2009-06-18 - Robert Craig Knievel

Originally Published 2007-05-27

Hey Friends,

I hope this devotional finds you all well. I've missed you. I've had some problems with a medication which I take that brought it past its therapeutic level. I wasn't feeling very good, and I had to sit out of seminary for the semester. I am feeling much better, but I would appreciate your prayers.

Our Scripture for today comes from Philippians 3:14, which says: "I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me."

Do you any of you remember the Robert Craig Knievel, Jr.? He was famous as an American motorcycle stuntman, otherwise known "Evel Knievel". I remember when I was a child, that I had a toy motorcycle with an "Evel Knievel" doll on it. It was fun to make him jump from one thing to the next, crossing obstacles that were physically impossible to do.

Evel Knieval, as a stuntman ,has done some amazing things, and only by God's mercy and grace has he not died from the things he has done, such as having every bone in his body broken. But there is one thing that Evel could never do as a stuntman. You see, there was a chasm between him and God which he could never cross on a motorcycle. There was a hole so deep, that it could never be filled. No matter how hard Evel tried to save himself, it could not be done. It was not until Evel was 69 and dying of liver disease, that this chasm and whole would be filled. You see. the Holy Spirit had been reaching out to Robert Knievel, to point him to Christ, and it wasn't until this year (2007) that Evel listened to the message that he was a sinner, he repented of his sins, and most of all the sin of the belief that one can work their way to Heaven.

Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6.

Evel turned and believed God's word by faith, and accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.

At this point, the hole was filled, and their was no more chasm to cross. For by his faith, mountains were moved, and Evel met our Lord and became a brother in Christ Jesus.

I found this out on a Sunday morning a few week ago. My dad was flipping through the channels on TV that morning, and just happened to come to a stop on The Hour of Power with Dr. Robert H. Schuller at the Crystal Cathedral church in Garden Grove California. Here I witnessed Evel confess that Christ was his Lord, and he was baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

This was a joyful event, because I got to see one of my childhood heroes come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.

I pray that any of you out there, who have not recognized that you are sinners, will be enlightened by the Word of God and convicted by the Holy Spirit - and that you would repent of your sin and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

The Christian contemporary ladies' quartet Point of Grace had a song that played on words of Christ's Death, Burial and Resurrection. I will end with the lyrics to this song Dying To Reach You.

Dying to Reach You

He looked through temples of time
To see you right where you stand
He emptied all of Himself
So He could reach out His hand
To give hope and meaning
To the wasted away
And you are one of the ones
That He was dying to save

He was dying to reach you
Trying to meet you
Where you need Him most
You've been living in search of
The whole truth and real love
Your whole life through
You can open your heart
'Cause He's dying to reach you

He's standing there at the door
You can hear Him call you by name
He simply waits to forgive
All of the guilt and the shame
He gave up His own life
And He still bears the scars
He only wants to receive you
So come as you are

Oh, He has waited time and time before
You must be still and know that He is Lord

Words and Music by Geoff Thurman & Michael Puryear

© 1994 P.E. Velvet (a div. of the Harding Music Group) / Seventh Son Music (a div. of the Glen Campbell Music Group) / ASCAP / Careers-BMG Music (Gospel Div.) / Final Four Music (adm. Bu Careers-BMG Music (Gospel Div.) / BMI

In Christ,
Rob

CFDRobW@aol.com
http://www.cfdevotionals.org

I want my life to be for the glory of God in Christ Jesus