Learning To Fly: Ground School

Ever been to a concert of your favorite artist and it made you want to sing, or play the guitar, or "that" instrument? I wonder how many instruments and lessons are sold as a result of that kind of influence. I know why I bought my first guitar. Guys thought it was cool, and girls, cooler. I felt the same way about baseball. Except it was even deeper. I love the game. it has a "smell", a certain feel. it has a nostalgia with which no other sport can even compare. But, my poor vision stifled my hidden talent ...just boiling under the surface! My eyes didn't cooperate with my hand's and heart's passion for the game. And my childhood pride refused to dawn a pair of spectacles. How foolish! Most recently, I enjoyed an air show at an Air Force Base. It was phenomenal! It was awe inspiring! I knew I couldn't fly like those guys, but it renewed the old love for flying. A close friend turned my wife and I onto the beautiful art of flying many years ago, but I quickly learned that a great deal of work and knowledge go into experiencing that joy. I could at least learn to fly! Had the air show been in my home town I'd have likely signed up for flying lessons at the local booth. 

We naturally calculate, it seems, the cost of learning an art or particular skill, but I wonder if we consider how much work, preparation, sacrifice of time and all our resources go into following Christ?

Are you considering following Christ? Be warned!

"And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?" (Luke 9:23-25)

Sincerely and genuinely following Christ will cost you. If not your physical life then, to varying degrees, your proverbial life. Our lives will, all of us, ultimately be demanded of us. Question is.... for what will we sacrifice it?

Already following Christ? ...be committed.

"Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62)

This saying is true.... "What doesn't cost something is worth nothing." James said.... "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." Listen to what Luke continues in his gospel.

"Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple."       -Luke 14:25-33

There are truths we can learn from these Scriptures, and they make following Christ a worthwhile endeavor; a worthwhile sacrifice.

1. Count the cost (v. 26)

-How bad do you want it?

-It is expensive.

-Following Christ may, indeed, cost family, friends, a good name. It may cost your credit score and your American dream.

2. Consider the cross (v. 27)

-Why do you want it?

-What motivates you to follow Christ? Is it social involvement? Is it your own need? Or is it because you believe that He is Lord? Social balance or selfish need will not convince you to pick up your cross. Recognizing who Jesus is, and His love for us, will.

    Your cross is testament to Jesus' cross. (vv. 28-30)

    Your cross is testament to Christ' cross' value. (vv. 31-32)

3. But don't count it loss (v. 33)

-Why would you go into battle ....unless by sheer force, or a courage of conviction, a hill worth dying on, a Savior worth sacrificing for.

"but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

-Isaiah 40:31

Learn to spread your wings, powered by the Holy Spirit, underwritten by God, provided to you by Jesus Christ. It's the only thing truly worth investing everything in.

A Hill Worth Dying On

We seem to be positioned to place a lot of focus, these days, on where our resources (time, money, efforts, etc.) are spent. While this has always been a truth, it appears that Christ-followers are increasingly put to the test, today, as our nation, and our world, loosens its conservative grip in lieu of a softer, gentler, more accepting, and more tolerant world-view. I wonder if we know why we're fighting the battles we do fight, and when to even fight them; specifically as Christians? Boycotts of businesses for what they do or do not support, deciding where we spend our money, where we invest it, etc. As the world becomes smaller we are less and less an island unto ourselves. Every action and transactions in our lives affects more than just "me". Every thought seems to become captive, be it by the world's standard or by God's.

Is being accountable for these "resources" that significant? I believe it is, and I believe God's word demonstrates it and demands responsibility of us. This is a question of stewardship, to be sure. I believe it is also a question of faith and discernment. To what extent do we account for each "transaction" (not merely monetary) as we walk through each day in our lives?

Titus 2:7 indicates... "Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity," Luke speaks of stewardship in his gospel... "And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes." (Luke 12:42-46), "One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much." (Luke 16:10)

But how do we work this out in our own lives, in these days? How do we decide what is a.hill worth dying on?

2 Corinthians 10:3-4 tells us....

"For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds."

