Recently Lauri and I were able to spend a couple of days with 3 couples that were our best friends from college. These are the kinds of friends that even though we might have to spend time away from each other, we still remain close. The type of friends that you would die for… and they for you. These guys have known me at my best and at my worst. They have been so influential in my walk with Christ, both in obvious circumstances, and in ways that they never knew. They have encouraged me… challenged me… admonished me and believed in me.
We spent time reminiscing on times past — telling stories of the old days. The kind of stories that brought tears to your eyes as you remembered together… tears of laughter, that is! Suffice it to say that my three buddies and I were… rambunctious… during our college days. “Remember the time we rigged a college urinal to spray people in the face when they flushed it?” (It’s really not that hard to do “How about the time we stole… uh… borrowed… a championship banner from our college rival?” “Remember McKnight rappelling out his 3rd floor dorm window because someone had fastened the door closed?” “How about the time we took all of the chapel hymnals and held them for ransom?” Yes, tears of laughter.
We also talked about life now… 35 years later. What had God done in our lives? How had we grown in biblical knowledge and faith? We shared ways that we have served Christ both in the church and in our communities. We talked of life-faith lessons where God brought blessing and sometimes even disciplined us. What a joyful time.
You know, for a handful of years the eight of us did life together. We developed a deep bond that is shared when Christ is at the center of deep friendship. Sometimes I was the example of Christian discipleship and other times they were the example to me… but through it all we loved unconditionally.
Hmmm… so today I am pondering something… yep… that is the way the church is supposed to function. Christian Alliance Church at its very core seeks to exalt Jesus Christ… as we do life together. We desire to LOVE JESUS because worship is our highest calling. We initially seek to GROW TOGETHER in the faith of Christ, and we encourage one another to SERVE OUR WORLD because that is the calling Jesus has placed upon us. We do the Christian Life Together! I love the words of an older Geoff Moore and the Distance song that says:
Together we live, together we walk
Together we stand, divided we fall
When you are weak, I will be strong
When I fall back, won’t you pull me along?
It’s life together!
I’ll stick with you through any kind of weather
Life together!
It’s meant to be for ever and ever
In honor of the One Who paid the price
The gift of love and sacrifice
Gave us life together!
Jude wrote: “But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.” Jude 1:20-21
Today we celebrate 50+ years of ministry! The Psalmist wrote: “The Lord has done amazing things for us! What joy! Psalm 126:3 Yes, He has… and we are grateful — but He isn’t done with us yet! CAC as we do the Christian Life Together may we build each other up and may we pray in the power of the Holy Spirit! And may CAC remain a beacon of hope in a world that so desperately needs to find it!
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