DWELLING!

My father and I visited the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field, south of downtown Seattle, a couple of weeks ago. One of the interesting displays that we could walk through was SAM 970, a modified Boeing 707, an erstwhile presidential aircraft, that was part of the presidential fleet from 1959 through 1996. This was the first jet to be designated to carry the U.S. President.

Exposed polished aluminum on the bottom, two blues on the sides: a slate blue representing the early republic and presidency and a cyan blue representing the present and future. Presidential seal on both sides near the nose. A large American flag on the tail. “United States of America” in all caps on the sides. And plush inside as befits a presidential carrier. Nice!

And no, its name is not Air Force One. It is SAM (“Special Air Mission”) 970. In fact, none of the planes in the presidential fleet is called Air Force One. They are all named SAMs, followed by a number. The current ones are SAM 28000 and SAM 29000. Air Force One is merely the official air traffic control call sign of any U.S. Air Force aircraft that bears the President of the United States. Of course, most often these are the earmarked SAMs, but any Air Force plane may bear the Air Force One call sign when the President is on board. So, when President Clinton did a short hop in March 1999 from Ankara, Turkey, to a local Naval Air Station on a Gulfstream III, that was Air Force One. Current President Obama and his family took a vacation in Maine last July, arriving in a similar aircraft, again with the call sign Air Force One, since the 747 SAMs were too large for the airport in Trenton, ME. On the other hand, when President George W. Bush completed his term, he flew back to Texas in 2009 on SAM 28000, but not with the call sign Air Force One.

I thought about that and realized that Christian is a similar label. If a person is the temple of the Holy Spirit, then he/she gets the “call sign” Christian. Of course, all those who have placed their trust in Jesus Christ as their only God and Savior are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Thus, Christian.

… the love of God has been poured out

within our hearts

through the Holy Spirit

who was given to us.

Romans 5:5

And the contrary: no Christ, no Holy Spirit.

But if anyone does not have

the Spirit of Christ,

he does not belong to Him.

Romans 8:9

But to every believer in this age, the Holy Spirit is given, at the point of faith, when one puts one’s trust in Jesus Christ.

Or do you not know that your body is

a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you,

whom you have from God …?

1 Corinthians 6:19

And the Holy Spirit, unlike the U.S. President, abides with the believer forever. Hence our “call sign” forever will be Christian.

The Father … will give you another Helper,

that He may be with you forever,

the Spirit of truth,

… you know Him

because He abides with you

and will be in you.

John 14:16—17

Among the many blessings of having the Holy Spirit indwelling us is the power He imparts to the believer to live according to the will of God.

I will put My Spirit within you and

cause you to walk in My statutes,

and you will be careful

to observe My ordinances.

Ezekiel 36:27

Bear the “call sign” with pride: Christian!