(Jesus said) "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."[Luke19:10]
The Volkswagen Jetta is normally a very reliable vehicle.
That being said, even a good car has its limitations. For example, no car will perform well when its driver has been doing some serious drinking, has hit a parked car, a bicycle without a rider, and then finds itself caught on a railroad track, sandwiched between the crossing guards.
I guess things can't get much worse than that.
Wait! That's right! Things can and did get worse. They got worse, they gotreally worse because the driver of the car was in a liquor-induced fog, and there was a train barreling down the track on a collision course with the Jetta.
Quite frankly, there wasn't much hope for the Jetta or for the Jetta's driver: 20-year-old Nelson Gomez. Indeed, Mr. Gomez would have been scattered across the California countryside if it hadn't been for Lance Whitted, a San Mateo's County Sheriff's deputy. Officer Whitted and his partner had made a routine traffic stop when they noticed the Jetta, the tracks, and the oncoming train.
Officer Whitted jumped into action and, at the risk of losing his life, pulled Gomez out of the Jetta just a few seconds ... and I mean a few seconds, before the train smashed the car. The people who saw the bravery of the officer call him, "a hero." Mr. Gomez ought to call Officer Whitted a "savior."
Of course, there is a big difference between being a savior and being the Savior.
While Officer Whitted had a fair chance of saving Mr. Gomez along with himself, the Lord Jesus had no such guarantee. That's because, when Jesus entered this world, it was for the express purpose of offering His life up as a ransom for ours. For the Savior, saving us meant losing His own life.
But there are other differences between Jesus and Officer Whitted.
* The people who saw Officer Whitted's act have applauded and heaped accolades upon him. In contrast, those who saw Jesus die had treated Him with scorn and contempt.
* While Officer Whitted was willing to risk his life to save one man, Jesus gave His life for all of lost and sinful humanity.
* In spite of Officer Whitted's brave act, Mr. Gomez is someday going to die. Not so for those who have been redeemed and rescued by Jesus. Forgiven souls are confident they will live forever with the Savior.
Now I would not for a minute diminish the split-second act of care shown by this officer. The praise he has received is well-earned, but I will spend my life giving thanks for Jesus' sacrifice, which has pulled me from the jaws of eternal death.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks for the Savior who has rescued me when I was helpless. May others learn to praise His Name. Amen.
The Volkswagen Jetta is normally a very reliable vehicle.
That being said, even a good car has its limitations. For example, no car will perform well when its driver has been doing some serious drinking, has hit a parked car, a bicycle without a rider, and then finds itself caught on a railroad track, sandwiched between the crossing guards.
I guess things can't get much worse than that.
Wait! That's right! Things can and did get worse. They got worse, they gotreally worse because the driver of the car was in a liquor-induced fog, and there was a train barreling down the track on a collision course with the Jetta.
Quite frankly, there wasn't much hope for the Jetta or for the Jetta's driver: 20-year-old Nelson Gomez. Indeed, Mr. Gomez would have been scattered across the California countryside if it hadn't been for Lance Whitted, a San Mateo's County Sheriff's deputy. Officer Whitted and his partner had made a routine traffic stop when they noticed the Jetta, the tracks, and the oncoming train.
Officer Whitted jumped into action and, at the risk of losing his life, pulled Gomez out of the Jetta just a few seconds ... and I mean a few seconds, before the train smashed the car. The people who saw the bravery of the officer call him, "a hero." Mr. Gomez ought to call Officer Whitted a "savior."
Of course, there is a big difference between being a savior and being the Savior.
While Officer Whitted had a fair chance of saving Mr. Gomez along with himself, the Lord Jesus had no such guarantee. That's because, when Jesus entered this world, it was for the express purpose of offering His life up as a ransom for ours. For the Savior, saving us meant losing His own life.
But there are other differences between Jesus and Officer Whitted.
* The people who saw Officer Whitted's act have applauded and heaped accolades upon him. In contrast, those who saw Jesus die had treated Him with scorn and contempt.
* While Officer Whitted was willing to risk his life to save one man, Jesus gave His life for all of lost and sinful humanity.
* In spite of Officer Whitted's brave act, Mr. Gomez is someday going to die. Not so for those who have been redeemed and rescued by Jesus. Forgiven souls are confident they will live forever with the Savior.
Now I would not for a minute diminish the split-second act of care shown by this officer. The praise he has received is well-earned, but I will spend my life giving thanks for Jesus' sacrifice, which has pulled me from the jaws of eternal death.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks for the Savior who has rescued me when I was helpless. May others learn to praise His Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Through the Bible in a Year
Today Read:
Psalms 87:(0) A psalm of the sons of Korach. A song:
The Lutheran Hour
660 Mason Ridge Center Drive
St. Louis, Missouri 63141 United States
1-800-876-9880
www.lhm.org
___________________________
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Through the Bible in a Year
Today Read:
Psalms 87:(0) A psalm of the sons of Korach. A song:
(1) On the holy mountains is [the city’s] foundation.
2 Adonai loves the gates of Tziyon
more than all the dwellings in Ya‘akov.
