Kalalochs Dangerous Riptides

The summer camping season on the Olympic Peninsula begins on Memorial Day weekend. Thousands of eager campers brave the long ferryboat lines and drive for hours to enjoy the areas scenic beauty. One of the most popular camping destinations is Kalaloch Beach on the Pacific Ocean. Its hundreds of campsites are scattered along lanes in the forest above the beach. A short hike from the campsites to a flight of stairs brings campers to one of the most beautiful, expansive beaches along the Pacific Coast. A sign at the top of the steps warns beach goers of two of the dangers of the beach. It would do well for hikers to take heed to the warnings because it seems like every year there is a serious accident. The sign first warns hikers about the giant pieces of driftwood that are tossed about like little playthings by the incoming waves and smash anything that gets in their way. The second warning is about the dangerous riptides that sometimes lurk beneath the surface of the water. A riptide is a strong narrow tide that opposes other currents and produces turbulence, especially as sea water that rushes seaward after incoming waves mount up on the shore. Riptides are especially strong on days when the tides are extreme.

The Papkov family planned to spend three days enjoying the campground and the beautiful beach. On the last day of the camping trip tragedy struck the Papkov family. The two teenagers in the family were walking in the surf along the beach. They had already spent the two previous days wading in and out of the water but where unaware that conditions had changed and a swift riptide was flowing. As they were walking along a large wave crashed in to them knocking them down. Before they could recover the riptide sucked them out into deeper water. The bottom is uneven at this part of the beach and they found themselves in over their heads. The girl was able to swim back to shore, however the boy completely disappeared in the unforgiving ocean. After park authorities made a lengthy search, the boy was presumed drowned.

Despite the warning sign on the beach, the riptides at Kalaloch claimed another young life. There is a riptide in the affairs of the lives of men in this world too. It is as if the great mass of men in the world were like the sea and sometimes they are pulled this way and then that way much like the fluctuating tides of prevailing attitudes. Salvation from sin by a Savior who died and rose again isnt popular in todays world. It seems like a riptide is running and carrying men away from finding safety in the one who died at Calvary. Like the boy in the story they are being carried away from safety and swept out to their destruction.

Safety is only found in the Lord Jesus. Here is why you ought to believe he is the one and only Son of God. He was taken by cruel hands and crucified; a soldier stuck a spear deep into his side. He was buried in a tomb hewn out of rock. Roman soldiers rolled a rock over the tomb to enclose it, then sealed it, and then set a watch over it of sixteen soldiers to make sure no one would tamper with it. For the remainder of that Friday, the following Saturday, and then the early part of Sunday morning his body lay in the grave. Then early Sunday he arose from the grave in a resurrected body. The rock was rolled aside and angels sat where his body was once laid. He appeared to his disciples many times over the next forty days, one time even eating fish and honeycomb with them. One of his disciples even thrust his hand in the spear wound in his side. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus from the grave is a great proof that he is the Son of God. As it says in Romans chapter one, And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

The men who witnessed all these things had nothing to gain by giving a false testimony about what they saw. They were honest, sober minded men and their accounts are written out in the New Testament. One of them named Peter in his second letter wrote For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

Make no mistake about it. It was God who created the world, and it was God who raised up the Lord Jesus from the dead. It is also God who calls all men to repentance and faith in his Son so that they might receive the gift of eternal life. As many as who received him to them gave he the power to become the sons of God. The gospel might have been around for two thousand years but man with all his increased learning and knowledge needs it as much today as ever before. What you do with the Lord Jesus will determine where you spend eternity. He that heareth my words and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation.

Will you confess him as your Lord and Savior so that you receive the gift of eternal life? Or will you reject the message and come into condemnation? You alone must decide whether or not to accept Christ. And you alone must bear the consequence of your decision. There is a real hell waiting for those who reject the Lord Jesus while there is heaven and eternal life for all those who truly believe he is the Son of God. That the riptides of unbelief are running through this world shouldnt surprise anyone. This is the same world that cast out the Son of God after he had accomplished such incredible works of power and love, and nailed him to a cross. It is our prayer that you escape the dangerous riptides of unbelief and find joy and safety in trusting in the Risen Christ as Lord and Savior.