Uh Oh…Things are Good again.

My belief

For now it seems everything is going my way. My rental property is completely occupied, my job is doing well, and my family is happy. This scares me a little bit. I know what kind of person I am. I am an “A” type personality that is comfortable being in charge. I noticed this week that my prayer life was a little weaker than before. I could tell that I was giving a little less time to the Lord. I feel like things are moving in my life. There is a good possibility soon for advancement in my industry, I am very busy at work, and I have a lot to do with my family and side business. I felt a little saddened as I lay in bed last night. I was thinking about my own vulnerability to taking control and pushing God aside, even if it is only just a “little” bit. I know that I can not let my own evil, selfish instincts get the best of me.  I am most vulnerable when I am most successful. This is the same thing that happened to King David in the Bible. When he was at the height of his power he began to trust in his own abilities. The little boy with a rock and a sling that trusted his God was then a man that trusted in his own army. That was when he was most vulnerable to the attacks of Satan. He began letting his own sin nature destroy him. The more success the Lord gives me the more time I need to spend on our knees. I need more people to keep me accountable and to help me stay grounded in the Word of God. I prayed sincerely last night that the Holy Spirit would help me and keep me from trusting in my own resources.

Scripture

^{Romans 12:3 3} For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

Application for Life

My pastor says we need to tattoo this verse on our forehead and the more success the Lord gives us the bigger the font we need to use. That has to be about the best advice I have ever heard. I need to think of this verse daily. I need to hide this verse in my heart along with Paul’s words to be content in all things. I do a pretty good job trusting the Lord in the bad times and now my prayer is that I will be disciplined enough to trust Him in the good times!

DARK COCKPIT

My Belief

In my business we have a term called the “dark cockpit” concept. Simply put, if all the lights are out then everything is OK! Sure there are a few dimly lit navigation and instrumentation displays on the flight deck, especially at night, but for the most part everything is dark and  pilots are trained that when there is nothing on, blinking, or flashing that things are just as they should be. NOTICE if you will that there are no lights designed to come on for “good things” in this concept. There are all sorts of light to indicated different FIRES in various parts of the aircraft, but nothing to indicate when a “smooth ride” is just ahead. There are also all sorts of lights to indicated that we have lost hydraulic pressure, oil quantity, or Cabin Altitude, but there is nothing to indicate that the “Coffee is nice and hot and ready to be served”. I think you get the point. This concept is so engrained into the pilot that many times in our family lives we encounter conflict because we do not administer praise and instead only tend to focus our attention on things that are wrong or negative.

While this concept may cause some difficulties in our personal and family lives, I think it directly relates to my Christian experience walking with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. What do we deserve praise for? The Bible describes us as lost sinners who have zero chance of ever performing up to a standard that is worthy of the Lord. Our best efforts are “filthy rags” to God. In our own perspective we should strive to do good as God created us to, but we should RIP OUT all of the indicator lights for these things. I will not take credit for anything I am given the privilege to do for the Lord. I will turn all praise back to him. There is no light in the cockpit of my mind that says, “Gave Money, Helped someone in need, Shared the Gospel, or Your just a good Guy”. I do not boast in myself or really even remember what I have done for the Lord. I only notice the fire lights in my life. I have plenty of lights in the cockpit of my mind for when I am “Selfish, or Lustful, or Unkind”. Those lights are large and REQUIRE immediate attention. Again, my best efforts are in no way comparable to what Jesus has done for me. The best performance I can give is pitiful in the sight of God, so in regard to my own efforts I will strive to keep a dark cockpit.

Scripture

1Cor 1:29-31  ²⁹ so that no one may boast before him. ³⁰ It 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. ³¹ Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

Application for Life

I am a sinner who is saved by grace. A debt that I can never repay has been paid for me. When I get the chance to give more of my money and time to the Lord, I feel that I am saying thank-you to the Lord. I don’t feel that I am doing anything great, but rather someone who gets to give a little bit back. Jesus has given me hope at the end of this short life. In a spirit of humble gratitude the least I can do is offer what I have back to the Lord.

