In Matthew 7:23 it is recorded that Jesus says to many on the day of judgment, “Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me…'”

blue-angels-crop  This past Saturday I had the honor of seeing the Blue Angels in Tuscaloosa.  They are the demonstration precision flying team of the U.S. Navy.  I was a guest of Blue Angel Maj. Brenden Burke who pilots the C-130 “Fat Albert” for the Blue Angels.  That meant I got to sit in the special Blue Angels section, was allowed parking priviledges, and have my picture made with the Blue Angels after the show.  Needless to say, that was a day to remember!

In the picture to my right is Maj. Brendan Burke, Trey’s friend Tommy Windsor (Kneeling), me, my son Trey, then Flight Leader and Commanding Officer of the Blue Angels, Cmdr. Greg McWherter who flies in the #1 jet.

brendan

Note: It’s not who you know that is important… it’s who knows you!  Consider…

  Years ago my mom used to work with Dan Burke, who’s son Brendan used to play on her typewriter (Dan told me he took Brendan to watch me play high school football when he was little).  Fast forward a few years.  Brendan goes into the Marines… then aviator school… gets certified to fly C-130 cargo planes… and is chosen to fly support for the Blue Angels.  

  For this show, the now Maj. Burke asked his dad if there’s anyone he’d like to offer VIP tickets for the airshow in Tuscaloosa.  Dan remembered his son playing on my mom’s typewriter… taking him to watch me play football… and offered my mom the tickets to the airshow.  Which is how I came to obtain the tickets for this past Saturday.

It was Maj. Burke obvious relationship with his dad that Mr. Burke had tickets to offer to the air show.  It didn’t matter that my mom knew Dan as much as it mattered that Dan knew my mom!  It was because of my obvious relationship with my mom that she offered me the tickets.  It was because Trey was my son that I envited him to the airshow.  It didn’t matter that Tommy (Trey’s friend) knew Trey as much as it did that Trey knew Tommy and invited him to go to the airshow with us.   

What’s the point?  It doesn’t matter if “you know Jesus” as much as it matters that Jesus knows YOU (Mt 7:23 at the beginning of the post).  Thus we are told two very important things… make your calling sure (2 Peter 1:10) and test yourselves to make sure you are in the faith (2 Cor 13:5)…

Appendix… the video below is what I was front and center to watch Saturday!

The most awesome thing of the day was called “A Sneak Pass.”  700 mph at 100 feet.  WOW…