They're STILL talking about it!

My Belief

I was sick this week. It really sucked! All I did for the better part of a week was lay on the couch and stare at the television. As I was channel surfing for days, I noticed a common theme. Simply put, JESUS is everywhere. Steven Colbert’s main story was about how Jesus was liberal or something crazy like that. Bill O’reilly was reporting that his Catholic education of Jesus is more believable than Bill Maher’s bashing of Christians. A few weeks ago I remember a story about the largest statue of Jesus ever being erected in Poland. I also remember on one of my flights a few weeks ago, my flight attendant handed me a magazine that had on it’s cover something derogatory like “Jesus the love machine”.

This is all very interesting to me. Jesus is everywhere - He is on TV, magazines, and on the lips of people everywhere. This leads me to an interesting thought. If Jesus was just a fad or a good man than why nineteen hundred and seventy nine years after his death is everyone still talking about him? I would venture to say that just about everybody in the world at least has an idea of who Jesus is or was. If he was just a good man then why is everyone not also regularly talking about Gandhi, Mother Teresa, or saint Nicholas? If he was just a wise man than why do we not daily continue to discuss Aristotle, Plato, or Einstein? I love the way C.S. Lewis describes Jesus in his book “Mere Christianity”. To sum it up he basically says Jesus did not leave us the option to call Him a good man or good teacher. C.S. Lewis basically says that with everything Jesus said about himself he can only be 1. A raving lunatic, 2. The Devil himself, or 3. The Lord God almighty. You can decide which, but Jesus intentionally did not leave us any other options.

Scripture

Matthew 24:35

³⁵ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Application for Life

If you actually look, then you will be forced to concede that Jesus is still everywhere. Whether it is in reverence or jest, his images and and words are littered across our planet. We can’t say this about any other historical figure from any facet of existence. Any objective thinking person would want to at least poke at Jesus a little bit. They would want to sort of dig around and get to the bottom of exactly who this character is or was. I think that just looking at the fact that He is still all over our planet after almost 2000 years begs one to realize that in itself is somewhat supernatural and worth a deeper investigation.

Leadership vs. Followership

My Belief

Not many things will ruin a trip faster than a 3 1/2 striper! This is a First Officer that steps all over the Captain’s leadership. In the rank and file system of the airlines the Captain wears 4 stripes on his uniform and the First Officer wears 3. First Officers that over step their bounds get all sorts of nick-names. “Right seat Captains”, “Captain Co-Pilot” and of course “3 1/2 stripers”.  No matter what you call them, they always conjure the same thoughts to people in the business of aviation. These thoughts include someone who is arrogant, someone who does not respect the Captain’s authority, and someone who is usually in disagreement with even the simplest instructions or decisions. They are usually way more versed on what the Captain should be doing and much less proficient at doing their own job in supporting the Captain. The quality that these particular individuals are missing is called “Followership”.

To be a good follower on the flight deck means to assist the Captain in safely operating a flight and being able to proficiently carry out the tasks that are assigned.  I recently flew with a First Officer that exhibited all the symptoms of a 3 1/2 Striper and it hit me that this is exactly what I and so many other Christians do to the Lord Jesus. How often do I wrap my fingers around the steering wheel of my own life and say, “OK God, I will take it from here!” I and every other Christian are here to carry out the tasks that are assigned to us in the Bible by Captain Jesus and not to direct the course that has been set by God the Father. The most amazing part of it is that no matter how many times I overstep my bounds or think that I know best, God never stops loving me. There are definitely times when the Lord sets me straight and puts me back in my place, and it is always in the interest of improving me. Just like a Captain is responsible to mentor his First Officers, God continues to refine you and I, and make us better followers of Jesus than we were before.

Scripture

Luke 9:23  Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

Application for Life

I continually pray that I would become more a Follower of Jesus and less a Leader of my own destiny. I pray that God would finish the work that He has started in us. That He would mentor us in His ways that we may be a faithful disciple of Christ. By continually studying the Word of God and praying diligently I feel it becomes easier to let go of our own steering wheels and surrender control to Jesus. In doing this we continually strive to improve our own “Followership” ability in the hope that one day we will hear the Lord Jesus tell us, “Well done good and faithful servants”.

                    

It’s Just a Skip

My Belief

                  

Both believers and non believers ask me the same question all the time. They ask me “Why is your faith so strong”. The answer to this is simple. It is the only thing that really makes sense! Knowledge is everywhere. There are arguments for everything. Our world is always in the mode of debating the opposing point of view. It does not matter if that view is right or wrong we just find facts to make the point. What if we stop doing that for a minute and really tested what we know. You can make the case that science supports evolution and you can also make the case that science supports the Bible. Now lets look at what else we know. History definitely looks like it supports the Bible. The more archeologists uncover the more and more the facts of the Bible stand the test. It is hard to make the same claim for evolution or any of the other theories. People try to do it through carbon dating, but there are all sorts of holes in that theory. The Bible however stands firm when it comes to ancient civilization, historic rulers and entire races of people. What else do we know? How about prophesy. God says in the Bible that He is God and there is no other and that He reveals things before they ever happen. This is a way of proving Himself and His book. To answer this you need look no further than the nation of Israel. The Bible specifically says that they would be driven from their homeland and then brought back as the end of the age draws near. This happened exactly as the Bible said it would. The Jewish people were driven out of their land in 70 AD by the Romans and were brought back almost 2000 years later in 1947. There is no other people that have ever been driven away and then brought back centuries later. The Jews still have many of the exact same customs and speak Hebrew exactly the same way now as they did then. Put the Bible to the test! It hold up every time. The Bible is the only puzzle piece that makes sense. It is the only thing that continues to explain all of life’s mysteries with remarkable accuracy.

Scripture

^{Matt 17:20} 

²⁰ He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Application for Life

Once you realize how accurate the Bible is, it give purpose to your life. It empowers you and makes you bold. The Bible holds up to everything that can be throw at it and it quickly becomes clear the main priority in life must be to live for the Lord Jesus. Personally, I realize in this ever crumbling world that the hope provided in the Bible is the only thing I have to look forward to. Look at the big picture. Don’t get hung up on a small rabbit trails. When you compare everything that is known to what is contained in the Bible, your faith will become strong. The things that seem important in this life will lose their luster and Jesus will become brighter with each passing day. When the Bible is compared to what is known, the leap of faith required to believe the Bible will shrink to a small minuscule little skip.

