There is
a Fountain
Filled With
Blood
Just a Meadow Minute
To this day, I can hear my mother playing this great hymn, one of my favorites, on the organ at Harris Avenue Baptist Church in San Angelo, TX, where she served faithfully for many, many years.
It’s author, William Cowper, suffered from deep depression for most of his life, and in 1764, he found himself within the walls of an institution for the mentally ill. There in the asylum, William Cowper found Christ through reading a Bible provided as reading material for those housed there. Despite almost constant emotional pain—maybe because of it—Cowper produced literature of amazing insight. Even today, he is still known as one of England’s greatest poets.
Written about 1770, this hymn is based on Zechariah 13:1, “On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David…to cleanse them from sin and impurity.” Cowper lived his life grasping for any assurance of God’s forgiveness that he could find. He always felt guilty, unworthy of Christ’s love. That is what drove him to compose this wonderful hymn.
There is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Emmanuel’s veins,
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains.
The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;
And there may I, though vile as he, wash all my sins away.
Wash all my sins away, wash all my sins away.
And there may I, though vile as he,
Wash all my sins away.
E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.
And shall be till I die, and shall be till I die;
Redeeming love has been my theme,
And shall be till I die.
Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I’ll sing Thy power to save,
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.
Lies silent in the grave, lies silent in the grave;
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue
Lies silent in the grave.
We all are unworthy in ourselves of the amazing gift of God’s redemptive love. It is by Jesus’ blood and righteousness alone that we are made right in Him. Philippians 3:10 says, “…that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.” Praise God!
The humble work of “this poor lisping, stammering tongue” has filled my mouth and the mouths of millions who claim the blood of Christ as their atonement.
Grace,
Tom
Meadow Minute Archives
Previous ten articles of the Meadow Minute can be located by date and content.
I have finally gotten around to a small project I’ve been putting off for some time. The flower beds around the parsonage—front and back—are cordoned off with a wide and winding concrete border. Several years back now, to put the deck in out-back, I had to break up about 20 feet of this border using a sledgehammer borrowed from Danny Caswell. After much procrastination, I was able to reconnect the border to where the deck reached. It was a small patch and I was so proud of how smooth and natural-looking the mend turned out. Then, as I finished, it started raining and I hurried into the house, not covering the still-damp concrete. By morning it looked a bit different. Rough. Exposed. Damaged. Well, tough. I’m not breaking it up again!
At the end of every such project, I take a pause. Usually, the pause begins with me re-thinking the whole thing over and over in my mind, feeling the pressure of how the project could have been done differently and/or better (like covering the concrete until it could set a bit more). Then while still in “pause mode” I reorganize the shop, sweeping and wiping down, putting things back where they belong, and getting ready for the next adventure. But is that really a pause, or is that just exchanging one kind of busy for another?
If you have ever read through the Psalms, you’ve come across a word there that might give you pause…literally. The word is “selah,” and it occurs 71 times in the Book of Psalms. No one is exactly sure what it means, but most agree it is a form of interlude, taking the time to contemplate, to reflect, to sabbath, to pause. And perhaps like me you have heard the phrase, “Practice the Pause.” It got me to wondering just what practicing the pause spiritually might look like.
When we finally take a break from our busy schedule and begin rehashing in our mind the events of the day, creating new things to worry about while planning what comes next, is that spiritually practicing the pause? I don’t think so. When we take a break to scroll through Facebook or play a game on our smartphone, when we escape in a book or turn on a TV show, is that spiritually practicing the pause? Nope. That’s exchanging one kind of busy for another.
In the NIV, Luke 5:16 says, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Spiritually, our Lord practiced the pause. It was part of Jesus’ life on this earth to set aside time for communing with His Heavenly Father. We should do the same. We should be like Jesus. We should practice the pause. Not exchanging one kind of busy for another but re-uniting with our Heavenly Father through His Word and prayer and worship. Not just checking off our to-do list going through the motions of a so-called “quiet time.” Spiritually practicing the pause should be different from that—genuinely, faithfully, consistently, intimately communing with God. Something sounding as simple as “selah” is not that simple after all. It takes intentionality. It takes commitment. It takes time to pause, and time is very precious to us all. In John’s Gospel when the disciples returned to Jesus by the well after they went to town for some food, Jesus told them that He had nourishment they didn’t know about. When He found Himself alone, Jesus took the time to commune with His Father. And time spent with God does have its rewards.
