Director, Laymen Ministries
CANADIANS: Please divert your course 15 degrees to the south to avoid a collision.
AMERICANS: Recommend you divert your course 15 degrees to the north to avoid a collision.
CANADIANS: Negative. You will have to divert your course 15 degrees to the south to avoid a collision.
AMERICANS: This is the captain of a U.S. Navy ship. I say again, divert YOUR course.
CANADIANS: No, I say again, you divert YOUR course.
AMERICANS: This is the Aircraft Carrier USS LINCOLN, the second largest ship in the United States Atlantic Fleet. We are accompanied with three Destroyers, three Cruisers and numerous support vessels. I DEMAND that you change your course 15 degrees north. I say again, that’s one-five degrees north, or counter-measures will be undertaken to ensure the safety of this ship.
CANADIANS: This is a lighthouse. Your call.
This experience reminds me of the Bible verse: “An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.” (Proverbs 21:4) Christ, the Rock of our salvation has placed a lighthouse—the cross of Christ— up for all men to see. The radio message comes to us, by the Holy Spirit, to “divert your course.” The proud refuse to listen, but those who heed the call, divert their course. This is called “repentance.” In the Greek it is “metanoia” (pronounced met-AN-oy-ah) and means “compunction for guilt, including reformation; by implication reversal of another’s decision.” In common words, it is a turning around, changing course, under the direction of the Holy Spirit.
The cross of Christ has made a provision for the salvation of all men. It sends out to the whole world the message to choose Him, or be lost. It is a call to make a decision. To make the choice to accept Him does not make us co-redeemers with Christ—but rather demonstrates His respect for us by giving us the opportunity to have the choice in response to His love for us. The proud heart struggles, yet the Holy Spirit works and places within us an awakened desire. He entreats us each to “divert your course.” When the choice is made, He then comes into us, abides with us, and empowers us in that choice. What a wonderful choice to make! Remember, it’s “your call.” “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20. (See Steps to Christ, pp. 47-48)