The battles we face, and those we might choose to fight, are often of greater significance than their earthly outcome. As we teach our children that it's not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game, so it is true in our walk with Christ and the battles, the struggles, we face. Before going "into battle" it is indeed important to be "prayed up", distinguishing obedience to Christ from our own agendas and bents. As we navigate these murky waters it is important that God's word serves as our guide.

Do not be motivated by fear

"for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." (2Timothy 1:7)

1. Fear generates selfish decisions.

2. Love generates selfless decisions, and is stronger than fear.

Don't allow your own pet peeves to become a soapbox by which to defend your service to God. He needs our obedience before our ability.

Do not be motivated by winning

"This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. mAnd I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hand." (1 Samuel 17:46-47)

David's purpose, in battle, was to demonstrate the power of God ...not his own ability. Our love for God may call us to take a stand. It may also call us to take a seat. Knowing His will, as demonstrated through His word, will be our guide.

Do be motivated by Christ

"We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete." (2 Corinthians 10:5-7)

The battles truly, and ultimately, belong to the Lord. We must check our egos, our own definitions of what is acceptable to the Lord, at the foot of Christ' cross, and pick our battles carefully and prayerfully, so as to not become a stumbling-block to the gospel; wise as serpents, gentle as doves.

Steady As She Goes

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2)

"See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ." (Colossians 2:8)

In maritime culture the old term "steady as she goes" verbalized the idea that if you take care of her [the ship] then she'll take care of you. In these times of strange, yet direct, challenge to the Christian faith we must be, as has always been true, decisively and deliberately turning to the trusted source of our faith; God's inspired word in the Scriptures. Be ready for challenges of it, for justifications of what God's word dubs an abomination. But be steady. Be passionate but kind. Wise as serpents and gentle as doves; leaving a lasting mark of grace as our Savior left His blood stains on the ground at Calvary. The "battle" truly belongs to the Lord, but we must put on the full armor of our faith to navigate these choppy waters. Always ready to give a reason for the message, the gospel, the good news. God's unchanging truth, the same yesterday, today, and forever. Filter all you read, see, and hear through the lens of God's word. Steady as she goes.

My Country 'Tis A Plea

"See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ."    (Colossians 2:8)

May our thoughts be in Christ as we clammor for answers to things which seem to not make good sense in our country today. And may we be "unified", lest the enemy befall us. These are my thoughts, and surely many, many other patriots, as we struggle to gain our bearings for where we're going as a nation, and how we get there. That's the problem. The idea of where we're going is more fragmented today than ever.

In order to maintain this union ....sacrifice will be required. It is a "marriage" of citizens. That reminds me of a little boy who asked his dad one evening, "Daddy, how much does it cost to get married? "I don't know, son," he said. "I'm still paying for it." As with the unity of marriage between a man and a woman ...we do not count the cost of citizenry very well .....not as citizens of the United States of America, or of Christ' Kingdom.

With recent news that at least 19 states have petitioned for succession from the United States of America .....my heart is broken. Has it come to this? I feel like a child, sitting in wait, wondering if his parents will dissolve their marriage or find purpose, reason, to remain ....a union.

I fear we have all but dismissed what it means to live simply, to live humbly, to live sacrificially. We want to start out, on our own, living as we grew up, often neglecting to see our parent's sacrifices before what we knew. My generation wanted to live in a house resembling the one we grew up in; not realizing the drafty, pieced-together house our own parents started out in.

It is time we counted the cost of citizenry ....of this nation, and heirs to Christ' Kingdom.

"Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have." (Philippians 1:27-30)

Our Pleas.....

Be First-Rate

v27a... Hold on to what has been valued

Be Firm

v27b.... Snuff out our differences with our like goals

Be Fearless

v28 ....It's like a poker-face without the bluff.

Be For His Sake

v29 .....It has been granted to you to do so. "Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." 

Can our idea for a nation be ideal forever? Not without revisiting and re-establishing the very principles upon which we were founded. John Adams said this....."Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide." – John Adams (1814)

Democracy - rule by the people

Republic - rule by elected officials

Representative Democracy - elect representatives to study and vote on the issues for them.

Direct Democracy - the people vote directly on every issue; a bit unwieldy for anything much larger than, say, a small town

Mobocracy - the majority makes laws and governs by passion, prejudice, or impulse, without restraint or regard to consequences). Mobocracy involves the government ruling and making laws for the "greater good" of all people, they may abolish personal rights in doing so.

