BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

JOHN 6 - 44

No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me

draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day.
NJKV

"Have you had a divine appointment" enquired the friendly middle aged man smiling at the woman sitting in the seat beside him.   "Sorry how rude" he exclaimed "I just saw the title of the chapter you were reading" hoping she appreciated his dry humour.   He turned his head to look out of the plane window before she could reply hoping she wouldn't see the amused look on his face.

She replied "Yes"  her body language suggested "I accept your challenge"

"Are you one of those fanatics that pin unfortunate bystanders against a wall and ask them if they are under the blood" he enquired lightheartedly.

"No" she replied "I am not sure where they get that directive from, certainly not Jesus, I prefer the gentle approach"

"Not one of the circuit evangelists working the reward system then?" he enquired.

"Absolutely not" she replied "you pick up your cross and follow the Lord, that means no to the sirens of this world, in fact it can only be described as a constant battle to stay on the straight and narrow path and suffer the ongoing attacks you inevitably attract.

"So it's not a case of blessings and rewards.   Nice fat bank account, no mortgage and a posh car because that's what they suggest you'll get if you follow Christ and get baptised in their church."

"No" she replied "they don't work for God, they are hirelings, they follow Satan.

Shrieks of laughter sounded from an eavesdropping passenger in the seat behind.   "You don't really believe all that stuff.   It's a load of cod's wallop.   They were smoking all sorts of stuff in the middle east in those days.  Just because they found some pieces of papyrus with Hebrew text doesn't mean its right.  Come on" and with that final comment the intruder settled back in his seat.

"He's got a point" said the man in the next seat as he observed his travelling companion.   She was clearly unaffected by their comments and very different to the women he was used to using and meeting at every level of business, in the work place and at social events.   Modestly dressed and devoid of make-up she remained quite a beauty.   In fact he considered if he were her husband, and he had noticed she wore a wedding band, she would look exactly the same in the first light of day, no disappointment there then.   She was natural.  

"My name's Phil" he said considering introductions necessary.

"Grace" replied the woman praying silently 'Dear God this man is sinking in a pit of his own making'  Most would see an attractive wealthy business man, a tad condescending to those on a lesser plain.   Grace saw someone drowning in the pleasures of this world, wine, women and song and his superior attitude filled her with gentle compassion.

Suddenly the plane started to fall due to a drop in cabin pressure,  oxygen masks waved in the air as startled passengers tried to remember safety procedures and finally getting it right sat frozen in their seats waiting for an announcement as to the cause.  Expletives came from lesser mortals and some actually called on a God they didn't believe in, fearing the worst.  

"Going down" laughed Phil obviously slightly inebriated by one too many drinks off the beautiful young trolley dolly.   "Or is it up in your case, er to where" he sniggered but secretly admired the cool calm persona of the woman sat next to him. 

The rest of the flight was smooth and as the passengers moved to collect their baggage he noticed Grace struggling to lift her case off the carousel.   Suddenly he felt guilty.   She didn't deserve his smug attitude, okay maybe she was a little "fairies and fantasy" but hardly offensive.   "Let me help you with that.   Sorry you didn't deserve a passenger like me sitting beside you.   I apologise for any offence.   Can I get you a coffee?"

"Thanks" replied Grace "but no, I am in a hurry to catch another flight, but here, have my book.   Perhaps you will get to read it on your return flight" and smiling she turned and walked into the distance.

She would never know whether the man in the next seat did read her book perhaps that was just one divine appointment he wasn't expecting.

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Many genuine christians are very aware of biblical eschatology and that slowly but surely we are moving towards the final conflict.  Moments of peace in man's bloody history are sadly too few and he could undoubtedly destroy himself and the earth with his new toys.   God's message is that we love one another but it is drowned out by greed, numerous religious wars and the abusive rape of our planet's finite resources.

Time is short but for our families still dancing to the Piper of this world we can only intercede for the blind and deaf.   We have to leave them in God's hands. 

In Roger Ellsworth's book a Promise is a Promise under the Chapter "A restriction" he writes:

"The only way anyone can love God is through God graciously working in his/her heart to remove the hostility that is there and create a whole new disposition."

"Those who love God are the ones he has 'called' unto himself.  When God changes the disposition of the heart, he also calls the sinner into a saving relationship with himself  with a call that is effectual and powerful"

"No one would ever love God unless God had first loved him.   We are face to face with the fact that our salvation is due solely to the grace of God."

"God stepped into the life of each christian and so interrupted and disrupted that person's life that he/she came to faith in Jesus Christ."

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Crisis after crisis will follow a genuine christian standing apart from this world until the day they finally acknowledge they have picked up their cross and like their Saviour must carry it to the very end.   There is nothing so awesome and uplifting as the witness of a 'ship wrecked' life that has experienced the saving grace of their creator God.

Just maybe the man on the plane who sat next to Grace will indeed read her book, perhaps that will be one divine appointment he wasn't expecting but will decide to keep.

SHALOM