Seven boaters were enjoying a fishing tournament last Saturday about 100 miles off the coast of Clearwater, Florida, when their boat got caught in a thunderstorm.  One of the crew members was videoing the storm with his cell phone when lightning struck the boat.  “There was just the biggest flash like light bulbs right in your face,” boat passenger Sherrie Kelley told FOX13 Tampa.

Another boater, Glenn Rumer, told FOX13 about how the lightning knocked out their friend, Josh.  “The electricity from the lightning actually went through him and caused him to black out and go to the floor,” said Rumer.  He added that Josh “came to immediately” after falling over.

No one was seriously injured, but the boat’s engine was damaged by the lightning, leaving the boaters stranded.

Prepared for such an event, Rumer activated the vessel’s EPIRB.  Marcus Craft describes the purpose of an EPIRB: “An EPIRB is an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon that can help search and rescue authorities pinpoint your position in an emergency.  Basically, it’s a portable electronic device that, once activated, emits a continuous and distinctive radio distress signal for at least 48 hours.  EPIRBs are often referred to as distress beacons or emergency beacons because that is their primary function.” *

Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater answered the distress call.  The Coast Guard deployed an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew to their location and hoisted the five women and two men safely from the disabled boat.  The boating crew was carried to the air station where they were greeted by family members.*

Because of our sins, we are lost and in peril.  Our “Emergency Position Indicating Beacon” (God’s Word, the Bible) indicates that in this state, we are without hope and in a fatal condition (Romans 6:23; cf. Ephesians 2:12).

But God has already provided a rescue.  He sent His Son Jesus to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10).  In order to rescue us from sin and death, Jesus, the sinless Son of God, had to die for our sins, be buried, and then rise from the dead to live again (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

Jesus “came to us” to rescue us.  He “gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father” (Galatians 1:4).

To be rescued by Jesus, we must accept His offer of salvation and eternal life by submitting our lives to Him: place your faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  Then the blood of Jesus will continue to cleanse us from sins as we continue to walk in light of His Word (1 John 1:7-9).

When we accept His offer of salvation through our trusting obedience, we find a family (the church) waiting for us and ready to assist us in our journey to our eternal home (see Acts 2:41, 47).

Won’t YOU accept Jesus’ offer so that you can be rescued?

-- David A. Sargent

* Information gleaned from “Coast Guard rescues 7 after lightning strikes boat 100 miles off Florida” by Stephen Sorace of Fox News, www.foxnews.com and “EPIRB: What are they, cost & which one should I buy?” by Marcus Craft, www.carsguide.com.

David A. Sargent, Minister

Church of Christ at Creekwood 
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama  36695

Archived issues of Living Water can be viewed and accessed from our website at: www.creekwoodcc.org