Saturday, June 30, 2012

THE TUMULT

                     HYMN OF THE WEEK: JESUS CALLS US

Jesus calls us o'er the tumult of our life's wild, restless sea
Day by day I hear Him saying, "Christian, follow me".

As of old, disciples heard it by the Galilean lake
Turned from home and work and leisure; leaving all for His dear sake.

In our joys and in our sorrows; days of toil and hours of ease
Still He calls, in cares and pleasures, "Christians, love me more than these."

I do so long to teach only Truth to those He sends me to disciple. A verse I learned as a new believer clearly warns us against taking lightly the teaching of His Word: "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the Word of Truth."

Thankfully I have trusted Bible expositors' works from the past as resources. I would not touch Chapters 12,13 and 14 of First Corinthians without consulting the Greek grasp of the languages these men had. Even so, I pour over their persuasions regarding the meanings of words that continue to cause church and even family splits and prevail upon my Father to give me clear understanding of what He is saying before I open my mouth or write a word.

As I look down the length of Bob and Lynda's dining table each Thursday afternoon and wait for the giggling and punching each other that kids do before they settle down to listen, I think, "Oh, dear Lord, what can a small band of these teenagers do to stem the fast-moving tsunami that is sweeping us all into inevitable destruction?"  I recall that the very words I am teaching were penned by a man who was part of a small band of impassioned , soon-to-be-martyrs who did not give into their fears but trudged ahead with their  assignment to  "take the Word into all the world", and I am energized to press on.

None of us knows whether or not the Church will go underground , even before Christ comes back to whisk us Home.  If it does, human lives will be sacrificed, but many more will come to know Christ than would have been otherwise saved. SOMETHING has to break pretty soon. As I hear more and more of pastors who are having affairs on facebook, indulging in sex with a computer screen as they view pornography by the hour, leave the wife of their youth for a bimbo with no brains, I could just throw up. Ted and I were on the staffs of quite a few churches, served on four mission boards and helped to train many for the work of the ministry. Because of those contacts, I receive otherwise unpublished reports of the fruit that is being born for the Kingdom around the world. ...and I go on.  Wearily, but I go on. ...and so must you. "...for the night cometh, when no man can work."

...for Jesus calls us o'er the tumult of our life's wild restless sea
Day by day I hear Him saying, "Christian, follow me."

Love, Jo

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