The day after my Dad's funeral, just 19 months after 9/11, I was riding the massive subway system in Mexico City, passing the time, praying for the country, trying to keep my sanity during a brutal 9 hour layover.
About 15 miles from the airport, I decided to change trains at one of the massive elevated stations close to the center of town and head in the direction of the airport. Needless to say, the digital list of incoming and outbound trains in this city of twenty million was very confusing to this American boy who wasn't in any shape to be reasoning and figuring out things!
Suddenly, a middle-aged man in a dark suit walked up beside me and asked where I was going, I said "to the Airport", he was going there as well and said that's where he worked, and added, "if I wanted to", I could ride with him and hang out until my next flight. I felt good about it and agreed.
As we entered the airport, I noticed everyone knew him, everyone was calling him "sir" and "can I help you with anything".
This was a very large airport with flights landing every 90 seconds, so I took note of this!
This gentleman takes me to security, I tell him I have no boarding pass yet because it's still 5 hours to my flight. He just smiles and says don't worry about it! We walk up to the Federal Agents and this man simply says, "he's with me".
No bag check, no ID check, nothing. The security agents say, "yes sir".
The gentleman tells me, "We should check the weather forecast", so now he leads me down countless halls deep in the bowels of the Mexico City International Airport and we come to a Mexican Federal Police checkpoint and they are armed with machine guns! Again, "He's with me" and I hear a, "Yes sir"! The next door leads to the Mexican National Weather Service Office where I am introduced to the head of the Meteorological Services of Mexico and they let me sit down with them as they plan the evening forecast for the entire nation. They allow me to see their charts, computers, everything!
I swallow the huge knot in my throat, then work up my courage and ask if I can take a couple of pictures.
My main thought was, "NOBODY IN TEXAS WILL EVER BELIEVE THIS STORY UNLESS I BRING PROOF!!!"
Next, through more security, again hearing that now-familiar, "He's with me" this man brings me to the airport executive lounge where I am given access to all the food, drinks and desserts I want for free. I sit with the airport managers and executives, and here I am, a Texas boy dressed like a tourist with my head spinning.
It gets better....again, must....force...myself to ask if I can take pictures!
After an hour of eating and visiting with these executives, we pass one last heavy line of security, same story, same words. I find myself now almost getting dizzy as I am being led into the control tower. They introduce me to the controllers and sit me in front of the radar and tell me to watch the airplanes come in.
They treated me like a king, let me sit with the air traffic controllers and let me watch as they did everything from controlling the in and outbound flights, to the section on the side where they are setting up flight plans and lining up flights to land from hundreds of miles away.
Just before my flight was to board, I was escorted to the Mexicana Airlines desk, given my boarding pass, again bypassing all security and put on my flight. An experience I will never forget.
Two days later, in the swampy lowlands of deep Southern Mexico I preached a message in a crusade and the title was "He's with Me".
It's been burned in my heart ever since!
I now stand more amazed than ever before at the access we have through Jesus. The whole sermon was about coming into the Holiest place before God, having access to the Throne Room, having the ability to stand or bow in the presence of the most Supreme Being in the universe!
All because Jesus is saying, "He's with me, he doesn't have to pass through security, my Blood broke down the full body scanners and pushed back the security guards and removed the religious people that make you bring access cards and credentials". He removed the thousand miles of red tape that says you have to clean up the outside and dress a certain way to get in. He gave us free, unlimited access.
The only access card we need is the one that says we have accepte
d Him as out Savior and His blood covers us. When we come into that glory, into the presence of the One who created us, then we will be the one who changes and grows and becomes who we are called to be.
He wants us to take advantage of this access.
"He's with Me"
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On this very rare occasion, I was not carrying a pen, so I borrowed one from the attendant, when I finished, just out of pure habit, without another thought I stuck the man's pen into my shirt pocket. About halfway to the town we were holding meetings that night, I realized my mistake. I began to think about the pen and how much it was worth to that man. All things being equal, if inflation were the same in America as in Mexico, that pen would be worth around 7-8 dollars. I made a mental note about it and decided to stop by the station the next day and find the man to return his pen.
