] For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. 38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
Luke 21:19 [KJV] In your patience possess ye your souls.

There is a lot to fear in the darkness of trials but God is our light and strength.

Psalms 27:1 [KJV] The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

He armed himself against the danger. The only offensive weapon that a Christian has is the sword of the Spirit.

Ephesians 6:17 [KJV] And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 

We may not always have the full armour of God. We may only be able to arm ourselves with what we can salvage from the wreck of our lives, but we need to put it in readiness.

He abandoned his comfort zone and moved towards rescue when the time came. When God gives the opportunity to move forward we need to be ready to plunge into the darkness in faith.

Numbers 13:27-33 [KJV] And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. 28 Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. 30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. 31 But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. 32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. 33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

The main thing that led to his salvation was faith and hope. These are things that God will help us with.

Mark 9:23-24 [KJV] Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.  24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Hebrews 6 goes into detail on faith and gives many examples. At the root of the matter is this:

Hebrews 11:6 [KJV] But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

I ask again, Can you guarantee that you are prepared to survive?

Aron Ralston

This account is taken from sources including:

The Telegraph, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/8223925/127-Hours-Aron-Ralstons-story-of-survival.html, 127 Hours: Aron Ralston's story of survival By Alex Hannaford, 5:46PM GMT 06 Jan 2011

The Times, http://articles.latimes.com/2003/may/03/nation/na-hiker3, Trapped Hiker Had One Way Out -- With His Knife By Stephanie Simon and J. Michael Kennedy May 03, 2003

On Saturday, April 26, without telling anyone his plans, Ralston packed his hiking kit and drove to a remote part of Utah. Ralston was planning to be back in Aspen by nightfall so he packed food and water accordingly and headed into Bluejohn Canyon. Ralston thought so little of it, he didn't bother to give his roommates a detailed itinerary, as he normally would for an outing. He was a more than capable climber and it was a beautiful day with no apparent danger in sight. He came to a giant boulder wedged in the canyon. Ralston scrambled over the boulder and while lowering himself down the other side it shifted, pinning his arm.

He remained trapped, for five days, during which temperatures dropped to 30 degrees. On Tuesday, he ran out of water. On Thursday, he realised that the situation required drastic action. He used his pocketknife to cut off part of his arm below the elbowand free himself. It is not clear whether Ralston hacked through his bone or whether the bone had been crushed by the boulder but once the amputation ws completed, he used his first-aid kit to tie a tourniquet around his bicep. Somehow he rigged anchors into the cliff, fixed a rope and rappelled 60 feet to the canyon floor while bleeding through a makeshift tourniquet, Then he bagan to walk. He had walked about five miles before a helicopter search team spotted him.

God tells us that in order to survive we sometimes have to make painful sacrifices.

Matthew 18:9-10 [KJV] And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. 10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

If men can sacrifice to save their physical existence why is it so hard for christians to preserve their spiritual future? Even though it is very hard It is not too much to ask, and we should be ready.

None of us know when a critical situation will arise but sometimes being obedient to the rules can be the difference to avoiding a severe trial. Some of the hiking community expressed that while Aron demonstrated a superhuman courage and resolve the situation might have been avoided altogether if he had followed the basic rule of informing someone of your whereabouts during and excursion like his.

I Corinthians 10:12-13 [KJV] Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
James 1:12-15 KJV Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.  13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:  14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.  15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

While God fully intends to help us to survive we can place ourselves in danger by not following the rules. It is possible to get so comfortable with our lives that we become careless about the important things and let them slip. Some of us (present conpany excepted I hope) will not even read the Bible or go to Sabbath Servieces so we do not know the rules.

So my question again. Can you guarantee that you are prepared to survive? It may not be an actual hand but what if you have to sever someone very special, your right arm?

Harry Dyer

Sources for this account include:

BBC world service Outlook podcast, http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p056dl6h A Kenyan Bush Pilot's Dramatic Escape, presented by Anu Anand

http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2017/05/30/kenya-burn-victim-raises-funds-clinic/327755001/, Burned bush pilot raising money to bring IU doctors to Kenya, Shari Rudavsky, IndyStar Published 6:31 a.m. ET May 30, 2017 Updated 11:00 a.m. ET May 31, 2017

and

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4555750/Plane-crash-survivor-raises-money-burn-unit-Kenya.html#ixzz4qJLI7YG8 , Incredible survival of bush pilot, 24, who crawled from the wreckage of a fiery Kenyan plane crash covered in burns and then ran five miles through outback and swam through a crocodile-infested river to safety, By Dailymail.com Reporter, PUBLISHED: 17:02 BST, 30 May 2017 | UPDATED: 23:02 BST, 30 May 2017

On January 12, 2017 entrepreneur and conservationist Harry Dyer, then 24, was heading home from spending his morning flying over the Tsavo National Park searching for signs of elephant poachers.

Dyer saw what looked like two lions lying near a dirt road, instead of sheltering from the heat in some shaded area as would be the norm.

While turning his small two-seater to take a closer look, a gust of wind flipped his plane upside down. He put everything into righting the plane and managed to crash land on its wheels but in the process he tore off the left wing which damaged its fuel tanks. Fuel poured into the cockpit which burst into flames as he escaped the wreck by breaking open the door.

Dryer was now suffering burns over 45 percent of his body and was covered only in the tattered remains of his t-shirt and shorts.

The Tsavo National Park is 5,308 mi, and since nobody knew where he was it seemed prudent to try for home beore dark. He struck out through the bush until he reach the road dirt road and started running towards help. He was an experienced marathoner and expected that he would reach some assistance if he survived the wild animals so he scared off any nearby wildlife by shouting as he ran.

