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I Shouldn't Be Alive

Salvation Spiritual Death Redemption

Source: TV Show, I SHOULDN'T BE ALIVE, by Darlow Smithson Productions

Link to Source: Click here to view source

Contributed By: Chris Huff | Date Posted: 2023-12-05

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1 ; Ephesians 2:5

Author: Chris Huff
5

ILLUSTRATION

There’s a great tv show called I Shouldn’t Be Alive. Have any of you seen it?

In every episode of the show, a person or group of people end up in some dangerous situation and struggle to survive, whether in a desert, or an ocean, or a jungle, or the like. And in every episode, the situation gets so bleak that the viewer would fully expect the person or group of people to die. There appears to be no hope at all. But then, against all odds, the person is either rescued or they somehow find their way back to civilization, and survive.

There were six whole season of these heart pounding, nail biting survival stories. Here are the synopses of some of the shows just from the first season:

  • - Traveling to Idaho to attend a funeral, a family from California becomes trapped in a blizzard; while trekking off to find help, a wrong turn leads them deep into the unforgiving wilderness.
  • - A crew of five aboard a luxury yacht sailing from Maine to Florida that sank in a storm, leaving the crew adrift on a lifeboat with no food or water and menaced by sharks.
  • - Three adventurers are captured by the Khmer Rouge and must either negotiate their release or take their chances escaping into the jungle.
  • - A Hollywood camera crew in a helicopter crash into an active volcano they were filming. Rescue attempts are hampered by lava, toxic gases and bad weather ...
  • - A plane crash in the Kalahari Desert leaves survivors without food or water, and two of them try to find help for other passengers who are injured.

APPLICATION

Now, we could look at this show and talk about how it’s like our situation before we knew Jesus, how we were lost in our sin and felt like we had no hope, but then Jesus came and rescued us.

But in actuality, this doesn’t even come close to our situation!

In actuality, our situation was much worse, because we weren’t just close to dead — the Bible says that we were already dead in our trespasses and sins!

So Jesus didn’t just rescue us when we were close to not being able to make it on our own. Rather He made us alive when we were already dead!

"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins ... " (Ephesians 2:1, NIV).

"... [E]ven when we were dead in our trespasses, [God] made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved ..." (Ephesians 2:5, ESV).

Every Item Restored

Restoration Redemption End Times

Source: “Flight 1549 passengers get baggage back after Hudson splash down,” by Marilyn Adams, USA Today, as posted on ABC News, May 19, 2009, 7:21 PM, retrieved 7/1/22

Link to Source: Click here to view source

Contributed By: Illustration Exchange | Date Posted: 2022-07-03

Scripture: Isaiah 65:17 ; Revelation 21:5

Author: Illustration Exchange
9

ILLUSTRATION

Who could possibly forget the Miracle on the Hudson — the heart pounding story of 2009’s US Airways Flight 1549. Just after take off, on route from New York City's LaGuardia Airport to Charlotte, North Carolina, the aircraft was struck by a flock of birds which were sucked into its engines, causing the plane to lose all power. To avoid crashing, pilots  Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and Jeffrey Skiles were left to literally glide the plane to a belly landing on the Hudson River just off the coastline of Midtown Manhattan. Because of their cool heads, quick thinking, and incomparable skill, not one life was lost. All were rescued before the aircraft, already filling with water, sank to the bottom of the Hudson.

And who could possibly forget that iconic scene of those 155 souls on board, who climbed out of the fuselage of that plane, into the frigid cold of a NY winter, and onto the wings of the plane to await rescue.

There was no time to consider handbags or baggage, briefcases or cell phones, or even coats and hats. All had to be left behind in the mad dash to exit before the plane would be claimed by the icy waters of the Hudson.

“My coat! My purse!” thought passenger Karin Hill as she stepped out into the frigid air. She had no choice but to leave them back at her seat ,18E, never expecting to see them again.

Yet somehow, all those personal items have been returned to their rightful owners — fully cleaned up and restored, as if they’d never been lost in the first place.

ABC News reports:

After the accident, US Airways called Global-BMS, a Fort Worth-based company that specializes in disaster recoveries. When the jet was hauled out of the Hudson and placed on a barge for inspection by accident investigators, Global official Mark Rocco was there, walking the cabin to tag and remove personal items to return them. … 

"It looked like it had been in a dirty carwash," recalls Rocco. "A lot of the overhead bins were still closed, and a lot of things were still stored under the seats. I saw a wallet on the floor and wondered why it hadn't floated out of the plane."

