Friday, December 29, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
When I first accepted Jesus Christ I was in jail in 1983. During that time my granny got sick and being a new Christian I prayed for her healing. It was the first time I remember honestly praying for someone as a Christian. I remember making a promise with God saying that if my granny got healed I would lead 100 people to Jesus Christ. My granny recovered and lived for another 19 years. I never forgot my promise to God either. Over the past 24 years I have witnessed to many people and even prayed with a few who have accepted Jesus, but as far as being instrumental in leading someone to Christ, I don't know that I have, at least I don't feel like I have. There always seems to be other factors involved when I've been around someone when they first accept Jesus. I am far short of my promise to God to bring 100 into the kingdom. Today I happened on to a short story and it reminded me that we have no idea how far even the smallest of our actions may reach. Share this with me.....................JRE
There was once a man who lived a pretty normal life. He never thought he was a bad person, but he wouldn’t let anyone run over him either. Then one day God touched his heart and the man accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. The man was so overjoyed with his new feeling that he promised the Lord that he would tell everyone he met about Jesus and lead at least 100 people to this great thing he had found. But the man soon found that leading people to Christ was not an easy thing to do. Most of his friends thought he was crazy and soon distanced themselves from him. The man almost gave up several times, but he would still tell anyone he could about the Good News and how it had changed his life and filled him with such peace and happiness. Then the man died. The man found himself in a room. All the things that he had done and said in his lifetime, all the bad things he had done, all the bad thoughts he had had all came back to him and was flashed before him in a moment of time. Then he saw a vision of himself, the time he got saved, he saw himself there on his knees promising God that he would spread the Gospel to at least 100 people. The man fell to his knees and wept. Then Jesus stood before the man and told him, “Arise my child, and tell me why you weep?” The man answered, “Lord, I have committed all these terrible things in my life, and I have even lied to you.” The Lord looked puzzled and asked the man, “How have you lied to Me?” “I promised you that I would lead 100 people to you Lord, and even though I tried with all my might, I did not lead one single person to you. I broke my promise to you and lied to you.” Then Jesus smiled at the man and wiped the tears from his eyes, “My child, you did not break your promise to Me.” The man said, “But Lord, I did not lead one single person to you!” Jesus answered, “My child, do you remember the time in the restaurant when you sat down to eat, and you prayed, thanking The Father for your food? Well, there was a lady sitting in that same restaurant. The lady was sick with sin, and even though I had tried to reach her several times, she ignored Me. She was thinking of going home and taking her life, and she was planning to take her children’s lives too. But this lady saw you pray, and it broke her heart. A door opened in that lady’s heart, and she allowed Me to come in. The lady went home, and instead of ending her life, she accepted Me and asked Me to take control of her life. This woman found her faith, and she showed it to every one she knew, including her children, and when they became ready, they asked Me to take control of their lives. One of the children grew up to become a powerful evangelist and led many to Me. So My child, be of good cheer. You kept your promise. Your small but consistent acts of faith led not 100, but 100,000 to Me.” The man was overjoyed, but still he felt guilt. “My Lord,” he said, “What about all those other bad things I have done?” Jesus then smiled and said, “Don’t worry about those, I paid the price for you. You see, we both kept the promises we made.”
Author Unknown
The Promise
When I first accepted Jesus Christ I was in jail in 1983. During that time my granny got sick and being a new Christian I prayed for her healing. It was the first time I remember honestly praying for someone as a Christian. I remember making a promise with God saying that if my granny got healed I would lead 100 people to Jesus Christ. My granny recovered and lived for another 19 years. I never forgot my promise to God either. Over the past 24 years I have witnessed to many people and even prayed with a few who have accepted Jesus, but as far as being instrumental in leading someone to Christ, I don't know that I have, at least I don't feel like I have. There always seems to be other factors involved when I've been around someone when they first accept Jesus. I am far short of my promise to God to bring 100 into the kingdom. Today I happened on to a short story and it reminded me that we have no idea how far even the smallest of our actions may reach. Share this with me.....................JRE
There was once a man who lived a pretty normal life. He never thought he was a bad person, but he wouldn’t let anyone run over him either. Then one day God touched his heart and the man accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. The man was so overjoyed with his new feeling that he promised the Lord that he would tell everyone he met about Jesus and lead at least 100 people to this great thing he had found. But the man soon found that leading people to Christ was not an easy thing to do. Most of his friends thought he was crazy and soon distanced themselves from him. The man almost gave up several times, but he would still tell anyone he could about the Good News and how it had changed his life and filled him with such peace and happiness. Then the man died. The man found himself in a room. All the things that he had done and said in his lifetime, all the bad things he had done, all the bad thoughts he had had all came back to him and was flashed before him in a moment of time. Then he saw a vision of himself, the time he got saved, he saw himself there on his knees promising God that he would spread the Gospel to at least 100 people. The man fell to his knees and wept. Then Jesus stood before the man and told him, “Arise my child, and tell me why you weep?” The man answered, “Lord, I have committed all these terrible things in my life, and I have even lied to you.” The Lord looked puzzled and asked the man, “How have you lied to Me?” “I promised you that I would lead 100 people to you Lord, and even though I tried with all my might, I did not lead one single person to you. I broke my promise to you and lied to you.” Then Jesus smiled at the man and wiped the tears from his eyes, “My child, you did not break your promise to Me.” The man said, “But Lord, I did not lead one single person to you!” Jesus answered, “My child, do you remember the time in the restaurant when you sat down to eat, and you prayed, thanking The Father for your food? Well, there was a lady sitting in that same restaurant. The lady was sick with sin, and even though I had tried to reach her several times, she ignored Me. She was thinking of going home and taking her life, and she was planning to take her children’s lives too. But this lady saw you pray, and it broke her heart. A door opened in that lady’s heart, and she allowed Me to come in. The lady went home, and instead of ending her life, she accepted Me and asked Me to take control of her life. This woman found her faith, and she showed it to every one she knew, including her children, and when they became ready, they asked Me to take control of their lives. One of the children grew up to become a powerful evangelist and led many to Me. So My child, be of good cheer. You kept your promise. Your small but consistent acts of faith led not 100, but 100,000 to Me.” The man was overjoyed, but still he felt guilt. “My Lord,” he said, “What about all those other bad things I have done?” Jesus then smiled and said, “Don’t worry about those, I paid the price for you. You see, we both kept the promises we made.”
