This post is by Richard Hughes, an Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is posted with his permission.
Yesterday, our family had occasion to visit one of the 'mainline' churches in town. They had three morning services. The 9 AM service was in their huge gymnasium building. The 10 AM service was in their older large "sanctuary" building. And the 11 AM service was back in the gymnasium. (pretty slick system) Both the 9 and 10 AM services were packed full of people. We left before the third service.
The sermon was part one of a six part series on the psychology of interpersonal relationships based upon Adam and Eve's experience in the Garden of Eden. I never did hear the name of Jesus from the lips of the preacher. One of the songs extolled the work we could do to realize God's grace. Another lifted up the name of the 'lord', but never named him.
I was truly troubled by the experience, and amazed that such fare could attract so many. It was disheartening. "What a horrible waste for God's people", I thought, "What robbery". Can you imagine having the ear of thousands, and not lifting up the hope we share together in Jesus? What a shame.
Afterward, as I sat in our living room with these thoughts running through my mind, I suddenly saw a footpath extending before me through a dark wilderness. I was standing on the path, and it stretched as far ahead as I could see. I had the feeling I was standing at the beginning of the pathway looking down through time toward its end. I saw that the whole length of the path was strewn with litter. No part of it was clear and no part of it had any less litter than any other part. Nonetheless, I could discern evidence of many who had walked down the path before me. When I looked at my feet, I saw that the litter was chaff.
As I considered the vision, I realized the path represented the Christian walk as it extended from the crucifixion to the catching away of the very last believer on earth; and the chaff represented the denominational doctrine, false prophecies, and misleading teachings that have been deliberately thrown into the pathway to ensnare us. The path of the Christian walk through this world was strewn with chaff from the beginning. Nonetheless, the pathway was always discernible through the wilderness. Even though the whole of the way it was covered with chaff, the pathway was never completely obscured. A traveler could always see the path to walk on it, and follow where it was leading.
As I thought about this, I recalled the prophecy of John at the baptism of Jesus when he spoke of Him as having a fan in his hand ready to purge the floor and gather the wheat. I saw that John 'saw' the threshing floor - the pathway down through time - covered with chaff just as we do. And so, he was thrilled to see Jesus standing before him. For he knew, as we know, that Jesus shall deliver all who are His in the way, and that He will not lose any whom the Father has placed in His hand. Therefore, the threshing floor - the pathway - is safe for all who believe in spite of the enemy's relentless efforts to obscure it. And John was encouraged.
Even so, I was encouraged, and I pray you will be too. For our God is absolutely sovereign.
With love in Christ Jesus,
Dick
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