Through…Not Around!

My Belief

Today was a perfect day. It started out perfect anyway… I got a lot done. I fixed the toilet, I paid the bills, I cleaned the house and I even got myself all ready to start another trip tomorrow. It could not have been more routine and it could not have been more well organized!

When I entered my house from running my dogs around the neighborhood, I noticed my phone was ringing off the hook. The caller was crew scheduling. They were franticly looking for me. They said, “Captain where are you? You are suppose to fly in 10 minutes.”  There had been a miscommunication in my schedule. I had made a mistake with my flight schedule. I had been removed from work this week to do jury duty, but I had not realized the last little bit of my "removed” trip was still on my schedule. This was a stressful situation. I was still eligible to do this part of the trip even though I thought it was removed. Now I am going to have to deal with the hassle of explaining to my Chief Pilot and the possibility of being reprimanded for an honest mistake. To top it all off, my wife had a bad day. We are now fighting over the silly things that married couples fight over. My perfect day has quickly turned into a disaster. It is as though a myriad of trials have landed on me all at once and sucked all of the oxygen out of my house. There is only one thing left to do…PRAY.

God always takes us through trials NOT around. He took the 3 boys in the book of Daniel through the “Fiery Furnace”. He took Daniel through the “Lions Den”. He even took Jesus Himself though Satan’s temptations in the wilderness. He never takes us around trials, but He is always faithful to takes us through. The reason for this is 2 fold. One is that it brings Glory to Himself. God would have no reason to show His power if there was no furnace, if there was no lion, and if there is no temptation. The second reason He takes us through is to draw us close to Himself. We need Him to save us from the problems that enter our lives. We need Him to protect us from the flames, silence the roar of the lions, and to guide us away from Satan’s call. Just as God has protect His children so many times through out all of history, He continues to do the same today. When we call on Him in prayer He brings us through the trials in our lives. In the process His Glory is made known and we rely on him even more than before.

Scripture

John 16:33 - 33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

2 Corinthians 1:44 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

James 1:12 -12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

My Belief

The closer I get to my Lord and Savior the more I need Him for everything. I find myself like a child incapable of doing things without His guiding hand. Often I wish the trials in my life would just disappear, but that would not do anyone any good at all. It would do nothing for the Lord, because I could not proclaim His greatness in triumph once again. It would also do nothing for me. I would not see His power in my life and realize I am helpless without Him. Trials will be set before us all of our days and our way out is always the same. By firmly holding onto the Lord’s hand and walking straight through it with Him together.

Falling away

My Belief

                           

I feel especially sad for the guy I flew with this week. I was up to my usual. I was dangling “spiritual bait” out there trying to get him into a conversation that I could turn into a chance to share Jesus. We flirted with politics a little. He was all about energy reform and green technology. He towed the California liberal line pretty hard, but would not let me turn the conversation into anything more than surface level stuff. We ran out of things to say faster than usual and I did not know how I was going to gain enough credibility or find an opening to share Jesus with this guy. I prayed about it. I said, “Lord, if there is an opportunity here, please show it to me.” That evening we were on a long flight together and we began chatting about politics again. One of the very first thing out of his mouth FLOORED ME! He said, “The problem with this country is all of these dang retards that call themselves Christian.” He also said, “I use to be part of the “God Squad”, but not anymore.” Well, talk about an opening. God dang near blew the door right off the hinges. I simply raised my hand to this guy and said, “I am one of those retards.”

This guy knew the Bible and the arguments for creation inside and out. I had nothing to give him. He knew it all and said that he use to believe it whole heartedly. He said that now after his research he believes God is an Alien and evolution is the mechanism of life. He had no evidence at all to support these claims. He simply told me that after having researched it heavily, this was his new conclusion. I didn’t know what to say. How could someone with so much knowledge of the Bible and someone who claimed to be a Believer most of their life now be in this position. He also told me, “well if all the Jesus stuff is true, then I am fine because I use to be saved and once saved always saved.” I said yes I agree with you that “genuine” salvation is permanent, but what about the encounter Jesus had with the fig tree? This guy had all sorts of leaves (Biblical knowledge), but he had absolutely no Fruit! He had no joy in his life. He complained about everything. For example: he didn’t like his job, he didn’t like his girlfriends, he hated that he only had an apartment, etc, etc…

I told him that I did not know how he had gotten so far off track, but that I would pray for him. I would pray the God would use the Holy Spirit to convict him and draw him back. That God would show him his original thoughts where not misguided and not to let Satan keep hold of him. I told him that there are traps everywhere and to do some real searching. Question everything and see where the evidence really lies.

Scripture

Matt 21:18-19¹⁸ Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. ¹⁹ Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.

Application for Life

Even though this is my first time meeting someone who now repudiates his faith, it is not my pastors first time. I have heard him preach about “Leafy” people and “Fruity” people numerous times. Jesus even said that all “good soil” produces fruit. Some 10 fold, some 100 fold, but all produce fruit. We would be wise to test ourselves as to whether or not we truly believe who Jesus is and what Jesus did for us. Do you really believe there is hope after death? Do you have a passion to share Jesus with lost souls? Are you truly a fruity Christian or just a leafy religious person going through the motions? Will you fall away when your faith is rigorously tested?     

 

A Blessing or a Curse

My Belief

I gave a fellow pilot a lift to his home town the other day. He is a great guy to have an intellectual debate with but absolutely denies the possibility of God. I flew with him a few years ago and I think we debated and discussed just about every political and religious issue that can be imagined. He is convinced that Jesus Christ and The Bible were just conjured up to be a control mechanism for society. Even after I had given him a compelling argument to disprove evolution, he still rejected any thought of a creator. He even came up with a new theory while we were flying together. He called it the theory of permanence.  He said that just like matter can not be created or destroyed, the same must be true for people and the universe. He says that people and the earth have just ALWAYS been here. This is CRAZY!!! How much faith does it take to think that is true versus a creator designing the amazing complexity of life.

