Melbourne, Australia

Suppose you are in Melbourne, Australia in early December 2012, and you want
to visit the city of Mildura. You get out your iPhone to use Apple Maps to
get directions to the city.

If you follow the directions given, you could put your life in danger. If
you follow the directions given, you will end up - not in Mildura - but in
Murray Sunset National Park.

A screen shot taken Tuesday, December 11, 2012, of an iPhone's Apple mapping
application shows the service placing the city of Mildura, 44 miles away
from the actual city, in the Murray Sunset National Park, a desert-like
1,900 square mile region with scorching temperatures and virtually no mobile
phone reception. Australian police warned the public that errors in Apple's
mapping application have led drivers headed to the southern city to take a
potentially "life-threatening" wrong turn into the middle of a remote state
park, ending up in tire-choking desert sand far from food and water.

Sammie Morris stated, "People using the defective Apple maps (associated
with the new iPhone 5's) are ending up in a very hot place!"

Victoria state police say they've had to rescue several Mildura-bound
drivers who were directed by the app to the remote National Park. Some were
stranded for 24 hours without food or water, and had to walk long distances
through tough terrain to access phone reception.

"Police are extremely concerned as there is no water supply within the park
and temperatures can reach as high as [115 degrees Fahrenheit], making this
a potentially life threatening issue," police said in a statement.

In fact, by mid December six people had been stranded after turning into the
park via a dirt road the Maps application recommends, according to Mildura
police inspector Simon Clemence. Clemence also stated that some were able to
get out on their own but others needed to be rescued by police. *

What an appropriate illustration for depicting the ERROR of following the
world's directions! Those who follow the world's directions will end up in
a much HOTTER place than Mildura, Australia (cf. Mark 9:43-48 - Hell!).

Jesus warned, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is
the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and
there are few who find it." - Matthew 7:13-14

Everyone needs directions to access the Way that leads to life. Jeremiah
said, "O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who
walks to direct his own steps" (Jeremiah 10:23). Twice in Proverbs, we find
this warning: "There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the
way of death" (14:12; 16:25).

But God loves us so much that He provided the Way that leads to life. That
Way is through Jesus, God's Son (John 14:6). Jesus died on the cross to pay
the price for our sins and to open a "new and living way" to heaven through
His redeeming blood (Hebrews 10:19-21).

You and I can access that Way by following Jesus: placing our faith and
trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turning from sin in repentance (Acts
17:30-31), confessing Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38). Then,
as we continue to walk in the light of His Word, He will continue to cleanse
us from all sin (1 John 1:7).

It has been reported that Apple has changed its map application to give
better directions. You and I need to be sure that we're following the true
Way that leads to eternal life!

Won't YOU follow Jesus - the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6)?

David A. Sargent