His objective was to cross the 200 to 250-foot wide river somewhere up ahead, preferably at the narrowest part. Now about five miles into his trek, Dyer approached the river teeming with large crocodiles and hippos and he took a running leap, dived in and swam across it as fast as he could. He eventually found someone who could help him. Dyers medical care until he reached a hospital was just to pour fresh water over his burns until the Medivack helicopter came and he was airlifted to a Nairobi hospital. He learned that the most critical part of burns care was within the first 4-6 hours. Since it was passed that it was almost too late, he became unconscious and later learned of the seriousness of his condition. About 49% of his body was burned and about 40% of that was third degree burns. Third degree burns are those which penetrate the three layers of the skin. Your skin is the largest organ in your body and dryer had lost half of that, hence he was at the mercy of any infection that he came into contact with. He had picked up some inections in the river and even in the hospital. Dryers body was expected to crash with the inections taking over and it did on day 7 or 8 when his lungs gave out and respiration had to be taken care of artificially. He now stood about 1% chance of survival but somehow he pulled through.

Once he was out of immediate danger of dying he had to deal with recoving his motor skills to walk again. His body had used up enormous amounts of muscle tissue in fighting the infections and recovering from the burns (according to Dryer 1.5% per day). He went in to hospital at 84 kilos and was 62 kilos when he came out.

My first point arises because of the wild animals. While Harry was running he sought to do all that he could to protect himself against the enemy. It does not make sense to put in all of that effort only to be gobbled up by a lion.

I Peter 5:5-10 [KJV] Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

We need to be constantly aware that there are evil powers in high places that seek to destroy us. We can't ever be too busy or too hurt or too whatever to put in every effort to resist that evil.

II Corinthians 4:8-9 KJV We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

Notice how Harry's situation moved from one crisis to another.

Matthew 24:13 [KJV] But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

We have a tendency to drift into self pity and complain woe is me. Most of us have never really suffered. This man had to fight for his life in the air, then fight for his life putting out the flames, then figh for his life running in pain, then fight for his life across a river infested with mortal dangers, then fight against the infections and finally fight to regain his ability to move. Now he fights for the benefit of other people. He wants the funds to open a burns unit in his country.

When we find ourselves in trouble we need to repent promptly as we saw earlier in James 1:12-15.

The longer we put it off the greater the danger. Harry promptly started for help and even so missed the narrow margin that is allocated to burns. He considers himself very fortunate to have survived. As sin sets in we can crash and die spiritually. The depth of the danger may not be immediately obvious beause we could appear to be functioning normally.

One lesson we can learn is that harry was physically fit. We need to be spiritually fit. Harry ran. He did not walk. He had the condition to run. He laid aside the mental burden of pain and whatever might have been salvaged from the plane and focussed on the goal.

Hebrews 12:1-4 [KJV] Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. 4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

I think that I should define what i understand as spiritual health because there seems to be lots of definitions out there that have nothing to do with the Bible. I define spiritual health the same way I define physical health. It is our ability to grow and develop in addition to be able to defend against infection. people can be strong in one way or another but not necessarily healthy.  Let us look at one of Christ's parables to see my perspective on this as it relates to growth and development. The Parable of the Sower is found in Matthew 13:1–23, Mark 4:1–20 and Luke 8:4–15. I will use a part of Matthew for convenience.

Matthew 13:19-23 [KJV] When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.  20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;  21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.  22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.  23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

The first step is understanding. The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to understand but we need to put in some effort. If we do nor understand then we nee to seek understanding instead of displaying pride. When we do not understand the Bible says that the wicked one tears away by force what was sown in our heart. Then there is the person that understands and recognizes how wonderful it is but when they have to face any adversity because of it they quickly abandon it. Then there is another person that understands and can face direct adversity their pursuit of practical issues like the bills and their career takes a tool on their prayer, study and worship of God in various ways and they shrivel. Then there is the person that grows and develops.

The other part of spiritual health is to be able to defend against infection.

Ephesians 6:11-18 [KJV] Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;  15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;  16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.  17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:  18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

That is self explanatory. Good spiritual health means that we are well endowed with these requirements so that when an attack comes we can can survive and grow back to what we were.

Conclusion

These are by no means all of those who demonstrate the will to survive. Leonid Rogozov was a Soviet general practitioner who took part in the sixth Soviet Antarctic Expedition in 1960-1961. He was the only doctor stationed at the Novolazarevskaya Station and, while there, developed appendicitis, which meant he had to perform an appendectomy on himself. he did the operation. As Christians we have to remove the infectious parts of our lives and it is painful.

Hardship is unavoidable. God days that people who endure trials are blessed. Remember James 1:12, Blessed is the man that endureth temptation....

In the introduction (Hebrews 12:1-4 ) Christ set the standard. We cant say that were not warned to be ready for anything but can you say that. just like the people above. you are prepared to survive? I dont have that confidence in myself. Not on my strength alone, but we can fight, fight for it? The alternative is death (nothingness) but if we succeed, an eternal life with friends and family in a utopian paradise. What is your choice? As incredible as our situation may become it is never to hard for God to deliver us but we need to carry our stupid Christian bucket filled with the burden of the Holy Spirit daily inorder to develop that strength to fight and sacrifice to survive. That strength comes daily through submitting to the Holy Spirit, making the choice to pray, study and practice what is right. We cannot guarantee our own survival but it is what is in that bucket that will enable us ,as paul said (in Ephesians 3:19-21 [KJV]) ...to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. [20] Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, [21] Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Other References

http://www.popularmechanics.com/adventure/g2493/7-of-the-most-extreme-survival-stories-of-all-time/

http://listverse.com/2015/05/18/10-amazing-survivors-of-unusual-natural-disasters/