Don’t knock it until you try it

My belief

I grew up with a great intense love for playing sports. Most sports that is. I liked tough sports. Sports like baseball, football, and basketball. It was great to get in there and hit hard, run fast, or even get a little physical with the other players. This is what I spent a large part of my child and teen years doing. However, there was one sport that I had absolutely no desire to try. That was GOLF! There was not one bone in my body that though it was cool to stroll around in preppy clothes and hit some sissy little ball with some sissy little stick. Then walk up to the same sissy little ball and Do it again!

This all changed for me a few years ago. I was on vacation with a few friends and they wanted to go play golf. I was not that excited but I said what the heck. I will try it once. I could not believe how hard it was to hit that little ball, to speak nothing of making it go where I wanted it to go. There is an insane amount of precision and fundamental mechanics to correctly controlling a golf swing. Then the scenery on the course was awesome in real life. Golf courses are some of the most beautiful places you can ever hangout. I am now an enthusiastic golfer that loves to play whenever I have the chance. I can’t get enough of my continued improvement, the strategy, and again the wonderful scenery of the course. And it is all because I let go of my preconceived notions and gave it one chance.

I bring this up because I have a friend and colleague that is at the end of his rope. He feels broken, empty, and with no point to his life. I have been telling him over and over again that Jesus is the answer to fix all of those problems. At times I think he is so close to making a decision for Christ. He has never been into “religion” and is insanely skeptical. I continue to pray for him that he will give Jesus a chance in his life. I am 100% certain that when he comes into a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus that he will find JOY, PURPOSE, CONTENTMENT, and ANSWERS for life. As a rough and tumble sports guy, I didn’t see how there was anyway in the world I was going to ever like golf. But once I gave it a chance there is nothing else that I would rather play. I am sure my friend knows that I am talking about him and I promise you that when you give Jesus a try there is nothing else that you will ever want either. Every question will be answered! Every worry will be solved! You will finally have a GUARENTEE in life! It does not matter what happens to you in this life because Jesus is the best insurance policy there will ever be. Give Jesus a fair shot in your life and HE WILL PROVE IT!

Scripture

Matthew 11:28

²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Application for Life

If you don’t feel there is any point to life or you think we just do the same old routine things in life and then fade to black. I beg you to reconsider. Look around you at all of the DESIGN that surrounds us. We are not alone. There is an awesome Creator that wants you to find Him. He has placed his Word here with us to explain where we come from, what our purpose is, and where we are headed. What does it hurt to check it out? Put the Bible to the test and give Jesus a chance to give you the life you need.

Xtreme Jesus!

My Belief

We have just seen the USA lose it’s AAA credit rating and our economy be even more significantly weakened. We have a very divided government and nation. It is almost 50/50 split against itself toward two different ideologies. As a result, there are a few “Buzz” words that are being thrown around like crazy. They are extremist and compromise. Both sides of government and both halves of this country have people with very dug in extreme views and all of the national media screams that there must be compromise between the two sides.

With such a wide gap between beliefs in this country it makes me ponder what I should do as a follower of Jesus. What would Jesus do? Is Jesus an extremist or a God of compromise? Well, I think anyone that studies the Bible will say that Jesus has a very EXTREME point of view punctuated with an incredible offer of love an mercy. I can’t think of any of the economic and social issues that divide us where Jesus does not draw a hard line in the sand. The Bible talks more about money than any other single topic. It speaks of how we are not to serve or love money and how we are to be excellent stewards of what God has given us. This financial responsibility is also to be accompanied by an attitude of charity and serving those in need. On most social issues Jesus also takes an uncompromising position. God clearly indicates that abortion is murder, homosexuality is an unnatural detestable sin in His eyes, and to replace God with anything is a down right offence to God. So in my opinion there is no ability to compromise on any of these issues as a follower of Christ. God blesses those who obey and curses those who turn to their own way. While God takes this unwavering position He also offers an unbelievable gift of mercy. Anyone who has compromised these issues may come humbly before Him and ask for forgiveness. He will grant it to all those that seek Him and desire a personal relationship with Him threw His Son, Jesus.

Scripture

2 Tim 3:12-14

¹² In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, ¹³ while evildoers 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.

