Helping Out

TITLE: Helping Out
DATE: January 23, 2019
TEXT: Ephesians 2:8-9 - (ESV) - 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

I do not have an I-phone; nor do I have an I-pad, or an “I” anything else. I suppose it’s because I enjoy working with products from American companies like Samsung.

On the other hand, I certainly can understand why some folks love their “I-stuff.” “What kind of folks?”, do I hear you ask. Well, folks like 20-year-old Amanda Antonio. On New Year’s Day Amanda was driving in Tampa, Fl. when she was cut off by another driver. She careened off Interstate 4 and ended up, trapped and upside down, and sinking in a water-filled ditch
Amanda confesses she ‘began to panic.’ Then she realized she only had so much time to do something positive. She reached for her phone, but her phone couldn’t’ be located. Quickly she used her Apple watch to find her Apple phone which was now underwater.

She tried making a call. It was a “no-go.”

Amanda rubbed the excess moisture off on the car’s upholstery and her Apple Phone sprang into life. First she got her exact location from Google maps and. second, she called 911.

The conversation was a desperate one.  Amanda reported, "There's water coming in the car and I can't get out. I'm freezing." She added the water was up to her chest and soon afterward, it had reached up to her neck. Just about the time she confessed she was going to be holding her breath, her vehicle was spotted by Deputy Ryan Cooper. Later on, during a television interview, she thanked Ryan and her other rescuers for being so prompt…..
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Politely they thanked her for the kind words, AND then they turned around and said, “Amanda absolutely saved her own life that night.”

Well, I’m certainly not going to argue with the Deputy’s assessment of the situation. On the other hand, Amanda wouldn’t have gotten very far if it hadn’t been for her trusty I phone and she’d still be holding her breath if it hadn’t been for Officer Cooper.

The physical saving of Amanda was sort of a group effort.

Most certainly, that is not the way it is when it comes to any person’s spiritual rescue from the evil big-three: sin, death and devil. No person can contribute anything to his own rescue, since, speaking honestly, each of us is already spiritually dead and stone cold.

All of which means  if anyone is being rescued from the damnation resulting from sin, it is because the Triune God has made it be so. Consider:

1. When humankind first fell into sin, it was the Heavenly Father Who proposed the plan to send His Son to rescue us .
2. Over  The Old Testament centuries it was the Lord Who kept the promise of the Messiah alive and unforgotten.
3. It was He Who sent Jesus into this world, true man and God so He might, as one of us, lead a perfect life; resist the Tempter and defeat death and grave.
4. It is He Who sends the Holy Spirit into the hearts of men, calling them, keeping them nourishing them in the faith which is salvation.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, it seems about the only thing we can do for ourselves is get into deeper trouble. Grant that we may see the danger of sin and avoid it. This I pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Today’s devotion was inspired by various articles, amongst which is the one written by Luike Roney for Newser on January 5, 2019. Those who wish may check out this link which was, at the time of writing, fully active: http://www.newser.com/story/269448/apple-watch-iphone-and-google-maps-aid-in-womans-rescue.html?utm_source=share&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=def

The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann, one of my long-ago confirmands. He is singing with three brothers. This song comes from the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html