3 Glorious things are said about you,
city of God. (Selah)
4 I count Rahav and Bavel
among those who know me;
Of P’leshet, Tzor and Ethiopia [they will say],
“This one was born there.”
5 But of Tziyon it will be said,
“This one and that was born in it,
for the Most High himself establishes it.”
6 When he registers the peoples, Adonai will record,
“This one was born there.” (Selah)
7 Singers and dancers alike say,
“For me, you are the source of everything.”
88:(0) A song. A psalm of the sons of Korach. For the leader. Set to “Sickness that Causes Suffering.” A maskil of Heiman the Ezrachi.
2 (1) Adonai, God of my salvation,
when I cry out to you in the night,
3 (2) let my prayer come before you,
turn your ear to my cry for help!
4 (3) For I am oversupplied with troubles,
which have brought me to the brink of Sh’ol.
5 (4) I am counted among those going down to the pit,
like a man who is beyond help,
6 (5) left by myself among the dead,
like the slain who lie in the grave —
you no longer remember them;
they are cut off from your care.
7 (6) You plunged me into the bottom of the pit,
into dark places, into the depths.
8 (7) Your wrath lies heavily on me;
your waves crashing over me keep me down. (Selah)
9 (8) You separated me from my close friends,
made me repulsive to them;
I am caged in, with no escape;
10 (9) my eyes grow dim from suffering.
I call on you, Adonai, every day;
I spread out my hands to you.
11 (10) Will you perform wonders for the dead?
Can the ghosts of the dead rise up and praise you? (Selah)
12 (11) Will your grace be declared in the grave,
or your faithfulness in Abaddon?
13 (12) Will your wonders be known in the dark,
or your righteousness in the land of oblivion?
14 (13) But I cry out to you, Adonai;
my prayer comes before you in the morning.
15 (14) So why, Adonai, do you reject me?
Why do you hide your face from me?
16 (15) Since my youth I have been miserable, close to death;
I am numb from bearing these terrors of yours.
17 (16) Your fierce anger has overwhelmed me,
your terrors have shriveled me up.
18 (17) They surge around me all day like a flood,
from all sides they close in on me.
19 (18) You have made friends and companions shun me;
the people I know are hidden from me.
1 Corinthians 12:1 But, brothers, I do not want you to go on being ignorant about the things of the Spirit. 2 You know that when you were pagans, no matter how you felt you were being led, you were being led astray to idols, which can’t speak at all. 3 Therefore, I want to make it clear to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says, “Yeshua is cursed!” and no one can say, “Yeshua is Lord,” except by the Ruach HaKodesh.
4 Now there are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit gives them. 5 Also there are different ways of serving, but it is the same Lord being served. 6 And there are different modes of working, but it is the same God working them all in everyone. 7 Moreover, to each person is given the particular manifestation of the Spirit that will be for the common good. 8 To one, through the Spirit, is given a word of wisdom; to another, a word of knowledge, in accordance with the same Spirit; 9 to another, faith, by the same Spirit; and to another, gifts of healing, by the one Spirit; 10 to another, the working of miracles; to another, prophecy; to another, the ability to judge between spirits; to another, the ability to speak in different kinds of tongues; and to yet another, the ability to interpret tongues. 11 One and the same Spirit is at work in all these things, distributing to each person as he chooses. 12 For just as the body is one but has many parts; and all the parts of the body, though many, constitute one body; so it is with the Messiah. 13 For it was by one Spirit that we were all immersed into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free; and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
14 For indeed the body is not one part but many. 15 If the foot says, “I’m not a hand, so I’m not part of the body,” that doesn’t make it stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “I’m not an eye, so I’m not part of the body,” that doesn’t make it stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? If it were all hearing, how could it smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged each of the parts in the body exactly as he wanted them. 19 Now if they were all just one part, where would the body be? 20 But as it is, there are indeed many parts, yet just one body. 21 So the eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you”; or the head to the feet, “I don’t need you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be less important turn out to be all the more necessary; 23 and upon body parts which we consider less dignified we bestow greater dignity; and the parts that aren’t attractive are the ones we make as attractive as we can, 24 while our attractive parts have no need for such treatment. Indeed, God has put the body together in such a way that he gives greater dignity to the parts that lack it, 25 So that there will be no disagreements within the body, but rather all the parts will be equally concerned for all the others. 26 Thus if one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; and if one part is honored, all the parts share its happiness.
27 Now you together constitute the body of the Messiah, and individually you are parts of it. 28 And God has placed in the Messianic Community first, emissaries; second, prophets; third, teachers; then those who work miracles; then those with gifts of healing; those with ability to help; those skilled in administration; and those who speak in various tongues. 29 Not all are emissaries, are they? Not all are prophets, are they? or teachers? or miracle-workers? 30 Not all have gifts of healing, not all speak in tongues, not all interpret, do they? 31 Eagerly seek the better gifts.
But now I will show you the best way of all.
____________________________The Lutheran Hour
660 Mason Ridge Center Drive
St. Louis, Missouri 63141 United States
1-800-876-9880
www.lhm.org
___________________________
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