"So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:1-8)

We should listen to Paul. For our nation's sake, for souls' sake. 

Be Like-minded - If there is an inkling of Christ-likeness in people .....then we must first, be willing, then be ready to do whatever it takes to become like-minded.

Be Love - without Christ-like love ....sin and selfishness will overcome.

Be Humble - put other's needs before our own.

Be Lowly - This doesn't fit with our conceited culture today. We're programmed to he the best.

Be Dead - ....to ourselves. Re-imaged in Christ' likeness.

Hearing God Hear Us

I was talking to my neighbor the other day and he began to tell me that he had just bought a new hearing aide. Said it cost $4,000, "but it's state of the art", he said. Said all his hearing problems are over! Being fascinated with technology as I am, I asked.... "Well that's great. What kind is it?" He said.... "Twelve-thirty."

As with my neighbor's difficulty hearing ....our spiritual blindness and spiritual deafness are surely two conditions with the same cause. As we lead into a week of national Thanksgiving, and we wonder if, and how, we can be more thankful than we were last year ....I would contend that a promise that God made, even knowing of our consistently inconsistent condition, is certainly worth repeating. I believe it gives us reason to seek His voice and His face.

Mankind often wonders whether or not God hears us. I wonder how often God asks if "we" are even listening? Highly spiritual speak says we just don't know how to listen. Practically speaking ....I think we just choose when we really care. And when we do care ...we seem to need that God repeat Himself.

"if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)

God's chosen in history

In 1492, while Columbus sailed to what would become the Americas, Jews were expelled from Spain; once again driven to exile. But this exile propelled what would be a homecoming to their true homeland.

This homecoming, and claim to ownership by covenant of God would never be without great struggle. On Nov. 29, 1947 a resolution was established for Jacob's nation, God's chosen people, to once again occupy "Israel" as a state. Even before her establishment on May 14, 1948 battle ensued; primarily from Muslims; 98% of which occupy Palestine (Sunni Muslims).

Jacob, in the Old Testament, was called Israel after his struggle with the angel of the Lord. In struggle Israel has remained, but greater than the struggle lies a promise to God's chosen people. While this promise appears conditional it is far more perpetual. God simply awaits His chosen's return to Him.

This perpetual promise is extended to you and I today. Whatever judgments, whatever curses ...God's faithful love endures forever, and any struggle is intended to draw us back to Him.

I'll list, here, some truths which this oft referenced portion of scripture speak to us today; our own country as well God's people.

His People

"if my people ..."

Paul said... "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16)

By way of beautiful adoption, anyone who will "confess with the mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in his heart that God raised Him from the dead will be saved." You and I are "His people" if we choose to join His family.

His Namesake

"...who are called by my name..."

When God "calls" people listen. 

The Hebrew word for "call" is 'qara'

"God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day." (Genesis 1:5) When God calls a duck a duck .....it's a duck.

His Humility

"...humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways,..", 

We want to challenge God, and ask "why" this trial, or "why" do I need to change my life. Consider how God humbled Himself.... "And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:8)

His Ear

"... then I will hear from heaven..."

When scripture indicates that God "will hear from Heaven" we need to understand that He doesn't have a committee awaiting our judgment. The Hebrew word used as "hear" in our passage is shama, which means to give ear to, to give attention to. He IS the Judge. Yet He promises that He will hear us from His Kingdom ....if we'll but cry out to Him. His promise to His chosen, when escaping bondage in Egypt, demonstrate.

"Then the LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites." (Exodus 3:7-8)

Our Sin

"... and turn from their wicked ways,..."

Scripture is clear about the reality of our sin. "as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one;" (Romans 3:10) "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus," (Romans 3:23-24)

Our Land

"...and heal their land..."

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.O r which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:7-11)

Our land is in need of healing. We masque that reality. The world wants you to believe that we have certain entitlements which are not, and never were, ordained by our Father. The only way our country will heal is if each individual, who God greatly desires to redeem, will humble themselves, and pray and seek His face and turn from their wicked ways then He will hear from heaven and will forgive our sin and heal our land.