God declares in several places in the Bible that each person will be Judged based on how much information they have. This directly makes you and I a blessing or a curse to everyone we tell about Jesus. The message of the Gospel will either bless their life by showing them they have a need that only the Lord Jesus can fill or it will be used as evidence against them. God says that no one will stand before Him with excuse and I would say that someone who has had a “Healthy dose of Jesus” given to them does not have much of a leg to stand on. This puts you and I in an interesting position. People who hear the message of Christ from us will either Love the day they met us or Hate the day they met us. I can’t really see any other choice. 

Scripture

Matt 11:21-23 ²⁰Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. ²¹"Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. ²²But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. ²³And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths.^[d] If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. ²⁴But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."

Application for Life

Even the Apostle Paul freely admitted that not everyone will be saved. Paul exclaimed that his hands were clean because he had told everyone he ever met about Jesus. We need to follow this same principle. We may be a blessing to someone’s life who accepts Christ or we maybe the instrument of God’s judgment. I could envision a situation where the Lord tells each member who rejected Him that our witness was evidence against them. People have the freewill to choose or to reject the Lord Jesus. Our call from God is to give them the option.

 

Heaven on Earth

My Belief

                              

As a pilot I am required to get a regularly scheduled medical check-up. This certifying that I am physically fit to operate an aircraft. It is routine and for the most part a “non-event”. I have been going to the same doctor to do this for years now. Just as routine as the physicals are, are my heavy political discussions with this doctor. He is Jewish, a democrat, a liberal, and does not believe in God in any format what-so-ever. He is well aware of my conservative political and Christian values. Most of our discussion during my examination are always centered around him trying to convince me of his ideals. He is always touting how big business and high profits are destroying the country. He is adamant about how there needs to be healthcare and equality for all. His belief is that in this country there needs to be a perfect society where everyone is provided for, for their entire lives. Most of the time I do a lot of listening and not much talking. He really doesn’t want to debate much, he simply wants to talk a lot. During this recent visit I stopped him for a moment and told him this, “The difference between you and I is this: you think a utopian “heaven on earth” society it possible and I know for a fact that it will never happen while people are running the show.”

I believe those that choose not to believe in God will do their best to create a perfect society on earth. The problem is that people are sinful and flawed by their very nature. Corruption, greed, and plain old sin will always destroy man’s efforts to create heaven on earth. As a follower of Jesus, I know that this world is evil and broken. I know that there will never be a utopia on this planet until the Lord Jesus himself rules it personally. The more that society pulls away from the truth found in the Bible, the worse our society will become. The story of this planet is already foretold in the pages of the Bible. More and more people will move away from the hope that Jesus offers. They will trade God for their own strength and ability. Christians will continue to be a shrinking minority. Take hope though! While people cannot create heaven on earth, Jesus promises that one day He will do this very thing for us, personally.

Scripture

Isaiah 2:4   He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

Application for Life

Satan is currently allowed to control this world. God has granted him the ability to have this time of direct interaction with humanity. The Devil will continue to push this world away from God and toward himself. He is preparing the political landscape to hate anything dealing with God, Jesus, or the Bible. Soon Christians will become even more hated and alienated by society. Stay strong in your relationship with God so that you can weather the coming storm. When the SON breaks through the clouds one day soon, we will finally have Heaven on Earth.

Angry Forgiveness!!!

My Belief

All of my passengers had gotten off of the plane, collected there things and where on there way into the airport. My crew and I were also ready to leave the Jetway and head  into the terminal. As we walked the next crew arrived. We exchanged pleasantry's with the other crew. I asked the other Captain things like, “how long is you day? Where is you next overnight? It’s a good plane. etc…” As I walked by his First Officer I made the passing comment “How is it going man?” He then proceeded to give me an evil look and turn away without saying a thing. I was a little shocked and said, “I guess not very good, huh?” As I walked away I heard him turn to his Captain and say, “I hate that guy”! Now I was mad! I looked back with anger in my eyes and gave him the meanest departing glance that I had given anyone in a very long time.

                  

As we walked through the terminal my First Officer asked me, “what was that all about?” I told him that I did not have any idea, but how dare that insubordinate jerk act like that. I then went on to say things like, “Who does he think he is? And he better hope he never has to fly with me!” I was letting my anger get the better of me over what seemed to be random individual insulting me for no good reason.

When I got to my hotel room I felt bad about the entire situation. I felt bad that someone had so much hatred for me and I felt bad that I had not reacted the way Christ would have reacted. Christ never met anyone with hatred. He always offered love and friendship to all that He encountered. I decided to pray about it. I told God that I did not know who this person was or why he had treated me this way. I asked God to help me in this situation. Humbly I told God that I was angry at this person and did not feel I would react well if I ever saw him again. I asked the Father to help me and to control the situation if I ever encountered this person again.

Wouldn’t you know it. It was only 2 days later on the same trip that I ran into this guy again. The odds of that happening are pretty slim in themselves. There are thousands of pilots at our airline that are scattered all over the world. The chances that I would run into him again in a random city 2 days later are slim. I had just collected my paperwork for the next flight and was walking back toward my departure gate. As I stepped out of a doorway I was face to face with this person again. I felt my face tighten up and my eyes focused directly on him. I was ready for what I thought may be a hostile encounter. As he stepped closer to me I expected some choice words. Instead however, I saw his hand stretch out to me in a gesture of friendship. This really floored me! I was expecting anything but that. We had a good little chat and he apologized and explained that he had been an absolute jerk the other day. He said we had flown together a few years ago and I had done something to upset him. He said that he had been holding it against me all of these years and that he was sorry for the way he had acted. We had a great few minutes of clearing the air and straightening out our misunderstanding. As we parted ways I had to stop for a moment and think to myself WOW! How awesome and powerful is our God!

Scripture

Eph 4:32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Application for Life

I believe in this life as believers there are many things that we can not handle by ourselves. There are situations that get the best of us and sins that we can not seem to overcome. By our own means it is impossible to beat or overcome these things. It is only when we pray and ask for the Holy Spirit to help us that we are able to prevail. I think God has set it up this way so that we will learn to rely on Him and not to lean on our own capability. Trust God, ask in the name of the Son, and rely on the Holy Spirit. Through Him all things are possible!

