One after another the F-14 fighters braced on the catapults, revved their engines to a screech and were flung off the bow of the 87,000-ton carrier John F. Kennedy which was steaming through the Ionian Sea about 70 miles off the coast of Sicily.

    It was a routine maneuver. The U.S. Sixth Fleet was operating in the area, and aboard the Belknap, a guided-missile cruiser which was following the Kennedy, all was quiet. "Taps" had sounded and the men were settling into bed or beginning a quiet game. After all, they were on a U. S. ship surrounded by other U.S. ships in a non-combat zone. What could possibly go wrong?

    Perhaps this describes your life. There are many things in this life which can lull us into a false sense of security. You may feel secure and comfortable in your home, in your job, or with your friends, or with your own abilities, or even with your religion. The Bible tells of one who was caught up in his accomplishments on this earth and had great plans for his future down here on earth, but he never gave a thought to eternity. God said to him, "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee" (Luke 12:20).

    The Kennedy radioed orders to the Belknap to go to "plane guard position," a position just behind the aircraft carrier. If an accident occurs and a plane goes into the water, the ship behind the carrier can quickly recover the pilot. So the Belknap began to turn. At the same time, the Kennedy began to turn into the wind so that the planes could more easily land on her deck. When both ships finished their turns they were headed, not in the same direction with the Belknap following, but toward each other.

    The Kennedy's flight deck sticks out 75 feet above the water. Like a huge knife it cut though the Belknap's stacks. The Belknap cut through aircraft refueling lines that were hanging down from theKennedy's flight deck, and jet fuel poured out over the entire length of the Belknap. The fuel also poured down the stacks and right into the great boilers that powered the ship. In the terrible explosions that followed, six men on the Belknap and one on the Kennedy lost their lives, 25 men were wounded and 55 men went overboard.

    There were warning signs that would have saved them from disaster if they had heeded them. For instance, there are red and green running lights which indicate which side of the ship is starboard (right) and which is port (left). For some reason, warning signs like these were either misread or ignored. God has given you and me some warning signs. He tells us clearly in His Word that we are on a course to destruction!

"Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."
(Matthew 7:13-14)

    The Belknap lost all power and was helpless. Other ships like the guided- missile cruiser . Ricketts made valiant attempts to help. They were all limited as to what they could do. But God is not limited. In His love He has provided a way by which we can be saved! John 3:16 tells us that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Jesus Christ bore the terrible punishment for sin on the cross so that He, in His great love, could offer you a free pardon. When you receive Him as your own personal Saviour, His shed blood will wash you clean from all sin (1 John 1:7).

    Damage to the Kennedy was slight, and they were back in operation in about twenty minutes. However, the Belknap was so badly damaged that it had to be towed back to Philadelphia and be completely rebuilt.