Thought for the Month - January 2008

Canoe believe it! - By Pastor Ian Wilson

In March 2002 a red canoe belonging to John Darwin, a 51 year old prison officer was found wrecked on the seafront near his home of Seaton Carew, Hartlepool, in northern England. Despite an extensive search involving Police, Coastguards and the Royal Navy, no trace was found of the missing man.

John Darwin was presumed dead by everyone, including his wife and two sons. In an interview given in late 2002, his wife Anne said, "When John went missing, I stayed up all night. It was a nightmare and it's still going on. People die, have a funeral, they have a headstone; there is something to mark the fact they existed on this Earth. But without a body, I don't know how we can mark John's life. All I want is to bury his body. It would enable me to move on”.

On Saturday 1st December 2007, five and a half years later and around 225 miles from where he was last seen. Mr Darwin walked into a police station in London and told police officers that he was a missing person.

From that day the plot truly has thickened. One newspaper likened it to the title of C S Lewis’s novel with a play on words. “The liar, the witch and the wardrobe”. It would appear that Mrs Darwin was in on the scam and her husband hid for a number of years in their family home. Newspapers have had a field day with the story, another headlined the arrival of Mrs Darwin back in the UK as she was met by the police with the words, “Canoe [Can you] come with me please?".

One day a man called Enoch disappeared from the earth. There was an extensive search carried out for his body, but the Bible says he “was not found”. The reason he was not found was “because God had translated him”. The world Enoch lived in was heading for judgment; God had pronounced a flood that was going to destroy the entire earth. However, before the flood of judgment came, God took Enoch straight into paradise.

This world we live in is heading for judgement. The Bible says that God has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness. The Bible tells us that before that day of judgement comes, every born again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ will be taken away straight into heaven. Are you born again? If not you will be left behind!

At Christmas time we are reminded of Christ’s first coming; but remember, Jesus Christ is coming back again.

Matthew 24:44 "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh"

Are you SURE that you have your place booked in Heaven? Read this if you're not!