What do Alpha and Omega mean?

I like airplanes and I like flying them, which I once was able to do. (Commercial, multi-engine rating) Alas, no more as age and physical things now prevent me from obtaining a "Medical" which is really what gives you the "OK" to pilot an airplane. I put the word "OK" in quotation marks for reasons you'll see later.

I also appreciate a good story, especially if it's a true one and if it relates to airplanes and flying, so much the better. Furthermore, if the story can be used to illustrate a Bible lesson, then I've "hit the mother lode" so to speak.

You've no doubt deduced that this is about to all come together here today. I'm going to tell you a true story, as told to me by a friend and it's a story that caused me to recall some words "revealed" to the Apostle John on the Isle of Patmos by the "Alpha and Omega" - Jesus Christ.

We find these words in the 3^rd chapter of Revelation and in a moment we'll go there, but first the story related to me by my friend who was personally acquainted with people involved in the events of the story. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did and that you can understand my connection of it to the lesson.

My friend had an acquaintance who was a fighter pilot in WW2. He was shot down over Europe, captured by the Germans and interred in a prisoner of war camp. At the end of the war and having been freed from the camp, he was returned to the U.S. and stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio.

He was received there as a returning hero of the war, which he truly was, and his arrival was quite a local news event. While being driven around the city and being shown the various points of interest he remarked on some of the nice houses they were passing. The driver pointed out one particular house and told the pilot that it was the home of Orville Wright.

The pilot told the driver to stop the car at the house and he got out and went to the front door. Upon knocking on the door, it was answered by Orville himself. The pilot identified himself and said how pleased he was to meet him. Orville replied that he had read about the pilot's return in the newspaper and was glad that he stopped by and was equally glad to meet him.

The pilot was scheduled to go to New York City in a few days to speak at a fund raising event and had been told that he could bring a guest speaker with him if he liked. On a spur of the moment, the pilot told Orville about the New York trip and asked him if he would like to accompany him as his guest. Orville readily agreed to do so.

A few days later they went to New York aboard a commercial airliner and upon arrival, as they exited the plane, a stewardess at the door asked if they enjoyed the flight. The pilot said, "Yes, it was fine." She then asked Orville Wright the same question and he replied that it "was OK." She then asked him if it was his first flight and he told her, "No, but it was OK too."

What an understatement by the man who, with his older brother, Wilbur, invented the way to control heavier-than-air flying machines and was the first pilot to actually fly the first powered and controlled airplane. In a little over 2 weeks it will be the 109^th anniversary of that historic event. (Dec. 17, 1903) I wonder if the stewardess ever knew who it was that told her that his first flight was "OK too."

We've all been asked the question "How are you?" and no doubt replied, "I'm OK." You know, by saying that we're "OK" is what I'd call a "middlin" response. Sort of saying that we're "not bad" but then again, we're "not good" either. "Just OK." Many times the use of "OK" means something like "tolerable" or "fair." Like saying that we're "pretty good" which means that we're "not bad." Like I said, "middlin."

Did you ever stop to think that Christ doesn't want "just OK" disciples. Followers who are just "fair" Christians. "Pretty good" Christians. That's sort of describing a Christian who is faithful some of the time and some of the time not. Maybe a "middlin" Christian.

I think that our passage in Revelation 3 fits right well with the description seen in the above paragraph. In verses 15-16 we see some pretty harsh words spoken to the "church of the Laodiceans." He didn't say that they were bad, and He didn't say that they were good. Actually He used the metaphor of them being neither "hot nor cold" but rather described them as "lukewarm."

To me, it's like He was saying they were "just OK." Not bad, but not good either. Just "lukewarm." Sort of "middlin'." If you read just a few words further, you'll see how acceptable this condition is with Him. In the vernacular of teenagers today - NOT!

If you look up the word "OK" you'll find that one of its meanings is "acceptable." As in "OKing" something. As in passing or approving of something. Or, of it's being acceptable. I'm going to go on record here by saying that I don't think that is the situation with the Laodiceans and their being "lukewarm." Christ says that because they're "neither hot nor cold" but "lukewarm" He will "spue thee out of my mouth." The Greek word for "spue" actually means "to vomit" so, in essence, Christ says that if you're "lukewarm" or "just OK" you make me sick.

No, I don't think someone who fits the description of being a "just OK" Christian is one acceptable to Christ. A Christians' faith is to be more than "just OK." I see the Laodiceans as being an "OK" church and we know how acceptable they were.

I guess that our closing thought should be on answering the question "how do we become more than just an OK Christian?" There are probably several passages in the Gospel that can give us the answer to that question, but I've chosen one that I think pretty much sums it up in one verse.

                        "That we might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful

                        in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God." Col. 1:10

Ron Covey