God does not compromise on His Word and as His Children we may not either. We must stand firm on the Word of God and as Paul said to Timothy, “Men will go from Bad to worse, but you Timothy CONTINUE”. We are to be salt and light to this world and that is guaranteed to make us unpopular with the majority of people. We are to stand firm even if it cost us everything. All of this is to be done with the absolute punctuation of Jesus’ Extreme Love for the world. We will not compromise with the unforgiven sinner, but we must offer them the same love that Jesus would offer us.

Intense Interview

My Belief

Interviewing is just a part of the Airline Pilots career. These interviews can be very intense at times. Some of the most sought after jobs have some of the most comprehensive and nerve racking interviews. These interviews consist of simulated emergencies in airplanes that the candidate has never flown before, knowledge test that include everything from cognitive skills tests to information about black holes, and intense grilling with trick questions from members of the perspective company. Pilots spend months and years preparing for these test. They study math, science, and any scrap of information they can find on each interview. The reason pilots put themselves through this is because the rewards are AWESOME! The hope is to gain a rewarding, fulfilling job that brings a great sense of accomplishment to their lives. We dream of working for that company that values us and pays us to do what we love and what we are good at, which is being pilots of large Jetliner aircraft.

Isn't this exactly what Jesus promises us! Not Jetliner jobs but the BEST JOB we could ever possible imagine! God is watching us in this life as though it was just a “big interview”. He is watching who will love Him with all their heart, who will live the way He asked us to, and who will treat others the way Christ treats us. When we cheat, lie, steal, and live a life other than the one Jesus asked us to live, we lose some of the rewards that God has for us. If we will commit ourselves to the Lord and treat this life like the “Interview” that it is then God will provide us with the BEST JOB EVER in the next age to come. I can hardly imagine what it could be, but it would be awesome to have a job that I was perfectly designed for. A job where the Lord Jesus Himself personally made it for me. A job where God looks down on me with a sense of approval. This would be truly awesome. That is what I am doing right now. I am interviewing right now for that job. Whatever the Lord gives me in this life, I want to do as much for Him as I can with it so when I get to Heaven or the Millennial Kingdom the Lord can give me as much as He wants to give me.

Scripture

1 Cor 3:13-14 ¹³ their 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 person’s work. ¹⁴ If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.

Matt 6:20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Application for Life

I am trying to do my best to “interview” right now. I want to give cheerfully back to the Lord, I want to be the husband, father and friend that God has called me to be, and I want share Jesus with whoever the Lord brings in my path. I want to be a top candidate. I want the Lord to see what I have done with what He has given me and hear him say “Well done good and faithful servant… Oh and hear is a whole bunch more work I have for you to do”. I can hardly imagine how amazing the job is, so I want to my best to be successful in the interview process today!

Following Procedure

My Belief

When I fly for my airline there are lots of procedures in place that must be followed in a specific way before we can takeoff for any destination. These steps must be accomplished in order and may not be rearranged for any reason. When pilots first get to an aircraft they go through a series of safety and power up checks known as a receiving check. We then proceed on to many other checks including “pushback”, “Taxi”, and “Before Takeoff” checklists. These progress in a logical order that can not be sequenced differently. Once all checks have been accomplished in their perspective order a high level of safety has been achieved and we are ready to begin our takeoff run.

God has put his own set of “procedures” in the Bible for us to accomplish before He can answer our prayer. He says that we must come before him humbly and ask for forgiveness for all of our sins before He can listen to our prayers. God, exclaims that our sin separates us from Him and we must ask for forgiveness before He will proceed to hear us. I love the way that Jesus described this process to his apostles right before He was crucified. He came to wash Peter’s feet and Peter refused to let Jesus lower Himself to do so. Jesus then explained that unless Peter let Him wash his feet, he could have no part of Himself. Peter then said if that is the case then wash everything on me. Wash my head, hand and feet. Jesus then told him basically that those who are saved are already clean, they just need to wash their feet. As Christians we have been washed in the blood of Jesus, but we are still SINNERS! We get our “feet” dirty every moment of everyday. We must begin speaking to the Lord by asking for forgiveness and allowing him to “wash our feet” again.

Scripture

Isaiah 59:2 (ESV) 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

Psalm 66:18 (ESV) 18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

Application for Life

I sin all the time. Think about what a sin against God is? Every time I have a lustful thought toward the hot girl on the beach, get pissed at the guy on the beltway, or let a bad word leave my lips, then I have sinned against a perfect and Holy God. Every time I pray I must first start by asking the Lord for forgiveness for all the junk that has crept into my life. This clears the channel of communication between the Lord and myself and allows me to pray according to His will!

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.