“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31.
As God’s people, let’s intentionally take the time to spiritually practice the pause. Pencils down. Phones silenced. Schedules closed. Hearts opened. Selah,
Grace,
Tom
When is it time to speak up, and when is it time to be silent? Perhaps the most famous of Plato’s quotes contains only three words: “Silence gives consent.” The philosopher believed not speaking up about injustice or falsehood was the same thing as agreeing with the injustice or falsehood. Is that true?
Yes. And no.
In our world today, there are a multitude of causes to stand up for, and sadly, perhaps even more to stand against. Courage is needed facing the onslaught of criticisms and judgements society hurls at the church. As Christians, without excuse or exception, we are to base our decisions and positions, our actions and answers, our votes, our lifestyles upon God’s Word. As believers, we should also find our inspiration for speaking out or keeping silent from Scripture. The Bible says our motivation in all things is to be Christian love, and that love, according to 1 Corinthians 13, “does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.”
May our hearts be moved toward grace by Proverbs 25:11, “Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances.” We are to speak…in right circumstances. We are to encourage and uplift, we are to defend and support, we are to explain and clarify and forgive, we are to cajole and criticize in right circumstances…with love. But one of the more difficult things in life is to remain silent when we personally have been wronged, slighted, or falsely accused. It seems human nature to retaliate, to set the record straight, to fire back. We convince ourselves that by holding back we will look weak or “wishy-washy,” naïve, disinterested, or passive. Who wants to be known as a push-over? Worse, our silence might be taken as arrogance or unforgiveness. Maybe the correct response is to speak up. Maybe not.
Ecclesiastes 3:7b tells us there is “a time to be silent, and a time to speak.” In answering a hurtful comment or action, will the promise of keeping a confidence of another be broken? Will innocents be harmed by our demanding to be heard? Might speaking out cause harm to the offender or create deeper, harsher retaliation and controversy? Even at the risk of our being misunderstood, our motivation to speak or to be silent is to always be Christian love.
As the time drew near for Diane and me to come as the pastor of FBC Meadow, a godly friend advised me to face each day of ministry only after “putting on grace.” He encouraged me to not share with, speak to, pray for, or counsel those I would shepherd here before dressing myself in grace. Only then would I have the proper perspective to honor Christ in my service to Him. The first Christian fiction book I remember reading in my teen years inspired me to write my novel, The Lord of the Harvest decades later. Charles Sheldon’s masterpiece, In His Steps, draws any who would read it to first consider “What would Jesus do?” before making any decision, doing any job, responding to any human need, or dealing with any personal circumstance. The WWJD bracelets of the not-too-distant past came from a re-birth of Sheldon’s theme—seeking Christ’ example and reflecting His life in our own.
Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person.” That’ll preach.
Grace,
Tom
For several weeks now in our worship services at FBC, we’ve been searching for growth in our Christian walk through a message series called “Finding Rest.” Our schedules are overloaded. Some of us have days blocked off to the quarter-hour as we try to get as much done as possible in our families, in our work, in our recreation, and yes, in our ministry. We convince ourselves that finding rest is first complicated by finding TIME to rest. This series has been, and will likely continue to be, a very personal one for this pastor.
We are all familiar with last Sunday’s focal passage, Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God...” For our Lord to be truly “exalted among the nations,” and “exalted on the earth,” we must pause and allow Him to be ruler not only of our efforts, our works of righteousness in His name, our busy-ness, but also of our rest. In its entirety, this psalm is the basis for Martin Luther’s hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” The first verse of the same psalm also has much to share for a busy, worried, anxious, and overwrought culture. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” And that leads to where this Meadow Minute is headed.
I read recently about a man named Matthew Henry. Years ago, after Mr. Henry was mugged, he wrote in his diary, “Let me be thankful first because I was never robbed before; second, although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.”
As I took in Mr. Henry’s grateful and gracious diary testimony, I thought of how others, including myself at times in my life, might have composed a different diary entry after experiencing such an event. It might have gone, “First, I cannot believe some fool robbed me! Second, I’m lucky it was just my stinkin’ wallet that he took! Third, I have nothing to live on or live for! And fourth, if he thinks he got away with it, just wait until I see that idiot again!”
