Urban Christianz Ministries

Fly Without Fear

By Johann Christoph Arnold

We all know that on Christmas Day a terrorist tried to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner.  This tragedy was thwarted thanks to the bravery of his fellow passengers. Most of all, we need to thank God that 256 lives were saved.

But now, once again, there is fear and anxiety about air travel. The government is trying to calm the public. The president is doing his best to reassure people that flying will still be safe. Yet instead of seeing one another as human beings, we have made this debate increasingly political.

New rules for passengers have come into effect, which will make flying a lot more inconvenient. Our government is too quickly relying on technology that may calm the public, but that terrorists can just as quickly outsmart. Billions of dollars, and just as many hours, have been wasted. So the most recent escalation of security, particularly for flights headed to the US, is making people angry and fearful.

I have flown millions of miles and have visited nearly every continent. Flying used to be a joy and a privilege. People working in the travel industry did their part to make a trip as enjoyable as possible. Now it is different. People have become fearful and isolated. Everyone is suspicious of everyone else. And so the person sitting next to me is no longer a potential friend—an interesting human being with a story to tell—but a potential killer.

I am as worried as everyone else. In the New Year some of my children and grandchildren will be traveling abroad. Naturally, I am concerned for their safety.

There must be a better and a cheaper way. We can turn this around. But God has to become part of the equation to make flying safe and enjoyable again. We need to learn to entrust our lives into God’s hands each time we board a plane—in the same way our forefathers did when they boarded sailing ships for the New World, centuries ago. We cannot only rely on our intelligence and technology to save us.

This is where prayer comes in. I am sure many people already pray by themselves before they fly. But think of the power and the sense of community that a common prayer would bring each time a plane departs and heads for its destination.

Instead of hiring air marshals, the federal government should hire air chaplains. When the safety instructions are given before departure, the chaplain should lead the plane in prayer, asking for God’s protection during the flight. In the same way, a prayer of thanksgiving could be said by this chaplain upon arrival.

Just imagine all the dollars that could be saved if we could relax and do away with all the extra security. Flying could again be a joy—an opportunity to relate to and associate with other people.

Johann Christoph Arnold is a pastor and author of ten books, including Be Not Afraid: Overcoming the Fear of Death, which are available as free e-books at www.plough.com.

Friends - How Many Of Us Have Them?

By Daralynn Nichole Walker

Throughout my life, I have met probably hundreds, no –thousands of people. Between middle school, high school, various extra-curricular activities and especially college, I must have introduced myself for the first time to more than ten thousand people.  Though, when I look back over my life, I think about the friendships that have remained constant through everything, and am thankful for the real “sisterfriends” I have in Christ.  Relationships and even friendships are sometimes easy to develop, but difficult to maintain. You ask why? I believe it is because we don’t understand the true purpose for friendships, and I know once we walk into this understanding, the true cultivation of our growth in Jesus Christ will increase.

What I have learned in my lifetime is that a true friend has four major qualities among other things; a friend always loves, always gives, rebukes and corrects in love, and always seeks for and gives wise counsel.  Now don’t get me wrong, no one is perfect, we all make mistakes, nevertheless when you call someone your friend, are you aiding them in becoming everything God has called them to be?

 Proverbs 12:26 says “The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray.”  We as Christians must choose our friends purposefully. This is very important, and will eliminate some of the distractions you have on the journey to fulfilling your purpose.  Once we prayerfully consider the prospect, is when the road to discovering yourself begins.

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” (Proverbs 17:17). Have you ever had a close friend that lies about little things, or puts on heirs, or always has an attitude? I have, and as much as I wanted to walk away from the relationship and leave them alone with their issues, I would not be fulfilling my role in the person’s life.  It’s always easier to love someone who is perfect, or close to it, though when a close friend or family member doesn’t line up to the character of God they are striving for, it is our duty to still love them unconditionally.  Even though we like to think of ourselves as perfect, we aren’t, and God loves us so much more than we could ever understand. So, even when our friends are sometimes attitudinal, or bossy, when we shut them out or push them aside because of their issues, how are we growing as one body, in the body of Christ?

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” (Luke 6:38) One thing I always observe about my friends is what is their need from me, and how can I give that need. Whether it is spending time with them on the weekends, or working with them on a community service project they may be working on, showing them I care about their needs is important to the cultivation of a friendship. It’s selfish to focus on your needs in a friendship, and expect the other person to always listen to your problems, always go the places you want them to go, or even spend the amount of time they want you to give them. Relationships are about give and take, and we should always be focused on the giving element.

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” (Proverbs 27:6) Now in no way do I enforce physical violence, though sometimes the words we may speak to our friends hurt, especially when they are an open rebuke or correction in how we should be walking with God. The word says in Ecclesiastes 7:5 “It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools.”  The friends you pick should be wise, and they should also be in a position in your life where they can hold you accountable and let you know when you are wrong. This is important because you would want them to do the same for you to right?

“Ointment and perfume delight the heart, and the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by hearty counsel.” (Proverbs 27:9). This scripture references what we just talked about as well. When I speak to my friends, or my husband, or anyone for that matter, what comes out of my mouth should be sweet, and encouraging. Some people believe their “tell it like it is” mentality is the best way to get their point across, however the bible says differently.  When this scripture refers to hearty counsel, it speaks to what the other person is receiving. The word Hearty in the Webster’s dictionary means; Abundant, rich, or flavorful enough to satisfy the appetite, expressed unrestrainedly. This means the counsel I should be speaking to my friend should be the truth, and given in such quality that the receiver is fulfilled in the answer that was given. The wisdom that comes from you or your friends lips should be plentiful, pure, and significant in the life of that person.

The word says that Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. This means to me that he did not just come to save us, but to give us an opportunity to enjoy life while we are here on this earth, and be an example to those who do not yet know him. By doing this our lives must line up to the word of God, and we must explicitly follow the way he would want us to live. In that, I propose to you  the relationships you have around you greatly affect how you will grow, if we take time to examine our lives, our friendships, and our purpose, how many of us are really giving the area of our relationships over to God? I at a point and time in my life had to walk away from friendships and relationships that were holding me back, and had to reconsider how much of a friend I was to certain individuals. After much prayer and conversation, I know in my heart that I have the right group of friends around me who assist me in my development of who I am to be for Christ. I charge you with looking at the people around you, and asking yourself if the ones who are around you the most, are the ones that are aiding and abetting any complacent behavior, or the ones supporting and encouraging your growth as an individual.

Daralynn Walker ia a native of Detroit, Michigan. She is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University with a Bachelors of Science in communication and Marketing. She is an author of her first novel entitled Called Out. You can email her at Beautfiulwords09@gmail.com. She currently Resides in Farmington Hills, MI. With her husband and puppy Bailey.

How A Prayer Can Change Your Life

By Rachel King

Growing up in Kansas, church was a regular part of my life. Sundays were dedicated to worship and rest and my cousins and I would eagerly look forward to the rest of the day once church was over. I did believe in God and the teachings of the Church, but back in those days, I worshipped more because my parents believed and wanted me to follow their lead. I knew all the prayers because I had said them a thousand times, but I did not take the time to say them with meaning because I was too busy enjoying my childhood and the company of like-minded cousins.

Years passed and I moved to New York City once I graduated. As you can imagine, there was a vast difference in the environment that I had been used to so far and the one that I was thrown in right now. I was so caught up in the hustle and bustle of this huge city that I forgot a legacy that my mother had passed down to me and one which was a part of my life every day as a child – I stopped going to church and slowly stopped praying as well.

It was not that I did not believe, it was just that I had no time for religion and God. Initially there was guilt, but slowly that wore away too and I became engrossed in my new life. I was happy and content and when I met the man of my dreams, my life was complete. It was a whirlwind romance that swept me off my feet and made me feel like flying. The day we got married was one of the best days of my life, and so I began a new chapter in my life, one that had almost excluded God.

And then tragedy struck – I returned home from work one day to find that my husband of less than a year was having an affair with my neighbor. I was devastated and totally demoralized. I ran to the only place I could call home – my mother’s arms. As I nursed my hurt and tried to limp back to normalcy, I still refused to go to church even though my mother begged me to. I was guilty about forsaking the Lord for trivial pursuits and I did not know how to ask for forgiveness.

I slowly worked up the courage to venture out and into public places. And the day my eyes caught sight of a prayer tacked up to a wall in a grocery store was the day I was born again. The prayer Footprints in the Sand, was written by a young woman who was walking along the beach with God. She saw two sets of footprints for every phase of her life. And in certain phases, the most difficult ones, she saw only one. So she asks God – Why did you forsake me in my hour of need? And God replies – My child, those footprints you see are mine. In times of trouble when you needed me the most, I carried you on my shoulders to spare you pain.

I wept on reading that. I went to church the next day and cried my heart out. God had carried me on his shoulders and brought me home. He had given me a new lease of life, one in which I found the strength to carry on and create a new beginning based on faith and love.

This guest post is contributed by Rachel King, who writes on the topic of Christian Universities . Rachel welcomes your comments at her email address: rachel.101king@gmail.com

Christian Thoughts Daily Devotional

Christian Applications for Your iPhone

The Christian Colleges Blog just published a good list of Christian applications that can be used on your Iphone. According to their blog,

Christians don’t have to look too hard for excellent iPhone apps to help support their religious practice and lifestyle. The following apps include downloadable Bibles in a variety of translations, prayers and scriptures for both.

You definitely want to check this out if you have an Iphone. Click here to keep reading and get the entire list!