Author Unknown
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: There are two kinds of people in the world: those who come into a room and say, “Here I am!” and those who come into a room and say, “Ah, there you are!” (Anonymous)
“At the moment I have all I need, more than I need! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable to God and pleases him. And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 4:19 NLT)
My God shall supply all my needs. The revelation that this Scripture verse is working in my life is a daily awareness. For years as a Christian I passed over this verse not really giving it much thought. That’s the way life is when we are self-sufficient and doing for ourselves, but let something happen in our lives where we have to be dependent on God and others, and we will see how much God supplies all our needs. Tomorrow I have a date in court. I will stand before the judge in my county court to get my drivers license reinstated. In December 1996 they took my license for DWI’s, they took my driving privileges for ten years. Tomorrow after eight years and three months of working a program of recovery through Alcoholics Anonymous, and by the grace of a loving God in my life, I look forward to going to court. I have never before looked forward to going to court, my how things have changed. For over the past eight years I have ridden a bicycle to get around. In the rural community I live in, most people recognize me as the fellow on the bicycle with the headphones and bandana. It has been a humbling experience to spend the entire time from age fifty-two to sixty on a bicycle. During this time if I needed to go somewhere of distance I would have to hire people to drive me. Many friends volunteered their services also, and for this I am truly grateful. My point in telling this is to tell of how God has supplied all my needs. All my needs have been provided since I have made it a priority in my life to be clean and sober, and to daily seek God. In the past eight years I have lacked for nothing! I mean nothing! I have not once been hungry. I have not been broke. I have not once needed clothing or shoes. I have always had a roof over my head. I have always had electricity and fuel for heating. I have always had the items needed for cleansing, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, razors, and deodorant. I have not so much in the past eight years even ran out of toilet paper. I have absolutely lacked for nothing! I have always been able to get to church, meetings, and anywhere I needed to go. I have not lacked having good friends in my life and people who really love God and care about each other. When I was driving and living a life based on self-centeredness, I always seemed to run out of stuff. At times when in the grips of my addictions I found myself hungry, angry, lonely, tired, broke, sad, sick, sorry, depressed and disgusted. It is so ironic as I look back over the past ten years and realize how they should have been the worst of my life, and yet just the opposite is true. They have actually been the best years of my life. My God shall supply all my needs through His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. God has done for me what I could not do for myself…………………JRE
“If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know a new peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which use to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.” (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 83-84)
All my needs
Thought for the day: There are two kinds of people in the world: those who come into a room and say, “Here I am!” and those who come into a room and say, “Ah, there you are!” (Anonymous)
“At the moment I have all I need, more than I need! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable to God and pleases him. And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 4:19 NLT)
My God shall supply all my needs. The revelation that this Scripture verse is working in my life is a daily awareness. For years as a Christian I passed over this verse not really giving it much thought. That’s the way life is when we are self-sufficient and doing for ourselves, but let something happen in our lives where we have to be dependent on God and others, and we will see how much God supplies all our needs. Tomorrow I have a date in court. I will stand before the judge in my county court to get my drivers license reinstated. In December 1996 they took my license for DWI’s, they took my driving privileges for ten years. Tomorrow after eight years and three months of working a program of recovery through Alcoholics Anonymous, and by the grace of a loving God in my life, I look forward to going to court. I have never before looked forward to going to court, my how things have changed. For over the past eight years I have ridden a bicycle to get around. In the rural community I live in, most people recognize me as the fellow on the bicycle with the headphones and bandana. It has been a humbling experience to spend the entire time from age fifty-two to sixty on a bicycle. During this time if I needed to go somewhere of distance I would have to hire people to drive me. Many friends volunteered their services also, and for this I am truly grateful. My point in telling this is to tell of how God has supplied all my needs. All my needs have been provided since I have made it a priority in my life to be clean and sober, and to daily seek God. In the past eight years I have lacked for nothing! I mean nothing! I have not once been hungry. I have not been broke. I have not once needed clothing or shoes. I have always had a roof over my head. I have always had electricity and fuel for heating. I have always had the items needed for cleansing, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, razors, and deodorant. I have not so much in the past eight years even ran out of toilet paper. I have absolutely lacked for nothing! I have always been able to get to church, meetings, and anywhere I needed to go. I have not lacked having good friends in my life and people who really love God and care about each other. When I was driving and living a life based on self-centeredness, I always seemed to run out of stuff. At times when in the grips of my addictions I found myself hungry, angry, lonely, tired, broke, sad, sick, sorry, depressed and disgusted. It is so ironic as I look back over the past ten years and realize how they should have been the worst of my life, and yet just the opposite is true. They have actually been the best years of my life. My God shall supply all my needs through His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. God has done for me what I could not do for myself…………………JRE
“If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know a new peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which use to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.” (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 83-84)
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden.” (Corrie ten Boom)
“And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from the Christ, rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts, deciding and settling with finally all questions that arise in your minds…..And be thankful, appreciative, giving praise to God always.”
(Colossians 3:15, The Amplified Bible)
“Soul Harmony,” sounds like a disco band from the seventies. But still, the term soul harmony is an accurate description of inner peace. I believe that as human beings we are composed of three parts. We have a body or a vehicle to move about with, we have a spirit, which is eternal and lives on, and we have a soul made up of our mind our emotions, and our will. When our soul has conflicts within, we have no inner peace. Some examples of soul conflict in my life would be when my emotions are stable, and my will seems to line up with what God wants for me, but my mind is racing. I might have facts that I am trying to remember, calendar dates coming up, scheduled appointments, and on top of that I impose the everyday tasks of living, and I find one part of my soul, the mind to be overwhelming. The result will be no inner peace. Then on the other hand if my mind seems to be stable, but my emotions are flared up because of any number of self-centered character defects such as fear, anger, resentments, jealousy, or self-pity, I find myself once again without that precious inner peace that I strive for. Another example is when my mind is stable and my emotions are level, but my actions are not up to par. My behavior might be out of what I know to be God’s will for my life, and deep in my soul covered up by layers of denial can be found some guilt and remorse. I am responsible for my own will and will power, and if what I am doing I know to be wrong, the result will be no inner peace. In times when I feel a well being about myself I find my soul to be in harmony with itself. I remember when I was in the grips of a terminal addiction to drugs and alcohol, how there would be no peace in my life. As I would pour into my belly the burning liquid, a sense of calm would come over me and I would feel a sensation of well being. My mind would lie to me and tell me that my soul was in harmony. Everything would be all right for a few hours until I woke up, head hurting, body bruised, in a spiritual void, and emotionally drained. With my soul singing a dissonant chord, the solution seemed to be alcohol, which once again would appear to bring harmony to my soul. It took years of this cycle taking place to come to the realization that my mind had been lying to me. In AA we have a slogan, “To Thine Own Self Be True,” these few words can bring the mind and emotions into harmony. For the orchestra to play in harmony it takes a conductor. For my soul to be in harmony it also takes a conductor, or an umpire as the Amplified Bible has it. I am so grateful that today I am not alone in my mind. I have a living and loving God that settles the disputes I find going on within my body, spirit and soul. At times I may object to the call that the umpire makes, but complaining does nothing but prolong and make the situation worse. I live and learn. Thanks for letting me share. God is doing for me what I could not do for myself…………………..JRE
Soul harmony
Thought for the day: “Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden.” (Corrie ten Boom)
“And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from the Christ, rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts, deciding and settling with finally all questions that arise in your minds…..And be thankful, appreciative, giving praise to God always.”
(Colossians 3:15, The Amplified Bible)
“Soul Harmony,” sounds like a disco band from the seventies. But still, the term soul harmony is an accurate description of inner peace. I believe that as human beings we are composed of three parts. We have a body or a vehicle to move about with, we have a spirit, which is eternal and lives on, and we have a soul made up of our mind our emotions, and our will. When our soul has conflicts within, we have no inner peace. Some examples of soul conflict in my life would be when my emotions are stable, and my will seems to line up with what God wants for me, but my mind is racing. I might have facts that I am trying to remember, calendar dates coming up, scheduled appointments, and on top of that I impose the everyday tasks of living, and I find one part of my soul, the mind to be overwhelming. The result will be no inner peace. Then on the other hand if my mind seems to be stable, but my emotions are flared up because of any number of self-centered character defects such as fear, anger, resentments, jealousy, or self-pity, I find myself once again without that precious inner peace that I strive for. Another example is when my mind is stable and my emotions are level, but my actions are not up to par. My behavior might be out of what I know to be God’s will for my life, and deep in my soul covered up by layers of denial can be found some guilt and remorse. I am responsible for my own will and will power, and if what I am doing I know to be wrong, the result will be no inner peace. In times when I feel a well being about myself I find my soul to be in harmony with itself. I remember when I was in the grips of a terminal addiction to drugs and alcohol, how there would be no peace in my life. As I would pour into my belly the burning liquid, a sense of calm would come over me and I would feel a sensation of well being. My mind would lie to me and tell me that my soul was in harmony. Everything would be all right for a few hours until I woke up, head hurting, body bruised, in a spiritual void, and emotionally drained. With my soul singing a dissonant chord, the solution seemed to be alcohol, which once again would appear to bring harmony to my soul. It took years of this cycle taking place to come to the realization that my mind had been lying to me. In AA we have a slogan, “To Thine Own Self Be True,” these few words can bring the mind and emotions into harmony. For the orchestra to play in harmony it takes a conductor. For my soul to be in harmony it also takes a conductor, or an umpire as the Amplified Bible has it. I am so grateful that today I am not alone in my mind. I have a living and loving God that settles the disputes I find going on within my body, spirit and soul. At times I may object to the call that the umpire makes, but complaining does nothing but prolong and make the situation worse. I live and learn. Thanks for letting me share. God is doing for me what I could not do for myself…………………..JRE
Monday, December 18, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “Daily strength comes from above, and lateral strength comes from the sources provided from above.” (James W. Dake)
“I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God’s law, but I trust Christ to save me. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith……I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be.” (Philippians 3:9 and 12 NLT)
Some days I feel like I just can’t do it. I feel like being a Christian is just too much to take on, with everything else going on in my life. And then as I sit down, open my Bible to the place where I left off, and read, God seems to have just the right words to bring encouragement and peace in my life. Actually these feeling I get at times that want me to give up are rooted in self-pity. Here I sit on a gloomy day, one week before Christmas. I’ve got a pulled muscle in my leg, which is like having a blown motor to a bicyclist, and with today’s scheduled meetings of caring the message of hope to the alcoholic who is still suffering, I just feel drained, physically, emotionally and spiritually. I just don’t feel like I can be good. I know that I can stay sober. I put my sobriety way up front in my daily priorities. I know that with out sobriety I loose everything that I have worked for. It’s just that on top of staying sober, I don’t know if I can be a good Christian. I really don’t think about giving up my love and devotion for God, it’s just that sometimes my self-pity tells me that I am not a good Christian. And then as I sit down out of habit to read my Bible (Praise God For Good Habits), The words of the apostle Paul are like an arrow shot straight from God to the heart of the problem, my goodness. When I think of the idea of human goodness, I realize that there are those in this life whose goodness far exceeds my own. And then I think that in some, my goodness may exceeds theirs. Man, were all in this life together and we’re all different. This just happens to be one of those days when I feel that my goodness won’t amount to much. That old self-centered, self-pity trying to raise its ugly head above my heart, is stirring around in my soul. And then the apostle Paul in God’s Word makes it perfectly clear, that my goodness has nothing to do with my standing with God. Right now I have a satisfied smile on my face knowing that I can’t do it by what I do. It seems ironic to have satisfaction in knowing that I can never be good enough to satisfy God. When I come to the point where I know that God does not want my goodness, oh God wants me to be good, but what God wants from me goes deeper than my goodness that I may or may not have. God wants me to believe in God. God wants my faith. God wants my heart. That’s the starting point. If I give my heart to God, then the rest is a process of growing, of successes and failures, of times of goodness and times other than goodness. I am so thankful that I have not arrived spiritually. Otherwise I would have arrived short of how God wants me to be. God is doing for me what I could not do for myself…………………….JRE
“No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.” (Philippians 3:13-14 NLT)
“This is another way of saying that we are going to do our best to work toward a lifelong goal that no one ever reaches until eternity.” (The Life Recovery Bible, page 1437)
My goodness
Thought for the day: “Daily strength comes from above, and lateral strength comes from the sources provided from above.” (James W. Dake)
“I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God’s law, but I trust Christ to save me. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith……I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be.” (Philippians 3:9 and 12 NLT)
Some days I feel like I just can’t do it. I feel like being a Christian is just too much to take on, with everything else going on in my life. And then as I sit down, open my Bible to the place where I left off, and read, God seems to have just the right words to bring encouragement and peace in my life. Actually these feeling I get at times that want me to give up are rooted in self-pity. Here I sit on a gloomy day, one week before Christmas. I’ve got a pulled muscle in my leg, which is like having a blown motor to a bicyclist, and with today’s scheduled meetings of caring the message of hope to the alcoholic who is still suffering, I just feel drained, physically, emotionally and spiritually. I just don’t feel like I can be good. I know that I can stay sober. I put my sobriety way up front in my daily priorities. I know that with out sobriety I loose everything that I have worked for. It’s just that on top of staying sober, I don’t know if I can be a good Christian. I really don’t think about giving up my love and devotion for God, it’s just that sometimes my self-pity tells me that I am not a good Christian. And then as I sit down out of habit to read my Bible (Praise God For Good Habits), The words of the apostle Paul are like an arrow shot straight from God to the heart of the problem, my goodness. When I think of the idea of human goodness, I realize that there are those in this life whose goodness far exceeds my own. And then I think that in some, my goodness may exceeds theirs. Man, were all in this life together and we’re all different. This just happens to be one of those days when I feel that my goodness won’t amount to much. That old self-centered, self-pity trying to raise its ugly head above my heart, is stirring around in my soul. And then the apostle Paul in God’s Word makes it perfectly clear, that my goodness has nothing to do with my standing with God. Right now I have a satisfied smile on my face knowing that I can’t do it by what I do. It seems ironic to have satisfaction in knowing that I can never be good enough to satisfy God. When I come to the point where I know that God does not want my goodness, oh God wants me to be good, but what God wants from me goes deeper than my goodness that I may or may not have. God wants me to believe in God. God wants my faith. God wants my heart. That’s the starting point. If I give my heart to God, then the rest is a process of growing, of successes and failures, of times of goodness and times other than goodness. I am so thankful that I have not arrived spiritually. Otherwise I would have arrived short of how God wants me to be. God is doing for me what I could not do for myself…………………….JRE
“No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.” (Philippians 3:13-14 NLT)
“This is another way of saying that we are going to do our best to work toward a lifelong goal that no one ever reaches until eternity.” (The Life Recovery Bible, page 1437)
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “Our greatness rests solely on the fact that God in His incomprehensible goodness has bestowed His love upon us. God does not love us because we are so valuable; we are valuable because God loves us.”
HELMUT THIELICKE
God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Fore we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
(Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT)
If I had to pick one Scripture verse that means more to me than any other, I would have to pick Ephesians 2:8. Centuries ago, Martin Luther who was a Catholic monk, fell upon this verse and it changed his life. The King James Version says, “For by grace you are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” When I first accepted Jesus Christ and forgiveness in my life, I thought you had to be good to be saved. How wrong I was. Goodness is a product of being saved and not the element that gets us saved. There are two Greek words that have grabbed my attention this morning. One is poiema being translated workmanship and masterpiece; the other is sozo being translated as saved. As Christians I think that we sometimes get a general and vague understanding of what it means to be saved. Think about it, the word is used so much that we roll it off our tongues without even thinking of its meaning. The Greek word sozo means so much more than just being rescued, and that is how most of us use it. It has a meaning of being healed, preserved, saved (self), to do well, be (make) whole. It means more than just, picture this, being rescued all alone at sea floating in a life preserver. It means to be made whole, as if there was some part of us that was missing and now it has been given back to us and we are whole. It means to be healed, to have our sickness removed. It means to do well, to prosper in all things, spiritually, mentally, and materially. When I get a glimpse of what actually happened when I got saved I see that it was more than just being rescued. Now about the word poiema, this word tickles my spiritual fancy. It is used as meaning that we are God’s workmanship and God’s masterpiece. We get our English word poem from this Greek word. When I think of myself as being God’s poetry, God’s song, it makes me want to dance. As I walk and praise God, I become poetry in motion, God’s poetry in motion. My life used to be a long, drawn out, repetitious, blues song. But not so today, God has rewritten the melody, and changed the lyrics from sad to glad. Today my hope rests on the fact that it is not what I do that brings about my being made whole, healed, and prosperous. It is not what I do, but God putting a poem and a song in my life. It is my faith in a loving God that offers me the gift of new life. God has done for me what I could not do for myself…………………JRE
“One of the keys to understanding the truths of the New Covenant is having a revelation of the gift of grace…………….We have all heard that grace is unmerited favor. Well, that is true, but it is much more than that. Grace is God’s willingness to use His power and His ability on your behalf, even though you don’t deserve it. This definition of grace will challenge you to study the Scriptures concerning grace. Paul tells us that it is through faith that we are able to enter into grace.” CHARLES CAPPS
Poetry in motion
Thought for the day: “Our greatness rests solely on the fact that God in His incomprehensible goodness has bestowed His love upon us. God does not love us because we are so valuable; we are valuable because God loves us.”
HELMUT THIELICKE
God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Fore we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
(Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT)
If I had to pick one Scripture verse that means more to me than any other, I would have to pick Ephesians 2:8. Centuries ago, Martin Luther who was a Catholic monk, fell upon this verse and it changed his life. The King James Version says, “For by grace you are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” When I first accepted Jesus Christ and forgiveness in my life, I thought you had to be good to be saved. How wrong I was. Goodness is a product of being saved and not the element that gets us saved. There are two Greek words that have grabbed my attention this morning. One is poiema being translated workmanship and masterpiece; the other is sozo being translated as saved. As Christians I think that we sometimes get a general and vague understanding of what it means to be saved. Think about it, the word is used so much that we roll it off our tongues without even thinking of its meaning. The Greek word sozo means so much more than just being rescued, and that is how most of us use it. It has a meaning of being healed, preserved, saved (self), to do well, be (make) whole. It means more than just, picture this, being rescued all alone at sea floating in a life preserver. It means to be made whole, as if there was some part of us that was missing and now it has been given back to us and we are whole. It means to be healed, to have our sickness removed. It means to do well, to prosper in all things, spiritually, mentally, and materially. When I get a glimpse of what actually happened when I got saved I see that it was more than just being rescued. Now about the word poiema, this word tickles my spiritual fancy. It is used as meaning that we are God’s workmanship and God’s masterpiece. We get our English word poem from this Greek word. When I think of myself as being God’s poetry, God’s song, it makes me want to dance. As I walk and praise God, I become poetry in motion, God’s poetry in motion. My life used to be a long, drawn out, repetitious, blues song. But not so today, God has rewritten the melody, and changed the lyrics from sad to glad. Today my hope rests on the fact that it is not what I do that brings about my being made whole, healed, and prosperous. It is not what I do, but God putting a poem and a song in my life. It is my faith in a loving God that offers me the gift of new life. God has done for me what I could not do for myself…………………JRE
“One of the keys to understanding the truths of the New Covenant is having a revelation of the gift of grace…………….We have all heard that grace is unmerited favor. Well, that is true, but it is much more than that. Grace is God’s willingness to use His power and His ability on your behalf, even though you don’t deserve it. This definition of grace will challenge you to study the Scriptures concerning grace. Paul tells us that it is through faith that we are able to enter into grace.” CHARLES CAPPS
Monday, December 11, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “The pursuit of happiness is futile. Happiness, peace of mind, and serenity are the results of the way you think God would have you live.”
(Author unknown, heard at AA meetings)
But when the Holy Spirit controls your lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law. (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT)
As far back as I can remember my conflicts in life came as a result of laws. I’m not necessarily talking about the police and judges, even though they have been a source of conflict in my life. My mom laid down the first laws I remember. I remember when I was three years old and we lived in Germany, my father was in the military as part of the occupational forces in Europe. The year was 1949 and my mom told me not to put bugs in my pockets. I remember I had a fascination with roly-poly bugs and worms. The roly-poly bugs when you touched them would roll up in a ball, which made them perfect for picking up and putting in my pockets. Likewise the earthworms were slow and could be easily caught and placed in my pockets. When my mom washed my clothes she would always check my pockets and I guess it freaked her out a little to find the bugs. I remember being warned more than once about putting bugs in my pockets. Later as I went to school there were always laws about behavior that were explained and enforced. In high school the laws became more and more. I remember one especially that sticks out in my mind. “Thou shall not skip school.” I had trouble with this law all through my high school years. Probably the reasons were because I didn’t find a lot of peace and serenity in high school at that time. As I recall I had no spiritual life and my self-control was just that, “my” self-control. As I started to drive, more laws were enforced on my life. I got my first driving ticket for excessive noise, and then speeding, next care-less driving and then I started a string of DWI’s. There seemed to be a progression to my law breaking. In 1968 I became involved in illegal drugs and then it seemed like I was always outside the law. I was an outlaw, and several times a fugitive from justice. After several incarcerations, in 1983 I found myself in jail with plenty of time and a brand new Bible. I started to get a glimpse of spirituality and the life that could be lived under the control of the Holy Spirit. I was very reluctant to give in completely, and as a result “my” self-control stayed in charge. Another fifteen years of doing things my way led to a state of living the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous refers to as “Pitiful and incomprehensible demoralization.” Now there’s some five dollar words to explain a lousy life. Today I try and listen to the Spirit as I read the Word of God daily. “Here there is no conflict with the law.” These words of the apostle Paul speak to me today. I don’t want to go back to the way it was. God is doing for me what I could not do for myself…………JRE
Share this with me from the Life Recovery Bible on these verses of Scripture.
“These qualities are produced by the Holy Spirit’s work in a life submitted to God. Just as a tree bears fruit by means of God’s silent work in nature, we experience these fruits of the Spirit by means of God’s power alone. Our part is to entrust our life to him. When the Holy Spirit begins to bear these fruits in our life, our dependency loses its power. With joy and peace we overcome the pain of our broken past. With love, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness we restore our relationships and make amends. With patience we preserve through the difficult times. With self-control we stand against our tendency to relapse. God’s Spirit can supply everything necessary for a successful recovery.”
Bugs in my pocket
Thought for the day: “The pursuit of happiness is futile. Happiness, peace of mind, and serenity are the results of the way you think God would have you live.”
(Author unknown, heard at AA meetings)
But when the Holy Spirit controls your lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law. (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT)
As far back as I can remember my conflicts in life came as a result of laws. I’m not necessarily talking about the police and judges, even though they have been a source of conflict in my life. My mom laid down the first laws I remember. I remember when I was three years old and we lived in Germany, my father was in the military as part of the occupational forces in Europe. The year was 1949 and my mom told me not to put bugs in my pockets. I remember I had a fascination with roly-poly bugs and worms. The roly-poly bugs when you touched them would roll up in a ball, which made them perfect for picking up and putting in my pockets. Likewise the earthworms were slow and could be easily caught and placed in my pockets. When my mom washed my clothes she would always check my pockets and I guess it freaked her out a little to find the bugs. I remember being warned more than once about putting bugs in my pockets. Later as I went to school there were always laws about behavior that were explained and enforced. In high school the laws became more and more. I remember one especially that sticks out in my mind. “Thou shall not skip school.” I had trouble with this law all through my high school years. Probably the reasons were because I didn’t find a lot of peace and serenity in high school at that time. As I recall I had no spiritual life and my self-control was just that, “my” self-control. As I started to drive, more laws were enforced on my life. I got my first driving ticket for excessive noise, and then speeding, next care-less driving and then I started a string of DWI’s. There seemed to be a progression to my law breaking. In 1968 I became involved in illegal drugs and then it seemed like I was always outside the law. I was an outlaw, and several times a fugitive from justice. After several incarcerations, in 1983 I found myself in jail with plenty of time and a brand new Bible. I started to get a glimpse of spirituality and the life that could be lived under the control of the Holy Spirit. I was very reluctant to give in completely, and as a result “my” self-control stayed in charge. Another fifteen years of doing things my way led to a state of living the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous refers to as “Pitiful and incomprehensible demoralization.” Now there’s some five dollar words to explain a lousy life. Today I try and listen to the Spirit as I read the Word of God daily. “Here there is no conflict with the law.” These words of the apostle Paul speak to me today. I don’t want to go back to the way it was. God is doing for me what I could not do for myself…………JRE
Share this with me from the Life Recovery Bible on these verses of Scripture.
“These qualities are produced by the Holy Spirit’s work in a life submitted to God. Just as a tree bears fruit by means of God’s silent work in nature, we experience these fruits of the Spirit by means of God’s power alone. Our part is to entrust our life to him. When the Holy Spirit begins to bear these fruits in our life, our dependency loses its power. With joy and peace we overcome the pain of our broken past. With love, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness we restore our relationships and make amends. With patience we preserve through the difficult times. With self-control we stand against our tendency to relapse. God’s Spirit can supply everything necessary for a successful recovery.”
Saturday, December 09, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day
I sought my soul, but my soul I could not see.
I sought my God, but my God eluded me.
I sought my brother, and found all three.
(author unknown)
Your throne is founded on two strong pillars, righteousness and justice.
Unfailing love and truth walk before you as attendants.
Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship,
For they will walk in the light of your presence, LORD.
(PSALM 89:14-15 NLT, A psalm of Ethan the Ezrahite)
The first time I saw the quote about searching for your soul and God, and finding them in your brother, was in 1992 when my AA sponsor gave me his card. On the front was his address and phone number, and on the back was this quote. I thought it was a catchy little phrase, but it did not register with me very deeply. In February of 1992 I went into treatment for alcoholism. The VA said that I should try to do something about my problems caused by my Vietnam experiences, and recommended a PTSD program at Fort Roots, in North Little Rock Arkansas. In order to qualify for the PTSD program we Vietnam vets needed to be clean and sober for six months. At that time in my life I was having trouble getting along with my wife, my family my church, and my friends. Most of all I was having trouble getting along with myself. On top of that I was pouring in the best Canadian whiskey money could buy, which acted as a magnifying glass placed on my character defects. A Scripture verse comes to mind when I think about that time in my life, “O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death” (Romans 7:24). I went to treatment, worked the program of AA, got a sponsor, stayed clean and sober for six months, and then headed to Little Rock. I spent two months with other Vietnam vets; we lived, laughed, cried, ate, slept, argued and fought together. We became a whole made up of many parts. For all of us it was the first time since nam that we had been together with that many vets. It was a time of healing that came about fourteen years late in my life. I remember when I was on my way home, riding the Greyhound Bus, how happy I was that I went and finished the program. I did not know what lay ahead of me. Back home all alone I found myself with the same feelings that I had when I returned home from nam in 1968. I was a military fish out of water in a sea of civilians. I turned to my old friend the bottle, forgetting all about the card I had in my wallet with my sponsors phone number. It took about 14 months for me to try and sober up again. In 1993 I went back to treatment and stayed sober for 30 days. It wasn’t until 1996 that I gave it one more attempt, and that lasted for 10 months. Then In 1998 I swallowed my pride, walked back down the steps of the Catholic Church to the AA meeting and my sponsor once again gave me his card. As I read the quote on the back one more time, it penetrated my hard heart. I realized that my God who had eluded me, could be seen clearly in the lives of those who had been there to help me sober up. Thanks for letting me share, God did for me what I could not do for myself………JRE
“More will be revealed.” (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 164)
My God eluded me
Thought for the day
I sought my soul, but my soul I could not see.
I sought my God, but my God eluded me.
I sought my brother, and found all three.
(author unknown)
Your throne is founded on two strong pillars, righteousness and justice.
Unfailing love and truth walk before you as attendants.
Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship,
For they will walk in the light of your presence, LORD.
(PSALM 89:14-15 NLT, A psalm of Ethan the Ezrahite)
The first time I saw the quote about searching for your soul and God, and finding them in your brother, was in 1992 when my AA sponsor gave me his card. On the front was his address and phone number, and on the back was this quote. I thought it was a catchy little phrase, but it did not register with me very deeply. In February of 1992 I went into treatment for alcoholism. The VA said that I should try to do something about my problems caused by my Vietnam experiences, and recommended a PTSD program at Fort Roots, in North Little Rock Arkansas. In order to qualify for the PTSD program we Vietnam vets needed to be clean and sober for six months. At that time in my life I was having trouble getting along with my wife, my family my church, and my friends. Most of all I was having trouble getting along with myself. On top of that I was pouring in the best Canadian whiskey money could buy, which acted as a magnifying glass placed on my character defects. A Scripture verse comes to mind when I think about that time in my life, “O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death” (Romans 7:24). I went to treatment, worked the program of AA, got a sponsor, stayed clean and sober for six months, and then headed to Little Rock. I spent two months with other Vietnam vets; we lived, laughed, cried, ate, slept, argued and fought together. We became a whole made up of many parts. For all of us it was the first time since nam that we had been together with that many vets. It was a time of healing that came about fourteen years late in my life. I remember when I was on my way home, riding the Greyhound Bus, how happy I was that I went and finished the program. I did not know what lay ahead of me. Back home all alone I found myself with the same feelings that I had when I returned home from nam in 1968. I was a military fish out of water in a sea of civilians. I turned to my old friend the bottle, forgetting all about the card I had in my wallet with my sponsors phone number. It took about 14 months for me to try and sober up again. In 1993 I went back to treatment and stayed sober for 30 days. It wasn’t until 1996 that I gave it one more attempt, and that lasted for 10 months. Then In 1998 I swallowed my pride, walked back down the steps of the Catholic Church to the AA meeting and my sponsor once again gave me his card. As I read the quote on the back one more time, it penetrated my hard heart. I realized that my God who had eluded me, could be seen clearly in the lives of those who had been there to help me sober up. Thanks for letting me share, God did for me what I could not do for myself………JRE
“More will be revealed.” (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 164)
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “It is easier to protect your feet with slippers, than to carpet the whole earth.” (Author unknown)
Remember this, a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop…………..For God is the one who gives seed to the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will give you many opportunities to do good, and he will produce a great harvest of generosity in you.”
2 Corinthians 9:6 and 10
I hear in church all the time, “If you don’t like the harvest you are getting, sow different seeds.” Many times what we receive in the here and now are a result of seeds that we have sown in the past. All of us sow seeds all the time. We sow seeds into the lives of those around us and we sow seeds in our own live. Even when we think there is nothing going on and we are sitting all alone, our thoughts are sowing seeds in our own lives. I have discovered that I can sit at home all by myself on a cold, cloudy, and rainy day, meditate on the cool dark dampness of life, and work up a real good depression. I can ponder on the fact that I am sitting alone, feel sorry for myself, and work up a self-centered attitude so irritable that when someone does come around they soon leave because they can’t stand to be around me. I am learning that it is just as easy to take the same situation, but sow different seeds, and reap a good harvest. I can take the cold, cloudy, and rainy day and be thankful for the moisture. I can look at the clouds as bringing the rain, and providing shade and change in the sky and atmosphere. I can be thankful for the cool weather because of the changing seasons, which give the land and myself a rest. During these times I receive a rest from mowing, weed eating, leaf raking, gardening, and all those things we are forced to do in warmer weather. Here’s the clincher in my life, I have learned to sow good seeds into my time alone. I am so grateful that as I sit alone, God and I can grow closer with out much interference. I have time to sow the Word of God into my spirit without distractions. I still have plenty of friends and see people regularly, it’s just that I have learned to take the times I used to consider as lonely, and make them the most rewarding times of my day. I had to learn to sow good seeds. The spiritual principle of sowing can be understood as simply as taking wild birdseed, putting it in the feeders outside my windows, and enjoying the hundreds of colorful birds that come to eat. In the same way in my spirit, God’s words turn out to be a harvested banquet, and I find that I lack nothing. God is doing for me what I could not do for myself…………………JRE
Share this with me; it really speaks to my heart.
It is from the Life Recovery Bible, page 1402.
“The more spiritual seeds we plant by generously helping others, the greater will be our harvest of spiritual fruit. God never forces us to give; he wants us to give with willing hearts. God is not only interested in what we do; he is also interested in the attitudes and motives behind our actions. Some of us may feel we don’t have much to offer people in need. Our life may be in ruins; we may have gone in debt to support destructive habits. But even if we have nothing else to give, we can share our story of how God gave us a second chance. As little as this may seem to us, it may be the gift of life to someone in the throes of an addiction.”
“If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.” (Heard around the tables of AA)
"If you keep doing what you're doing, you'll keep getting what you're getting."
Thought for the day: “It is easier to protect your feet with slippers, than to carpet the whole earth.” (Author unknown)
Remember this, a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop…………..For God is the one who gives seed to the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will give you many opportunities to do good, and he will produce a great harvest of generosity in you.”
2 Corinthians 9:6 and 10
I hear in church all the time, “If you don’t like the harvest you are getting, sow different seeds.” Many times what we receive in the here and now are a result of seeds that we have sown in the past. All of us sow seeds all the time. We sow seeds into the lives of those around us and we sow seeds in our own live. Even when we think there is nothing going on and we are sitting all alone, our thoughts are sowing seeds in our own lives. I have discovered that I can sit at home all by myself on a cold, cloudy, and rainy day, meditate on the cool dark dampness of life, and work up a real good depression. I can ponder on the fact that I am sitting alone, feel sorry for myself, and work up a self-centered attitude so irritable that when someone does come around they soon leave because they can’t stand to be around me. I am learning that it is just as easy to take the same situation, but sow different seeds, and reap a good harvest. I can take the cold, cloudy, and rainy day and be thankful for the moisture. I can look at the clouds as bringing the rain, and providing shade and change in the sky and atmosphere. I can be thankful for the cool weather because of the changing seasons, which give the land and myself a rest. During these times I receive a rest from mowing, weed eating, leaf raking, gardening, and all those things we are forced to do in warmer weather. Here’s the clincher in my life, I have learned to sow good seeds into my time alone. I am so grateful that as I sit alone, God and I can grow closer with out much interference. I have time to sow the Word of God into my spirit without distractions. I still have plenty of friends and see people regularly, it’s just that I have learned to take the times I used to consider as lonely, and make them the most rewarding times of my day. I had to learn to sow good seeds. The spiritual principle of sowing can be understood as simply as taking wild birdseed, putting it in the feeders outside my windows, and enjoying the hundreds of colorful birds that come to eat. In the same way in my spirit, God’s words turn out to be a harvested banquet, and I find that I lack nothing. God is doing for me what I could not do for myself…………………JRE
Share this with me; it really speaks to my heart.
It is from the Life Recovery Bible, page 1402.
“The more spiritual seeds we plant by generously helping others, the greater will be our harvest of spiritual fruit. God never forces us to give; he wants us to give with willing hearts. God is not only interested in what we do; he is also interested in the attitudes and motives behind our actions. Some of us may feel we don’t have much to offer people in need. Our life may be in ruins; we may have gone in debt to support destructive habits. But even if we have nothing else to give, we can share our story of how God gave us a second chance. As little as this may seem to us, it may be the gift of life to someone in the throes of an addiction.”
“If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.” (Heard around the tables of AA)
Monday, December 04, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “When God delivered Israel out of Egypt, He didn’t send an army. We would have sent an army or an orator. But God sent a man who had been in the desert for 40 years, and had an impediment in his speech. It is weakness that God wants! Nothing is too small when God handles it.” (D.L. Moody)
But this precious treasure, this light and power that now shine within us, is held in perishable containers, that is, in our weak bodies. So everyone can see that our glorious power is from God and is not our own.
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don’t give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going.
2 Corinthians 4:7-9 NLT
I was looking at my hands the other day. Having spent many years as an equipment operator and tree trimmer, I received many cuts and scrapes. These cuts and scrapes have left scars over the years. Some are barely visible and some are very visible, but most can be seen if you look. I had my appendix taken out when I was 15, that scar is still there. I had an automobile crash in 1979 that left a scar on my forehead, it too can still be seen. I got cut a couple of times by chain saws and the scars are still there. I burned my leg on a heat lamp climbing down in my well house about a year ago. There is still evidence of that. Three weeks ago I climbed on my buddies motorcycle with shorts on and found out how hot the exhaust was. Next year at this time I will be able to remember the occasion by looking at my leg. This morning as I came across the apostle Paul’s words about our bodies being perishable containers, and I look at my hands, I realize that our human bodies are not perfect. We show evidence of mistakes and flaws that we have experienced over the years. These flaws or cracks in our bodies, if we allow, will take on a beauty of their own by letting God’s light shine from our heart, through the flaw, to the heart of someone who has just been scared the same way. Not all of our scars are external. Many of us have scars on the inside caused by emotional pain and abuse of one sort or another. These scars can shine the love of God the brightest if we apply during the healing process the salve and balm of forgiveness. We all live in these perishable containers with cracks, scratches, even pieces missing, but my, my, how God’s love light shines and reflects through our healed flaws. God will do for us what we can not do for ourselves…………………..JRE
“Donald Barnhouse wrote a book called The Invisible War. In it he pictured spiritual armies of good and evil conducting their warfare on the battleground of history. This warfare is being conducted yet today, with Satan struggling to blind man’s eyes to the Gospel, as God cries out, through the proclamation of Jesus, ‘Let there be light!’”
LAWRENCE O. RICHARDS
The salve and balm
Thought for the day: “When God delivered Israel out of Egypt, He didn’t send an army. We would have sent an army or an orator. But God sent a man who had been in the desert for 40 years, and had an impediment in his speech. It is weakness that God wants! Nothing is too small when God handles it.” (D.L. Moody)
But this precious treasure, this light and power that now shine within us, is held in perishable containers, that is, in our weak bodies. So everyone can see that our glorious power is from God and is not our own.
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don’t give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going.
2 Corinthians 4:7-9 NLT
I was looking at my hands the other day. Having spent many years as an equipment operator and tree trimmer, I received many cuts and scrapes. These cuts and scrapes have left scars over the years. Some are barely visible and some are very visible, but most can be seen if you look. I had my appendix taken out when I was 15, that scar is still there. I had an automobile crash in 1979 that left a scar on my forehead, it too can still be seen. I got cut a couple of times by chain saws and the scars are still there. I burned my leg on a heat lamp climbing down in my well house about a year ago. There is still evidence of that. Three weeks ago I climbed on my buddies motorcycle with shorts on and found out how hot the exhaust was. Next year at this time I will be able to remember the occasion by looking at my leg. This morning as I came across the apostle Paul’s words about our bodies being perishable containers, and I look at my hands, I realize that our human bodies are not perfect. We show evidence of mistakes and flaws that we have experienced over the years. These flaws or cracks in our bodies, if we allow, will take on a beauty of their own by letting God’s light shine from our heart, through the flaw, to the heart of someone who has just been scared the same way. Not all of our scars are external. Many of us have scars on the inside caused by emotional pain and abuse of one sort or another. These scars can shine the love of God the brightest if we apply during the healing process the salve and balm of forgiveness. We all live in these perishable containers with cracks, scratches, even pieces missing, but my, my, how God’s love light shines and reflects through our healed flaws. God will do for us what we can not do for ourselves…………………..JRE
“Donald Barnhouse wrote a book called The Invisible War. In it he pictured spiritual armies of good and evil conducting their warfare on the battleground of history. This warfare is being conducted yet today, with Satan struggling to blind man’s eyes to the Gospel, as God cries out, through the proclamation of Jesus, ‘Let there be light!’”
LAWRENCE O. RICHARDS
