178 Seconds to Live!

Pro 3:5-6

5          Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6          In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

JFK Jr. Tragedy…pilot error

178 seconds to live!

How long can a pilot who has little or no instrument training expect to live after he flies into bad weather and loses visual contact? Researchers at the University of Illinois did some tests and came up with some very interesting data. Twenty student “guinea pigs” flew into simulated instrument weather, and all went into graveyard spirals or roller coasters. The outcome differed in only one respect – the time required till control was lost. The interval ranged from 480 seconds to 20 seconds. The average time was 178 seconds — two seconds short of three minutes.

Here’s the fatal scenario. . . . . . .

The sky is overcast and the visibility is poor. That reported five mile visibility looks more like two, and you can’t judge the height of the overcast. Your altimeter tells you that you are at 1500 feet but your map tells you that there’s local terrain as high as 1200 feet. There might be a tower nearby because you’re not sure how far off course you are. But you’ve flown into worse weather than this, so press on.

You find yourself unconsciously easing back just a bit on the controls to clear those towers. With no warning, you’re in the soup. You peer so hard into the milky white mist that your eyes hurt. You fight the feeling in your stomach. You try to swallow, only to find your mouth dry. Now you realize you should have waited for better weather. The appointment was important, but not all that important. Somewhere a voice is saying, “You’ve had it — it’s all over!”

You now have 178 seconds to live.

Your aircraft feels on even keel but your compass turns slowly. You push a little rudder and add a little pressure on the controls to stop the turn but this feels unnatural and you return the controls to their original position. This feels better but now your compass is turning a little faster and your airspeed is increasing slightly. You scan your instruments for help but what you see looks somewhat unfamiliar. You’re sure that this is just a bad spot. You’ll break out in a few minutes. (But you don’t have a few minutes left. . .)

You now have 100 seconds to live.

You glance at your altimeter and you are shocked to see it unwinding. You’re already down to 1200 feet. Instinctively, you pull back on the controls but the altimeter still unwinds. The engine is into the red and the airspeed, nearly so.

You have 45 seconds to live.

Now you’re sweating and shaking. There must be something wrong with the controls; pulling back only moves the airspeed indicator further into the red. You can hear the wind tearing at the aircraft.

You are about to meet your Maker; you have 10 seconds to live.

Suddenly you see the ground. The trees rush up at you. You can see the horizon if you turn your head far enough but it’s at a weird angle — you’re almost inverted. You open your mouth to scream but. . . . . .

. . . .you just ran out of seconds.

We cannot trust the flesh…

Rom 8:13

13       For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die:

2 Cor 5:7

7          (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

Jer 10:23

23       O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

We cannot be guided by the five senses.

If we are to make it through the fog and black night of the soul we need something to guide us.

The Word of God..

Ps 119:105

105     Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Pr 6:23

23       For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

Ps 19:7-14

7          The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

8          The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

9          The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

10       More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

11       Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.

12       Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults.

13       Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.

14       Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Ps 119:133

133     Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.

Rom 15:4

4          For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

2 Tim 3:16

16       All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Heb 2:1-3

1          Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

2          For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;

3          How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

James 1:21-22

21       Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

22       But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

2 Pet 1:4

4          Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

2 Pet 1:19

19       We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

1 Cor 10:11-12

11       Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

12       Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

The Spirit..

Rom 8:14

14       For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Gal 5:18

18       But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

John 16:13

13       Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

John 14:26

26       But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Gal 5:16

16       This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Matt 22:29

29       Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.

1 Cor 2:10-14

10       But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

11       For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

12       Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

13       Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

14       But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Eph 1:17-19

17       That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

18       The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

19       And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

1 John 2:21

21       I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

The preacher.

Rom 10:14

14       How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

Acts 8:31

31       And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

Acts 27:25

25       Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.

1 Thes 2:13

13       For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

Luke 16:31

31       And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

1 Tim 1:19

19       Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:

Heb 10:38:39

38       Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

39       But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

1 John 5:4

4          For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Rom 12:2

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.

Eccl 5:1-7

1          Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.

2          Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

3          For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.

4          When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.

5          Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

6          Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?

7          For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.