How do YOU KNOW for sure?!?!

My Belief

Have you ever heard those people that say things like, “I know for 100% certainty that I am going to heaven when I die” or “Do you know where you 1st breath after you last breath on earth will be?” I began thinking about how you clarify this position because most of these people never tell you why they are “Sure”. They only give unquantifiable proof like “Because I believe in Jesus”. Well to most people this does not give any proof at all. It does not even give a realistic possibility to most people. To most people that is the same as saying, “I am sure because I believe in the EASTER BUNNY!!!”. What I want to do right now is put some “Handles” on Jesus.

I am 100% sure that I have hope after death because God left a written promise here on earth for me to find! Here are the baby steps to that promise. Once you research all of the following and realize that it all points to same place, then you will KNOW there is only one possible solution. 1. All of Science points towards “Intelligent Design”, 2. All of history gives the Bible credibility, 3. All the stuff archeologist pull out of the ground make the Bible iron clad and bullet proof, 4. Everybody who has ever tried to attack the Bible has either become a “believer” or been proven wrong! Once you see these things then your can start to embrace what is in the Bible. And what is in the Bible is JESUS! When you really study the Bible, you find the ENTIRE thing from back to front is all connected to and about JESUS! At this point you can KNOW that JESUS is not a mythological Easter Bunny but GOD HIMSELF. And you can believe what Jesus says. He says that we are all sinners and all separated from Himself, but if we will confess our sin and make Him Lord of our life then we have an amazing hope for the future just ahead. This process of research will lead you all the way to the cross, and the FAITH that you put in that cross will lead you all the way to Eternal Life after death!

Scripture

1 John 5:13 ¹³ I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Application for Life

I have done the research and know the Bible is true. I have put my faith in Jesus and so I KNOW where I am headed. This is why I can say with 100% certainty that my best days are in front of me. This is my real answer to you. It is not some squishy, shapeless, fluffy answer. It is a real answer with real evidence, and it is right in plain sight for whoever wants to seek it out.

Vulnerable

My Belief

A few days ago I got stuck in NY for the evening and I had the chance to really catch up with a good buddy of mine named Johnny. Johnny and I talk all the time but it is usually surface level and just for fun. During this particular evening we got a little deeper and were talking about our personal walk with Jesus. We chatted a lot about how our schedules and the details of our jobs affect us in that walk. We both admitted that there are times when we stumble a good bit and find ourselves vulnerable to all sorts of temptations and sins. Johnny confessed to me that there is a particular group of friends that causes him the most trouble. He said that he always knows that he is not going to act the way Christ would want when he hangs out with these guys. Johnny admits that he is torn because these are “good buddies” that he has known for a long time but he finds himself vulnerable to do things he would not if he was with a different group of friends.

For me it was clear that my vulnerability is fatigue. When I am tired I feel that my guard is down. At the end of a long day or after a bad night of sleep I don’t feel like the same person. I feel that my mind is vulnerable to all the filth that is around me all the time. I feel that my “love” for people is cold. I find it difficult to be patient and deal with people in a manner that people can see Jesus in me. The worst part for me is that when I am rested I genuinely care for people and want to find ways to share Jesus with them. I feel that it is my duty to tell them because the consequences are so dire that they have to know. BUT!!! when I am tired there are times I just don’t care. I feel low in my energy and I am just trying to do my job or get through the rest of the day. Having this conversation with Johnny was good for me because it helped me put my finger on little pieces of this problem that were already floating around in my head. Now that I have classified it and labeled it, I am committed to praying that the Holy Spirit will help me confront this sin in my life.

