"A Strong Place"

 

“A Strong Place”

(Please read the previous article, “A Scary Place”, before this one.)

 

In Brooklyn there’s a one block long street called Strong Place. It’s named for lawyer and farmer Selah Strong (1792-1872) who lived in the area. It’s probably unknown to most New Yorkers but has great significance for our family. On one end of the street stood Strong Place Baptist Church where my mother grew up, my grandparents were long-time members, my parents were married and I accepted Christ as my Savior. Due to economic and social changes the building (constructed in 1851) was abandoned in the 1960’s and fell into disrepair but in recent years has been refurbished into 23 luxury condominiums. The church itself, organized in 1848, still exists and meets in a storefront a few blocks from the original site, showing that Christ’s church is people, not a facility.

I believe God desires His church to be a strong place. The assembly of believers bearing this name has lasted 176 years so has lived up to it. But since the body of Christ is made up of people like you and me Strong Place has a heritage of faithful saints whose prayers, service and giving have kept its light shining in its Brooklyn neighborhood for almost two centuries.

In 1 Corinthians 16:13 Paul admonishes us, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be (people) of courage; be strong.” We’re also told to “…be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” (Ephesians 6:4) and “…be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 2:1). (Emphasis added throughout.) In each case the original Greek has the idea of being empowered for a purpose. This presents a question I must answer: Is my mind a strong place? In Romans 8:6 God says, “The mind of (a sinful person) is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace….” In His Great Commission our Lord promised His followers, “…You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you….” (Acts 1:8). So we each have the resources we need for our mind to be a strong place (“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness….”--2 Peter 1:3, emphasis added).

Remember that “…God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV, emphasis added) so let’s allow Him to transform our minds from a scary place to a strong place.

 

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan