"One at a Time"

“One at a Time”

In 1997 I attended our church fellowship’s Annual Conference in California. As it was the 50^th anniversary of the founding of our Association it was a time of celebration but also challenge to reach out into our communities through prayer and actions. When I returned home our elders discussed what we could do to penetrate Manchester and the surrounding area. Among other efforts two of our men spearheaded a tract distribution ministry and we began plans to call a Youth Pastor (which happened two years later). We also began a weekly prayer time specifically directed towards those relatives and friends we wanted to see come to Christ and made a seven column list of first names so each would be brought before the Lord regularly (I still pray through the last update prepared before we moved in June 2009).

God further impressed on me the desire to drive down every street in our city and pray for those who lived, worked, played and went to school on each one. As I did this I had to fight the enemy’s taunts that the task was too big and our Body too small to make a dent in our community’s needs. God overcame this sense of being overwhelmed by telling me, “I still reach people one at a time”. This encouraged me (and I hope it will you too) to see individuals rather than the crowd and use us as instruments to impact people “one at a time”.

As I made my way around town I found streets I‘d never heard of, some less than a block long. I also discovered some so new they weren’t yet on the map! Does this mean they weren’t important? Just as the blood in our bodies fills the smallest and out-of-the-way capillaries God’s grace fills the smallest and least known streets because people are there for whom Jesus died. That makes them significant, doesn’t it?

There’s no place on earth where God’s presence is lacking. In Psalm 139:7 King David raises a rhetorical question: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” The answer: Nowhere (see verses 8-10). Does size matter? Check out Jeremiah 23:24: “’Can anyone hide in the secret places so that I cannot see him?...Do I not fill heaven and earth?’ declares the Lord.”

God has empowered us with His Spirit to be His representatives (Acts 1:8) on the busy and quiet streets of our towns. Will we commit ourselves to touching lives “one at a time”?

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan

"Salt"

“Salt”

Have you ever wondered where the phrase “worth one’s salt” comes from? The saying first appeared in an 1805 report of a foreign expedition but the concept goes back to the days of Imperial Rome when soldiers were paid so they could purchase salt. It has come to mean worth one’s salary or contributions to some cause. (Similar expression such as “worth one’s weight in gold” and “worth one’s while”, or time, have filtered down over the centuries.)

Salt has been a valuable commodity throughout history as a preservative but became less so with the invention of canning and refrigeration. In ancient times it was employed as an antiseptic to protect from infection (infants were rubbed with it for this purpose—see Ezekiel 16:4). It was also a requirement for the Israelites’ sacrifices (“…add salt to all your offerings….”—Leviticus 2:13) and was spread on conquered territories as a method and representation of destruction (see Judges 9:45). But even some 3500 years ago it was utilized (as it is today) to enhance the flavor of food (“Is tasteless food eaten without salt…?”—Job 6:6). And in its commercial form it’s spread on icy roads to make them more passable (which wreaks havoc on cars’ paint jobs and undercarriages—I know this well from personal experience).

Since salt was so familiar in Bible times God used it symbolically in His Word. In Matthew 5:13 Jesus said to His listeners, “You are the salt of the earth”. He likely had several factors in mind. First, that they’d be used to preserve His truth from corruption. Next, that they’d be His instruments through whom His message spreads and penetrates people’s hearts, much as salt in boiling water spreads then is absorbed by the pasta or other dish being prepared. Finally, they’d make Him appealing to those around them. By all these means they would “…glorify (their) Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16).

The Apostle Paul brings another dimension as he challenges his readers to, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Colossians 4:6, emphasis added). Here he moves from a general lifestyle of godliness to being specific about our words. A decade or so earlier our Lord’s brother had sounded a strong warning about the impact of careless speech (see James 3). While “salty language” is a worldly euphemism for swearing, Paul is saying just the opposite. It’s to be attractive, appealing and accepting while “…speaking the truth in love….” (Ephesians 4:15). This can open doors to productive discussions surrounding God’s grace, mercy and faithfulness.

So while we’re enjoying our pretzels, popcorn and soy sauce let’s think of how God can use our “saltiness” to make Him look good before a needy world.

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan

"Taking Warings Seriously"

“Taking Warnings Seriously”

In the Reader’s Digest section “Life in These United States” many years ago a piece appeared about a deep dip in a suburban street for which drivers were advised to slow to 10 mph. Most who were unfamiliar with the area paid little attention to the warning and went almost airborne when they hit the bump. About 50 feet beyond the hazard there was another sign: “See?”

This anecdote came to mind when we moved to a church in a rural area of upstate New York in the 1980’s. We were taking Dave to his first day at his new school, about 14 miles from our house. On a county road we came down a long hill and towards the bottom was a sign warning of a sharp right bend and “suggested” speed of 10 mph. My thought was, “No curve is that bad” and I hit it at about 25 mph, only to end up on the shoulder on the opposite side of the road! (For once I learned my lesson the first time!) When I told my predecessor, a long-time friend, what had happened he chuckled and told me, “Don’t feel bad. I went into the corn field on my first trip!” So I wasn’t alone in my misjudgment. 

Recently I reflected on this long-ago experience and realized how often I play fast and loose with God’s warnings. Do I think His words don’t apply to me and somehow I’ll get a pass if I ignore or rationalize them? As I pondered this question God brought to mind several ways by which I do this and His appropriate warnings (with emphasis added):

“I have it all together.” (“You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else.”—1 Corinthians 10:12, TM)

“I can hold others to my standard.” (“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged.”—Matthew 7:1-2)

“I can associate with anyone I want to—it won’t impact me.” (“Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’”—1 Corinthians 15:33)

“I can say what I please in any way I please.” (“…Every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it….”—Matthew 12:36, NASB)

“”It won’t come back to haunt me.” (“Don’t be misled. No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, {he or she} will harvest.”—Galatians 6:7, TM)

“I won’t be called to account.” (“…Each of us will have to give a personal account to God.”—Romans 14:12, NLT)

To all this I utter a collective “Ouch!” Maybe you do too. God’s message is clear: “I mean what I say!” For our own good we must learn this well.

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan