Lessons From The Airplane

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 “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.  For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.  But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”   [2 Timothy 4:2-5]

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 Lessons From The Airplane

In order to learn how to fly, you need to find your way to the runway. In order to land correctly, you must start making decisions miles away from where you touch down, when the airport looks like a tiny postage stamp far away.

In this passage, Paul was nearly there. His landing gear was locked, and he would soon touch down on the runway of eternity. But before he landed, he sent this last message to Timothy, the young man he had be mentoring.

Just as an airplane relies on instruments so that it can fly through clouds, fog, and darkness without veering off course, so also we Christians need truth as revealed by God to keep us from veering off course and missing our final destination. Pilots who ignore their instruments can become distracted and disoriented, fly into storms and crash far from the safety of the airport.

Some people may try to convince you that the gospel has gone out of style. Paul reaches forward through the centuries to assure you that never goes out of style. God remains the same. The truth will get us home.






   

...and the time for my departure is near...

 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.    [2 Timothy 4:6-8]