REAL CHRISTIANITY

As I lay in bed trying to go to sleep, the words of an old hymn broke into my consciousness:

"O sweet will of God! Thou hast girded me 'round,
Like the deep, moving currents that girdle the sea;

I had not thought of it in years, but it struck a chord deep in my soul. While I could recall some of the words, others were hazy. so I searched the internet. Up came "The Bondage of Love" and its verses authored by an old saint of by-gone days, George D. Watson.

Recalling the hymn brought back memories of attending A.W. Tozer's church on 70th and Union in Chicago. It was there I learned and sang it with the congregation.

Many years ago when I was in nurses' training, a Christian woman, Elaine, worked at the same hospital where we were students. She became acquainted with several of us who were also Christians, and offered to take us with her to Dr. Tozer's church.

What an awesome experience that was! Dr. Tozer came onto the platform just before the service began. He scrutinized the congregation with the piercing eyes of an eagle, all seriousness. Ray McAfee, his close ally, prayer partner and chauffeur, was the only one permitted to sing a solo from the platform, leaving no room for mere performance in the house of God.

While I don't remember what Tozer preached, I recall his messages were riveting and soul-searching. My mother had subscribed to the Alliance Weekly, a publication of the Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination edited by Dr. Tozer. His editorials were powerful! So was his book, The Pursuit of God, as were those that followed. The man walked with God as few men do.

As my education continued elsewhere, Elaine, the woman who introduced me to Tozer's church and its God-honoring atmosphere, no longer was a part of my life. But I never forgot Elaine and her contribution to my spiritual journey, a seeking believer hungry for more of God.

Years later I found she had become a physician and set up a private practice where she became an integral member of the community, committed to their care and societal life. Her obituary gave me pause, however. The church with which she was affiliated and where she gave much of her time and service was of a denomination that long ago had forsaken the tenets of the faith on which it had been founded. According to Jesus' description in Revelation, it is today a Laodicean church.

I could not help but wonder if she, too, had accepted their standards as her own level of spirituality, rather than aspiring to the deep love life with God preached and lived by Tozer. While I am indebted to Elaine for her introduction to Tozer, I felt a grief come over my heart if she missed it later in life.

I don't know, perhaps I'll never know. I weep to think she might have settled for a Laodicean form of worship and service. I can only hope she didn't.

And, by the same token, I fear for the many who call themselves Christians today but live so far below the high calling of Christ. The norm for Christian living is set far below the standard established by Jesus, the book of Acts and the Apostle Paul.

Many, many videos of services held at Brownsville church, site of the Pensacola revival that closed out the 20th century, appear on Youtube. The fire that burned in every service shames most churches today. It is that same fire we need in these Last Days!

People with itching ears want to hear superficial, ear-tickling, time-limited messages so they can get on with their busy schedules. Rev. Watson's hymn would fall on deaf ears today:

"O sweet will of God! Thou hast girded me round,
Like the deep, moving currents that girdle the sea;
With omnipotent love is my poor nature bound,
And this bondage to love sets me perfectly free.

"For years my soul wrestled with vague discontent
That like a sad angel o'ershadowed my way;
God's light in my soul with the darkness was lent,
And my heart ever longed for an unclouded day.

"And now I have flung myself recklessly out,
Like a chip on the stream of the Infinite Will,
I pass the rough rocks with a smile and a shout,
And I just let my God His dear purpose fulfill.

"Forever I choose the good will of my God,
Its holy, deep riches to love and to know;
The serfdom of love to so sweeten the rod,
That its touch maketh rivers of honey to flow.

"Roll on, checkered seasons, bring smiles or bring tears,
My soul sweetly sails on an infinite tide;
I shall soon touch the shores of eternity's years,
And near the white throne of my Savior abide.

Refrain:

"Hallelujah! Hallelujah! My soul is now free!
For the precious blood of Jesus cleanseth even me.

Yet, God has His remnant: Those who love Him supremely in spite of what goes on around them in the name of spirituality and religion. Tozer was one of those in his day. I hope Elaine was one of them, too.