Everything was soaked and smelled of jet fuel. But every item the Global workers found was tagged with a unique tracking number, bagged and placed on a refrigerated truck bound for a Texas warehouse.

"Freezing puts things into suspended animation," Rocco says.

Back in Texas, Global began defrosting, cleaning and restoring everything it could — including everything inside carry-ons and suitcases — and figuring out who owned what. 

While many items couldn’t be fully restored (e.g., many of the computer hard drives, cell phones, shrunken clothing, and the like), most items were meticulously spit shined, dry cleaned, reconstructed, and refurbished to at-or-near original condition.

Finally, many months later, Maryann Bruce, an executive from Charlotte, NC, got a visit from Deborah Thompson, US Airways' director of emergency response, who personally delivered back to her possession her briefcase, purse, mink coat, and a carry-on suitcase with all its contents, including a large diamond ring given to her by her husband for their 25th wedding anniversary.

Included in the stash of returned items was even her boarding pass for seat 5D. ”I plan on framing that," she says.

APPLICATION

One really has to admire the commitment and perseverance of the US Airways disaster teams determination to restore, renew, and return to their owners every last piece of their lost possessions. The attempts were heroic, if not perfect.

There is coming a day, however, when One far more committed, far more determined, far more capable, will restore and renew ALL things. In that day, nothing will be mourned as loss. Nothing will ever again suffer corruption or decay. All loss will be satisfied. All creation will be redeemed. ALL will be new!

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind” (Isaiah 65:17, ESV).

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’ And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true’ ” (Revelation 21:1-5, ESV).

“But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13, ESV).

The Devil's Work

Racism Guilt Redemption

Contributed By: Illustration Exchange | Date Posted: 2020-06-06

Scripture: Galatians 3:28 ; Romans 2:11

Author: Mitchell Dillon
6

ILLUSTRATION

There was a time in this country when blacks were forced to feel ashamed because of the color of their skin. That was pure evil.

But now another race is being pressured to feel ashamed because of the color of their skin. This is equally evil.

APPLICATION

If you have ever been guilty of racism toward another person, you must, for the sake of your own soul, go back and apologize. But if you’ve stood against racism your whole life, then have more respect for yourself than to confess to sins you’ve never committed.

False guilt and false shame are the Devil's work.

God’s work is redemptive, releasing us from our actual shame and guilt.

God doesn’t hold us accountable for sins we haven’t committed, but the Devil does. God doesn’t hold us accountable for the sins of previous generations, but the Devil does. God doesn’t seek to keep us locked under the bondage of shame and guilt, but the Devil does.

But God does hold us accountable for the sins we have actually committed. And by the power of Jesus' blood, He promises to wash them away.

In your search for redemption, make sure you seek it at the right altar.

"There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). 

"God does not show favoritism" (Romans 2:11). 

Jesus Saves

Jesus, Savior Redemption Jesus' Sacrifice

Contributed By: Charles Krieg | Date Posted: 2020-02-01

Scripture: Acts 16:31 ; John 3:16

Author: Charles Krieg
7

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Garage Sale Redemption

Redemption Sanctification Salvation

Contributed By: William Blosch | Date Posted: 2018-12-29

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 6:20 ; Romans 6:23

Author: William Blosch
7

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Jesus Is The Trashman

Redemption Jesus, Savior Salvation

Contributed By: Illustration Exchange | Date Posted: 2017-03-23

Scripture: Hebrews 10:11 ; John 1:29

Author: Illustration Exchange
11

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Free To Be A Walmart Greeter

Redemption Servanthood Motivation

Contributed By: Illustration Exchange | Date Posted: 2016-08-27

Scripture: Colossians 3:10 ; Colossians 3:23

Author: Illustration Exchange
6

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Redemption's Price

Redemption Value (True Worth) Blood (of Jesus)

Contributed By: Stephen Kingsley | Date Posted: 2015-09-21

Scripture: Romans 7:14 ; 1 Peter 1:18

Author: Stephen Kingsley
7

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The Life of Pi

Worldview Redemption God's Love

Contributed By: Paul Barreca | Date Posted: 2015-06-19

Scripture: Colossians 1:13

Author: Paul Barreca
2

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Lessons From the Josh Duggar Fallout

Redemption Restoration Judging

Contributed By: Illustration Exchange | Date Posted: 2015-05-27

Scripture: Ephesians 1:7

Author: Dr. Michael Brown / Illustration Exchange
5

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