What a “Cowinkydink”

My Belief

                           

In addition to being an airline pilot I also own a crashpad in the New York area. A crashpad is simply a place where airline people crash. Pilots and Flight Attendants often live in a totally different part of the world then where they are based.  Our crashpad just consists of a house and a car that we can all use when we are in our base. It is sort of like a “home away from home”. As a crashpad owner I have gotten pretty good at dealing with all sorts of little maintenance issues. I have a whole list of service people and technicians on speed dial that take care of the house and car.  Well, not to long ago I was on a long overnight outside of the country. I was in Canada and I got a call on my cell phone about a problem some of they guys where having with the car. They called me and told me that the car would not start and it was located in a secure employee parking lot. This was a big problem for me. Not only was I in Canada where my phone costs a lot of money for international calling rates, but it would be a major headache to try to tow a car out of a secure parking lot. I was stuck! Usually, I can handle this sort of thing easily, but this was the perfect storm. I could not really use my phone to make arrangements, our car was stuck where it could not be accessed, and my fellow crashpad buddies were stuck late at night. The only thing I could do was pray. I bowed my head and told God. I’m stuck. I don’t know how to solve this problem. I need help in dealing with this because I don’t know what to do. No sooner had I finished praying when I heard my phone ringing again. I picked it up and one of the guys who was stuck said, “your never going to believe this”! I was nearly frantic to know what had happened. He told me that one of the guys had been removing his luggage from the trunk when he noticed a loose wire. He started playing with the loose wire while the other guy was trying to start the car. Immediately the car sprang to life and they were able to leave the parking lot and go back to the crashpad.

You explain it anyway that you want to, but I am 100% sure that God helped me that night. The odds of these guys stumbling on the problem and being able to easily correct it when I was without a solution had to be ridiculously small. It may seem like a coincidence, but that may be exactly how God prefers to operate. I heard a preacher say in a sermon once that coincidence is God’s way of staying anonymous. He also said, “isn't it funny that when we pray, coincidence happens, and when we don’t pray it doesn't happen.

Scripture

John 14:14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Matt 7:7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Application for life

God answers prayer! We have the awesome ability to pray to God all the time about everything. I do think that there are times though when God takes special attention in answering our prayers. Those times when it feels like we have no answers, and we don’t know what to do. In those times if we turn to God, then He steps up, taps us on the shoulder and reminds us He has been here all along.

The Best Prayer

My Belief

I felt tired starting a recent 4 day trip. It’s been a hard working summer for me. I feel like I have done about 4 Billion laps across the USA. Even so, I still wanted to be used by God. I wanted to share Jesus with whoever I may fly with, but I really didn’t feel like I had it in me that week. I didn’t feel energized, upbeat or like I was going to be able to start very good conversations. I was sort of in that mode where the best I could do was to simply get the job done. Well, in this situation I prayed my favorite thing to pray. It is just simply to tell God, “Please use me Lord. Please give me opportunity to do your work, whatever it may be.” Let me tell you what, God answers prayer and God takes whatever little bit we have and uses it to His Glory. 

My First Officer was a nice enough guy. In fact, he seamed really nice. He was polite and respectful and not bitter about the current economic situation. We started chatting a little and one thing led to another and he told me that he was a Christian. This was a shock to me. I never have anyone try to tell me about Jesus! Well, all my fatigue faded away and my curiosity was in overdrive. I had not told him that I was a Christian yet so I saw this as a golden opportunity to see what he really believed. I prodded him with all the common questions that I get like “What does Christian even mean? Who is Jesus? Do you really believe all that crazy stuff in the Bible? Well Jews and Muslims believe in God, are they going to Heaven too? Let me tell you what, he had trouble answering my questions. His HEART was absolutely in the right place but his knowledge of the Bible and of his faith was lacking. I was like a kid in a candy shop. I stopped him and told him that I am also a follower of Jesus and that I could help him clean up all these rough spots in his answers. Throughout the course of the 4 day trip we had great conversations about eternal security, creation vs. evolution, the accuracy of the Bible, and God’s plan for the nation of Israel. It was exactly what I needed. God not only let me do a job for Him, but He gave me one that would refresh my own spirit.  My First Officer was encouraged and fired up to share his knowledge of the Bible, and I had a new partner to help share the Love of Jesus with who ever will listen.

Scripture

Isaiah 40:31

³¹ but those who hope in the LORD
       will renew their strength.
       They will soar on wings like eagles;
       they will run and not grow weary,
       they will walk and not be faint.

Application for Life

The very best prayer we can pray is one that brings Glory to God. When we pray with a sincere heart to be used by God, He answers that prayer. If we offer up whatever we have left to God, He will take it and do amazing and wondrous things with it.

Performance Driven!?!?

My Belief                                       

As I so often am, I was knee deep in a conversation about Jesus Christ and Salvation with a First Officer of mine. We had gotten all the way down to the deep nuts and bolts of it. I was telling him that it was all about Grace and not about anything you could do on your own. He was in disbelief and exclaimed to me this, “You mean to tell me that if a baby raping murderer confesses Jesus as Lord and asks for forgiveness he will be saved, but if a Buddhist monk spends his entire life in faithful service to his community but never finds Christ he will burn in HELL?!?!” My response was, “100%, ABSOLUTELY CORRECT!!!”

This is so important to understand in our Christian lives. We are on a GRACE system not a human performance system. We DID NOT get salvation because of our good performance and WE WILL NOT lose it because of our bad performance. God has given a FREE gift to each of us that will believe and call Jesus Lord. It is not of ourselves and not of our works so that NO ONE can boast before God. As I have said before if you stand before God and say it was 99% Jesus and even 1% you, then that is an absolute STRIKE OUT!. If you can say it is 1% or more your own effort than you can boast before God that you helped, did it, or at least gave it the “old college try”. God says that will never happen. Nobody will boast before almighty God. No one will take away from the FINISHED work of Jesus on the cross. We are undeserving and only God’s amazing LOVE has given us the GRACE to have relationship with him and hope for the future.

