Are you denying Christ?

Have you ever denied Christ? Well I did, probably more than once. Denying God, can happen in many different ways. Sometimes we are like Peter warming around the campfire as Jesus was taken to the house of the High Priest.  We are afraid to be associated with Him because of what others might think. Sometimes it may be an omission of what God is doing in your life. 

The recent missile events with North Korea brought to mind a time when I had an opportunity to witness what about Christ, but for some reason I did not. That was a denial. 

We were part of a design team developing a system to monitor Soviet missile tests in the North Pacific off the Kamchatka Peninsula. This is very close to the region North Korea is now sending missile tests. After a design review meeting at Hanscom AFB near Boston, I was on my way to California to survey the USNS Observation Island - coming out of mothballs - to be the platform for a large radar and communications systems that would monitor missile tests.of the USSR. 

On the three hour flight, I was seated next to a young business woman who wanted to talk. I don't like to talk much on planes. I rather prefer to work, think, and write. But she was friendly and working hard at becoming successful. She sought advice from anyone that  was older and successful. I was caught by her flattering approach - assuming I was successful.

She asked, "To what do you attribute your success?"

As a new but devout Christian, I had turned my life and career over to the Lord. He was leading and guiding me and we were becoming successful. If I had been truthful, I would have shared what God was doing in my life, but pride kept me from giving that answer. My response was the "book answer" - following my dream, taking risks, and working hard.

She seemed comfortable with my reply, but I was devastated. Why couldn’t I tell her that God had led me to this place and my faith in Christ empowered me. For the rest of my western trip, I was miserable and asked God for a second chance. 

It did not take long for the Lord to answer that prayer.

Back home on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, I received a call to attend a meeting in Washington DC. Upon checking into my hotel, I had a message from a business associate inviting me to dinner. He wanted me to meet his new girl friend. He was not one of my favorite people. He drank a lot and often became loud and vulgar after a few drinks, but something told me that I should meet with him.

I took the metro and met them at a Japanese Hibachi restaurant in Arlington,where he introduced me to his new girlfriend. Everything was going well as we were paged that our table was ready, we ordered from the menu and had a drink before dinner.

Then came the moment of truth. George’s girl friend turned the subject to religion. Being Japanese, she had grown up in Shintoism. 

The next thing I remember was her statement, “I am interested in Christianity and wish that I could meet a Christian who could tell me about their faith.”

My prayer for a second chance was answered, but could I respond? Today, I cannot remember all of what I said, but it began with, “I am a Christian, and will share what I know.”

The Holy Spirit led the dialog for the next couple of hours. To this day, I do not know the results of my presentation of the good news, but I know that both George and his Japanese girlfriend followed my story with great interest.

2 Timothy 4:2 (NKJV) “Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long suffering and teaching.”

Feel free to share your story!