AVOID A TRAIN WRECK!

It was just before 4 am on June 6, 1969. An unforgettable event took place in Marysville, Washington when my wife and I were living there while I attended college. A Great Northern freight train sped thru the town without slowing down from a speed of 63 miles per hour. The train blew past two warning signals and slammed into several freight cars sitting idle on the tracks, as well as the train depot itself. As a result, the speeding train derailed, and pushed the idle freight cars more than three blocks from the crash. The depot was demolished, two men died and others were badly injured. From the horrible noise that sounded and felt like an earthquake had occured, most people around the crash site were awakened. Train cars and debris were scattered over a wide area, and clean-up took a long time. My wife and I were among the observers following this catastrophic crash. You can still read about that tragic Marysville Train Wreck on the internet. There was much discussion, crash analysis, and planning to insure that such a horrible event would be avoided in the future, but sadly many recommendations faced opposition and never materialized.

To be sure, I will always remember that catastrophe. When I think about it, I am reminded of a different kind of train wreck that also has profound consequences. In my years of ministry, I have witnessed many Christians experience "spiritual train wrecks" in their lives. These can involve

struggles with many aspects of their understanding of their relationship with God, His Nature, His work in the circumstances they are going through, His will, plan and purpose for their lives, and even their trust in His Word! Sometimes, these struggles can turn into depression, anxiety, hopelessness and even spiritual defeat.

So, today I want to address this practical issue and point out some truths that I pray and hope will be of help and encouragement in avoiding such "spiritual train wrecks." Let's liken our spiritual life to a three-car train. First comes the Locomotive (the engine car), second is the Coal car (it carries the fuel/energy/power for the locomotive), and third is the Caboose, which provides a place for observation & monitoring, relaxation, rest and meals. Now, think of the three cars of our "spiritual train" as: FACT, FAITH, FEELINGS: The Three F's!

First, is FACT! This is our spiritual Locomotive, the engine of our spiritual energy, power and victory! FACT is what drives our daily spiritual life, our relationship to and trust in God, our priorities and desires. It steers our beliefs in the RIGHT direction. It directs us in the way we should go. It is the driving force in our willingness to repent, submit to and follow God, to obey His commandments, to love Him supremely and to serve Him faithfully in His Kingdom concerns. So, what is the FACT we are talking about?

1) That God Exists . . . The One, Only, Holy, Just and Righteous Creator God of everything! We are created in His image. "Then God said, 'Let us make man in Our image, according to Our llkeness. . . ' " (Genesis 1:26). "Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being" (Genesis 2:7). The Apostle Paul declared, "for he who comes to God must believe that HE IS. . . ." (Hebrews 11:6).

2) That we have separated ourselves from God through sin and rebellion against Him. The Scripture says, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). And again, "All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way" (Isaiah 53:6). "For all of us are unclean, and all our righteous deeds are filthy rages. . . ." (Isaiah 64:6).

3) That Jesus The Christ, is the eternal Son of God, and our Redeemer Messiah! "God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, so that we might live (eternally) through Him" (I John 4:9-10).

4) That the Word of God (the Bible) is absolutely True, Authoritative and Eternal, and given to us by God who worked through human writers. "All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. . . ." (II Timothy 3:16).

These truths are the absolute foundation of the FACT which serves as our very source of spiritual life, energy and power! It might look like multiple facts, but it is NOT. It is all ONE. AND In regards to our spiritual life, the FACT MUST ALWAYS COME FIRST! The FACT must drive our "spiritual train"/life!

Second, is FAITH! This is the Coal car, it carries the fuel which keeps feeding the FACT! Picture coal being shoveled into the firebox of the engine/locomotive. We place our faith in FACT! "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). FAITH continues to give spiritual strength, affirmation, assurance, a sense of purpose, resilience, hope, peace, faithfulness, a sense of comfort, safety/security, a transformed perspective and spiritual freedom. It helps us manage stress, anxiety, and provides victory in times of uncertainty and crisis! "And without faith, it is impossible to please Him. . . ." (Hebrews 11:6). FAITH is the solid assurance and conviction we have in God and in His promises. It's the basis for all the hope we need for the future and actually gives substance to those things which are invisible, that which we don't SEE relating to the plan and purpose of God. This is why satan works so hard to destroy our FAITH . . . to plant doubts and distrust. Remember, your FAITH IS IN the FACT! It follows FACT! It must never replace, diminish or come before the FACT, but through TRUST, it ACTS upon the FACT!

Third, the Caboose of FEELINGS comes last; FEELINGS follow FACT and FAITH in spiritual living! Keep in mind, a caboose has NO Power, NO Direction! Too many people, even in the Christian walk, try to live their life based on their FEELINGS! "If is feels good, it must be good . . . If it sounds right, it must be right". That won't work! We can think our FEELINGS are what really count. It's understandable because we are human . . . we are close to our emotions. FACT and FAITH seem "obscure" while FEELINGS seem to be more real. But relying on feelings is dangerous! Feelings and emotions are fickle and very changeable with the times and circumstances. They result from so many different experiences, situations, events or happenings in our lives; tragedies, illness, people and influencers around us and their circumstances. Do not allow your feelings to control your FAITH. Do not allow them to deny or twist the FACT of scripture. If we rely on or are driven by our feelings/emotions, we are sure to experience a "spiritual train wreck." WHY? Because our "spiritual train" is OUT OF CORRECT ORDER, and it will either not go at all, or it will go off the tracks. To be in Correct Order, it must be FACT, FAITH and FEELINGS! No train is driven by the Caboose or the Coal car! The engine is first and the other cars follow in order!

We all can place our complete trust and reliance on this: We will go deeper in our spiritual life, growth and development only as we keep FACT, FAITH and FEELING in their correct order. It is essential in avoiding a "spiritual train wreck"!