What Is Your Vision?

Mark 5: 24-34 "And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him. [25] And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, [26] And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, [27] When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. [28] For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. [29] And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. [30] And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? [31] And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? [32] And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. [33] But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. [34] And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague."

Many sermons have been written and preached about the woman with the "issue of blood". In most instances we read this passage and focus on the woman and her illness, but fail to recognize all of the deep truths found here, truths that we need to apply to our lives as Christians.

The Bible tells us that this woman had an "issue of blood", and that this condition had been present in her life for twelve long years. Tradition and "good manners" dictate that we don't talk about this condition, that we only touch its surface and move on, that we treat the subject as unclean in and of itself. Yet the Scripture talks about the disease, and God wants us to take note of the truth presented here.

Every man and woman in this assembly knows that God, when He designed woman, designed her so that she would go through a cleansing period each month, what we delicately call "a time of the month". In Leviticus 15 God told Israel that when woman went through her "time" she was to be considered unclean, and was not to be touched by her husband. If her "time" extended beyond what was considered normal, a few days, then the woman herself was considered to be diseased and was to separate herself from normal human contact. God placed this requirement on Israel because the nation was a nomadic tribe, moving from place to place as He so directed. If disease came in among the people it could quickly spread and wipe out the nation, so the Father put a harsh restriction on those who fell prey to disease. They were to be sequestered, separated from the rest of society, and if they broke quarantine in many instances they were stoned to death.

As Israel's history progressed man forgot the reason for the quarantine, forgot that the reason God told the diseased to stay "outside the camp" was to keep the nomadic tribes of Israel at peak physical condition. The restrictions of quarantine became covered with the traditions of man, so that by Jesus' day those who were diseased were expected to remain on the outskirts of the city, crying "unclean" when any who were well came close.

Tradition taught that this woman was to stay outside the city, to yell out "unclean" when any who were whole approached her. Tradition taught that Jesus be a good Pharisee, that He follow the laws that the fathers set down implicitly, that He scream out "unclean" when He saw this woman, or any of the diseased that approached Him. Tradition, tradition.

Both Jesus and this nameless woman broke tradition in order to follow after God's deeper truths. Have you ever wondered why this woman remained nameless, even in the Scriptures? I am sure that Jesus knew this woman's name, for He had a deeply personal ministry with all who came to see Him. I am sure that Mark knew her name, or would have asked her name, yet she remains nameless to this day. Perhaps she remained nameless because the Lord knew that to share her name, even in Scripture, would be to risk her death. On reading her name many religious traditionalists would have condemned her actions, judged her harshly, and some, perhaps, would have demanded her stoning in accordance with the Law. "How dare she enter the city! How dare she break tradition and come in amongst the healthy! Crucify her!"

Or consider Jesus. He was raised an orthodox Jew by Mary and Joseph, and as a child was often found in the seminaries of His day listening and teaching. When He reached adulthood His friends and neighbors expected Jesus, such a great Teacher, a DIDASKALOS, to do great things among the Pharisees. Perhaps Jesus would become a member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling religious leaders of Israel. Surely He would make His mark among traditionalists. He would be known as "the honorable Doctor Jesus", or the "Reverend Mister Jesus". Instead of seeking honor and power, instead of flaunting the fact that He Himself was a descendant of King David, in line for the Throne of Israel, Jesus shrugged off tradition in order to do His Father's will.

Jesus went into places the Pharisees would not even look at. He visited the alcoholics, the prostitutes, the bar tenders, the drug dealers, and told them about the Kingdom of God. He visited the "unclean", those who should have been under quarantine, those who were supposed to stay outside of the city, and brought the healing power of God to them. Lepers, who traditionally would have been stoned had they come into the city, came by the busload to Jesus for healing and were comforted. Jesus visited the illegitimate children, the children born out of wedlock, and started a revival among the Samaritans. Jesus even spread the Word of God among the Gentiles, people traditionally considered by the Jewish nation to be dogs, unworthy of God's favor. Jesus ignored the traditions of man and sowed instead the truths of God's Word. And in sowing, created the Church of God.

Colossians 2:8  "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."

Traditions rooted and grounded in the Gospel of Christ are good traditions, but all others are empty, without hope. Both Jesus and this woman broke the traditions of man to seek the deeper things of God, and in so doing honored and glorified God. We as the Church of God, a Body formed when Jesus untraditionally offered the Gospel to the Gentiles, are called to be visionaries, not traditionalists.

On this day, as on many days, Jesus stood with His disciples while people thronged all around Him. Jesus' ministry was marked with the miraculous. People saw these miracles, and came to Him in droves to be healed.

But I ask you this, which is the greater miracle: the healing of the leper, or the uniting of a soul with God? Which is more lasting: restoring the physical sight of the blind, or opening the sinful eyes of man with the Gospel?

As Jesus began His earthly ministry the throngs said, "If you're the Messiah, show us a miracle". Jesus responded by showing many miracles, and by preaching the Way unto Salvation. Yet as His ministry progressed people began to ignore the message and focus on the miracle. This is the human way, for deep inside we are all selfish, all want for ourselves. As Jesus stood in the crowd, surrounded by greedy people who ignored the message but wanted the miracle, He was pushed, prodded, His flesh perhaps bruised by all the hands pressing in on Him. "Give me. No, Give me".

And in the midst of all this prodding and poking, one timid hand reached out and touched the hem of His robe. One hand, in desperation, reached out in faith, believing, and in so believing received wholeness. When she, by faith, just touched the hem of His garment Jesus said "Who touched me!". The touch by faith is felt by the Lord, the demand of selfishness is ignored.

Many touched and prodded, but only one was touched by faith, and was so healed.

For twelve long years this woman had reached out to other solutions. She had spent her last penny on doctors who tried first one thing then another to alleviate her suffering. For twelve years she had been forsaken by man. This is perhaps the most terrible thing of all, the loneliness, the separation. Man would not come near her, her family had forsaken her, and loneliness, like a sepulcher, closed in on her on all sides. Perhaps she even thought that God had left her.

Brothers and Sisters, friends, we have people who were once in our midst who are like this woman, alone and lost. We have friends and family who are hurting, and who have been hurt by tradition and are no longer with us. We have members in our assembly that are hurting, even now, who need you to reach out to them and let them feel the touch of the Master's hand.
 

The Piano  Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a  Paderewski concert. After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in the audience  and walked down the aisle to greet her.   Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and  eventually explored his way through a door marked "NO ADMITTANCE." When the  house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat  and discovered that the child was missing.   Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage.  In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out  "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." At that moment, the great piano master made his  entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit. Keep  playing." Then leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling  in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obligatio. Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a  frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. The audience was  mesmerized.

They do not need the touch of your judgment, for you and I are unfit to judge. There is one Judge, even God, and we are not He! They do not need our self righteousness, nor do they need the traditions of man. You have members in your midst who feel lost, and alone, who need your understanding Love, who need the pure Love of God shining through your life and into theirs. Reach out to one another! If you are in Christ, a Christian, a little Christ, reach out in love to one another. Reach out to those who have left our assembly, tell them that you love them and miss them.

A man lost his son, and when the son was buried the Church turned out in droves, packed to the rafters with Christian support. On the day of the funeral the grieving family was given food, and food enough for a week after. Yet after the funeral in the weeks that followed the Church as a whole acted like the incident never occurred. The family needed the support, yet no one ever called. An antiseptic letter was received from the Pastor, written by his secretary, but no one ever called to help the family through its grief. The family was hurt by the lack of support, but even more hurt by the sense that the Church family was, indeed, no family at all.

Some would say that this family should have called for counseling, called and asked others to talk to them. Yet those who are hurting do not often think of such things. And after all, there's the Pastor. We pay him to do this, it's his job. Yet the Scripture tells us over and over:

1 Peter 1:22  "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently"

This is not traditional, this is Christian. You are called to be visionary in your service, visionary in your love.

When Jesus walked the earth He was anything but a traditional preacher, for the Love of God radiated out from Him like the rays of the sun. How are we, as the Church of Christ, to be?

Hebrews 4:15-16 "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. [16]  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."

We must be as our Saviour was, bold in our love one toward another. The enemy, Satan, wants you to be meek and mild. He wants you to be lazy. When a member drops out of this Body unnoticed Satan loves this, for when a member drops we lose a talent, we lose a Gift. When we sin Satan wants us to fall into self condemnation, to berate ourselves, to beat ourselves up and in so doing stay out of fellowship. When we see a brother or a sister fall Satan wants us to look the other way, to pretend that it didn't happen, to hope that the "bad seed" will go quietly away.

This is not God's way! When we sin our Father wants us to come boldly to the Throne of Grace, to say "Father, I've sinned, but I ask your forgiveness in the name of Jesus". This is not traditional, but, dear friends, God's Grace isn't traditional. If you are here without Christ active in your life today God tells you to come boldly to His Throne of Grace. I know, it goes against the grain to admit that you need help. After all, we're Americans, we're self reliant, we can make it on our own. But God says we are all sinners, all as polluted as that woman with the issue of blood was, and only by accepting Jesus Christ as Saviour can be be made whole.

In Hebrew, the very word, "Peace" SHALOM, is taken from the Hebrew word, "Whole" or SHALEM.  The two words are nearly synonymous. God wants us to  be made whole, that we obtain completeness, peace, and spiritual maturity, by giving ourselves totally to Jesus. If you have already given yourself to Jesus but have become lukewarm in your love one to another, your Father demands that you come out of this hideous tradition and start reaching out to your brothers and sisters in Christ. Love those in this assembly that have fallen into pain. Share their pain with them, and in sharing bond together as a family, as a Body of believers.

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, if you do not know the "peace of God that passeth all understanding", reach out your hand today and touch the hem of His garment. If you accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour, if you break the traditions of man and admit that you cannot make it on your own, the Lord will turn around, look you in the eyes, and say "Your faith has made you whole".

Matthew 25:31-46 "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: [32] And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: [33] And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. [34] Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: [35] For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: [36] Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. [37] Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? [38] When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? [39] Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? [40] And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. [41] Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: [42] For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: [43] I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. [44] Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? [45] Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. [46] And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."

Over the past few weeks we have been studying end time events, and how these future events (like the Second Coming of Christ) should be influencing our behavior as Christians in the present. To many Christians the moment of Salvation they experienced by accepting Christ as Saviour was the end of the road, but our Lord Jesus makes it plain that salvation is not the end of the road, but the beginning. Once we are saved we become Servants of God and, as such, should do what servants do best: serve one another, and serve those in need.

When we talk about the Millennial reign of Christ we often talk about the great peace that will come over the earth. The Lord even tells us that nature itself shall be changed:

Isaiah 11:6-9 "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. [7] And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. [8]  And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. [9]  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea."

The lion, who is normally a meat eating animal, will only eat grass. The wolf, who normally loves the succulent meat of the lamb, will ignore his prey in order that peace reign in God's Kingdom on earth. Even the infant shall play on the ground next to the deadly asp, and the asp will allow such play without giving the bite of death. There will only be peace in all of God's Kingdom.

By studying God's Scripture over the past few weeks we know that Jesus will have already have come back for His Bride. Each and every one of us who believe, whether we be previously deceased or if we be still living, will be transformed into a new glorified body in a moment (ATOMOS) of time. The Bride will have departed with our Lord to have her works judged, and each of us will be rewarded with either gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or stubble. If we have served faithfully we will be given crowns that we will use to honor our Lord, but if we have been lax we will receive no reward, yet will yet be saved.

And after this, we will come back with our Lord to "rule and reign with Him" on the earth:

Revelation 20:4-6 "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. [5]  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. [6]  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."

We know this to be true from Scripture. Jesus went even farther, and Service to Position in the Millennial Kingdom. Listen to this:

Matthew 25:31-33 "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: [32] And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: [33] And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

The first thing that Jesus will do when He assumes the Throne of David is to separate the "sheep" from the "goats". The "sheep" are those who accepted Christ as Saviour, the "goats" those who went along with the fashionable crowd, who followed the "politically correct" way - let's make no waves - and who accepted the Mark of the Beast. Some theologians believe that the Church will go through the Great Tribulation, and only after this terrible time we will be glorified as a Body. Myself, I personally do not believe this. When Paul taught us about the glorified Rapture of the Church he ended his dissertation by saying, "comfort one another with these words" (1 Thessalonians 4.18). I just don't see how anyone could be "comforted" if we knew we had the possibility of going through the Great Tribulation, the bloodbath of Satan on the earth. But let's not focus on theological differences here, or focus on whether we are "pre", "post", or "a" tribulationalists. Instead, focus on this.

When Jesus separates the sheep from the goats at the start of the Millennial reign, how does He judge "sheep" from "goat"? Listen to what our Lord says:

Matthew 25.35-40 "For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: [36] Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. [37] Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? [38] When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? [39] Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? [40] And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

Jesus separated "sheep" from "goat" based on whether Christian service was evident in the life of the person. Did you understand that? Often as Baptists we become so wrapped up in theological considerations that we often fail to take in the greater truths of Scripture. We use phrases like, "Once Saved, Always Saved", and forget the truth that "If truly Saved, we will act like sheep. We will be operational in our salvation".

What differentiates a sheep from a goat? The sheep follow the Shepherd, they heed His voice and His example, they do as He commands. Goats, on the other hand, will fight among themselves to find out who is the most dominant. There have been cases where goats have charged one another so voraciously that they have killed each other from the resultant blow. Goats think of themselves, not of others. "Me first, no one else". This is goat like behavior, not the way of Christ.

When you accepted Christ as Saviour you underwent an internal change, a Spirit driven change. You were "born again", and this new birth wasn't just an intellectual exercise, but something that placed a will within you to grow in your faith and in service. Listen how Paul explains it:

Romans 12:1-2 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. [2]  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

After salvation we are called to a life of service, to present our bodies "a living sacrifice". This is not an unreasonable request from God, but our "reasonable service". Believers, we are called to a life of service now, just as we have new life in Christ now. We will one day rule and reign with our Master during the Millennial Kingdom because we are saved and because we showed evidence of that salvation by service.

"Oh my goodness, Brother David. You're walking a thin line here, for it sounds like you're saying you have to work to be saved". No, I'm not saying that at all. I am staunchly conservative and Baptist in doctrine. I thoroughly believe that the Scripture plainly teaches that Salvation is by faith in Christ alone. But let me warn you, if you exhibit none of the characteristics of a saved life, if you are still operating as a goat among the sheep, then you are either a carnal Christian or you are yet dead in your sins!

The Scripture clearly teaches that the Living Faith of the Church is a faith that works. We are called, not just to ride the free bus to Heaven, but are called to serve as our own Blessed Lord served.

James 2:15-20 "If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, [16] And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? [17]  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. [18] Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. [19]  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. [20]  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?"

James uses the word "dead", NEKROS, to describe a faith that only speaks good but fails to work. NEKROS is used throughout the New Testament Scripture to describe a state where the soul has left the body. The word NEKROS literally means, "Naked of soul". When someone physically dies their soul leaves their body to either go be with the Lord, or to go to hell. Their body is NEKROS, naked of soul.

The soul of our faith is works, serving as God has called us within the Church and outward in the world. We will rule and reign with Him in the Millennium because we served Him by serving others in this life. If we are not serving, then let's start correcting the problem now as a Church, as His people. The world has, for too long, heard the Message of the Cross preached by a Church that seems to be untouched by that message. We need to put wings on our faith by serving our Saviour, actively serving, not just speaking of service.

 
 

Brother Andrew, now 71 years old, started an organization called "Open Doors" whose sole aim is to smuggle Bibles into Christ starved countries. He is presently smuggling Bibles into Islamic countries that have, for all intents and purposes, outlawed Christianity. He said: "Unity among Christians is essential if the church is going to change the world, Andrew said. "It is a matter of life or death. We cannot survive apart from the rest of the Body. Yet that is what we are doing. We have to be together." ..."Unity means that I am willing to take off my shoes and give them to my brother. Are we really doing that? Why aren't we sharing ourselves like Jesus asked in Matthew 25? We are more concerned about our own respectability." ...Disunity produces weakness, Andrew warned. "We need to know where the rest of the Body is and what condition it is in. If we don't know where they are, if we don't know how they are doing, we become apathetic. We shrink back into our own space and begin to mistrust. Or we become overzealous and think we have all the answers. We are tending to withdraw into our own shells. We think we feel better. But we can't forget, ‘For God so loved the world.’ "

How can we serve? Brothers and sisters, we have formed "Property Committees", "Clean Up Committees", committees of every shape and size to manage the building and business of this Church. I am asking you to pray about organizing a "Membership Committee" to take on the responsibility of overseeing our efforts of recovering resident and non-resident members back into our fold. These people have walked away from our fellowship because of apathy on our part, or perhaps because their feelings were hurt over something that was said or not said. The Membership Committee could assign specific people in every Sunday School class to call inactive members and encourage them to come home. I am asking you to pray about organizing a "Servant Evangelism Committee" that will develop effective ways for us to reach out into our community. There are lost and dying people all around us that Christ expects us to reach, not just talk about. Remember what Jesus said?

Matthew 25.40 "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

Love ye one another. Preach the love of Christ to the world. Believers, let's get ready to roll up our sleeves and work for Him, putting our faith in action. One day we will be serving with Christ in the Millennial Kingdom, but He expects us to start serving right now!
 

Witnessing: True Hero Of The Titanic  ("The Titanic's Last Hero" by Moody Press 1997)  John Harper was born to a pair of solid Christian parents on May 29th, 1872. It was on the  last Sunday of March 1886, when he was thirteen years old that he received Jesus as the Lord of his life. He never knew what it was to "sow his wild oats." He began to preach about four years later at the ripe old age of 17 years by going down to the streets of his village and pouring out his soul in earnest entreaty for men to be reconciled to God.   As John Harper's life unfolded, one thing was apparent ... he was consumed by the word of God. When asked by various ministers what his doctrine consisted of, he was known to reply "The Word of God!" After five or six years of toiling on street corners preaching the gospel and working in the mill during the day, Harper was taken in by Rev. E. A. Carter of Baptist Pioneer Mission in London, England. This set Harper free to devote his whole time of energy to the work so dear to his heart. Soon, John Harper started his own church in September of 1896. (Now known as the Harper Memorial Church). This church which John Harper had started with just 25 members, had grown to over 500 members when he left 13 years later. During this time he had gotten married, but was shortly there after widowed. However brief the marriage, God did bless John Harper with a beautiful little girl named Nana.  Ironically, John Harper almost drowned several times during his life. When he was two and a half years of age, he almost drowned when he fell into a well but was resuscitated by his mother. At the age of twenty-six, he was swept out to sea by a reverse current and barely survived, and at thirty-two he faced death on a leaking ship in the Mediterranean. Perhaps, God used these experiences to prepare this servant for what he faced next .......  It was the night of April 14, 1912. The RMS. Titanic sailed swiftly on the bitterly cold ocean waters heading unknowingly into the pages of history. On board this luxurious ocean liner were many rich and famous people. At the time of the ship's launch, it was the world's largest man-made moveable object. At 11:40 p.m. on that fateful night, an iceberg scraped the ship's starboard side, showering the decks with ice and ripping open six watertight compartments. The sea poured in.  On board the ship that night was John Harper and his much beloved six-year-old daughter Nana. According to documented reports, as soon as it was apparent that the ship was going to sink, John Harper immediately took his daughter to a lifeboat. It is reasonable to assume that this widowed preacher could have easily gotten on board this boat to safety; however, it never seems to have crossed his mind. He bent down and kissed his precious little girl; looking into her eyes he told her that she would see him again someday. The flares going off in the dark sky above reflected the tears on his face as he turned and headed towards the crowd of desperate humanity on the sinking ocean liner. As the rear of the huge ship began to lurch upwards, it was reported that Harper was seen making his way up the deck yelling "Women, children and unsaved into the lifeboats!" It was only  minutes later that the Titanic began to rumble deep within. Most people thought it was an explosion; actually the gargantuan ship was literally breaking in half. At this point, many people jumped off the decks and into the icy, dark waters below. John Harper was one of these people.  That night 1528 people went into the frigid waters. John Harper was seen swimming frantically to people in the water leading them to Jesus before the hypothermia became fatal. Mr. Harper swam up to one young man who had climbed up on a piece of debris. Rev. Harper asked him between breaths, "Are you saved?" The young man replied that he was not. Harper then tried to lead him to Christ only to have the young man who was near shock, reply no. John Harper then took off his life jacket and threw it to the man and said "Here then, you need this more than I do ..." and swam away to other people. A few minutes later Harper swam back to the young man and succeeded in leading him to salvation. Of the 1528 people that went into the water that night, six were rescued by the lifeboats. One of them was this young man on the debris. Four years later, at a survivors meeting, this young man stood up and in tears recounted how John Harper had led him to Christ. Mr. Harper had tried to swim back to help other people, yet because of the  intense cold, had grown too weak to swim. His last words before going under in the frigid waters were "Believe on the Name of the Lord Jesus and you will be saved." Does Hollywood remember this man? No. Oh well, no matter. This servant of God did what he had to do. While other people were trying to buy their way onto the lifeboats and selfishly trying to save their own lives, John Harper gave up his life so that others could be saved.  "Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends..." John Harper was truly the hero of the Titanic!

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