Scripture

2 Corinthians 12:9 ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Ephesians 6:10-11 ¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

Application for Life

Recognizing the problem is always the first step! Johnny and I both see a new point of vulnerability in our lives and we both know what we need to do to conform this area to the WILL of God. We have to pray and ask the Lord to help us in our times of weakness. I am going to do my best to keep myself from the fatigued mindset that causes me to stumble. I am going to ask God to fill me with His Spirit so He will give me strength in my times of weakness. I feel the Lord has put me where I am to serve him and I don’t want to blow it because of my own human weakness. In His Word I am told over and over again to rely on Him for strength instead of in my own ability. Now that I recognize a new aspect of my own vulnerability I will rely on the Holy Spirit in me to show the power of God in my weakness. Only in this way will I be able to defend against Satan’s fiery arrows.

Christ on the Flight Deck

My belief

Most people have no idea what I do on the flight deck. They just see a maze of buttons, lights and two guys in military style uniforms manipulating all the switches that cover everything. They take their seat and trust that it all works! The majority of people will never understand how the aerodynamics work in conjunction with the complex hydraulic, fuel, and propulsion systems. And how a man can strap himself to the front of it and manipulate it all with simple body movements. They just TRUST that it WORKS.

In the same way I DO NOT UNDERSTAND what Jesus Christ did for me on the cross. Sure I know what it says in the Bible and I believe it. I know that He died for my sins and it is by that grace that I am saved from the wrath of God. But think about it! This is just as surface level as knowing that the airplane leaves one city and lands in another. I will never really know what he did on that cross. I will never understand what it meant for him to be separated from God the Father or to become sin for me. I will not understand the spiritual agony of taking all the sin of the world onto Himself. What was He really doing for that 3 days that He spent before He conquered death. In the same way the passengers takes a seat without knowing what is happening, I TRUST Jesus when he said, “it is finished”. I only have a surface level knowledge of his pain, but I TRUST that he has paid for my ticket to eternal life with Him.

Scripture

2 Corinthians 5:21 ²¹ God made him who had no sin to be sin^[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Application for Life.

It blows me away that somehow Jesus took all the sins that I have ever done or will ever do upon himself. That seems like a TON in itself but then multiply that by everyone who has ever lived or will ever live and it becomes to much to ever comprehend. I don’t really know what insurmountable victory that He has won but I just have to TRUST that it WORKS! With this in the front of my mind I will continue to try to live my life for Jesus and look forward to that hope of a new life with Him one day .

 

Trend Vectors

My Belief

On the flight deck we have several instruments that provide what is know as “trend vectors”. No matter if this trend vector is associated with airspeed, altitude, or heading, its purpose remains the same. It simply tells the pilot where he will be, very soon. It does this by computing where the aircraft is, and where it has been, to come up with where it will be, very soon. This is extremely valuable information for the pilot of any aircraft, and it is very similar to how I view the world as a Christian.

I am often amazed at how many people I talk to that are oblivious to their surroundings and where we have been in recent history. I hear things all the time like, "this is America, that doesn't happen here, or it has just always been that way". A lot of people live only in the moment and consider it crazy to think the world will ever be drastically changed. Let me just give a few examples of these “CRAZY” things that will never happen...

• 100 years ago it would be crazy to think America would become the worlds dominant superpower.
• 90 years ago it would be crazy to think you could travel around the world in less than 24 hours.
• 80 years ago it would be crazy to think everyone would carry a cell phone with the world at your finger tips.
• 70 years ago it would be crazy to think the nation of Israel would be back in existence in the land of Palestine.
• 60 years ago it would be crazy to think everyone would see everything in the world instantly as it happens via the internet and the 24hr news cycle.
• 50 years ago it would be crazy to think all the dictators who took over the middle east(Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Yemen, Syria, and more) would be falling apart all at the same time.
• 40 years ago it would be crazy to think Islam would become such a powerful force in Europe and the middle east.
• 30 years ago it would be crazy to think Jewish people would be coming to Christ and and there would be a strong movement to build the 3rd Jewish Temple.
• 20 years ago it would be crazy to think we would have been fighting off Muslim extremist inside our own boarders. Example: 9/11 major Husain, underwear bomber, shoe bomber, liquid attacks, etc.
• 10 years ago it would be crazy to think an American president would have campaigned in Europe as a citizen of the world with the stated goal of a global world order.
  