It’s time for a bit of self-evaluation. Which one of the previous two paragraphs describes us when misfortune comes? Do we still proclaim, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble”? Is our rest, our peace, challenged by difficult circumstances, or grounded in the truth that the Creator desires intimacy and closeness with us and is in charge of the events of our lives? As believers, we must live knowing God either causes or allows everything that happens in our lives. He is not an absent, distant deity. In times of protection, we can know He overshadows us. In times of our distress, He is aware and engaged, perhaps even growing us for His purposes and to His glory.
Heavenly Father, forgive us when we become so busy, so worried, so anxious, and overwrought that we fail to breathe in all the promises we have from You. Lord, grant us the wisdom to step away, to pause, to trust, and to appreciate what we have in You. May You be our first resource, and not our last resort. May You truly be our refuge, our strength, and our help in every circumstance.
Grace,
Tom
America is celebrating her 250th birthday, and after we sang one of my favorite hymns on Sunday, God of our Fathers, I wanted to share a bit about it.
Six years before his death in 1907, Daniel Roberts wrote, “I remain a country parson, known only within my own small world.” In 1876 while he was the pastor of a rural church in Brandon, Vermont, Roberts wrote this hymn to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The hymn was sung for the first time at Brandon’s Fourth of July celebration. The people there enjoyed the hymn so much that Roberts submitted it to the committee planning the Constitution’s centennial celebration. It was chosen as the official hymn for the occasion, and it was given an original tune by an organist in New York City with the traditional trumpet fanfare we all recognize. This is indeed a very unique hymn.
God of our fathers, whose almighty hand
Leads forth in beauty all the starry band
Of shining worlds in splendor through the skies,
Our grateful songs before Thy throne arise.
Thy love divine hath led us in the past;
In this free land by Thee our lot is cast;
Be Thou our ruler, guardian, guide and stay,
Thy Word our law; Thy paths our chosen way.
From war’s alarms, from deadly pestilence,
Be Thy strong arm our ever sure defense;
Thy true religion in our hearts increase,
Thy bounteous goodness nourish us in peace.
Refresh Thy people on their toilsome way;
Lead us from night to never-ending day;
Fill all our lives with love and grace divine;
And glory, laud, and praise be ever Thine.
While so many of us are outspokenly patriotic and recognize the greatness of America, we must never take for granted the Lord’s hand in our nation’s founding and development and greatness. Anything less, by our taking credit for the blessings we enjoy, should be considered blasphemy in the eyes of the world looking to America as the last great bastion of freedom. God’s hand IS upon our country. We are to lead when others will only follow. We are to guard when others face destruction. We are to share when others only take.
In 1984, Ronald Reagan gave a speech, recalling some words of Abraham Lincoln when he said, “We must be cautious in claiming God is on our side. I think the question we must answer is, are we on His side?”
Galatians 5:1 tells us, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject to a yoke of slavery.” As much as we cherish our freedom as a country, may all who claim the name of Jesus cherish even more the freedom granted in surrender to Christ. In Him, we are free from despair. We are free from death. Praise the God of Our Fathers!
Grace,
Tom
This week at FBC, it is an honor to have former pastor, Ken McClung, officiate the Memorial Service for Mary Etta Fleming. Her passing has both lessened us and strengthened us as the body of Christ. She will be missed by her daughter, Traci, her extended family, and many friends here in this life. Yet with her testimony of faith, Mary Etta is now included in the Great Cloud of Witnesses spoken of in Hebrews chapter 12:1. Her life encourages us to “run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
As I contemplate Mary Etta’s 97 years of life, most of it lived as a follower of Jesus, I am steadied by the news we as a church received this week from Youth Camp in Glorietta, where four of our students made commitments to Christ, surrendering their hearts through faith.
Oh, “the joy set before” Mary Etta. Think of the reunion she has experienced with her husband, Joe. Her victory has been won, and now she will spend eternity in the presence of her Savior. For all of us who loved Mary Etta, but for a season, we will see her again in our Father’s heaven because of Jesus who “endured the cross”.
Oh, “the joy set before” these new young believers as their Christian Walk is just beginning. May the Lord grant that they remain faithful, abiding in Him all the days of their lives. May they “run with endurance the race that is set before” them as followers of the Christ.