Scripture

1 Corinthians 3:11-15

¹¹For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹²If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, ¹³his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. ¹⁴If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. ¹⁵If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

Application for Life

If you sin then you need to ask for forgiveness so you can be back in relation with God. YOU DID NOT LOSE YOUR SALVATION. All of us fall short and on our best day we don’t even come close to the perfection of Christ. Nothing measures up to the standard of Jesus. That is why the Law/Word was give…to show us how far away from the mark we are! Grace means that it is all Jesus and none you. Embrace Jesus' free gift of life and forget about yourself.

Crazy Love

My Belief

A member of my crew recently asked me an interesting question. He knows that I am a follower of Jesus and he likes to try to “hit me” with question that I may not be able to answer. I must admit the question he asked this time caused me to pause and think hard for a moment. I had never tried to answer a question like this to a non believer before, and it took a moment to relate it in a way that would not sound like “hocus-pocus” religious rhetoric. His question was this: “How do you love Jesus? In an intimate way? Like a father? Like a brother? or What? I had flown with this member of my crew many times and we spoken often about his fondness for history. I used his appreciation for history to try and answer his question. My answer proceeded something like this:

Suppose that back in the 1940’s America had been invaded by Nazi’s. I then told him also imagine that the Nazi’s had indoctrinated you amongst there ranks as they had done with so many young minds. Pretend they had given you authority and power to arrest, invade, and assert that authority on the people of America. Now pretend that you used this power against me. You and some of your military buddies, just for sport, trapped my entire family and dogs inside my house and then proceeded to light in on fire. This killed everyone inside and you made me watch in horror. After the tragic event was over, you then realized what a terrible thing this was and you turned to look me in the eye. Instead of rage, my eyes met you with compassion, grace, and FORGIVENESS. As your Nazi buddies witnessed this exchange they turned to lay hands on you for what they presumed to be a moment of weakness. As they approached, I not only forgave you, but I jumped in front of them. I exclaiming to them that I was at fault and to let me take your place as the icon of their hatred.

I then proceeded to ask my fellow crew member how he would feel toward me in this situation? You grossly wronged me, yet I forgave you. Then when you realized you were in danger, I took your place. This would describe the love I have for Jesus. Back to reality, I realize that I am the offender here. I have wronged Jesus and I deserve a horrible punishment. In spite of this Jesus still forgives me and protects me. Words can not really describe the love that I have for my Savior, but this sort of paints the picture.

Scripture

Luke 10:27

²⁷He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'^[a]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'^[b]"

Application for Life

Since there is NO reason for The Lord Jesus to Love us the way He does, what does this mean for our life? It means we should give our all to Christ! It means there is no wrong that can be done to us that we can not forgive. It means that this is not our home and our future has been given new meaning. LIVE HARD for Jesus! After what He did for us, is there really any other way…

What’s in a Name…

My Belief                                              

Have you noticed how common profane language using the name of Allah is? Think about how often you hear things like “Muhammad dam it”, or “Sweet Buddha”. No, I’m not crazy. I am simply trying to illustrate the point that you never hear any name of any other religion ever taken in vain. Our culture has take the name of God, Jesus Christ, and countless variants thrown around like they are going out of style. Most people don’t even notice all the times that the name of God is casually used in everyday life. Why is it that Allah, Buddha, Sheeva, Muhammad, or Joseph Smith are never used in swearing, cursing, or just casual gestures? Why are the names of God, Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit the only ones trampled on?

I will tell you why this is! Satan is in control of this world! He does not hate Buddha, Allah or Muhammad. He knows they ARE NOT REAL. They are fake! Satan created them to keep as many people as possible away from the one true God. Satan hates God, Satan hate Jesus, and Satan hates YOU! Satan will do all he can to trample on the name of God and to curse the name of Jesus. In fact, the end of the Bible tells us this is exactly how Satan “kicks off” the tribulation at the end of the age. He plans to set himself up as God and blaspheme God loudly from the temple in Jerusalem. Satan will never be as powerful as God. He will never get the exalted thrown of God no matter how much he wishes, schemes, or tries for it. In essence the only thing Satan can really do is make fun of God, trash His name, and try to get you to do the same.

Scripture

Rev 13:5 Then the beast was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God. And he was given authority to do whatever he wanted for forty-two months.

Exodus 20:7  "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

Application for Life

Take one week and see if you can count how many times you hear the name of God or Jesus just thrown around like it was the word “is”. If you are guilty of misusing the name God, then ask for for forgiveness and research why the name of God is so Holy. Also count how many times you hear any other religious names kicked around. Jesus is the most beautiful name we have. We should hold it in the highest possible regard. When we use the name of God or Jesus it should ONLY be to bring Glory and Honor to Him.

Christianity is a Crutch

My Belief

I recently went to a church in Time Square, NY. The guest speaker told a great story of an encounter he had with a non believing individual. The person approached this guest speaker and explained that he thought all of this “Bible” stuff is a fraud and Christianity itself is a “Crutch” for weak people. The speaker responded to this individual by squaring up and looking the person directly in the eye. He then exclaimed, “Jesus absolutely is a crutch and I am a weak broken person that needs that crutch”.

 

This is a perfect description of what Jesus is for us. The problem is that we have no idea what Jesus is offering us until we realize that we are completely broken people. Once we realize that we have a need that this world can not fix, then we can understand that Jesus is offering us the help that allows us to stand in front of a Holy God. We have evil as part of our very nature. We are born in a state of need just like a person born without the ability to walk. Someone without the ability to physically walk would be ecstatic to have the use of a crutch or a wheelchair in order to become mobile. In the same way if we can stop being concerned with our own self interest for a minute, then we can realize that we are paralyzed by our own nature. Our relationships fail, our thoughts wonder to evil, and our societies crumble due to our own corruption. This has happened all throughout history because people always have been broken and in need of help. Jesus is that help, Jesus fills that need, and Jesus is the crutch for us to lean on in our brokenness.

Scripture

Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Application for life

In this life we never stop being broken. We must recognize that we are always sinners. God’s judgment will only pass over us if we are covered with the blood of Jesus Christ. This is the ONLY hope that we have in life. I reflect upon this everyday. I see myself sin EVERYDAY. I say things, I do things, and I think things that separate me from God. My only hope and my only strength is when I realize that Jesus is the “Crutch” that catches me every time I fall.

