Can I Discard My Sin Habits ?

T H E O P E N I N G C R A S H

By Frank E. Henrich

   The three story-wrecking crane was ready to swing that large black metal ball to destroy the beautiful 10 story tower in front of me. As the master of ceremony, I was standing on a platform overlooking the people who gathered to see this large golden tower destroyed. But suddenly I grabbed the mike, my hands shaking, and I yelled at the top of my voice: “Stop it, stop the wrecking ball! Did you hear me?” The crowd that had been noisy was hushed, surprised by my sudden change of mind. We all looked up to see if the wrecking ball had stopped its swing. My eyes feasted on the beauty of the tower. And my thoughts recalled how it all began.

   You see, that golden tower is a part of me. I built it. You remember the tower of Babel, don’t you? It is that tower when everybody spoke the same language. They got so presumptuous, their pride turned into arrogance, and their arrogance turned into the sin of presumption. This is an attitude within a person to limit God to one’s will, rather than letting God be God, they would say “God, You are not needed, I can do it myself. And to show You, I’ll build a tower.” The Holy Scripture reads:

   “And they said: “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower so high that it reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:3)

   Unfortunately for our forefathers, God didn’t like to be limited. This is what He did to the Builders of Babel: “And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the sons of men had built. And the Lord said: “Come, let us go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of the earth and they stopped building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel. (Genesis 11:5-9)

   My mind flashed back to the golden tower, the operator, who sat perched up on the 3rd story platform heard my plea, but had not been able to stop the swing of the ball. The crowd sensed the movement of the ball toward the building, anticipating the crash, their excitement electrified the scene. I stood there, stupefied. Before, I had wanted the ball to destroy the building; in fact, I had even arranged for this big event by publicizing it. And now I was trying to stop it. The ball was swinging closer and closer. I don’t want the building to be destroyed! But then, something happened. It looked like the ball hit the building, but there was no noise. Everyone expected a crash, but there wasn’t any.

   As my reader, I’m sure you’re wondering too. I will tell you that I had developed a very closed-mindedness when it comes to God. You know the scholar calls it ‘deference for a protracted period of time’. You and I know it’s just a big work for attitude of ‘I don’t understand. So live and let live, I won’t bother You God, if You won’t bother me. I will consider your functions within certain limitations in my life.’ Is that not being presumptuous and arrogant in relation to the Creator? There I stood on the platform, all alone. I would have to respond: “I have lost my hope.” With a choking voice in my throat I repeated: “I have lost my hope, and I don’t know how to live without my tower.” I would become vulnerable, vulnerable to God. Oh, how I could have thought of destroying my tower! It gives me the strength of presumption.

   I remember at that point, a friend came over and placing a hand on my shoulder said: “Frank, don’t be afraid. You’re not the first, nor the last one to build the tower of Babel. God fearing men had been building defensive mechanisms, their towers for centuries. But if you’re going to find your hope again, you must destroy your tower, and let God be God in your life. You must be open to God living within you, Jesus doesn’t like to live when you limit Him to your own intelligence. Open your mind to God, and trust. Now tell that man to swing the wrecking ball – destroy your tower.”

   My mind returned to the scene, the wrecking ball had returned its swing back, and now swinging very gently, slower and slower with each movement. The operator of the crane apparently had been able to turn the crane enough so that the ball, which couldn’t be stopped, just missed the edge of the back of the building. Swinging in the air freely, yet giving the illusion from our vantage point, that it had hit the building.

   Suddenly, I felt the eyes of the crowd all upon me, and the operator was also staring. What was I going to do? Had I not arranged for all this? Should I not explain to them why I’d changed my mind? Then the song, “Trust and Obey” filled me, for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus! I realized that in order to destroy my arrogance and boastful limitation of God, my tower had to be destroyed. I raised up my right arm, and I made a fist with my thumb pointing up, I looked at the operator, and with a bold gesture I swung my arm downward. I even surprised myself at my boldness. Here I had changed my mind again. The operator waved his hand back at me, and I think I even saw a smile on his face, even though he was 3 stories above me caged in his compartment. The crowd became excited and then electrified. A gentle hum seemed to be emitting from them as they sensed the oncoming destruction.

   I stood there on the platform calm. My eyes turned upward to the swinging ball. It had gained momentum. In two or three more movements back and forth, it will thrust itself into the sides of the tower. There it comes! It’s gong to miss the tower by only 20 feet this time. Now its return swing starts. I could hear the crane roaring the force of the swing was increased. There was a swishing sound, the crowd quieted. All eyes were glued on the swinging ball. It has completed its back swing, now with all its power it thrust toward the building! It’s passing the midpoint of the swing. It’s going to hit soon, now! I can’t believe it, I can’t believe it! The building didn’t break up in pieces like a building should. It just evaporated. It just disappeared like it’s never been there before. And standing in its place instead stood a Man. I couldn’t see His face clearly, but somehow inside I knew it was Jesus. He said to me in a warm and gentle still voice: “I am your hope, come follow me, I will renew your hope.”

   Each one of us has a tower of Babel to knock down before we can see Jesus. A tower built to shield us from feeling guilty because our time is spent on selfish needs instead of doing His work. We limit how He can reveal Himself to us. We hide in our tower. God knows our towers are only vapor even though we fool ourselves, taking comfort, thinking they are made of marble. Every Christian’s tower vaporizes away at the deathbed, even the marble variety. If you wait till then, you will only have regret for what you might have done. You can destroy your tower now and live with a new hope – a new joy. The purpose of this book is to help you, so read on.

   Because of the many advances in the scientific world, our scholars have downgraded the supernatural to a point where they claim it doesn’t exist. They believe in nothing that they cannot understand. Surely the use of the intellect is always to be encouraged. But using the intellect to declare God is not spirit, is false. This excessive use of the intellect is intellectualism. It is pure presumption – remember why the tower of Babel was built in Old Testament times. Yes for the same reason. This fallacy in secular learning has crept into Christian attitudes and institutions. A sign of this happening is when a local church depends upon some cleverly designed program, which was successful in another church. Instead of looking towards the Holy Spirit, prayer and hard works to fill their need. Another sign that this has happened is when the Bible is given an importance, exceeding its purpose by using it as a substitute for the Holy Spirit. They say nothing can happen to them spiritually unless they read it in the Bible. The Bible was sealed 1600 years ago yet God still functions among His people. And thankfully, according to His will and ways, and not in accordance to our limited vision. The prophet Isaiah quotes our God saying:

   “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” Declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the Earth. So are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Old Test. Book of Isaiah, Chapter 55, verses 7-9) NIV

   Isaiah again quotes the Lord: “They have chosen their own ways, and their souls delight in their abominations. (false thinking and action) so I also will choose harsh treatment for them, and will bring upon them what they dread For when I called, no one answered When I spoke, no one listened. They did evil in my sight And chose what displeases me.” Hear the word of the Lord, You who tremble at his word." Old Test. Book of Isaiah, Chapter 66, Verses 3-5) NIV

   The Bible to me is without error and the source of our doctrine. Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior, and the only way to the Father. I believe in church attendance. I also believe that God should be allowed to reveal Himself to me and to you as He wills.