Swinging for the Fence

There is nothing like opening day if you are a big fan of Major League Baseball.  (This writer has been rooting for the Cincinnati Reds since the early days of the Big Red Machine.) The month of April signals the beginning of America’s Pastime, and with it, our renewed hopes for the team that has secured our attention and allegiance.

Questions will abound. and ultimately be answered, as the puzzle of each team’s season begins to unfold.  Speaking of questions…See if you can answer the following riddle I recently discovered in my devotional reading.

“A man left home running one night.  He turns left and is still running.  He then takes another left, and finally, after a few more strides he takes one final left turn. When he arrives back home, he is met by two masked men.  (Again) The QUESTION? Who are those masked men?

If you were following our earlier discussion about baseball and swinging for the fence, that should provide you with a clue to the above riddle.  Another hint can be found in Hebrews 11:1.

“Now FAITH is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

Sometimes it is difficult when we begin a new adventure for our Lord.  Our recent COVID-19 situation would certainly qualify as a new adventure.  Those who lead us realize that the only way we will “Grow in the Lord” is to place our FAITH within His Might!

This is, by the way, the area of intent being expressed in this article set before you. That is, God is calling His Church, including the congregation of Little Flatrock, to go beyond the obvious and continuously swing for the fence!  The key to this understanding is found in Acts 1:10-11.

“They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.’”

 Although this is not intended to be a riddle…Who were THESE two men? Basically, as Jesus was leaving His disciples, this duo appeared to let them know the following:

“The appearance of the two angels broke the spell and recalled them to the ENORMOUS TASK at hand with the assurance that the return of Jesus to judge the world would be in this same manner.” (Studies in the Life of Christ – R.C. Foster)

This task is what we need to be reminded of on a daily basis as the world around us needs to find Christ in those of us who our Christians.  As puzzling as that may sound, it is exemplified in the following word picture that Paul utilizes in the sixth book of the New Testament… ‘Clothe yourself with Christ’ (Romans 13:14).  It is not what it literally appears to be, but it is how the early disciples were commanded to serve.

This puzzling instruction should be the answer to our desire to go beyond the obvious!  However, as these two men stated, we must not just STAND HERE, but continuously SHOW CHRIST to those that do not know Him!

Keep Swinging for the Fence…for Him,

Pastor Pat