Faith Like an Atheist

My Belief  

I came to a recent discovery while flying with an atheist First Officer. He has way more BLIND FAITH than myself or any Christian I know. Pilots usually get to know a fair amount about one another while flying together for several days. The first few conversations are always the same. Are you married, girlfriend, kids, where do you live, hobbies etc etc blah blah blah… Then by day 2 or 3 we get to the more interesting conversations. Politics, Religion, or views on current events. When he began talking about why he believes in NO possibility of God what-so-ever this peeked my curiosity. Most people will admit a possibility, but he was convinced that no such chance could ever exist.

This type of strong opinion always begs for supporting evidence. I have to know what has led someone to this solid a conclusion. So I asked him repeatedly and listened very intently for his evidence. His answer was always the same. “Just because”. He believes in the possibility of UFO’s, government cover ups, and evolution but he has no idea why. He could not give me one piece of evidence to support his ideas. His answer was always, “It is just my belief”. I even asked him for a percentage of his assurance. He said he was a good 40% sure that technology will prove aliens and evolution in the near future. This was astonishing to me. Someone that does not even understand the argument of evolution is so convinced in ANYTHING but God.

I provided him with credible evidence for why evolution is not an “iron clad” theory. Also, I provided him with archeology that supports the history of the Bible and fulfilled prophesy that supports the Bibles claims to be a book of supernatural character. While all of this does NOT prove God it is at least a credible argument. Any logical individual would give it a possibility of being correct even be it ever so miniscule. My First Officer would not even give it a 1% percent possibility of being correct. While he has NO evidence to support his own ideas, he is unwilling to accept anything corroborating the existence of God. This is a blind faith beyond any I have ever seen.

Scripture

Matt 17:20  He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Application For Life

So many people have closed their minds to even a possibility of God. This is not logical and we as followers of Christ must redouble our efforts to be bold both in our passion to share with them and pray for them. We must do everything we can to break through this worlds firm grip on their lives so that they realize their need for salvation. We would also do well to educate ourselves on the evidence so that we may have complete faith in our Salvation. 

Memory Items and Limitations

My Belief                   

When you fly a jet aircraft there are countless things that can go wrong. There are dozens of systems on board that control pressurization, temperature, hydraulics, flight controls, engine sequencing, navigation, and on and on and on… Any one of these things could malfunction causing a problem large enough to stop the flight from continuing. Obviously, some are more serious issues than others and that becomes the pilots job to determine the correct course of action. Some of these situations allow time to follow flow charts to isolate and/or correct the problem. Some however, such as an engine fire do not. In these extreme situations the pilots have been trained to accomplish “Memory Items/Limitation” procedures. These are specific actions that must be performed with out hesitation and without the ability to “Look up” the necessary actions. Without this recognition of a serious emergency and the ability to promptly respond, disaster would certainly ensue.

God’s word is much the same way. There are plenty of things that warrant time for careful research and discussion, yet there are other things that would best serve us to have on the front of our minds. This way we can recall quickly when a situation dictates the need. I think most of these topics pertain directly to the process of salvation and repentance dealing with our Lord Jesus Christ. King David specifically said in Psalms, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, so that I may not sin against You”. There are trials that are presented before us each day in our lives that would cause us to sin or misrepresent the truth of the Bible. These may be critical times where there was a clear opportunity to fill a need in someone's life or to bring glory to God by not choosing poorly in our decisions. There are times where careful research is required, and then there are times when without God’s word on the front of our minds certainly spiritual disaster will ensue.

Scripture

Hebrews 4:12  For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 

Psalm 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Application for Life

I myself am recommitting to memorizing God’s Word. I encourage everyone to start putting a few meaningful versus in the front of your mind so that it is ready to be used in a moments notice. When that person at work questions your faith, when you let your eyes wonder to places they shouldn’t, and when someone confronts you with the wisdom of this world; we will be ready to recall that needed scripture. Commit to learning God’s “Memory items and Limitations” so you know exactly what to do when the Emergencies of Life happen.

Breaking the Cross

 My Belief

I feel that God and the truth of the Bible are 100% certain, but I will tell you how to disprove them both. When we look at different faiths in this world (Islam, Mormons, Catholics etc) I feel that all of them can be disproved simply by punching holes in their evidence. In Islam they say that no land that is ever owned by Islam will ever be owned by another – oops Israel. Mormons have a very big problem explaining how man becomes god. Catholics have no proof to support baptism for salvation or why they pray to Mary. Jehovah's Witnesses have predicted the end of the world incorrectly about 5 or 6 times. The list goes on and on and on except for with true Biblical Christianity. I have never heard anyone give a credible way to punch holes in the Bible and the critics have been trying forever. In this post I am going to give you 3 ways to “theoretically” punch holes in the Bible.

1. If the Jewish people and Israel are ever completely obliterated and wiped off the face of the earth, then it can be said the Bible is false. God has said in his word He is not done with Israel. In the Bible it says He has completed “69 weeks” of history with the Jewish people and there is one week remaining.

2. If aliens from outside of earth are ever discovered and begin to interact with us here on earth. The Bible gives specific information about how the world began and how it is going to end. E.T. is never mentioned once.

3. If one single thing in the Bible can be proven wrong! It does not matter if it is history or prophecy. If anything in the Bible can be proven wrong then you may as well trash the entire thing. God says His word is WHOLE, PERFECT, AND SUFFICENT. That is a tall order and if you discredit a piece then you can discredit the rest.

I am confident that none of these thing will EVER happen. God is sovereign and in control. He has given us all we need and told us how events will take place. I however, am a logical person. I love to learn and hear information, and I never want to be accused of being a closed minded person that won’t listen to opposing thought. I love to hear all sides of an argument and can specifically point at what is required to “Break the Bible”. I would encourage  EVERYONE to attempt this task. GO and try to disprove the Bible. My greatest HOPE is that millions will in fact, try. I know God and I have heard countless stories of those that have tried this task only to be become avid followers of Jesus Christ. In there attempt to destroy the faith, they end up finding God themselves.

