Thursday’s Blog – I Remember When

Thursday’s Blog – I Remember When

Proverbs 10:6-7 – Blessings are on the head of the Righteous, but violence cover the mouth of the wicked. The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot.

Bible Challenges and Comments

“Some want to live within the sound of a church or chapel mainly to hear the bell toll” a friend of Billy Sunday once said. And then he added these words; “I want to run a rescue shop (mission) within a yard of hell”, C. T. Studd (1860-1931).

I was saved in May of 1975 and at time before that, Bank Street in New London, CT. was a rip roaring strip of bars and places for sailors to get drunk and later be arrested by the Navy Shore Patrol for the same reason. I did not spend many nights on Bank Street since I was married and went home most of the time, but there were occasions and I knew my way around the various bars.

After May of 1975 I spent more time on Bank Street than ever before. That would be because I met a man whose ministry at the time was to Servicemen and Servicewomen; mostly Navy and some Coast Guard folks. Once a week a few of us would go with Jay the director of the Servicemen’s Center to Bank Street and witness to the sailors walking the street, we also went bowling.

C.T. Studd’s comment reminded me immediately of those long ago days. On one of these trips Jay was confronted by a man who was not military, he was demon possessed to put it plainly. It was also the first time I saw the power of the Living Word of God reach out and calm the moment. Jay simply spoke scripture to the man and he fled away.

I learned also that Jay had operated a small haven of rest for the sailors on Bank Street. A small place where coffee and (homemade) pastry and cookies was available for anyone who wondered in, the place was quiet and comfortable and a place to hear the message that saves the souls of those who “hear” for the first time. The place was just a within a yard of hell. How do I know that?

Well… the little mission shop is gone and the work of ministry (The Christian Servicemen’s Center) operated by Jay for over thirty years has for the most part laid rest. Yet his family still bears the marks of the joys of suffering through those wonderful times. Most who knew Jay walk now under “white or grey hair” and most of us will tell you we miss those days and Jay too.

Today we do not need to go to Bank Street, in fact; “hell” is close to every person who does not know “Jesus Christ” and if you are saved and work among the unbelieving you at this moment may be less than a yard from hell. 

Jesus who is the Lamb of God has removed sin from the World. The Gospel of John (the Apostle) clearly explains this TRUTH; John 1:29 – the next day John (the Baptizer) saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold” (LOOK!) the Lamb of God who takes away the SIN of the WORLD.

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 6:29 – Jesus answered and said to them. “This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent.” 

John 7:38 – “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living water”. John 8:31b-32 – “If you abide in My Word, you are My disciples indeed, and you shall know the TRUTH, and the TRUTH shall set you free.” John 10:29-30 – My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and my Father are ONE.

John 11:25-26 – Jesus said to (Martha), “I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do YOU believe this? John 14:6 – “Jesus said to (Thomas), “I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Well, for the sake of time let me move to the end of the gospel of John; but before I do let me just say that a person could spend a lifetime exploring the gospel of John (Jay and his family are living witnesses of people who have) and if the effects of their love for the LORD were revealed in time you would be able to see hundreds of military and their family removed from hell and all the while they spent their lives living within the boundaries of places like “Bank Street” just a yard from hell.

John 20:30-31 – And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that believing you may have life in His Name. And lastly; John 21:25 – And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world could not contain the books that could would be written.

Our national sin is closer to each of us than that yard to hell = Therefore we should be willing to confess our national sin and to pray for one another, that our nation may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. “You know that verse that most of us have trouble with… James 5:16 – the whole nation is sick; therefore “Let us PRAY.