June

​

You may have heard of Harry Truman. He was the 33rd president of the United States of America from 1945 to 1953. 

However, I would like to tell you about another Harry Truman.  He lived in Washington State in the north-west of the USA.  He had lived a major part of his 80 year-old life in his lodge on the south shore of Spirit Lake.  This was just north of Mount St. Helens. 

 

Mount St. Helens, a volcano, had last erupted in 1857.

​

In 1980 there was a movement once again.  Between March 20th and May 17th there were more than 3000 earthquakes.  The mountain’s north face bulged between 5 and 50 feet (1.5 and 15 metres) each day.  Government agencies ordered evacuation of the whole area.  Most left, some stayed.  Harry Truman was one of those who stayed.

At 8.32 am on May 18th a tremor shook the mountain.  Shortly afterwards it erupted, blowing out the weakened north side. During the nine-hour eruption, the volcano released the energy equivalent to 440 million tons of TNT (this is approximately 30,000 Hiroshima atomic bombs).  It just shows us the power and might of God’s creation.

 

But what of Harry Truman? He was warned and had the opportunity to flee, to escape.  Sadly, he didn’t.

​

Was it that he didn’t believe the message? 

Was he stubborn? 

Did he think it wouldn’t happen to him? 

Did he think he would take his chance or was it that he just couldn’t be bothered? 

 

Whatever the reason, sadly, he ignored the warning and lost his life. We have fallen short of the standard that God sets.  The Bible tells us that,

 

“all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” 

Romans 3 v 23. 

​

Because this is so, we face God’s judgement. 

​

“It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement” 

Hebrews 9 v 27

​

 We are therefore warned to

“flee from the wrath to come“ 

Luke 3 v 7

​

Just as Harry Truman had a way of escape, God has given us a way of escape. The Lord Jesus Christ died upon the cross at Calvary

“the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God”

1 Peter 3 v 18.

​

The Lord Jesus

“bare our sins in His own body on the tree“

1 Peter 2 v 24.

​

The words of the hymn, ‘There is a green hill far away‘, written by Cecil Frances Alexander, that is often sung at Easter, has this verse,

‘He died that we might be forgiven,

He died to make us good,

That we might go at last to heaven,

Saved by His precious blood.’

​

Whoever turns from their own way and puts their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus will escape ‘the wrath to come‘.

God says,

“whosoever believeth in Him (Jesus Christ) should not perish but have everlasting life“

 John 3 v 16.

 

Harry Truman heard the message, didn’t act upon it and sadly lost his life.

We trust that you will not ignore the message,

“that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners“,

1 Timothy 1 v 15

and that you will acknowledge Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.

If you have already heeded the warning then you, like me, will be thanking God for His wonderful way of escape.

BM

​