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No one expected it to happen to him. He had been doing it for decades. He was considered a professional in the field of tornadoes research. We have all heard of adrenalin-crazed storm-chasers who, with reckless abandon, drive dangerously into storms with their cameras to prove they did it and survived. But Tim Samaras was not one of them.

Summer 2013

A newsletter produced by the Christians who meet in the First Street Gospel Hall for the community at large.

Storm Chasers - Dangerous and Deadly

Samaras was respected around the world for his research into violent weather and tornadoes. He traced his fascination with tornadoes back to his childhood, when he first watched the violent storm sequence in The Wizard of Oz. Thats when he said he was hooked for life. Samaras and his team starred on Storm Chasers for five years on the Discovery Channel, with the last show in the fall of 2011. Over the years Samaras received numerous research grants to pursue his passion for learning more about tornadoes. It was 11PM, in Oklahoma, the Mecca of stormchasing according to Samaras, when the veteran storm-chaser tweeted: Dangerous day ahead for OK [Oklahoma] stay weather savvy! The tweet included a picture of an empty road with clouds gathering overhead. He, his son Paul and their colleague Carl Young were together tracking the latest round of tornadoes to tear through central Oklahoma.

Mike Bettes, an anchor with The Weather Channel, came far closer to the fierce power of the tornado than he ever wanted to experience. He said it was the most frightening moment of his life, when the truck he was in was sucked up and tossed into a field 200 yards away. CNN meteorologist, Chad Myers said it was an erratic tornado that gained strength quickly. The very wide wobbling tornado turned unpredictably catching people off guard and in places where they did not want to be. And thats what happened even the best were caught in places where they did not want to be. Meteorologists, weather buffs and storm chasers around the world were shocked to learn the next morning the tragic news of the fate of the worlds foremost tornado expert. Veteran storm chaser Tim Samaras, 54; his chase partner of a decade, Carl Young, 45; and Samaras son, Paul Samaras, 24, a photographer, died Friday in an EF-3 tornado in El Reno, Oklahoma. Crews hauled away their white truck Sunday. It had been crushed like a tin can, its metal frame violently twisted and its windows smashed. While families are left to mourn and the weatherworld suffers the loss of experts in the field, can we draw some spiritual parallels from this tragedy that could benefit you and me spiritually? Five Applied Spiritual Insights 1. Sin Chasers The Inbred Attraction in all of us. Only a very few people have an inner attraction to storms and become storm-chasers; but all, without exception, are sin-chasers. We all have sins we chase but the chase is rarely public. Often the chase is under-the-radar and not detected. For example, the respectable guise of business smarts and competition may be the cover for inner greed, covetousness and pride. What images and sites you visit in the privacy of your electronic world is all a part of the hidden but very real chase.

Church Bites

So who is the pastor or minister at your church? The short answer is that we dont have one! The responsibility for teaching and guiding the church falls to a group of elders that share in this work and receive their direction from the Bible alone. The weekly preaching is shared by these and a number of other men to whom God has given gift and ability to teach. Every Christian has been gifted by God to do something in the Church, and through this God provides for every need. The burden of care for any congregation is more than one man can bear.

God not only tracks the sins we physically chase; He records the ones we mentally chase and play within the secret chambers of our minds. Nothing is hidden from Him. You are not alone with your inbred, innate attraction to sin. We all have it. The Bible clearly says that all have sinned and have fallen short of Gods holy standard. (Romans 3:23) In fact, the Bible says: if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us... (1John 1:8) 2. Sin has thrills but kills. Sin is the mostly deadly force in the world. The Bible acknowledges that there is pleasure in sin but it is short lived. (Hebrews 11:25) So there are times when sin thrills. But sin is not all thrills. The side-effects and consequences of sin, without even mentioning the spiritual aspect of sin can be downright brutal, leaving emptiness, many regrets along with deep wounds and scars. Heres what the Bible says: The wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) When our first father Adam introduced the sin virus into the human family in Genesis 3, the ripple effect of his sin was far-reaching and devastating. Romans 5:12 puts it this way: ... just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned... Deadly diseases and killer storms are darkly eclipsed by the most deadly force known to the universe sin! 3. Sin, as a process, is unpredictable but its end results are not. Not everyone who drinks or does drugs or gambles becomes an addict. But sin can wobble out of control and take sudden unpredictable turns. Its true - not everyone who cheats on their spouse has to go through a divorce process. Not all who indulge themselves in pornography become a sex fiend. Not every cutthroat, wheeler-dealer ends up in prison for fraud and extortion. The sin of pride over our good works and good life may not grow into full-blown boastful arrogance that totally offends others. No, the process

of sin seems almost random and unpredictable at times. The Bible talks about the deceitfulness of sin. But the end result of all sin, of every kind, (small and great) is always the same: separation from God and spiritual death. 4. Human efforts always crushed by the brute strength of sin. Even the most amateur storm-chasers understand you dont win when you take a direct hit from a tornado. We are no match for the forces of nature. Spiritually, the Bible teaches that there is not one solitary thing humans can do to win against sin. Good works, religion, prayers, sincerity or charity cannot eradicate the root of sin in all of us. Human efforts and programs can help us minimize and curtail and even remove some of the sideeffects of sin but no amount of human effort can free us, once-for-all, from the inner root problem of sin. 5. Rescue, protection and safety available to all. In Samaras last interview with the National Geographic he warned people to make sure they had a plan of action to deal with tornadoes. What is your spiritual plan of action against sin? Are you prepared for death and beyond? The warning from the Bible is constantly sounding left without a shelter, your sins will take you to Hell. The good news is: Jesus Christ is the one and only shelter for sinners. If humans are no match for the power of tornadoes, how much less are we equipped to deal with the power of sin! In our powerlessness over sin and vulnerability, listen to what the Bible says: While we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6) Whoever calls on the name of the Lord, shall be saved. (Romans 10:13) For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23) The blood of Jesus Christ, Gods son cleanses from all sin. (1John 1:7) Credit: www.heaven4sure.com

Events and Meetings

First Street Gospel Hall

102 First Street NW, Portage la Prairie, MB R1N 3J9 firststgh@gmail.com Phone: 204-239-0753

Sunday 9:30am Lords Supper 11:30am Sunday School / Bible Teaching 7:00pm Community Gospel Hour Spanish Gospel Hour Thursday 7:30pm Prayer & Bible Study