September 26, 2023

Coun Cilex

Beauty What Else

Pamplin Media Group – USS Indianapolis survivor’s story of faith

No subject what our circumstance, our Lord Jesus Christ is worthy to be reliable

CENTRAL OREGONIAN - Rory RodgersI was not long ago instructing by means of John 4 in which Jesus tells the Samaritan female at the properly that if she knew the present of God and who she spoke with, she would have questioned for a consume from Him, and He would have presented her dwelling drinking water.

For an illustration concerning the variance in between common previous water and the drinking water of daily life that Jesus delivers, I referred to the Globe War II Naval tragedy of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis. Having viewed not a few guides and films on the issue, I usually recollect how the stranded sailors were determined for water and generally started to hallucinate. Their excessive thirst would typically generate them to drink the ocean salt h2o, which would in flip cause them to drift into insanity. They would see hallucinations of the Indianapolis underwater in ship-shape with functioning drinking fountains. With these refreshment close by, they would dive beneath the surface of the sea in an endeavor to drink from the freshwater fountain, only to be swept farther away from the group or picked off by a shark.

My sermon’s illustration was that anything else that the environment has to offer you that would acquire our affections and passions from Jesus is like misleading salt h2o that not only leaves us longing for a lot more, but really results in our demise and places us in a spot to be deceived and picked off by the wicked a person.

Just after the company, 1 of the ladies in our church, Denise Miles, approached me with a unique smile of excitement. “My uncle, Cletus Lebow was a survivor of the Indianapolis sinking. He would be excited to hear that you spoke of the Indianapolis in your sermon nowadays as he is a Christian!”

The following week, Denise arrived to church with her arms entire of unique envelopes and textbooks. These envelopes contained individual correspondences amongst Uncle Cletus and her mom., Oleta. All sorts of newspaper clippings of the Indy Survivors staying remembered and honored with pretty exclusive town memorials and the Congressional Gold Medal. A guide detailing the practical experience of just about every one survivor from the war to later in life, web pages of distinctive poetry and testimonial was signed and annotated by Cletus himself. One more spiral certain ebook has the tales of Cletus and other spouse and children member’s upbringing. A single envelope in the bundle had a handwritten letter by Cletus telling some specially challenging accounts from the war that have hung on his brain in excess of the years. Some of these activities bundled the horrors getting on a recovery crew inside the USS Oklahoma immediately after the assault on Pearle Harbor, witnessing a great number of landings on the pacific islands, the suicides of civilians on the island of Guam and the Kamikaze assault on their incredibly very own ship.

All of these envelopes, bundles and publications were graciously loaned to be to peruse and value. They are a wealth of historical gems from a male who cherished and served his place faithfully and sacrificially. However, out of all the internet pages some stood out additional than other folks. Web pages where Cletus boldly and unashamedly tells of the faithfulness of His God, the Lord Jesus Christ with declarations of “How Excellent He is!” In the spiral sure e book, Cletus tells of how his brother, mom and himself ended up saved from their sins to know Jesus. Exceptionally recognizable differences took place in his more mature brother, Curtis, “one thing new and alive in Him.”

Later on, when Cletus was 12, he would get what Christ experienced performed for him though living in Abernathy, Texas. An complete chapter is devoted in the spiral bound, not to the practical experience of the Indianapolis (as harrowing as that was), but to the goodness of His God. The chapter commences, “As significantly as I am concerned this will not be a chapter in my everyday living but the finish story. I would not have survived in this environment for all these years without having the defense for our Lord in Heaven. Thank God. He has been with me, is with me, and will be with me as prolonged as I will make it possible for Him.” He later on states, “I know there is lifetime after death, but only if there is lifestyle just before demise. The lifestyle of remaining born once again into the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Cletus expert God giving for his household as a result of amazing work openings, miraculous healings from most cancers for his wife, Joan, deliverance from persistent back ache, and of program His deliverance from the deep right after his sleek battleship plunged into the drinking water.

Just right before the Indy took its journey to supply the atomic bomb “Small Boy” to the Tinian Island, Cletus had a sense that a little something ominous was about to materialize to him. His mom observed that he was disturbed and told him that even while she could not sign up for him on the mission, there was just one who could. Cletus responded with, “Indeed, Mama, Jesus can go with me.” When the ship was struck and Cletus plunged into the water, He cried out, “Lord, assistance me!” Cletus recollects, “a bright light-weight appeared and reported, ‘Don’t be frightened.’ Promptly a sensation of serene and peace arrived more than me. I knew that I was all right no matter if I built it back home to Abernathy or dwelling in Heaven and I was no for a longer period afraid… He was in control. I am positive this kept me from succumbing to the practically irresistible and lethal wish to consume my fill of very good aged salt h2o straight from the ocean.”

Cletus’ tale is a reminder that no issue what our circumstance, our Lord Jesus is worthy to be dependable. We can hope in Him in life’s best trials and tragedies. As the psalmist states, “although He slay me, even now I will rely on Him.”

A closing poem by Cletus is also a superior charge to use the reward of existence for our Lord’s applications and glory:

Survivor’s Prayer

As the Waves rolled over the Indy asleep in the deep

The Lord gave us a miracle to retain

He gave us a possibility to serve Him for several extra decades

And we don’t forget the shed comrades as we lose unfortunate tears

Lord, we thank you for added days

We perform to glorify You in all your techniques

Might the wonder of survival reside in each coronary heart

We pray you will information us to do our part

We give glory and honor to You

And try to provide you in all we do

Many thanks for the wonder of survival from the sea

Many thanks for your enjoy and grace and for preserving me

Survivor’s Reunion, Aug. 7,1995

Rory Rodgers is the pastor of Calvary Chapel of Crook County. He can be achieved at 541-362-1125.


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