Why milestones for a Christians’ life journey in this world? Have you ever thought about the milestones in Christians’ faith journey? Are there milestones in a Christians’ life? If so, which is the origin or center of the milestone? How many milestones a believer in Jesus Christ has to pass to reach the final destiny in his or her lifetime? How can a true believer in Jesus Christ achieve the final goal successfully at the end?
As you may know that “milestones” is a familiar word to most of us. Moreover, “are we there yet,” a common phrase or question is also familiar to most parents and professionals both in the family and business?
Christians, are we there yet? There means where? Can he or she pass each milestone in life without on the right track and a compass pointed towards personal “True North,” and reach the final destination? How many milestones did he or she pass so far successfully, despite hardships and difficulties? Or, as a Christian how many milestones one can think have left in his or her life to pass finally to reach destiny?
I don’t think “Life is a highway” for Christians! As we know that Jesus Christ said “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it (Matthew 7:13-14 NKJV).”
As we can see that Christians have different entrance and exist than non-believers. I think William Shakespeare knew the meaning of entrance and exist of our life’s journey in this world when he wrote his famous lines “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances.”
A week ago, thought on the “milestones” crossed my mind, and I prayed about it since for the last seven months I never watched any of the biased social media news, TV, or communicated over social media with colleagues or friends due to various reasons.
However, after a prayerful thought, I decided to write and post this blog on my website johnwesleyadmirer.com. In fact, without John Wesley’s ministry, I would not have crossed few milestones successfully so far in our family’s life.
Moreover, I believe that the “Good News” must be shared through our deeds and words without compromising our faith in God of the Bible, and at present, this is one of the ways to do so!
What are milestones in a true believer’s life? Why milestones other than just familiar birthdays, baptisms, confirmation, graduations, and weddings, etc., are unique and important in the Christians’ family life?
I am sure we as Christians our weathered milestones will take us back along the track of a memory lane. A few weeks ago, that is what happened to me!
At this juncture I am reminded of the Bible verse, which is “that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you? ‘Then you shall answer them ….. (Joshua 4: 6-7 NKJV).” Today, what would be our answer to this question?
Four weeks ago, on Pentecost Sunday (i.e., May 30, 2021), I had one of the unforgettable experiences when our new home Methodist church pastors in Prattville, Alabama asked me to read the Bible (Acts 2:1-13) in my mother tongue Kannada, which is one of the South Indian languages. At the same time, it was our new membership in this church being transferred over 26 years of membership from the Trinity United Methodist Church in Hackettstown, New Jersey.
Pentecost Sunday’s service experience coupled with the last week’s thought on “milestones,” once again spiritually uplifted me in writing and publishing this post.
“Milestones,” a familiar word, and scene to us who drive and ride vehicles on the road. Why is a stone with numbered marker on a route such as a road, railway line, local or state boundary is important for the driver and the riders?
According to the history, “milestones” concept originated and was widely used by Roman Empire road builders, and at the center of Rome, the “Golden Milestone” was erected to mark the presumed center of the empire.
When we think of “milestones” in the context of a Christians’ life and faith journey, as believers in Jesus Christ, since the time of Apostolic Age (i.e., 30 c- 100) despite the hardships, persecutions, hurdles, and detours, our faithful fathers passed the major millstones from this Golden Milestone location and handed over the baton of faith to our generation to carry-on to the next generation, if you will.
Meaning, the “Faith Milestone” was erected by the “Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-13) during the Roman Empire to mark the center of His kingdom. “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone (Matthew 21:42 NKJV).”
As stated in the Book of Acts 2 that, the Christians’ faith journey started from Jerusalem during the Roman Empire with a belief and trust in Jesus Christ the “author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2 NKJV).”
It is a known fact that from the Apostolic Age through the Modern Church (1789-1970), Christians and its leaders passed major millstones with all kinds of hardships in the Church’s history.
However, in my opinion, based on the facts, if we fast-forward, the postmodern Church and its members in the 21st century once again are faced with hurdles and detours in their faith journey to pass the next milestones both as a church and member.
In other words, I think in the 21st century Christianity is at the crossroad. For example, largest mainline American Protestant churches, such as the United Methodist Church (UMC), Lutheran, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Baptist, and United Church of Christ are faced with various social, moral, and political battles related to the critical race theory (CRT), abortion, divorce, same-sex marriage, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) and other issues.
As a Methodist member and great admirer of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, and beneficiary of his ministry, I was dismayed to learn of the Methodist denomination split.
Last week the Southern Baptists, the largest Protestant denomination next to the United Methodist Church in the United States of America (USA) met in Nashville, Tennessee for their 2021 annual meeting. This meeting was so divided over LGBTQ, CRT, politics, and gender policies. In other words, this largest Protestant denomination in the USA is faced with challenges.
Finally, the United Methodist Church (UMC) in the USA is going forward with plans to split this old Protestant denomination over the fundamental differences regarding LGBTQ clergy and same-sex marriage.
As a result, over a month ago, almost 300 delegates of the Wesleyan Covenant Association (WCA) from across the globe met in Frazer United Methodist Church, Montgomery, Alabama to discuss the launch of the new Global Methodist Church.
The WCA proposed legislation will be voted on in August 2022 during the General Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As per the WCA, if the legislation is passed, it allows for the formation of a new orthodox or “traditional” Methodist Church called the “Global Methodist Church.”
The Global Methodist Church will have a traditional or conservative viewpoint on theology and human sexuality and will continue to practice the ban on same-sex marriage and LGBTQ Clergy.
Even the Catholic denomination in the USA is faced with all kinds of issues. A few days ago, U.S. Catholic bishops overwhelmingly approved and rebuked Catholic politicians, including President Joe Biden for receiving Communion due to their support for abortion and other issues.
In this present chaotic situation, how can a Christian pass his or her faith from one milestone to the next one? What assurance do the parents have of their children and grandchildren holding on to the Faith of our fathers, when social media, public schools, and colleges are indoctrinating our innocent children?
I think as believers in God of the Bible and His only Son Jesus Christ, we have no other way than to trust and obey. Jesus Christ said that “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world (John 16:33 NKJV), He also said that, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me (John 14:1 NKJV).”
I am sure God has His plan and He will reveal it in His own time, the way He did it during the First Great Awakening (1730s – 1740s) and the Second Great Awakening (1800 -1840s) times.
For true Christians according to His word the only assurance we have in our faith journey, no matter what milestone and whatever situation we are faced with in our life, the final destiny is granted. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life (John 5:24 NKJV).”
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