Mary Etta’s family can find comfort and peace, even joy, in knowing that the promises of God are true. Believing in Jesus, they will see their sweet loved one again.
The parents and families of our youth who have just now surrendered to our Lord, can likewise find comfort and peace and joy in knowing the promises of God are true. Through faith in the Father’s forgiveness and grace, they, too, can know they will spend eternity together.
I am compelled to say it again. Christians must be the most positive and forward thinking people on this earth. Through the Holy Spirit, it becomes our mindset to see an eternal future that changes everything,. How we think. How we speak. How we act. How we work and parent and love and learn and serve. Oh, “the joy set before us!” Knowing Christ changes everything.
The lost world desperately needs what Mary Etta and these new believers and countless millions of others have found—salvation through the grace of God. As we grieve the loss of Mary Etta and rejoice with the angels in heaven over the decisions of these fine young people, we should let these two events keep our eyes on “Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith.” Who do you know, right now, facing an eternal future without Christ, headed for a devil’s hell? Oh, “the joy set before” them that’s made possible by your witness and assured by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Go to it!
Grace,
Tom
God’s precious word speaks beautifully and often about the value and impact of faithfully guiding our youth and children in spiritual matters.
Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
Psalm 71:17 says, “O God, Thou has taught me from my youth; and I still declare Thy wondrous deeds.”
So much of what young people have access to today is vile and destructive and mean and discouraging. Bullying and racism find their way into every facet of life. The innocence of childhood is under attack in places where kids should be safe and protected. There are areas of our country where parents are being excluded from the raising of their own children, including decisions that will impact their little ones for the rest of their children’s lives. I pray such sickness never infects our community. First and foremost, it doesn’t “take a village” to raise a child. It takes a godly family of faith. All around us, much of the “village” (society) is failing our children and failing our youth with perverse and twisted ideology and distractions. Society’s values change with the whims of “influencers.” Our cultural standards of right and wrong come and go like a vapor, but the truths of God stand forever. It is time for the church to be the church.
The Bible offers several warnings to those who would bring harm and confusion to children, including those who would lead astray the young. While teaching that all of us should come to God in the innocence and trust of a little child, Jesus added in Matthew 18:6, “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea.”
We must understood the Lord’s instruction here to include not only those attacking our “little ones,” but also those who hinder our young spiritually. Many well-intentioned and encouraging activities that our youth and children are involved in seem to more and more encroach upon the time and influence faith and the church once had in the lives of our children and youth. As always, parents want to see their kids get the training they need to excel in sports and academic advancement that are rightly important in their development as active and productive individuals. What seems to be lacking more and more is the effort parents likewise put into the time and effort and example to introduce their children and youth to their need of salvation through the cross of Jesus. Do we insist on our kids getting the spiritual training they need to make wise decisions in preparation of the times when they are no longer under the watchful eyes of their parents. Our young need spiritual tools to avoid being conformed to this world, and instead to be transformed by the message and power and will of Christ. By avoiding such influence, parents are declaring the church to be irrelevant in their family life. May God forgive us.
The Bible says in Psalm 119:11, “Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee.” During these last days, nine students and two adult sponsors have spent time at Glorietta, NM. Leaving the routine and regularity of day-to-day to focus on the joy of living a victorious Christian life always seems to bring our students back differently. I am so grateful to Amber Caswell and Jordan Arland who have led out as sponsors with these fine young people. Psalm 25:4 says, “Make Your ways known to me, Lord. Teach me Your paths.” May that be the goal of FBC Meadow. May that be the goal of all involved with our children and youth. And may that be the goal of each of us individually as we live to glorify the King of kings.
Grace,
Tom
For way too many years in my teens and twenties, I fired a gun without hearing protection. Like many young people, my brothers and I were infatuated with the out-of-doors, and there was nothing we loved more than a day squirrel hunting in the pines of North Carolina or dove and deer hunting in the fields surrounding San Angelo, TX. Back then, I didn’t give my hearing a second thought. Now the tinnitus never goes away, even in the middle of the night, and ever so slowly, my natural hearing is fading away.
