Dr. Paul Chappell

On August 13, 2004, Hurricane Charley brought fierce destruction to areas of Florida. During the storm, 25-year-old Danny Williams went outside to seek protection under the branches of a 55-year old banyan tree. Friends and family said that the protective branches of the spreading tree had been a favorite peaceful place for the Fort Meyers man. But on that day, his place of safety became a death trap. The tree fell on Williams and killed him.

Sometimes, the places and situations we look to for protection can ultimately be the most harmful.

Three men were hiking through a forest when they came upon a large, raging, violent river. Needing to get to the other side, the first man prayed, “God, please give me the strength to cross the river.” Poof! God gave him big arms and strong legs. He was able to swim across in about two hours, having almost drowned twice.

After witnessing that, the second man prayed, “God, please give me strength and the tools to cross the river.” Poof! God gave him a rowboat, strong arms, and strong legs. He was able to row across in about an hour after almost capsizing once.

One-third (35 percent) of Americans today say they have been through a breakup at least once in the past 10 years.

Americans under age 35 are twice as likely as those between 35 and 54, and nearly five times as likely as those 55 and older, to have split with a significant other in the past decade. In fact, 59 percent of respondents between the ages of 18 and 34 say they have recently experienced a breakup.

Although half of women (51 percent) say they initiated their most recent split, only 32 percent of men say their partner dumped them.

A little boy and his father were driving down a country road on a beautiful spring afternoon. Suddenly out of nowhere a bumblebee flew in the car window. Since the little boy was deathly allergic to bee stings he became petrified. His father quickly reached out, grabbed the bee, squeezed it in his hand, and then released it. But as soon as he let it go, the young son became frantic once again as it buzzed by the little boy.

On January 12, 2010, a powerful earthquake devastated Haiti and left the country in shambles. Few people were fortunate enough to leave, but the Desarmes family was able to evacuate two weeks after the mass chaos began. They had family in South America so Pierre Desarmes, age 34, used his contacts in Port-au-Prince to secure passage for his parents, two brothers and their families, and three cousins—nine in all—to fly south. They arrived in Santiago, Chile on January 23rd and encountered one of the worst earthquakes in history just a month later on February 27th.

“I compare the troubles which we have to undergo in the course of the year to a great bundle of sticks, far too large for us to lift. But God does not require us to carry the whole at once. He mercifully unties the bundle, and gives us first one stick, which we are to carry today,and then another, which we are to carry tomorrow, and so on.

“Some people are very decisive when it comes to avoiding decisions.”—Brendan Francis

The story is told of a young girl who accepted Christ as her Saviour and applied for membership in a local church. “Were you a sinner before you received the Lord Jesus into your life?” inquired an old deacon. “Yes, sir,” she replied.

“Well, are you still a sinner?”

“To tell you the truth, I feel I’m a greater sinner than ever.”

“Then what real change have you experienced?”

Hudson Taylor was scheduled to speak at a large church in Melbourne, Australia. The moderator of the service introduced the missionary in eloquent and glowing terms. He told the large congregation all that Taylor had accomplished in China, and then presented him as “our illustrious guest.” Taylor stood quietly for a moment, and then opened his message by saying, “Dear friends, I am the little servant of an illustrious Master.”

Source: Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching and Preachers, Warren Wiersbe

In the world of technology there is a new development called Hyper Sonic Sound (HSS). The inventor, Elwood “Woody” Norris, has engineered sound waves to travel like a laser beam for about 150 yards. This allows sounds to be heard by a person in a particular place but not by those immediately around them. You could be listening to music or specific instructions while those standing next to you would be left in total silence. If you move out of the tightly formed path of these unique sound waves you too will be unaware of any noise.

The Queen Mary was the largest ship to cross the oceans when it was launched in 1936. Through four decades and a World War she served until she was retired as a floating hotel and museum in Long Beach, California.

“To look at the window . . .as I did that first day . . . to look out at this kind of creation and not believe in God is to me impossible.”—John Glenn, speaking about his view of the Earth from the space shuttle Discovery

Source: World Magazine

“In great measure, according to the purity and perfections of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.”—Robert Murray McCheyne

A number of years ago, the Associated Press released a study done by an agricultural school in Iowa. It reported that production of 100 bushels of corn from one acre of land, in addition to the many hours of the farmer's labor, required 4,000,000 lbs. of water, 6,800 lbs. of oxygen, 5,200 lbs. of carbon, 160 lbs. of nitrogen, 125 lbs. of potassium, 75 lbs. of yellow sulphur, and other elements too numerous to list. In addition to these things, which no man can produce, rain and sunshine at the right time are critical.

“I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.”—Helen Keller

“The highest reward for a man’s toil is not what he gets for it, but what he becomes by it.”—John Ruskin

“You can measure what you would do for the Lord by what you do.”—T. C. Horton, quoted in Christian Life

It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again;

A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales.

Teacher: It is physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it is a very large mammal its throat is very small.

Little girl: Jonah was swallowed by a whale.

The irritated teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible.

Little girl: When I get to Heaven I will ask Jonah.

Teacher: What if Jonah went to hell?

Little girl: Then you ask him.

Source: Unknown

Nancy suppressed her shock at seeing her 17-year-old daughter’s new hairdo. The sides of her head were shaved, the rest of her hair was died burgundy, and the top was spiked. Nancy said, “That’s a bit different, isn’t it?” A friend saw the haircut and asked, “What does your mom think of it?” The daughter replied, “Oh, my mom’s pretty cool. She doesn’t mind at all.” The bewildered friend asked, “Then why did you do it?”

Source: Reader’s Digest, December, 1999

A young lady who was attempting to defend her attendance at questionable places of amusement told her friend that she thought a Christian could go anywhere. Her friend replied, “Certainly she can, but I am reminded of a little incident which happened last summer when I went with a party of friends to explore a coal mine. One of the young women appeared dressed in a dainty white gown. When her friends remonstrated with her, she appealed to the old miner who was to act as guide to the party. ’Can’t I wear a white dress down into the mine?’ she asked petulantly.

The U.S. Air Force pilot Scott O’Grady was  shot down over Bosnia during the late 1990s. He evaded capture for days until he was found by rescue helicopters. When the helicopter landed to rescue him he summoned all of his strength and fought through bushes to get to the place of refuge.

God provides a way of escape during temptation. It may not be easy to take it, but He always provides one.

Source: Holiness by Grace, Brian Chappell