Pastor Buddy’s Blog

Journal,

In reflecting on my years of service in the Navy, my mind is often drawn back to when I flew as a radioman on a P5M out of Sangley Point, Philippine Islands. Our job was to patrol the South China Sea, keeping an eye on Soviet and Chinese shipping. This was during the early years of Vietnam.

The picture to the right is where I was stationed for a year and a half. Sangley Point Naval Air Station was across the bay from Manila. The Station later reverted to the Philippine military.

In our patrols whenever we encounted a foreign vessel, we would circle it, flying low, while pictures were being taken. It was important for the 7th Fleet to know what was coming in and out of Vietnam.

What I to recall in a special way, however, was that at a certain point it was my job to send a coded message back to our home base, which read, ‘We have reached the point of no return.’

This message meant that if we encountered  any difficulties during the flight, we were too far from our station to look to them for help.  We were at a place of having to look forward, and not that of looking back.

I’ve often thought on this as a pattern of life for believers. It has so many ramifications. Perhaps the Psalmist said it well enough: 

“I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come?
My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.” (Psalm 121:1-3)

Then we have this from the apostle Paul:

 “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind [i.e., will, affections, and conscience] on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Col 3:1-3)

Positional and experiential truths…

There are so many analogies that can be made from this scene of ‘point of no return.’ But for believers this point in our life, positionally takes place at the cross. It is at the cross where we actually become heavenly citizens. In fact the cross is not only the gate of passage to heaven, but it is also passage to our heavenly life. 

Thus the cross becomes our place of no return. And this is what is known as a positional truth. A positional truth is a divine fact. Nothing changes it. But an experiential truth is when we began to experience the reality of a positional truth.

An experiential truth is when heavenly things become our daily companions. This is why we find so much in the New Testament about where we should set our bearings in life. For instance, the apostle said,

 “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.” (Phi 3:20, 21)

Yes, the cross is the gate of heaven. It is at the cross that we are made to pass out of death and into our heavenly life. 

I realize that some struggle over this area of our security in Christ. And this is why it is so important to understand the doctrine of eternal security. Not only did Jesus save us. He is saving us. He will save us.

God’s has made all arrangements for our journey home…

I had another experience in the Philippines that I will never forget. Several of we sailors were at the beach tossing a beach ball around. The ball went into the water and I dove in after it. Little did I realize that the tide and the currents were pulling me out into Manila Bay. Each time my finger touch the ball, it would bounce ahead. Before I realized what was happening, I had been pulled out into the bay. 

And this is where I got into trouble. The harder I tried to swim towards shore, the more I was being pulled out into deeper waters. It wasn’t long before my strength ran out and I began to despair for my life. What happened next makes the point I wish to make.

Thoughts were rushing through my mind. I knew that sharks were in the bay. And I also thought about my uncle whose ship went down in the South China Sea, and how very few of his crew survived the shark attacks.

I had all but given up when I heard banka, banka, banka, banka, banka. A Filipino fisherman saw my plight and headed for me. He picked up the ball and came up besides me. He let me hang to the side of his boat while bringing me to shore. When I tried to thank him, he just smiled and headed back out to sea. That old fisherman became my savior that day.  (The boats are call banka boats because of the sound they make.)

Do I think it was by accident that the fisherman saved me that day? Never in a thousand years. It was the providence of the Lord. This is something else that God’s people need to realize. They need to know that when Jesus saved them, He fully intended that there be no one of God’s children left behind.

Let’s listen to the apostle Paul:

“But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (2 Tim 4:17,18) 

Look back over your life and see if there weren’t some banka, banka, banka, banka, moments there. I can number them times over. You can too if you’ll think about it. Why not take a moment and share a ‘banka’ moment on the blog. I’d love to hear from you.

Talk with you later.

May God’s love overflow your life,

Buddy