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GLEANINGS FROM THE WORD Experiencing an extraordinary God in ordinary life
The thundered rolled across the sky. The lightning made for a non stop light show and the rain poured last night. I got up this morning and looked out the window to see heavy mist. I could see about twenty feet, beyond that things just disappeared into the misty morning. Life is often like a misty morning. We can see a little bit of what's coming our way, but much of what is to come and most of what is around us we never really see clearly. The world around us is obscured by our own perception filters. We don't like to think about poverty so we look through the street people or drive around the "rough" neighborhoods. The street people distrust the "suits", so they too have filters. We don't like the idea of domestic violence so we close our eyes to it. If it's happening in our lives we put up our own mist to keep others from seeing because of our shame. We fear death so we don't talk about it. That doesn't stop people from dying or help those who are grieving. We're self focused so we simply don't see the needs of those around us. That doesn't fill the needs. People are starving but we block it out because it's far away. People are being persecuted for their faith, but we don't want to hear about it so we say the reports must be exaggerated. Injustice abounds, but as long as it doesn't impact us, we keep it out beyond the mist so we don't have to deal with it. The sad part is that the places we can do the most good are hidden by our mists. There are untold ministry opportunities, countless people waiting to hear of the love of God and His forgiveness, and innumerable people waiting to learn that someone cares. When we step out of our comfort zones into the mist we become the ambassadors Christ intended us to be. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 NIV When we step into the mist, we not only bring Christ to others, we grow as well. Our prejudices are shattered, our pride is humbled and we realize we're not the center of the universe (sorry to shatter your illusions, but the sun doesn't revolve around you and I, and most of the billions of the people in the world don't know we exist). When we step into the mist in the name of Christ, it's never in vain. It pleases the Father. "His master replied, `Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' Matthew 25:23 NIV The choice is yours. Stay within the comfortable little world that you have created in you own mind and never know what He has in mind for you, or step into the mist to be challenged, to grow, to share the truth and to please the Father. Until next time, I pray you go out into the misty morning and declare to a lost and hurting world that "Jesus loves you" through your words, your deeds, your generosity and your love. Be blessed Hallelu Yah (Praise God)! Kevin
Once you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour you are called to go out and share His love. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:33-34 NIV Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. You have value in the eyes of God so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that heaven will not be complete without you. HELP FOR THE HURTING Perhaps you're living in the mist. You don't know where to turn for help and it seems that no one cares. There is a place you can turn and someone who cares more than you'll ever truly understand. Turn to Jesus Christ. You can simply begin the relationship by honestly and completely opening your heart, admitting you need God's help, and saying a prayer along the lines of: Jesus: I have made many mistakes in my life and done things I am not proud of. I have sinned. I need your love and forgiveness. I believe that you came into this world and gave your life on a cross to pay for my sins and that you defeated death and rose again. Please forgive me, and be the Lord of my life. I give my life to you Lord. Amen If you pray this prayer for the first time let me know so I can rejoice with you. Did you know that at Gleanings, we have a dedicated team of prayer warriors and all prayer concerns are kept strictly confidential? Your comments, your questions and your joys are shared with the prayer team, to keep me accountable as the head of the ministry and to encourage them as they see God at work in your life. As with prayer all these things are kept confidential within the Gleanings team. To share your questions, comments, thoughts, prayer concerns and praise reports email us If you enjoyed this issue of Gleanings From The Word, email it, in its entirety, to a friend. For information on use of Gleanings in your church newsletter or other situations please visit the permissions page . You can write to us at Gleanings From The Word Ministries International 114 Oak St Sherwood Park, AB Canada T8A 0V8 © 2003 K.F. "Kevin" Corbin Gleanings From The Word Minististries International - All Rights Reserved
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