As 45-year-old Julian Kirk made final preparations for the Oak Hollow World Drag Boat Championships in High Point, North Carolina, he had no idea that this would be his last race. But, on Sunday, July 25th, 1982, Julian’s life came to a sudden and terrible end.
As Julian’s boat approached a speed of 120 miles per hour, it appeared to hit a wake from another boat and swerved to the right. This sudden jolt pitched him forward out of his seat toward the front of the boat.
Julian had on all the right emergency equipment, including a parachute. If he were thrown out of the boat, it would open automatically, slowing him down.
Spectators’ hopes were raised as Julian’s emergency parachute snapped open, caught the wind, and jerked him backwards. But in spite of his frantic efforts to leap away, he was thrown into the path of his own boat. Julian bounced off the water, rolled head over heels three times, and was struck by the pointed bow of his speeding boat.
When paramedics arrived seconds later, they found Julian unconscious with a severed spinal cord. He was taken to the hospital where he later died.
The life that God gives can be taken away suddenly. None of us knows when we will be called into eternity. If you died today, where would you go? In Amos 4:1212Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. (Amos 4:12) we read, “Prepare to meet thy God.”
Julian had no time while the race was on to decide where he would spend eternity. You may have very little time to make a decision if you put off God’s salvation and trouble comes. We are told in 2 Corinthians 6:22(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (2 Corinthians 6:2), “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
Do not put off salvation any longer! Asking the Lord Jesus to save you is simple: “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Romans 10:99That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9).
ML-11/28/1982