After eight years of direct military involvement in South Vietnam, the last few Americans were airlifted out on April 30, 1975. There was a mad rush for the airport because the enemy was coming in. This was followed by the fall of Saigon to communist forces. The war took the lives of 58,000 Americans and 2 million Vietnamese soldiers and civilians.
There is a parallel in the spiritual world. We were born into the world; a fallen world ruled by Lucifer, the Father of Lies. The world system is encroaching on us, but we can escape from the world by receiving Christ, who offers us peace, freedom, and a joy of the Lord that the world cannot match. We might envision it in these terms:
Like the Americans who headed for the Saigon airport in April of 1975, we can head for the spiritual airport to take a flight out on United in Christ Airlines on one of its Holy Spirit Express planes. Just as modern travelers go through TSA checkpoints to check for weapons and drugs, we must go through a Holy Spirit checkpoint to make sure we have received Christ as Savior (our ticket), and are not taking any harmful possessions (unconfessed sins) on to the plane. For the Holy Spirit Express is holy, and no unconfessed sin is allowed on board.
The planes that take off are full of individuals who fully embrace Christ, walk in the Spirit, and use their gifts and talents to carry out The Great Commission and the Lord’s will for their lives. The true Holy Spirit Express planes serve communion on the flights, celebrating the sacrifice of Christ on the cross to overcome sin and the fear of death.
Although the ultimate destination of all Holy Spirit Express flights is heaven, they often land in other locations so the Christians on board can deplane to care for the physical and spiritual needs of people in those locations.
The people who don’t go to the airport are non-believers who enjoy the culture and enticements of the world, the pleasures of the flesh, and the schemes of the devil. They have all been invited to fly on the United in Christ Airlines (to receive Christ), but they declined. Perhaps they were busy with affairs of the world and always thought they could receive Christ later. But sometimes time is up and LATER never comes.
Some people get to the airport but refuse to discard their spiritual baggage (unconfessed sin), and prefer other gods or idols. They may take other airlines departing from the airport, such as World Airlines (the world), the Las Vegas Special (the flesh), or Lucifer Lines (the devil). Instead of an extraordinary life in the Spirit, they prefer other destinations, such as Wall Street (for wealth), Washington, D.C. (for political power), Hollywood (for fame and fortune), or the lure of communist utopia (one of Satan’s lies). They don’t realize that these flights are piloted by Lucifer or one of his minions. While they may party through the entire flight, ultimately their plane will crash and burn in the Lake of Fire.
Many Holy Spirit Express planes are churches, with many people on board and the planes painted with different insignia such as Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, or Non-Denominational. But there are also decoy planes that are painted to look like they are in the United in Christ Airlines. They worship other gods, embrace sin as virtue, and are even proud of their vile practices. Once they are airborne, their true destination becomes revealed. (Their pilot is Lucifer or one of his minions.)
For the Laodicean Airlines, people get on the plane, but are having such a great time partying that they forget to invite the Holy Spirit to pilot the plane, so they never get off the ground. Then there are those who are so governed by fear that they get on the Flight for the Fearful plane, but it just cowers in the hangar, so afraid of venturing out.
Once the Holy Spirit Express plane is airborne, it attracts anti-aircraft fire, surface-to-air missiles, and fighter jets from the enemy to shoot it down. We are in a war zone, and the enemies of Christ seek to steal our faith, kill our bodies, and destroy our souls. This is why we need to put on our spiritual armor (Ephesians 6).
The person at the gate for the Holy Spirit Express just announced your flight is about to leave. Will you make it? Will your family and friends also make it? How about the individuals you meet at the grocery store or coffee shop? The enemy is encroaching upon us and time is short. So let us go forth with the love and truth of Christ to witness to all who come across our path, for eternity is forever, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow.
To God be the glory
Board of Evangelism