On a Saturday afternoon, Mr. Clemmons was working on his Mustang convertible in his backyard. He was trying to remove the transmission when suddenly the car slid off the blocks and jack holding it up and fell on top of him! Trapped beneath the car, unable to move, he yelled for help. But who would hear him? His family was out on errands, and few neighbors were within hearing distance.
Mr. Clemmons was in a terrible situation! Even though he was lying on his side, he was finding it difficult to breathe. Yet he found the strength to call for help for an hour and a half! Realizing that he was at the end of his strength, Mr. Clemmons later said, “I asked God to help me, to give me one more call and send an angel my way . . . it would be my last call before I gave up.”
After that last call, Mr. Clemmons looked up and was amazed to see 9-year-old Malachi, a neighbor boy, running towards him! He had been playing in a nearby backyard and heard Mr. Clemmons’ last call for help. He couldn’t tell exactly what the problem was, but he thought he heard something about being stuck. When Malachi got close enough to see what the problem was, he quickly grabbed the jack and, with Mr. Clemmons’ guidance, got it under the car. Then he pumped the 2-foot handle to raise the car off Mr. Clemmons. When the weight of the car was lifted, Malachi quickly ran to his aunt’s house to call 9-1-1 for help.
“My uncle taught me how to use a jack, so I knew what to do,” Malachi explained.
A short time later, a tow truck arrived. They were able to use another jack to raise the car high enough so that onlookers could pull Mr. Clemmons out from underneath the car. He was immediately taken to the hospital where they found he had six broken ribs and a fractured pelvis.
It is the truth that our sins trap us, just as sure as Mr. Clemmons was trapped under his car. Our sins will pull us down to the very pit of hell, because no sin can enter into heaven. “There shall in no wise enter into [heaven] anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination [sin], or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:2727And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. (Revelation 21:27)).
The Bible tells us that there is no need for our sins to take us to hell. Trapped in our sins and just as unable to save ourselves as Mr. Clemmons was, God’s love for us found the only way to be saved. It is so simple that any boy or girl or man or woman can be saved and made ready for heaven. God sent His Son Jesus to die on Calvary’s cross and to shed His precious blood for our sins. He died on that cross and was buried. But He rose from the grave on the third day and now lives in heaven. “I declare unto you the gospel . . . by which also ye are saved . . . how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:1-41Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (1 Corinthians 15:1‑4)).
Do you believe that Jesus died for your sins? Tell Jesus that you know that you’re a sinner, and trust Him to forgive you. He will hear you just as He heard Mr. Clemmons’ call for help. Your sins will instantly be forgiven. “What must I do to be saved? . . . Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:30-3130And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:30‑31)). Never let a day go by that you don’t thank the Lord Jesus for what He has done for you!
Mr. Clemmons was quick to let others know that he was so thankful for what Malachi had done for him. “I don’t think I would have survived another 30 minutes,” he said. “It was getting really hard to breathe. He is truly my guardian angel.”
Malachi did go to visit Mr. Clemmons in the hospital, and they are now good friends. They have made plans to work together on Mr. Clemmons’ motorcycle and Mustang. Mr. Clemmons has said that he will never get under a car alone again.
MEMORY VERSE: “What must I do to be saved? . . . Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”
ML-12/23/2018