While these are all crazy and ridiculous ideas they are indeed FACTS! The Amazing thing about them all is our trend vector indicator, THE BIBLE, has predicted them all for more than 2000 years. As Christians this is extremely valuable information. It provides credibility for our Instrument and tells us where we will be, very soon!

Scripture

Luke 21:28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Application for life.

The Bible has been giving us accurate trend vector information for more than 2000 years and it continues to do so today. As we get closer to the return of Christ we must prepare ourselves for more and more of the "birth pains" that Jesus spoke of. Prepare for more natural disasters, like Japan. Prepare for more false doctrine and compromising of truth, like our failing churches. Prepare for a global world with power shifting to the middle east. Be aware and watch for the next world superpower that will gain control as America continues to collapse. Don't be fooled when a global figure soon appears with the answers to all of the worlds problems. The trend vector coming from the Bible is telling all faithful followers of Jesus to get ready because of what is coming very soon. A terrible tribulation will soon befall the world, followed immediately by a literal earthly kingdom ruled personally by King Jesus. Are you paying attention to the Trend Indicator?

Looking Backwards

My Belief

Do you ever have those moments where you think to yourself, “If only I had (fill in the blank)”? I do! Personally I see the world around me and catch myself thinking this about all sorts of things. For example: If only I had done an internship while I was in college, then my airline life would be so much easier today. If only I had really thought the housing collapse was coming, then I would not have made that poor investment. If only I had seen the difficulties in my family life, then I would have made preparations for them. All of this stuff is looking backwards and wishing I could have done it differently in order to make today a much better world for myself. That old saying of “hindsight is 20/20” is so true.

Isn't this exactly what Jesus and Paul warned us about though? Of course they were not focused on our life here. They were talking about our future lives that will start very soon and last forever. Any of us could “check out” of this life at anytime very soon. Many of us WILL! You could die from anything at a moments notice, and the very moment you do everyone of us will be immediately standing in front of the Lord Jesus. The first thing He will do is determine if you are one of His sheep or not, and if you are then the next thing he will do is ask you what you did with the time you were given. This scares me to death! Think about it! How awful would it be to stand in front of Jesus that died for me and say, “ya, about that… I really didn’t get around to doing that much for you, even though you died for me”. I am sure at this point Jesus will love and embrace me, but I will suffer loss of reward! Talk about a   bad investment choice! How many of us on that day will be looking backward thinking of all the heavenly riches we will never have. How many of us will say if I had just been a better husband, father, wife, or mother. If I had just used my crappy paper money to glorify God, If had just shared Jesus with more people, If I had just spent more time in the Word. I will have a pile of sin to answer for in heaven, but what will hurt the most is if I hurt Jesus because I did not do what he asked me to.

Scripture

1 Cor 3:14-15

¹⁴ If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

Application for Life

I SIN A LOT! There are plenty of times in my life that Jesus is not proud of what I am doing. This is always on the front of my mind and sometimes it nearly brings me to tears. I don’t want to waste the time I have been given. I want to live the life that Jesus asked me to and put Him first over everything. I continually pray that I will be a better father and husband. I am continually searching for ways that I can change my budget in ways to show God He is first. I am always looking for an opportunity to share Jesus with someone who does not know or help a fellow brother in Christ know more. My earthly performance has NOTHING to do with getting me into heaven, but it has everything to do with the sort of reception I get when I arrive. When I get there I hope and pray I am not looking backward, but instead EXTATIC to hear the Lord Jesus say, “Well done good and faithful servant”.