THE TAKE OFF

Japhet Udochukwu Ekkpo T THE TAKE OFF he starting point of any Endeavour be it spiritual or secular, always has a significant impact on its general. Development and eventual outcome. This is why diligent builders and engineers often devote quality time and energy to the foundation of their projects. Materials for the foundation are meticulously selected and methodically combined to ensure a strong, durable and laudable structure. Experienced athletes and pilots do the same thing too. Knowing the peculiar nature of their job, pilots don’t just embark on flight without ensuring that the aircraft is thoroughly checked and certified fit for the challenges of air travel. Athletes too take time out to stretched their running boots and listen attentively for the sound of the gun before taking off. The untold mishaps that occur when such preliminary precautions are not carried out speak volumes of their indispensability. These illustrations may not be new to us; what may be new to however is the striking similarity between the requirements for ensuring success in these secular endeavours and those require for success in the Christian race. Having a solid, fruitful, victorious and commendable Christian life or the exact opposite begins from the starting line of the race. The manner and method in which the race was started as well as the motive for embarking on it will determine whether the individual will adhere strictly to the rules (as laid down in the scriptures), remain focused despite distractions and eventually be rewarded, or whether he/she will select the rulers to keep, compromise with detractors and end up being disqualified and disgraced. The divinely-approved starting line of the Christian race is the salvation experience, which can only be obtained through cleansing in the blood of Jesus. It begins with a personal acknowledge of the helpless sinful state of the natural human and the eternal consequences of living and dying in such a wretched state (Romans 3:23; Revelation 20:12, 15). This is followed by: (1) recognition of God’s love manifested through the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross of the salvation of as many as would accept Him as their Lord and Saviour (Romans 5:8); (2) sincere confession of all sins and plea for divine pardon and cleansing (1 John 1:9); (3) invitation of Christ into the repentant heart (Revelation 3:20); (4) plea for grace to go and sin no more, and a sincere promise to forsake the old way of life in its entirety (Titus 2:11-14). When these simple steps to full salvation from sin are sincerely taken with implicit faith in God’s word, the peace of God floods the soul as the burden of sin is lifted. There is a total transformation as the former desire for sin is suddenly replaced with passion for righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:17). It’s one of the wonders of the amazing grace of God which everyone who has had an experience can testify of. Apparently, the motivation of whoever is taking the steps to salvation as described above is to be free from sin so as to be reconciled to God and to serve Him in holiness and righteousness forever. The motive of the sincere seeker of salvation is not automatic blessings and miracles as is common with many so-called new converts. Those who seek relationship with God with the sheer hope of getting material benefits, financial gains and other transients blessing are starting the Christian race on a faulty footing will sooner or later drop out of the race (Mark 4:16,17). So also are those who claim to be saved or running the Christian race simply because they are from a Christian family, baptized in water, bearing Christian names, attending church regularly, trying to keep the ten commandments, doing “good” deeds, giving alms to the poor, or working in the church. Without true repentance and conversion, all these will amount to nothing in the end. “Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Take note of this: Being born-again is being redeemed from sin to live in righteousness and newness of life. “Let no man (Pastor, author, scholar, theologian, evangelist etc) deceive you,” says God’s word in 1 John 3:7-9, “he that doeth righteous is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning…... Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” Be careful therefore, not to be misled by those who preached that salvation can be obtained by mere water baptism or “claiming by faith” without a corresponding change of heart and lifestyle. They argue that it is impossible for any one to live above sin, even though God’s word says otherwise (see Romans 6:14). Now, take some time to examine your life. Have you started the Christian race by forsaking all sins and surrendering your life to Christ? If not, do it now before death or the rapture catches you unawares. And if you think you have started the race already. How did you begin, and with what motivation? If your salvation is based on any of the wrong starting points mentioned above, it’s not yet too late to restart in the right way. The choice is yours: reconcile with God now and have the hope of eternal life or hold on to your false claims and risk this dreadful pronouncement from Christ on the day of judgement: “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:23). Be wise, take off rightly. Y esterday was Monday, another hectic day for Tim. First was the Board meeting, followed by the appointment with the influential customer, whose investment meant so much to his company. He was almost concluding that deal when his mobile phone beeped. His protocol officer who had gone o collect his visa at the embassy was on the line. Sir, the Visa Officer requests your personal appearance at the embassy to sort out a little mixed-up.” “but I satisfied all their requirements already. What does she need me for?!” Tim barked with unconcealed irritation. That was the last thing Tim would be to see happen. He had eagerly looked forward to the first phase of the prestigious, twince-yearly business summit starting in a foreign country on Thursday. It was two minutes before noon, barely an hour to the deadline. So he begged leave of his client and zoomed towards the embassy. Meanwhile, he still had a lot of catching up to do before the end of the day - the briefing of various Unit Heads in view of his forthcoming 10-day absence from the office, the presentation of some vital documents for the contract bid holding at he nation’s capital precisely the day after his schedule return from overseas, and so many other activities attached to the schedule of a busy executive. Tim did not head home till about 7:30pm. By that time,. The weekly Bible Study fellowship of his church was well underway. Though he felt bad for missing another session of the most-edifying fellowship, the fouth week in a row, he shrugged resignedly. After all, what could he do? God gave him this high-flying job and he would expect him to give it all his best, he rationalized. By the time he arrived his residence, he was so exhausted and could barely respond to the fretful complaints of his wife at his missing yet another church service. His mind was swirling around with all the duties he had performed in a single day, in fact, he had to “take excuse” from his local pastor to be relieved of his leadership duties in the church. He would continue to support the building project and other projects of the church financially but physical involvement was now “practically impossible” for him, he had explained. His pastor made efforts to counsel him with relevant passages of the scripture that warn against losing one’s first love and commitment to spiritual things; but Tim simply assured him that all was well with him spiritually and he will soon be free of his present entanglements. The train of his life was going off-track and he knew it but he chose to pay little or no attention to it. Thus, after yet another day of neither personal prayer nor family devotion, nor yet any fellowship with other believers, Tim went to bed. And now, God decided that time was ripe to get Tim’s attention. He would jolt his erring child in an unusual but dramatic way. So, that night, He seemed to have reached deep down into His celestial achieves and brought out the audio recording of Tim’s prayer of consecration after a powerful sermon at his church’s special service some twenty years back. Although the touching prayer was in a barely audible voice, and often broken with pitiful sobs, the words came to Tim now with astonishing clarity. Twenty years on, he could not fail to recognize the distinct sound of his own voice: “Oh my God, my Father, ..(sobs)..whom have I in heaven but thee, O God?... there is none now that I desire on earth besides the (sobs)… I have lived far too long as if I owned myself living? Oh God, I am ashamed to even refer to you as my Father for I have not lived before you as a son should… (sobs, sobs)…Lord, you know I do not talk of committing sin in the normal sense of the world. But today…(sobs)… I hold up myself before you as a sinner. Lord Jesus, you gave your all for me and I have withheld my all from you – my life, my time, my talents, my will, all I am. Oh, I am so sorry! (Loud sobs, as if his heart would break). (after a long while…) Lord, I know you have forgiven me, I henceforth consecrate my self to you. Take my life, my soul, my strength , everything; all I am, all I have and all I hope to be, I do surrender unto you. Do with me as you please, Lord…” Tim woke with a start and, strange enough, tears were already coursing down his right from sleep. The dream was so vivid and incisive. God had revealed his fallen state to him and the message was crystal clear. Indeed, God’s word is true: “For God speaketh once, yea twice…in a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumbering upon the bed; then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, that he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man” (Job 33:14-17). Tim knew his life was off-track and he had to face the fact. He got on his knees immediately and began to repent before the Lord. He renewed his consecration, almost in the same words, and, certainly, with the same contrition and tears that characterized his consecration twenty-years ago. The course of action took almost half the day from him but he would not come out of the room until he had got his life back on track – there were priorities to re-order, preocuupations to cancel and corrections to make. Even the foreign trip had to go; he was in no mood to travel now. Within