Ephesians 2:10 New
Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
10 For we are what he has made
us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be
our way of life.
Earlier in January I went uptown to a stamp show. With all
of my cancer fight and what that has entailed, I hadn’t been to one for well
over a year. One of the dealers whom I count as a personal friend told me he
has been seeing blood in his urine. He is, of course, running scared. He pointed
out that we are both well into our seventies and both born under Aquarius—not
that I attach any meaning to Zodiacal signs.
His father was a conservative Christian pastor, and my
friend had attended a conservative Christian university where he took a
theology major. But the years have jaded some of his Christian zeal. His Christian
world view, however, still affects his life. I encouraged him to get some
immediate medical attention. Between dozens of interruptions by visitors to his
booth, we also spent some very meaningful time reviewing the marvelous hope we
have in Christ Jesus.
A couple days ago there was another stamp show uptown. I
told my wife that I felt I needed to go to this one, too, in order to see my
dealer friend. He was there, and I spent several more hours at his booth. He,
his wife, and I were able to chat some more. Things had not gotten any better.
In fact not only was there still blood in his urine, his wife mentioned that
his bowels had also been totally shut down for over a month now.
He had looked gaunt last time and appeared even more so this
time. At least he now had several appointments this week for various medical checkups,
lab work, x-rays, and other tests. I have fears that things may not go well
with him, but at least he seems to have a blessed hope in Christ and his
future. I pray for his well being and wisdom on his part and the medical people
who help him.
The very next day I had an appointment with a doctor whom I have
known for many years. I sat in the waiting room and in an examination room for
over two hours. When the doctor came into my room, he closed the door behind
him. He sat down and told how a mutual friend of 50 plus years is now on life-support
in intensive care. He told me further that he had been chosen as the chair of
his church’s finance committee. The experience has been a real eye-opener to
him as to how church policies are actually implemented—or simply ignored.
I told him about our experience when my wife and I first
went to Africa as full time employees of the church as missionaries. Over the
first two years we were shocked at what happened, how policies were ignored,
how lies were told, etc. It became a real crisis in our Christian experience: After
all, we were working for an organization that we considered to be God’s
organization on earth most closely connected with our hope of salvation. After
discussing and praying about it, we decided that we were still working for
Jesus Christ but were being paid by a human organization. Furthermore, we chose
not to fault our Savior for this weak, imperfect, and at times corrupt big
business—the church.
Lord Jesus, we thank
You for the privilege of working for You for our entire career. We pray not
only for our own salvation but also for those devoted, but often confused,
humans who do things in Your name and for Your sake.
#Stamps, #Stampshows, #stampdealers, #prostatecancer, #IE,
#SoCal, #California, Christiancrisis, #corruptchurch, #Savior, #salvation,
#hope, #Doctor, #WaitingRoom, #Africa, #ChristLove
