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Oregon Family That Was Lost This last week the body of James Kim was found in a remote Oregon forest. James’ wife, Kati, and two daughters were on their way back to San Francisco after vacationing in Portland, Oregon when they got lost in a snow storm. They took a wrong turn and ended up stuck in the snow. The terrain in this part of Oregon is very rugged, night time temperatures were in the single digits, and the family did not have adequate food or clothing for this ordeal. After nine days James Kim set out on foot wearing tennis shoes and a light coat. He left Kati and their two daughters on Friday. Monday morning rescuers spotted Kati and her two daughters. Wednesday they found the body of James. This was truly a sad story of a loving husband and a devoted father who will be missed. There are some lessons to be learned from this event. No one intends on being lost. The Kim family took a wrong turn. Instead of heading to safety they were going to a desolate area. I don’t know when they realized they were lost but they were hindered from getting back to safety. The same thing often happens spiritually. We are not born in sin but man sins against God and is lost, Isaiah 59.1-2. The way to get back into fellowship with God is by coming to Christ, Romans 6.23b. Unfortunately some do not realize this and will die in their sins if they are not "rescued" by someone who knows what the Bible says and teaches them. Woe to those who cause others to be lost. The Kim’s would not have taken the wrong turn into desolation if someone had not broken a lock on the gate that was supposed to stop people from taking that road. The state police are trying to find out who had broken the lock but as of this date no one had been charged with the crime. Obviously those that had broken the lock could not have known what would have happened afterward, but that gate and lock were there for a reason. Those responsible should be charged and prosecuted by the law. Spiritually we have those that mislead others and taken them further away from God. The writer of Proverbs mentions those that remove the established boundaries, "Do not remove the ancient landmark" (Prov 23:10). False teachers proclaim different ways to please God and enter heaven. Sins such as adultery, homosexuality, and fornication are ignored and even accepted in many religions today. False prophets tell people to forget Jesus and listen to them, resulting in millions being lost. Woe to those that have removed the ancient landmarks of God’s word. Great Effort Misdirected Will Not Save. At first I heard that James Kim had hiked over 5 miles in the snow. Then I heard he had hiked closer to 8 miles; finally I heard that he had hiked almost 15 miles. Rescuers were amazed at how far he managed to travel. As one person said, "He was highly motivated." Those that knew him spoke of his love for his family. I imagine James was trying to get help for the sake of his family. However, he miscalculated the distance he had to travel to find help. Parents that are concerned for their family’s spiritual well being may spend a lot of time and effort to teach the word of God. They are often "highly motivated" and take their children to worship services but it will do no good unless they are doing what the Bible says. Effort and sincerity are two important elements in pleasing God but the truth is essential. A lie believed is still a lie. False doctrine believed is still false doctrine. Let us make sure we are headed in the right direction and not waver off the pathway toward God. D.T. |