When my two girls were teenagers, they thought it funny to use the TV remote and slowly lower the volume to see how long it took for me to bend in to hear. I have no idea where they got their dark humor, certainly not their sweet mother. Like most dads and husbands, I have been accused of having “selective hearing loss.” Surely I could not possibly have missed all the things said that I’ve been told I didn’t hear. The comedian Nate Bargatze says that after all his years of marriage apparently his wife is still batting 1000 in telling him things, and he is “0-fer” when it comes to listening.
Without my hearing aids today, it’s almost as if the entire world is lip-syncing. While hearing aids are expensive and the west Texas wind can drive my ears crazy, I do appreciate the change they have brought to my life. For way too many years, I was missing so much. The ones I have now recharge every night and my smartphone streams to my ears. So does the TV. Diane and I can watch a show at a reasonable volume for her, and for me, it's like wearing headphones. Technology can be a good thing, and I will never again take lightly the blessing of hearing.
In the second and third chapters of Revelation, Jesus addresses seven churches, and each time He says, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Our Lord spoke both words of commendation and condemnation to the churches. He spoke words of promise to the faithful, and words of warning for those who are unfaithful. Even today, God speaks to churches about the condition of their heart—both as individuals, and as congregations. He speaks of the church guarding its first love, service in His Name. And it pains Him when He finds His church lukewarm, just existing, and not proclaiming.
How do we as a church, as God’s people, hear what He is saying? Let’s be honest. We have all found ourselves at some point pleading with God to speak to us, to reveal His will to us. We claim at times that He seems far away and silent when we need Him most. But that is just not the case. God takes the initiative to speak with us. God IS speaking to us. Even in His silence. Apparently, it takes a different kind of ear to hear what He says. These ears to hear are not physical but of the heart. God is calling us as His people to have a heart that understands what the Spirit is saying. We are to “hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Many people are deciding the church today is irrelevant—both Christians and non-Christians alike. What the Spirit of God has for us is most certainly not irrelevant but is it possible that we as His people are blocking out the message? Have we slowly turned down the volume because the Spirit is speaking about our acceptance or redefining of sin? Do we selectively tune out what the Spirit says because what He says demands a change in our life? Do we allow the Spirit to stream the truth of God into our consciousness or do we shut Him out by never searching His Word? God forbid that I might ever take for granted my ability to hear my wife, my kids, my grandkids, the birds, music, and laughter. And, Dear Lord, forgive me when I fail to be sensitive to the Spirit’s call on my life and leadership in it.
Grace,
Tom
Philip Bliss was one of the most prominent hymnwriters in the heyday of gospel hymn writing. Bliss grew up working on a farm and spent several years in lumber camps before eventually becoming a music teacher. At age twenty-six, Bliss sold his first song, and that led to his later working for a hymn publisher. D.L. Moody urged Bliss to become a singing pastor, which he did beginning in 1874. This favorite of mine by Bliss was published in 1875. The very next year, while traveling through Ohio, Bliss and his family were involved in a train wreck. The reports of the tragedy said that Bliss got out, but went back into the fiery train to save his wife. They both perished.
What other life-changing hymns might have come from the mind and heart of Philip Bliss, and yet God called him home at that moment. None of us knows the exact date, time, or circumstances when we will face eternity. How very true it is that in many ways, our lives are but a vapor and then they’re gone.
Perhaps none who will read this Meadow Minute would even aspire to the wonderful gift of hymn-writing, but if we claim Jesus as our Redeemer, we, too can find ways to praise Him and share Him and magnify the gift of His sacrificial death for our sin. What a Savior!
“Man of Sorrows!” what a name for the Son of God who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim! Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Bearing shame and scoffing rude, in my place condemned He stood—
Sealed my pardon with His blood; Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Guilty, vile, and helpless we, spotless Lamb of God was He;
Full atonement! can it be? Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Lifted up was He to die, “It is finished!” was His cry;
Now in heav’n exalted high; Hallelujah, what a Savior!
When He comes, our glorious King, all His ransomed home to bring,
Then anew this song we’ll sing; Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Though Philip Bliss’ life and gift of hymn writing were cut short, his music continues to bless so many. May each of us while on this earth seek in some way to inspire and encourage similar encounters with the “Man of Sorrows.”
“Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately for or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.” Isaiah 53:1-3
Grace,
Tom
Hasn’t the rain the last days been wonderful? Everything smells so fresh. The green is coming back. For a day or two, there was water standing in the fields. Our God is so good!
