YOUTHS!

It was a terrific time. Florida. And West Palm Beach, to boot! With a bunch of energetic, effervescent, ebullient college kids. What fun!

Last week was Palm Beach Atlantic (PBA) University’s Christival, where I had the delightful privilege of bringing God’s Word to these young adults in five sessions over three days.

Leading them in worship each session was a great band. Quite a change from the pipe-organ accompanied congregational singing I’ve gotten used to in Scotland. (The thumps of the bass drum and bass guitar gave my heart a good workout! I can indulgently go back to my JIF diet now!!).

That’s the band, a couple of the student leaders, and the campus pastor, Bernie (a DTS alumnus), in the picture.

It was, for me, a rare opportunity to connect with young adults both in the large gatherings and over dinner and a Q&A session with a group of guys who meet weekly at 6:00 am for a Bible Study on campus.

If you didn’t know it already, let me tell you that zeal for God, and passion for Christ, and fervency in Spirit, have not died out and will not die out with us old fuddy-duddies! A vital faith, a vigorous belief system, a conviction not lacking in verve, all centered around God and His work in His world, characterizes these youngsters. It was refreshing to hear of what our great God was doing on that campus as, I’m sure, He is in many other campuses across the country and across the world. Praise God!

For what thanks
can we render to God
for you in return
for all the joy with
which we rejoice
before our God
on your account ….
1 Thessalonians 3:9

Spare a prayer, often, for these students will you? They are the ones who will bear the burden of broadcasting the blessings of Christ and brightening a bleak world with the beacon of the Good News. It’s a tough life for these young ones on college (and high school) campuses amidst the current agnostic and antagonistic climate pervading most educational institutions, not to mention the inimical wiles of the evil one that they have to withstand.

May our great God bless their endeavors to live lives pleasing to Him.

In this you greatly rejoice,
even though now
for a little while, if necessary,
you have been distressed
by various trials,
so that the proof of your faith,
being more precious
than gold which is perishable,
even though tested by fire,
may be found to result
in praise and glory and honor
at the revelation of Jesus Christ ….
1 Peter 1:6–7

And it would be exceedingly remiss of me not to mention the self-effacing, self-denying, self-sacrificing team of men and women mentoring and guiding these students in colleges and academies like PBA and elsewhere. Three cheers for these dedicated souls—the campus pastors, faculty resource persons, administrative aides, student leaders, and others of that notable ilk, laboring hard and striving behind the scenes to point and direct many to a closer walk with God.

We give thanks to God
always for you all,
making mention of you
in our prayers;
remembering without ceasing
your work of faith,
and labour of love,
and patience of hope ….
1 Thessalonians 1:2–3

Their reward will be great.

For God is not unjust
so as to forget your work
and the love
which you have shown
toward His name,
in having ministered
and in still ministering ….
Hebrews 6:10

May there be many more of these—mentors and maturing believers, Pauls and Timothys—and may God’s blessings be richly upon them all!

BIRTHDAY!

It’s been about a year. As I prepared to depart for places beyond the Atlantic this time last year, the aBeLOG was launched as a tool to apprise well-wishers of my goings-on, whereabouts, and antics. I must confess I have enjoyed finding my cyberspace “voice” over the ensuing months of blogging, the pressure of filing a post weekly, the attempt to be a creative chronicler.

And barely is one week’s item docked, when next Sunday rolls up, without fanfare, warning, or excuse. Sundays just keep on a-comin'!

So, perhaps the best lesson I’ve learnt from twelve months in the blogosphere has been the one about keeping my eyes and ears open to God and His activities and presence all around me, in my life, with my work, on my travels …. To remember what God has done, to remember to attend to what God is doing, and to remember that God will continue to do.

Always working, He is, indeed, even when our bodies are frail, our limbs fatigued, our feelings frayed, our minds frazzled. He still works … in and through it all.

He who keeps you
will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.
Psalm 121:3–4

In fact, the gracious God that He is, this unsleeping one, is even “en-gracing” us while we slumber. Therefore, the psalmist admonishes us, “Relax!”

It is vain for you
to rise up early,
To retire late,
To eat the bread
of painful labors;
For He gives
to His beloved
even in his sleep.
Psalm 127:2

This is a God who constantly cares for each of His children, lavishing the length and breadth and height and depth of His magnificent love upon us in Christ Jesus, from which love nothing—NOTHING!—can separate us. And, if we keep our senses attuned to God and His love, we can see His fingerprints in our lives—moments of His grace, mementos of His mercy, motions of His power, mentions of His peace. We can catch glimpses of the very image of God in our fellow humans, the mind of Christ in our fellow believers, and the fruit of the Spirit in our fellow pilgrims walking with us on this journey called life. And most clearly of all, in the Word, the inscripturated text of the Bible, we discover the Way of salvation, the absolute Truth, and the true Life we can be a part of.

And I am learning to watch for these. From the despair of leaving all, to the delights of finding new friends in Christ. From the disasters of missed flights, to depth of God’s love shown to me from unexpected quarters. From the discouragements of life in foreign lands, to the dazzling glimpses of God’s grace in and through difficulties. I am learning to watch. I am beginning to see. I am teaching myself to share. And you know what? All of this helps me trust when I can’t follow what He’s doing, can’t fathom why He’s doing, can’t feel when He’s doing!

So let’s continue to look for Him all around ourselves. Rumors of the immortal. Radiance of the invisible. Revelation of the God only wise.

For since the creation of the world
His invisible attributes,
His eternal power,
and divine nature,
have been clearly seen ….
Romans 1:20

Great Father of glory;
Pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore thee,
All veiling their sight;
All laud we would render;
O help us to see
’Tis only the splendor
Of light hideth thee!
Walter C. Smith, 1876

MISSED!

