January 24th, 2024
(This was published on January 21st, 2024, in the 2023 Annual Report Booklet).
“So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
Psalm 90:12, NKJV
One of many tensions in the Christian life has to do with the concept of time. On the one hand, we are required to exhibit urgency. “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil,” says the Apostle Paul. James portrays life as a vapor, which appears and suddenly vanishes away. The Psalmist says our lives are a “mere breath” (39:5). We must always keep in mind that our time is short. British missionary C.T Studd penned a short poem with this constant refrain,
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
On the other hand, we are responsible to plan for the future, consider the big picture, and do our best to set-up the coming generations for spiritual success. We cannot be so absorbed with present issues that we ignore prudent long-term preparation. Yes, Jesus could return today, but He also might tarry another hundred years. We earnestly anticipate the former, and intentionally plan for the latter.
As another year passes by, I’m reminded of this tension in our life as a church. We desperately want to make an impact. We’re praying for immediate needs, especially for souls that are dying without Christ, a community that is hurting, and a country that has rejected God’s Word. We want to see the Lord exalted here and now!
We also plod on, one shoe in front of the other, committed to building on the one and only foundation, Jesus Christ. In truth, it requires effort and deliberation to remain faithful to that foundation, day by day, year by year, decade by decade. We set a biblical mason’s line for our children and our grandchildren, doing everything we can do to pave the way forward.
Abraham demonstrated this foresight when he dug a well and planted a tree in the land of promise (Genesis 21: 25,33). Jeremiah illustrated it when he obeyed God’s command to buy a field during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 32). Proverbs 13:22 says that “a good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.” Today, we want to leave an inheritance of faithfulness and doctrinal purity.
So, we move into 2024 with both urgent mission and unhurried resolve. While we look for new opportunities to connect with our ever-changing culture and share the gospel, we plumb the same wells the Church has always drawn from – personal Bible study, individual and corporate prayer, expositional preaching, one-another love and care, and intentional discipleship.
Perhaps this is the year Christ will return for His Church. But if it’s not, let’s make sure we’ve added a few more bricks to the sure foundation we’ve inherited when this year comes to a close.
“So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
Psalm 90:12, NKJV
One of many tensions in the Christian life has to do with the concept of time. On the one hand, we are required to exhibit urgency. “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil,” says the Apostle Paul. James portrays life as a vapor, which appears and suddenly vanishes away. The Psalmist says our lives are a “mere breath” (39:5). We must always keep in mind that our time is short. British missionary C.T Studd penned a short poem with this constant refrain,
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
On the other hand, we are responsible to plan for the future, consider the big picture, and do our best to set-up the coming generations for spiritual success. We cannot be so absorbed with present issues that we ignore prudent long-term preparation. Yes, Jesus could return today, but He also might tarry another hundred years. We earnestly anticipate the former, and intentionally plan for the latter.
As another year passes by, I’m reminded of this tension in our life as a church. We desperately want to make an impact. We’re praying for immediate needs, especially for souls that are dying without Christ, a community that is hurting, and a country that has rejected God’s Word. We want to see the Lord exalted here and now!
We also plod on, one shoe in front of the other, committed to building on the one and only foundation, Jesus Christ. In truth, it requires effort and deliberation to remain faithful to that foundation, day by day, year by year, decade by decade. We set a biblical mason’s line for our children and our grandchildren, doing everything we can do to pave the way forward.
Abraham demonstrated this foresight when he dug a well and planted a tree in the land of promise (Genesis 21: 25,33). Jeremiah illustrated it when he obeyed God’s command to buy a field during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 32). Proverbs 13:22 says that “a good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.” Today, we want to leave an inheritance of faithfulness and doctrinal purity.
So, we move into 2024 with both urgent mission and unhurried resolve. While we look for new opportunities to connect with our ever-changing culture and share the gospel, we plumb the same wells the Church has always drawn from – personal Bible study, individual and corporate prayer, expositional preaching, one-another love and care, and intentional discipleship.
Perhaps this is the year Christ will return for His Church. But if it’s not, let’s make sure we’ve added a few more bricks to the sure foundation we’ve inherited when this year comes to a close.
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