“Heartprints”

    On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the surface of the moon.  In so doing, he initiated a rare fraternity in which twelve men can claim membership.  Only twenty four human feet have ever traversed the lunar landscape, leaving enduring footprints in the dust of a terrain where no wind exists to erase them

     Of even greater significance, twelve men walked with the Lord Jesus Christ throughout His earthly ministry.  One, of course, was a traitor.  The others fled when their Master faced the hour of his cross, but were later redeemed because their faithlessness resulted not from rebellious hearts, but from human frailty.  Peter, James, John and the other disciples went on to become those who walked not merely with the Lord Jesus, but whose hearts become the living receptacle of Christianity’s most sublime promise of grace: “I will dwell in them, and walk in them” (II Corinthians 6:16).

      Our Lord’s footprints, along with those of His disciples, long ago flew with the wind into oblivion.  However, His heartprints, as it were, endure forevermore, as do those of His disciples.  Indeed, it is hard to imagine a world wherein the Lord Jesus never walked in the redeeming love of God’s grace.  The same can be said of the eleven faithful men who themselves went on to live martyr’s lives, and die martyr’s deaths.  The world and the church would not be the same without these sons of God in Christ who saw great and wondrous things when their Lord walked with them, but who saw even greater and more wondrous things when He walked in them.

     This is written as an appreciation for Commander Armstrong, who recently passed away, and for all the brave men whose footprints grace the surface of the moon.  Even more, however, we remember and give thanks for Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James, Simon and Thaddaeus.  Their heartprints grace innumerable human spirits blessed by the eternal spiritual legacy of men who responded to their Lord’s call, “Follow Me” (John 1:43).  They followed, as do we because these disciples/apostles/martyrs walked with the Savior, and because He walked in them.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father.”

(John 14:12)

“And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”

(Revelation 21:14)