a week, first his wife, then his Pastor, and finally his colleagues noticed a transformed Tim, living a life that showed that pleasing God was his formost concern and making heaven his paramount goal. It is easy to imagine what a writer had in mind when he penned the lyrics of the song. Life is Like A Mountain Railroad. He wrote: Life is like a mountain railroad. With an engineer that’s brave, we must make the run successful, from the cradle to the grave. Watch the curves, the fills, the tunnels; Never falter, never quail; keep your hands upon the throttle, And your eyes upon the rail. Perhaps the most valuable kernel of truth in the lyrics is the admonition to “watch the curves, the fills, the tunnels” and general to keep “your eyes upon the rail.” By far, the greatest cause of passenger train accidents in history is derailment. Through the years, the alarming statistics remain the same. Thus, constant efforts are being made from to time to minimize the rate of these occurrences. Yet the track to the Christian race is far more important and more delicate than railway tracks. Many, who like Tim, had started the race with great fervency and commitment have been gradually weakened and brought down by worldly cares, cravings of the flesh, and other subtle traps which the enemy of their soul had strategically placed along the tracks of their spiritual life. Describing this set of people, Christ said, “these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful” (Mark 4:18,19). What a loss! God, in his infinite mercies, sometimes forces the minds of His children to focus on eternal realities. Perhaps the death of a loved one, an accident or some other personal calamity occurs and we slow down from the usually fast-paced routines of the modern world. Important questions then flood the mind; questions which, if well considered, could help us order our priorities right in the light of eternity. But then, we soon allow some distractions and preoccupations (an amusement, some bright prospects etc) cleverly presented by the devil and we quickly forgets God’s voice as we rush on. How unwise we can sometimes get, forgetting the most important things in life and running after mere trivialities! Friend, when last did God get your attention? Are you too busy to think about the track of life you’re travelling on or even where you are headed? Do you realize that you are living a borrowed life – of which you will be required to give account someday, maybe sooner than you think? “…For what is your life? It is even a vapour; that appeareth for a little time, and then vanished away (James 4:14). God got the attention of Felix, the Roman Governor. He sent Apostle Paul to preach a hear-searching message to him. Felix came under a mighty conviction, quite alright; he trembled at God’s word. But unfortunately, he did not follow it up with repentance and change of heart. He replied in a note of deferment: “Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee” (Acts 24:25). For reasons best known to him, he postponed his day of salvation and it is doubtful if he ever found the “convenient season” he desired before death took him away. Are you like that? You must stop now to think of what your end shall be if you continue on the track you’re presently travelling on. Even if you think you’re on the track to heaven, there is till need for constant self-examination, especially as the end draws near and Satan becomes more desperate. Paul the Apostle in his letter to the Corinthians counsels all Christian: ‘‘Examine yourselves, whether ye be in faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, in you, except ye be reprobates?’’(2 Corinthians 13:5). That is very much like what railway maintenance teams do. They go regularly over the tracks, inspecting plates, examining screws and assessing nuts for possible signs of dislocation that could prove perilous to an oncoming train. This is why derailment rarely occurs near train stations where danger usually lurks is far down the tracks in some remote area along the journey. Likewise, most Christians start out their pilgrim journey, quite focused and resolute in their onward progress towards heaven. But down the line, the danger of misplaced priorities soon overtakes the unwary pilgrim. Soon, the sight of heaven pales into insignificance. The craving for prosperity worldly acclaim, personal or professional success, church position and material acquisition take over the mind. The salt soon loses its taste, the ‘‘light of the word’’ soon becomes dim and the believer soon become unfruitful. Examine yourself now in the mirror of God’s world. Are you still on track? At the beginning of the Christian journey, all your focus was on heaven. Are you still focused on heaven and standing by your earlier convictions or are you already distracted and carried away by worldly allurements and entanglements? Your priority in the past used to be seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness. What’s your priority now? Is still soul winning or fame-seeking? Do you still concentrate on seeking the glory of God and getting His approval in your daily activities or do you now yearn for the praise and approval of men. You love for God. His work and brethren at the initial stage of your Christian life was greet.