This week it’s been 22 years. Two decades and more, since she left us for places better, for a land that is fairer than day.

22 years. Significant for me. You see, I’m 44. She’s been gone now … half my life!

Still loved. Still remembered. Still missed. Affectionately. Achingly. Agonizingly.

A month or so after my mother’s death, a friend asked me over coffee, “So, Abe, hope you don’t mind my asking: How is life, after your mother’s passing?”

I didn’t know what to say. “Life after Mom,” I said, “is like … life after Mom.” There is nothing it can be compared to, no analogy, no likeness. It’s one of a kind. Life will never be the same. A life after Mom!

Wishing you were somehow here again
Wishing you were somehow near
The Phantom of the Opera
Charles Hart, 1986

But the God who took her home at the age of 51, to people eternity with tender and gracious ones like her, has been faithful. He is the one who always consoled His chosen people, Israel.

"As one whom his mother comforts,
so I will comfort you;
And you will be comforted
in Jerusalem."
Isaiah 66:13

And surely, He comforts us who are bereaved.

Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of mercies
and God of all comfort,
who comforts us
in all our affliction ….
2 Corinthians 1:3–4

Though we address God as “Father,” just as our Lord did, it must not be forgotten that frequently God takes on maternal characteristics.

… He brought us forth
[gave birth to us]
by the word of truth ….
James 1:18

How precious is
Your lovingkindness, O God!
And the children of men
take refuge
in the shadow of Your wings.
Psalm 36:7

God as mother? No, more than mother, for God declares ….

"Can a woman
forget her nursing child
And have no compassion
on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget,
but I will not forget you.
Behold, I have inscribed you
on the palms of My hands …. "
Isaiah 49:15

Hart’s lines (set to music by Webber) are depressing ….

No more memories, no more silent tears ...
Help me say goodbye ....

To that I say one word: NEVER!!!!!

Always remembered, she will be. Always missed, she will be. And “Goodbye?” Nonsense! Maybe “See you later”! For see her later, I will. As a matter of fact, come to think of it, “later” is very relative, isn’t it? In the light of eternity that is drawing nigh, “later” is just round the corner. Maybe better is, “Good night!”

Sleep on, belovèd, sleep, and take thy rest;
Lay down thy head upon the Savior’s breast;
We love thee well, but Jesus loves thee best;
Good night!

Only “Good night,” belovèd—not “farewell!”
A little while, and all His saints shall dwell
In hallowed unison indivisible—
Good night!
Sarah Doudney, 1871

We will meet, we will reunite, we will rejoice again, this time forever, in the presence of our Savior.

... and God Himself
will be among them,
and He will wipe away
every tear from their eyes;
and there will no longer
be any death;
there will no longer
be any mourning,
or crying, or pain;
the first things have passed away.
Revelation 21:3–4

Amen and Amen!

Sometimes I can hardly wait
For that sweet, sweet someday
When I'll be swept away
To another time and another place.
Sandi Patti, 1973

Come, Lord Jesus!

BABIES!

Babies. There are lots of things we like about them.They are cute. Playful. Their smiles. Innocence. Affection. So also in the Bible. Children, babies, and others of that tender age are lauded.

Without the simple faith of a child, an attitude of trust in Christ, salvation, Jesus says, is not possible.

“Truly I say to you,
whoever does not receive
the kingdom of God
like a child
will never enter it.”
Luke 18:17

In that sense, every believer is a child before God.

The Spirit Himself testifies …
that we are children of God.
Romans 8:16

Babies and children. Delightful. But, needless to say, there are also things we don’t like about them. Lots of things. They can be petulant. Noisy. Demanding. Selfish. Immature. (Just like adults!) The Scriptures do not hesitate to exhort each believer, every child of God, “Grow up!”

… like newborn babies, yearn
for the pure milk of the word,
so that by it you may grow ….
1 Peter 2:2

Growth is not the verses we know by heart or the hymns we can sing from memory. Growth is not the size of our checks in the offering basket or the years we have attended church. Growth is not the comprehension of the nuances of doctrine or the big names whose teaching we’ve imbibed. Growth is not the theological degrees we hold or the Sunday School classes we have taught.

Because we are, or should be, greedily devouring the living and abiding Word of God, the milk that enables us to grow in the Christian life, Peter exhorts us …

… fervently love one another
from the heart ….
1 Peter 1:22

The practical outworking of growth, that comes from the consumption of the milk of the Word—the food for babies—should be love for one another. The tangible fruit of growth must be love. It is not a doctrine-gauge or theology-assay or ministry-scale that measures our growth, but a love-meter. If I am a growing baby, I must be loving. If not …

… I am nothing ….
[Everything else] profits me nothing ….
1 Corinthians 13:2, 3

If we have not love, we are still babes—abnormal and aberrant—for we have not grown. How many years have I been a Christian, and how much have I grown, or … how much do I love?

Beloved, let us love one another,
for love is from God;
and everyone who loves
is born of God and knows God.
1 John 4:7

If we are truly children of God, we can love because we have been born again, this time not into a physical family, but into a spiritual one. And just as we naturally love those in our physical family, we must love those in our spiritual one.

The one sitting next to us in church, or the one we don’t like very much, or the one who looks down at us, and the one with whom we don’t have much in common, or the one whose name we’ve forgotten, the one who said something nasty to us 17 years, 3 months, and 4 days ago which we still haven’t forgotten. We think we can’t stand them? Listen, we are stuck with them for eternity. Let’s start loving them now …

… until we all attain
to the unity of the faith, …
to a mature man,
to the measure of the stature
… of Christ …
for the growth of the body,
the building up of itself in love.
Ephesians 4:13, 16

The growth of babies. Drink His Word in! Pour His love out!