But even something generally considered a blessing like plenteous rain can create different perspectives. Do you see high water covering the road only as an obstacle in getting where you’re going. Or is that water-covered highway a giant, God-given, double-sided boat ramp for going fishing? Perspective…
How do you see the ever-changing circumstances and impactful events in your life on this big, blue marble? Do you live each day as a victim? A survivor? A flourisher? Are you just tripping through life as things happen to you, or do you live your days believing “all things work together for good, for those who love God and are called according to His purpose?” Perspective…
The Bible tells us in several places of God’s perspective on things. I guess my favorite is Isaiah 55:8-9, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
For those who know me, this will come as no surprise, but I can get riled up much too easily. The smallest change to my schedule has the potential to change my attitude in an instant, maybe for the rest of the day. It is perhaps my besetting sin. It is not natural for me to “consider it all joy” when I “encounter various trials.” I am not always quick to recognize that “the testing of faith produces endurance.” Yet God loves me and forgives me and is so patient with me. And God never plays the victim. His thoughts are not scatter-brained like mine are on occasion. God doesn’t get flustered or frustrated by the repeated failings of His people. His ways are above my ways. But that’s not an excuse for me to live as a scatter-brained, half-cocked victim. By the power of His Spirit, I can do better than that, live better than that. His Word tells us, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that on the earth.” With the temptations we face to lose our cool, or only see the bad that happens, “He provides the way of escape, that (we) may be able to endure it.” Perspective…
Being a positive, forward-looking person in all circumstances is easy to claim or contemplate, and yet difficult to accomplish. Like in the movie, “Groundhog Day,” we face the same issues, the same struggles, the same temptations again and again. And we oftentimes respond to these issues, struggles and temptations much as we have previously. The “Patience of Job” seems unattainable. Even with the longest lifetime, the “Wisdom of Solomon” is not going to happen, is it? But God’s grace is sufficient, and it is in our weakness that He is strong because His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts higher than our thoughts. That’s God’s perspective.
“I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14-15)
Grace,
Tom
In today’s fast moving world, there is a more and more pressing phenomenon in the church. Let’s call it Snapchat Christianity? Young people especially understand Snapchat and disappearing messages. With Snapchat, some photos or videos vanish within seconds. With Snapchat Christianity, some opportunities to share the Gospel vanish just as quickly. Many speak of “lifestyle Christianity,” and I agree we should be building strong and lasting and trusting relationships with others in order to know them and to sense their needs. But sadly, we often spend our lives getting to know others without ever taking the next step, and the moment passes without ever sharing Christ. There are conversations you will never get back. There are moments you cannot replay. In our mobile society, there are people who will not be here – next week, next month, next year. How vigilant are we in making the most of God-given holy opportunities to share our Lord with others.
At this time of year, we are often reminded of how fast life happens to us. That little boy or girl that we just knew would always be around is growing into or has already grown into a very independent young adult. Influence over his or her priorities and schedules has begun to wane. Control over where they go and with whom, what they read and watch, gets more and more limited. Opportunities to introduce Jesus into their thoughts and decision making skills for the life-changing moments you know they will face seems to be slipping away. But God has a word for us. “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)
Snapchat Christianity.
How about that spouse or friend or co-worker you spend so much time with, yet you know has never surrendered his or her heart and life to Christ. It seems you can talk with them about almost anything, yet your faith in Christ has become a taboo subject. Is he or she someone you say you would do anything for? Do you take the command of God seriously to “…be ready in season and out of season…” (2 Timothy 4:2)
Snapchat Christianity.
And what of those who are only acquaintances, those you would not count necessarily as close friends? Do you see your daily Christian Walk as a calling to stand between the wiles of the enemy and the lost around you? Are you looking for what might be only a fleeting moment to make an eternal difference. “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.” (Colossians 4:5)
Snapchat Christianity.
We are to make the most of opportunities our Lord gives us to share His Name. He is so loving, so compassionate, and so faithful, that if we surrender to His will for our lives, He will give us opportunities to introduce Him. Perhaps you’re thinking you surely have missed so many of such chances. Don’t look back. Don’t live in regret of missed chances. Be motivated by God’s great forgiveness. Move forward in the light of His Spirit and leadership.
Grace,
Tom