Scripture

Matt 5:18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

Application for Life

Don’t pretend to know God or Allah or Buddha or anything else because you grew up that way, your parents do, or it seams like a good idea. Go out there and LOOK for yourself. Compare the evidence to what we know. Use the scientific method to sort out the known from the unknown. Where are the holes, where are the facts, and what can we prove? Ask as many questions as possible. If this process is applied, then I am confident only the one true God will remain in the end. I promise.

Tinted Truth

My Belief

Navigation is specific and when navigating from one place to another even a few degrees off course can result in missing the end destination. For example: If you were Navigating from Philadelphia, PA to Columbus, OH you would need almost a due West heading. This is 270 degrees on a compass. If you were to stray just a little from this heading in either direction you may end up in Cincinnati or Cleveland. Both of these courses are still considered Westerly Heading, but they have very different results for very similar headings. It all looks like “West” but only one course leads to the correct destination.  

Have you ever wondered about all of the different “beliefs” and religions in this world? Why are there so many of them? I believe it is because they are all tools used to dissuade people from the real truth. If you take something that is true and you change it ever so slightly, it is no longer truth. It only has to be bent a few degrees or tinted just a little and it becomes “Almost True”. This is enough for Satan to get people off the true course to salvation and eternal life in Heaven. Satan only has to fool you for the duration of your life. If he can give you just a little different heading for long enough, then he can keep you from God and force you to join him in eternal damnation. While many faiths are similar all differ in two areas. The plan of salvation and the person of Jesus Christ. Many say that for salvation you must be baptized, be a good person, do good works, pray to different deities etc… The worst of them is when they include these things in addition to Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus is true salvation and when anything is added to HIM then it takes away from HIS perfect work on the cross. No one will stand before God and say that they helped get themselves get into heaven.  No one can tell God that it is 99% Jesus and 1% other. 1% other, 1 degree off, or 1 thing in addition to Jesus makes it 100% false. Don’t let Satan fool you with anything other than what is in God’s perfect word.

Scripture

 1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Application for Life

There are many religions out there and we have a test to determine if they are TRUTH! Who is Jesus, and how can you be saved? Compare all information to this Truth. If it is even a little bit off then you can be 100% sure it is Satan twisting the Truth to make it “almost truth.” Don’t be fooled and don’t be apathetic toward this most important aspect of our earthly life. There is only so much time in life to commit to this one Truth. Satan is trying hard to hide it amongst things that look and seam very similar. A few degrees of deviation expanded over the course of a lifetime may look like a “True heading”, but the end destination will be drastically different.

The Economy is Perfect!

My Belief

This economy is perfect! Unemployment is high, consumer confidence is low, and no one has any security in the future. Many don’t believe there jobs are secure or trust that there companies will weather this economic downfall. A majority of people also feel like there elected leaders are out of touch with reality. What it all adds up to is zero security in anything this world has to offer, so in actuality the economy is perfect!

It is perfect because people are now more willing to put there security in something other than what this world has to offer. They are more apt to listen to the security that Jesus Christ offers to all who will believe in Him. Some will realize that their misguided trust in the things of this world will always lead to ruin. Some will realize that whether or not the economic prosperity of this world returns, there is a Hope that is constant. There is a Hope that gives joy to your life no matter what the circumstances. The time is now to give an account of the Hope that you have to everyone who will listen. We could not ask for better conditions. When people are stripped of there security in this world, it is the best time to give them a new security. A real security that only God can provide. This economy is a blessing from God. This economy is here to draw God’s people close to him. For us that believe, this economy is perfect!

Scripture

John 4:35 Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you , open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.

2 Tim 3:13-14 While evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it.

Application for Life

If you truly have the Hope of Eternal Life in Jesus Christ, then this bad economy does not bring you fear. Our security is not founded in this world. Our calling is to share this Joy with all that will listen. Our duty is to do what Christ did. To spread real hope and real securit y to all that will accept. What better conditions could we ask for then these?

So What is so Great about Heaven…

My Belief

I had a flight attendant ask me once “what is so great about heaven”. “Are we going to float around and sing songs? That just sounds silly.” At the moment I did not have a good answer for him. I was taken back for a second and did not know what to tell him. It was obvious that being close to God had no significance for him. He doesn't believe in God so why would it. What could I tell him that would matter? I have since come up with an answer.

Besides being close to the Creator God, I have come up with a great and exciting answer for what is so Great about Heaven. It is a place full of “NO MORES”. This planet is full of pain and suffering. I know at times it seams like we live very comfortable in America, but think about it for a second. Think of all the political corruption, think of all of the broken families, think of all the violence everywhere you turn, and think of all of the unfair death that so many experience. This will be “NO MORE” in Heaven. We will have no more pain, no more suffering, and no more injustice. There will be no more corruption or flawed relationships. We will be perfectly provided for and taken care of in a way that is impossible here on earth.

There are political parties in our current society that are trying to create a “utopia”. A place where all is fair and equal. Where all are provided for and everyone has everything they need. They attempt to do this through entitlement spending, redistribution of wealth, and social programs. While at times there intentions may be good, they will never achieve this goal. We are sinful people that can never get past our evil nature. No matter how hard we try we can not create “Heaven”. With this realization, I look forward to the day that I WILL leave this broken world for the ultimate paradise. There I will be close to my Creator and truly have no more pain.

Scripture

Revelation 21:4

⁴He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

Application for Life

I love the Jeremy Camp song “There will be a day”. It gives me hope for my daily life. It tells me that eventually my loved ones will not die. That my Job will not be political. That my society will not always be driven by greed. This gives me HOPE for an awesome future that I will soon have!

God Picks a Loser!

My Belief

I think one of the most amazing things about God is that He always WINS with the “Worst”. God uses the weakest worst people around to show his Power and Glory. He does more with people this world considers “Losers” than Satan ever does with the “A” team he puts together. Let me tell you about just a few of the people God uses to do his work.

1. Lon Solomon (my pastor) back in the 60’s was a drug dealing, dope smoking, LSD dropping, Jewish guy. God grabbed hold of his life and now he is pastor of one of the biggest Churches in this Country. He has led thousands of people to Christ and changed my life as well.

2. Saul was an evil man who hunted and destroyed Christians with a vicious passion. God grabbed a hold of him on the road to Damascus, changed his name to Paul, and he is considered one of the most influential Christians in all of the Bible.

3. David was the last and smallest of his brothers. He was a nobody, and yet God gave him victory over Goliath with a rock and a sling shot. He became King of Israel and God called him “a man after His own heart”.

The stories are countless and littered all through out history. The people that have done the most for God are the “Losers” of our world. God uses the “nothings” so that he can show his Mega Power. In the spiritual battle field of earth Satan comes with the A-Team! He comes with the best, the brightest and gears up for a serious fight. God however, laughs at Satan and “Thumps” him with the equivalent of a “wet towel”. If God used the best and the brightest of this world, we would tend to give some credit to that person. God does not share His glory at all. If Brad Pitt, gave all his money and spread the Gospel to the world, we would tend to think he did it, at least in part. God won’t have this, so he picks the worst of us. God does not need the A-Team of this world. He can have victory just fine with the Lon’s, Paul’s, David’, Joseph’s, Moody’s, and mother Teresa's of this world. Our very Little becomes MUCH in the Masters Hands!

Scripture

1Cor 1:26-31 26Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29so that no one may boast before him. 30It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."[d]

Application for Life

Are you a “Loser”? God I pray that I am. What is the point to be “Stud” in this world. That puts you on the wrong team. Embrace your weakness, your frailness and your unrighteous self. In doing this God can show his power through you. There is nothing I can do that God did not give me, so I will do everything I can for the Lord. Everything else is not power it is just pathetic compared to Almighty God.

What are you looking at?

My belief

I have a unique vantage point with my Job. I “cruise” for hours at a time at more than 5 miles off the surface of the planet with speeds over 600 miles an hour. Doing this, I get to see A WHOLE LOT of planet earth very often. It is amazing to me to see the beautiful changes in the scenery. Vast oceans, colorful mountains, green expanses of land, and the most amazing shades of light in the sky. Then I look at all the different people and animals and think to myself, this planet is incredibly complex. I wonder how anyone thinks all of this happened by chance or accident.

God’s handiwork is all around us. It is displayed in everything we see and experience. The vastness of beauty on this planet is more than anyone can see in a life time and yet, it is only a sliver of the majesty of God. I don’t know why our world puts blinders on to this? They want God to show up and stand in front of them before they will believe. Even then, I don’t think people will really believe. To know God is to have accountability and to realize that people are not the end all be all. You are not the zenith of life. To look at this world is to see evidence of God. If you can’t see God then it still should motivate you to look until you find the HOW and the WHY. If you are honest, both of these questions will only lead to one place!

Scripture

Romans 1:20 ²⁰For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Application to Life

Our origin is critically important to what we do in life. Find information about the complexity of DNA or the human cell. Find information about the mathematical probability of all things happening without intelligent design. Ask yourself why science ends up proving the Bible to be accurate. Look at how all the history we know matches the Bible perfectly. If you can’t see God, then I wonder what you are looking at?

Smooth Air, Turbulent Trip

My Belief

I can’t think of a more “Rocky” industry than the airline industry. This industry is plagued by insecurity. Airlines are forever merging, failing, or locked in continual battle between the work groups and management. The statistics of the business are that a person is likely to be “laid-off” 3 times in the span of their career. The giants of the business like PANAM, Eastern, and TWA have all seen the sun set on their corporations. Many of today’s giants are former versions of their selves that are sickly and struggling not to go out of business themselves.

When I was new to this job I always wondered why those senior captains making great money with lots of time off where always so unhappy. This career is all about “Seniority”! The more you have the more money you make and better quality of life you have. The problem is, by the time you have Seniority you have been in this rocky business for a long time. The duration takes its toll on the employee and leaves a lot of battle scars from the stress of instability.

In my mind there is no business that needs the Security that Jesus offers more than this one. Jesus offers security that He will always provide and He will never forsake. No matter how bad it get Jesus does not forget to give us what we need for this life and gives us a Great Hope for what is to come in the next life. When you give Jesus control, you realize that all these things that seam so critical now will all pass away. They don’t matter as much as they once did.

Scripture

Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Application for Life

No matter what business you are in and no matter how bad it seams, it is not that big a deal. If you really have Jesus in your life than you can rest because you have real security in your life. Pray and cast all your cares on him. He will give you solutions and at the end of this stressful life, He will take you home to a place with no more stress and no more pain.

The Hard Standard

My Belief

Airline pilots undergo rigorous training throughout there entire career. They are continually trained and tested to verify proficiency. Some of this training is progressive, trained to proficiency or held to a wide standard. Some of it however, is not. Some of it is very strict and must be adhered to perfectly. The most difficult of these test is to become a Captain at a major airline. Within the industry this evaluation is referred to as a “Type Ride”. The standards for this test are very narrow and any deviation by the candidate is met with a strict unsatisfactory completion. Candidates can not deviate from this narrow path or they do not posses what is necessary to be a Captain.

I feel the truth of Jesus Christ represented in the Bible is very similar to this. There is only one way to get to heaven and have eternal life with God. That is through the very narrow path of Jesus Christ. Any deviation from this standard will be met with strictly as unsatisfactory completion. There are a lot of things in the Bible that are unknown and can be left to a wide interpretation. This truth of Jesus Christ is not one of them. Jesus Christ is the “Type Ride” of the Bible. There can be no deviation from this narrow standard.

I tell you this because I so often hear things that are in direct contradiction to this. I hear things like, “it is Jesus plus baptism, Jesus plus good works, or God doesn't let good people go to hell”. The truth is that none of us are good people. We are all evil and in need of Jesus to cleanse us of our sins. To add or change this in any way is to take away from the hardest standard in the Bible. There can be no deviation from (Jesus Christ + nothing = salvation.)

Scripture

John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Matt 7:13-14 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Application for Life

Always stand firm for the truth of Jesus Christ. If you allow anyone to add to what is necessary for salvation, it takes away from what Christ did for us on the cross. Anyone who tries to say different is outside the standard of Christ and will be considered unsatisfactory to God.